Back To You

Chapter 8

May 2008
A later she was in Vegas to attend a photography conference. She was lonely and missed Cole. Her heart was torn about telling him the truth about her past. She didn't want to burden him with her baggage but she wanted to see what was between them. She sighed and tried to concentrate on the speaker. Luckily the conference was only a day long and she was planning on spending the rest of the weekend relaxing.

Delilah was eating dinner at the bar of her hotel when her phone went off. She looked down at the display. "When r u comin home? We need to talk."

"4 days."

"Damn..."

She typed the text and hit send before she could change her mind. "Come to Vegas."

"Hotel?"

"Mediterranean. Room 1432."

"Be there soon."

"I'll be waiting."

She down the shot of patron and ordered up another. She was pretty buzzed when her phone went off again. "Just boarded the plane. Be there in 3 hours."

Delilah paced the hotel room waiting for Cole to get there. She was going to tell him everything. It was time. She was tired of running from what she was feeling.

Finally, there was knock on the door. She opened it to see Cole in the hall. "Come in. We need to talk."

She stared at Cole before he spoke. "Does this have anything to do with why you keep pushing me away? Why you won't let me in? Why you have been avoiding me?"

"Cole...." She swallowed hard. "When I told you that my last relationship was complicated...I didn't tell you everything."

"When I was in my sophomore year at Georgia Southern, I met a guy. Ryan. He was good looking, outgoing, smart, sweet, funny, charming. He treated me like a princess for the first year and a half of our relationship. After a year and a half, he started getting possessive. Trying to tell me who I could be friends with...showing up at places I said I was going to be to see if I was really there. He told me he had been cheated on so I blew it off as him being insecure. He would send me pink roses after these incidents. But after summer before my senior year he got really possessive. Started accusing me of cheating, calling me names, monitoring my phone calls. Showing up at my apartment unannounced. So I ended it right before Christmas. He didn't take it well. He started following me, calling me all hours of the night, sending me roses all the time. Telling me he knew where I was and who I was with. It got creepy really fast. I tried to take out a restraining order on him. But in Georgia you can't get one unless he's physically hurt you so they wouldn't give me one. The stalking got worse. He slashed my tires, broke into my apartment. He started leaving pictures of me in my mail. I got so paranoid that I hardly ever left my apartment.  He was still calling all hours of the night. Finally, he broke into my apartment in the middle of the night while I was home. He slapped me and called me all kinds of names. I managed to call the police and they gave me the restraining order. But it didn't stop him. One night he was sitting outside my apartment in a thunderstorm. He cut the power and broke in. He beat me so bad I ended up in the hospital for a week. I had never told anyone what was going on except my cousin. She found me. She called the police and my parents and Luke. The cops arrested him but because he comes from a wealthy family he didn't get jail time. He got three years in a mental hospital. I had nightmares for over a year. I didn't trust people. Even moving up to Nashville I still had nightmares. So now you know my secret." It all rushed out before she could think about what to say.

Cole felt his heart stop. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

She bit her lip. "Because I didn't want to lose what we ..... Whatever this is.... it's different from anything I've ever felt before."

"So instead of tellin me...you just pushed me away. Do you really think I'd walk away?"

"This is a lot to take in, Cole...."

"And?" He stood up and pulled her into his arms "Look at me.... I'm not scared of him."

"Cole...."

He shook his head, "I won't let him get close enough to hurt you again. Let me be here, Lila...let me in."

She nodded and rested her head against his chest. "I'm sorry for not tellin you."

"No more secrets." He kissed her head. "And whatever this is between us...don't ask me not to protect you." She lifted her head to let him press his mouth to hers.

The rest of the night was spent with her in his arms letting him hold her and kiss her. He never pressed the issue of sex.

The next morning, she rolled over and looked at him. He was sleeping on his stomach with his face buried in a pillow.

She watched the rise and fall of his back with every breath he took. He was gorgeous. She wanted to touch him. She bit her lip. "Go back to sleep, Lils. It's too early." He mumbled.

"How did you know I was awake?" She reached over and traced the outline of his spine.

"Keep touchin me like that and you're gonna get more than what you got last night." He rolled over to face her. She could see the want in his eyes. She licked her lips. "Is that a threat?"

"No, darlin... that's a promise." His voice was husky from sleep. He snagged her around the waist. "Mornin."

"Mornin, yourself."

Cole rolled over her and braced himself on his hands. He kissed her softly. "You are so damn beautiful."

"You're not so bad yourself, Swindell."