Making My Way to You

Chapter 1

   March 2010

Delilah didn't leave the house. She locked herself away. She threw herself into her work. Finally, her friends and her cousin had enough. They showed up at her condo and drug her out for a night on the town. It had been three months, they said. Time to get out of the house and have some fun.

They made the rounds at three places before they made it to Joe's.

Cole was nursing his 1st beer when Joel sat down beside him. "Man last night was crazy..."

"Yea...it was. That's why we're doin it again." Cole grinned.

"Is this the only place we're hittin up?"

"We'll see."

Heather ordered shots of Fireball and passed them around. "Here's to Lila bein back on the single scene..."

"Stop, Heather.... I'm not interested in datin..."

"Just sayin."

Delilah tossed the shot back when she swore she smelt him. She shook her head. No way he was in the same bar as her. She hadn't seen him in two months. Not once since the night they broke up. She waved the bartender down only to realize it was David. She and Cole knew him from another bar. "Hey."

"Hey. Whatcha havin?"

"Another round of shots and bring me a beer."

"You got it."

Cole froze when he heard her laugh. His head snapped towards the end of the bar. "No fuckin way."

"What?" Joel took a pull from his beer.

"Lila's here."

"What?" Joel scanned the bar before his eyes landed on a group of girls sitting at the bar. There was a brunette with her back to him. He couldn't see her face but she had Delilah's build.

"You don't know that's her."

"Look at the blonde next to her. Tell me that's not Heather." Cole stood up. "I gotta get outta here before she sees me."

Joel nodded. "Let's go."

Cole pulled his hat down low as they made their way through the crowd.  His heart was racing. The woman he was still in love with was in the same bar. The woman who's heart he had shattered.

The bar was winding down when the waitress called out "Cole Swindell? Where's Cole?"

Delilah's breath caught. "What?"

Heather looked at the waitress. "What did you just say?"

"Cole Swindell.... He left his credit card." She held up the bank card. "Do you know him?"

Heather glanced at her cousin. All night she had pretended to have a good time but Heather knew she was missing the man. She nodded. "Yea. Tall, brown hair, blue Georgia Southern hat, good lookin, probably with another brown haired guy, wearing a leather jacket?"

"Yea that's him."

"Yea I know him. If you wanna give me his card, I'll call him and have him meet me for it."

"Sure. If David thinks that's ok." She looked at the bartender. David nodded. "Yea it's cool. They are friends of his."

The waitress handed Heather the card. "Thanks."

Heather pulled her phone out and shot Joel a text. "Hey tell Cole that he left his card at Joe's. We will have it."

Joel's phone went off as they sat down at another bar. He looked at Cole who hadn't said a word since they left Joe's. "Hey, uh you left your card at Joe's."

Cole shook his head. "No I didn't...it's in my wallet." He reached in his back pocket. "Shit." He groaned.

"It's ok. Heather has it."

"Ask her if I can come get it tomorrow."

Joel sent back a text. "Thanks, can he pick it up tomorrow?"

"Sure." Came the response. "But wait until I text him. We're havin way too much fun to call it an early night."

Joel relayed the response to Cole. "Probably hookin up with someone." He muttered taking a pull from his beer. "Not that I blame her."

Delilah was quiet as they entered her condo a couple of hours later. She kicked off her shoes. "Heather, I appreciate you offerin to stay but I'm ok."

"Bullshit." Heather stared at her. "You miss him. It's written all over your face. You love him, Lane. And don't bother pretending you don't. What I don't understand is why you don't call him."

"He cheated on me, Heather...with his ex."

"He made a mistake, Lane. He was drunk. You're not perfect either."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Cole got close. You let down those walls. But then you realized he saw you at your weakest and you started pushing him away. I know you. You were lookin for some excuse to end it."

"He hurt me, Heather."

"And he apologized. Repeatedly. I heard the voicemail's, Lane. I saw the text. You were lookin for a way out and he provided it."

"This isn't really any of your business...."

"Maybe not but I don't like seeing you like this. Love like that..." Heather shook her head. "It comes once in a lifetime. You're crazy if you let it get away. I'd give anything to be loved the way he loves you."

She put the credit card on the counter. "Do you really want to wonder what if?"

The next morning Delilah came downstairs and started the coffee. It was raining. She poured a cup and leaned against the counter. The credit card was just lying there.  Heather's words rang in her ears. She knew she was right. She sighed and headed for the stairs. There was a box of stuff that belonged to Cole in the closet. She had found it after he moved out. No better time than now then to drop it off at his new place. Joel had given Heather the address the next before and Heather written it down on a piece of paper by the credit card.

       

She got dressed and loaded the box into her Jeep. She drove over to his house before she could change her mind. She knew he was home, his truck was in the drive. She tapped on the door but there was no answer. The front door turned easy in her hand. She cautiously stuck her head in the door. She could hear voices coming from the back of the house. She followed the voices and stepped into the kitchen.