The Kitten Has Claws

The Kitten Has Claws [Chapter 33]

This book is available for purchase on amazon.com as an ebook. 

Chapter Thirty-Three

Delilah stumbled down the hall, cradling her bottle of tequila and humming under her breath. She jostled the liquid around, scowling at the half empty bottle. Someone had stolen her alcohol in the last five minutes. She could have sworn it was full when she had grabbed it from her personal stash. Grumbling under her breath she took a swig of it, coughing when the fiery liquid burned down her throat. It helped to temporarily erase the pain and numb her senses.

She felt the pain of losing Theo, the man she thought she loved, she felt pain for Paxton, his brother, she felt pain for everyone in the house who had loved Sage or Theo; but she felt the most pain because it didn't hurt enough.

She thought that losing Theo would feel like someone had torn her heart out and cut it into a thousand pieces. However, she merely felt an ache, like a part of her heart was missing, but she wasn't torn up inside. Weren't soul mates supposed to feel like dying after losing their loved one? Delilah felt so guilty that she wasn't mourning enough. Had she never truly loved Theo? Could she even love anyone?

From down the hall she heard the faint sounds of a song playing mournfully through the air. Intrigued, she followed the notes to a slightly opened door. Pushing it open she saw Jed swaying back and forth with a bottle of beer, singing the lyrics to a familiar song. She grinned and leaned against the door, letting his voice wash over her.

He sang at the top of his voice and stumbled around the room, taking a gulp of beer and toasting the computer where the music was coming from.

Jed hiccupped and finished the song in a loud off-key voice. He was slurring the words together, and from the multiple beer cans and bottles on the ground, Delilah figured he'd pass out relatively soon. The music trailed off and then started playing again; apparently Jed had it on repeat.

"Repeat? Really?" Delilah slurred, laughing at him.

Jed tensed and spun around slowly, looking at her with wide eyes. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked roughly. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, or a little boy with his hand in the cookie jar. Clearly he hadn't expected anyone to hear him, nor did he want anyone to know that he was wasted and singing.

"I only heard the song play one time through if that's what you're asking." Delilah scrunched her brow and entered the room, "Aren't your spidey senses supposed to be able to know when someone is nearby?" She inspected his room slowly; it looked like a tornado had come through and left a bunch of trash behind in its wake. Clothes were thrown apart, draping over furniture and lampshades. Food wrappers were littered about like candy and multiple forms of alcoholic beverages lined the windows.

Jed gave a lopsided smile and gestured at his room, "I'm a little tipsy, can't quite sense things as well." He gave the bottle he was holding a loud kiss and chuckled, "Mmm beer, my best friend; makes me all befuddled and shit." He laughed loudly, "That reminds me of another song. Let's get fucked up—alcohol my only friend!" he crooned.

Delilah laughed at him and held up her bottle of tequila, toasting him through the air. Apparently she wasn't the only one drinking her sorrows away tonight. Normally she would question why someone as jovial as Jed was drinking, but the alcohol had clouded her mind and judgment so she let it pass.

"So..." her voice trailed off as she let her eyes wander around the room. Jed had taken the repeat off of the song and another song was now playing. Delilah squealed excitedly, "I LOVE this song!" She set the tequila down and started dancing, tossing her head from side to side. She sang at the top of her lungs, giggling gaily. There was a guilty voice in the back of her head, telling her that she shouldn't be so happy when Theo was dead, but she ignored it and kept dancing.