Pride Of A Slave

chapter seven

I stood in the parlor looking at the portraits and thinking about what Joseph had said. I was starting to feel bitter when I saw how stupidly devoted Dimitri was to Delilah, never seeing her flaws. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and turned to see Ryder staring at me, his eyes a bright green.

"They are really good, you know." He nodded to the paintings and

I smiled, "Thanks, his is better though."

Ryder shrugged, "He's the teacher, his technique is supposed to be good, but you gave him a run for his money, so to speak. It also helps that he had the better subject."

I chuckled, "I figured you would be like Dimitri and would still be pinning after Delilah."

Ryder snorted, "I never really wanted her, I guess I just didn't want Di to have something that I couldn't. And come to find out, I was having it as often as he was, so..."

I shook my head and turned back to the paintings, "Why is he so obsessed with her?"

Ryder walked until he was standing next to me, "I don't know, to be honest. But, it wasn't worth it to me. I saw how upset she made you, maybe I didn't see it soon enough, but our fist fight wasn't fighting over Delilah, exactly."

I looked at Ryder confused and he looked at me, his face serious, "I saw you not eating, I saw you hurting. I didn't know how to help, I've never lost someone as important as your mom was to you. Maybe, I shoulda kept trying, but I really thought Di would be there for you. I remembered, after his mom died, you sitting with him until you were sore, and stiff. I remember you getting sick a couple of times, because you didn't sleep or eat taking care of him.

"Then I realized the reason why he wasn't there was because of Delilah, I told him to stop seeing her. He flipped out, probably because he knew she was coming over to my rooms and trying to sleep with me night after night. It became hard to get her to leave sometimes, but I told him to leave her be. I did it hoping he would remember he needed to help you. But he just, I dunno, Sera, he just didn't, and when I saw him not getting it, I snapped.

You two have always been thicker than thieves and sometimes I felt like the third wheel. You and Di, you were like two creatures made right next to each other, and I came along further down the line. And it pissed me off that he let you drown like that, and I didn't know what he was doing in your classes Sera, or I woulda switched classes."

Ryder grabbed me and hugged me, leaning down to kiss my forehead, "I know I'm not as helpful as Dimitri, Sera, but I'm here for you, okay? It isn't just Di that loves you."

I grabbed Ryder's shirt and pulled him back into a hug, feeling soothed by his warm embrace. Dimitri smelled clean but Ryder's smell always reminded me of the earth, it was rich, and dark, like the forest at night.

Ryder pulled away and slung his arm over my shoulders, "So, I'm moving out of my apartment. I know I'm supposed to be close to Di and all, but I cant stand Delilah sneaking into my bed all the time. It scares the hell outta me, because she just tries to jump my bones right then and there."

I groaned and shook my head and Ryder shook his head too, "yeah, well while you were in there with your professor, Di and his dad went round and round about Delilah, and it looks like Delilah is going to be here a lot. That being said, I'm moving the hell outta the area. If its alright I'm going to move across the hall from you."

I groaned, "Alright, but no multiple girls past one in the morning."

Ryder laughed and agreed then sobered, "I should warn you though, Delilah got here a few minutes ago, she's having dinner with us again."