Always Second

Chapter 23

As they all ate cake, chatted, laughed, and danced for the rest of the night, it was getting late and so the others left, leaving Jace and Delilah alone.

The two of them sat on the blankets and looked out at the city view. "Did you have fun tonight?"

Delilah leaned her head onto Jace's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her bringing her closer to him.

"I did. Thank you. It's been years since I last celebrated my birthday," Delilah said with a sorrowful tone.

Jace grabbed her hands and intwined it with his. "You want to talk about it?"

Sighing to herself, Delilah looked down at their intwined hands. She felt Jace rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb and smiled when he turned his head to kiss her temple.

A few moments passed before Delilah spoke. "I used to celebrate my birthday with my parent's like everybody else does." Delilah spat out the next words bitterly as she thought back to the old times of her life. "Both of them were by my side and I had cake and presents. But then it all just stopped. My father was gone and with him, my mother was practically gone too. I spent my birthday emptily in my room, with nothing. At first I was sad, and then I was mad. But then at the end of the night, all I hoped for was a simple 'happy birthday' even if it was on a piece of paper. I think I would've been fine with that, but throughout all those years, I got nothing. I had everything and then suddenly, it all disappeared. Every birthday after that was the same. I spent it with myself and did absolutely nothing."

Jace closed his eyes as he pictured the pain that Delilah had to go through. "It's disrespectful for me to say this, but I truly despise your parents right now."

Delilah nuzzled her head into Jace's chest and laughed. "It's not disrespectful when they weren't respectful people. Besides, I'm also not very fond of them either."

Jace shook his head, he wasn't over it and he couldn't get over it. He know understood why Delilah was the way she was and how the veil of pain in her eyes would always be there. Shaking it off, Jace wanted to get her mind off such things. "I got a present for you."

Delilah lifted her head from his chest and frowned, "You shouldn't have."

"You know I had to." Jace smiled and took it out of his jackets pocket, placing it in her hands. "Open it."

Delilah hesitated as she looked up at him. He nudged at her and Delilah finally decided to open the square black velvet gift box. When she saw what was inside, she choked. It was a simple thin gold band charm bracelet with a few charms already on it. "It's beautiful."

Taking the bracelet out of the box, Jace, held his hand, "May I?"

Placing her hand in his, Jace put the perfect fitting bracelet on Delilah. "I designed it and made it just for you." Delilah's eyes widen at what he said. Jace laughed it off and took hold of her arm to show and explain to her the charms he made for her. Showing her the first one, it was a circle with the engraving, Lilah, on it in a gorgeous caligrahy and Delilah was awed at the how beautiful it looked. "This one here, is of your name, incase you ever forget it." Delilah shoved Jace by the shoulders, who just laughed it off.

After sobering up, Jace continued to explain it, "I'm kidding. It's actually for me, and all those people special to you that get to call you Lilah." Delilah's heart melted as he Jace moved onto the next one that was also a gold plated circle, but had the earth on it. "This one is of the Earth. It represents the world and all the places I want to take you to and views I want to show you one day." Flipping to the back of that charm, Jace read the engraving on the back. "You deserve the world. I know I already told you that, but I want you to truly know that. You should never settle for anything less, because you are worth so much more than you think." Jace's eyes were sparkling down on Delilah as she was about to cry at the emotions she saw in his eyes.

"And lastly, this 21, is for your birthday today. I want you to remember that you are not alone anymore and every year, I will be there to celebrate with you, the day that God put you here on this Earth and blessed the world and I with you."

Delilah was about to cry as she listened to his heartfelt speeches. "Since when did you start talking like that?"

"Since I met you." Jace's words took Delilah away as all the both of them could do was get lost in the other's eyes.

Humming in response, Delilah's eyes slowly closed as she felt Jace glance down at her lips and lean in closer until his lips touched her's. Suddenly, sparks were flying everywhere as Jace's lips sent tingles down Delilah's entire body. Moving back an inch, Delilah opened her eyes to see Jace asking for approval once more and as Delilah made the move this time, Jace groaned in pleasure grabbing her by the waist to bring her closer to him. When the two finally took a break to breath, they were both breathing hard with Jace's hands on her waist and around her shoulder, while Delilah's hands' were over his shoulders.

Bringing her hands up to hold his face, Delilah put her forehead on his smiling a little, trying to keep her emotions in control when all they wanted to do was burst out. Slowly and quietly, Delilah whispered what she knew a long time ago, but decided to finally admit. "I love you."

Hearing those words, Jace stared back blankly as his hand sneaked behind Delilah's head to pull her in for another smoldering kiss. After a couple minutes, Jace pulled away resting his forehead against hers and started laughing in great joy. Jace felt as if all the weight on his shoulders had been lifted and now all he had to do was his part. Taking out another charm out of his pocket, Jace took Delilah's hand and connected the charm to her bracelet.

Frowning at his reaction to her confession, Delilah was confused as Jace was currently placing another charm on her bracelet. When he was done, he looked up into her eyes and rubbed her hands with his thumb. "I wanted to be the one to say it first, but since you have given me to the courage to say it, I can finally take this out and put it where it belongs." 

Jace looked down at the new charm he put on her bracelet and Delilah's eyes followed, seeing the heart shaped charm with engravings on it. "This here, represents my heart. I give it to you, because you now own it." The feelings in Delilah were flooding throughout her body as she looked up into Jace's eyes. The emotions in his eyes that she always saw when he looked at her were a mix of warmth,  passion, intensity, and what she now understood was...love.

"I love you, Delilah Claire Paige." Jace smiled and Delilah beamed back at him. Overwhelmed with happiness, Delilah reached up to take his lips once more. The two went at it for a couple more minutes before Jace held tightly onto her waist and groaned.

"Ok, we've got to stop here babe. You're killing me." Delilah looked at Jace to find him looked strained and pained. Lost in the moment and still not being able to think, Jace glanced down and Delilah followed looking at the big bulge in his pants. 

"Oh!" Delilah gasped and instantly looked away, blushing hard. She cleared her throat as Jace snickered at her beside of her. She rolled her eyes at his casual attitude and looked down at the beautiful bracelet she was wearing. She picked up the new charm Jace added and examined it. The gold plated heart had the words 'I love you' on the front and on the back, it had the name 'Jace' on it. Delilah smiled as she rubbed the charm with her thumb.

"Did you really design all of these yourself?"

"You don't believe me?" Jace chuckled as Delilah shrugged at him with a grin still plastered on her face. "I assure you, I did get some of my mom's artistic genes." Delilah laughed aloud as Jace said it proudly. 

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