Wicked Temptation / l.h ✔️

38

~Delilah's POV~

I stepped out of the shower and felt the ache stronger between my legs, reminding me constantly of what Luke and I had done only an hour ago. I glanced at the pair of boxers and the big t-shirt that Luke had given me to wear to bed, smiling to myself as I pulled them both on. They were warm and they smelled like him.

The boxers fit me pretty well but his shirt swallowed my frame, falling to beneath the middle of my thighs. Still, though, I felt comfy in them.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, flicking off the lights behind me, Luke glanced up from where he laid in his bed, his eyes landing on me. A cute smile formed on his face and he gestured me over, letting his eyes wander over my frame. I walked over to him and he reached out to me when I was close enough, grabbing the front of the shirt to pull me onto his lap. He peered up at me and leaned against the wall, gripping my hips. "I knew I'd love seeing you in my clothes." He muttered, causing my heart to warm. I kissed him softly and then flopped down on his bed, because straddling him like that had proved to be a little too painful for me.

Luke shifted so that he was laying down as well, turning onto his side so he could face me. I felt him loop his arm around my waist and pull me into his body, his body heat making me feel all the more comfy in his bed. My long hair sprawled across the pillows, it's still wet state dampening them. Thankfully he didn't seem to care, though, because he just hugged me to his chest, letting one of my legs slip between his to tangle with them.

For a while we laid there together, his fingertips absentmindedly stroking the bottom of my spine beneath my shirt. I almost started to drift off to sleep but then I opened my eyes and peered at him until my mind began to wander. He looked at peace, laying with his eyes shut and his chest rising and falling serenely whilst he held me in his arms. I began to wonder if I gave him the same feelings as he gave me, if I made him feel so comfortable and warm when he was holding me this way. Did his feelings for me sometimes overwhelm him, too?

"Luke," I said softly, and he hummed softly, as if he was teetering on the edge of sleep. I looked at his face a little longer. "I love you." I told him. It didn't matter if he didn't hear it because he was too close to sleep; I simply needed to say it.

But I knew he had heard me when his eyes snapped open and he gazed at me with wide eyes, full lips parted in surprise and disbelief. I hadn't imagined myself being able to say this to him, not when he and I hadn't even really said what we were, but I didn't have it in me to wait any longer. I knew I had said it on a whim, fueled by my own clarity and confidence—confidence that he would say something to me that would prove that my feelings were not stupid of me to have—but that didn't make the statement any less true, or real. I meant it. And I was sure he felt something for me as well. He must have felt something for me as well, even if it wasn't as strong as my feelings. Even if he couldn't say that he loved me yet, I was sure he at least liked me. That seemed to be a reasonable conclusion for me to come to.

The look on his face softened as he stared at me. "Delilah..." He murmured, his voice sounding hesitant and uncertain. He was looking at me as if he was unsure of my feelings, not that I had them but rather unsure that he perhaps deserved them. "I've never... I don't know what to say." He said softly, furrowing his brows in contemplation. My confidence plummeted into the ground, but I gave him a weak smile nonetheless. "It's okay, I get it. You don't have to say anything." I told him, not wanting to possibly make him feel bad.

I hoped that he didn't feel guilty because it wasn't his fault. He didn't love me, but that was okay. I knew if he ever could love me, it wasn't up to him how long it would take. There was no controlling a thing like that.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I've never been in a relationship. If I loved you, I'd have something to lose if I fuck this up, bubbles." He murmured, causing me to eye him closely, contemplating his words. It seemed like he was a lot more scared of messing up than I thought, because he had told me time and time again that he would. "It's not like I'd leave...unless you cheat on me or something." I told him, narrowing my eyes at him. He snorted. "No worries there. I'm not the cheating type, bubbles." He assured me, his fingertips trailing to my hip.

A small smile rose on my lips and I circled my arm around his waist. "Then I don't see what you're scared of. I wouldn't run away if we got into an argument or something. I think you're being too hard on yourself in the first place." I confessed, causing him to furrow his brows. "How? I'm right." He mumbled. My lips twitched as I placed my hand on the back of his head, playing with his hair. "It's not like anything would change if you loved me." I said, gently stroking my fingers through his strands. He lulled his head into my touch a little more, still peering down at me. "It'd just be like this, like it is now, don't you think? What's so scary about this?" I asked softly. He hesitated and then leaned into me, resting his forehead against mine. "I like this, and I like you. The possibility of losing this, that's what's scary about it." He grumbled.

Maybe it wasn't something to smile about but I smiled anyways. "I told you I won't leave unless you give me a true reason to. Don't you think I would have by now, if I was gonna? This is my second time telling you about my feelings. Clearly, I can wait." I teased, earning a soft chuckle from him. His eyes were soft as he looked at me. "I really like you. A lot." He said, smiling. I smiled back at him, hoping he truly knew how much I cared for him, because I knew he cared for me.

It didn't matter if he wasn't ready to say it. I could wait.