Love in the Dark (LarssonSiblingsSeries#1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX - DELILAH

DELILAH

I stare at the beautiful diamond earrings in my hands—a birthday present from Edward. They're like nothing I have ever seen. And feel far too expensive.

It's a few days after my birthday now, leaving me with such wonderful memories to cherish. After an amazing afternoon spent with Poppy, I went home to change before Edward picked me up to take me to the only Michelin star restaurant in our area called Leo's.

The food was to die for, and the company even better, but the news of my dad going back into hospital kind of rained all over it.

After a nasty COPD attack, his carer's rushed him to the hospital where the doctors delivered me the most gut-wrenching news.

There's no hope of him getting better. It's only going to get worse from here, and I struggle to think about it without crying.

I can't lose him this soon. There's still so much more he needs to see of my life. More that I want to prove for him. I hate myself for not being there when he needed me. All I can do is overthink it, wondering if he called for me as he choked on air, thinking the carers would never turn up.

"Dee!" Edward calls, running into the kitchen to switch the gas flame off the hob. "You're burning my flat down!"

I step back as he switches on the smoke extractor, opening a window too as the dark smoke coats us. "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry."

He waves the tea towel in the air. "Are you okay, sweetheart? You were on a different planet."

I stare at the burnt beef in the pain, feeling my eyes fill with frustrated tears. Nothing is going my way today. Edward switches on the cold water tap to submerge the pan with the frazzled beef into it, jolting back when it spits at him.

"I ruined our meal," I whisper, grateful that the smoke is dissipating now.

"Are you crying?" he gasps, turning to approach me, surrounding me in his warmth. "Oh, Dee, it's okay. It doesn't matter. We can fix it."

I bury my face in his neck just to feel his pulse, dragging his jumper into my hands by the nails. "I feel so stressed out."

"Come here and out of the smoke," he says, leading us to the bookcases where he wraps me up closer in his arms. "Is there something making you feel like this?"

I cough out a sobbing noise, unable to stop it from happening. "I'm losing my dad. He's dying."

My world stops.

Just saying those words out loud catapults me back in time, having to watch dad struggle to bring oxygen into his lungs. The countless doctor visits, hospitalisation and the many side effects from his harsh medications.

My dad is leaving me and there's nothing I can do about it.

My body shudders in Edward's arms as the tears flow freely down my cheeks. "The doctors want him in a care home. We can't afford it. I want him to at least go into a nice one, but they're so expensive." Fifteen-hundred a month.

I spent most of last night up and searching the internet for the best care homes in the area, outraged at the fees.

"Oh, Delilah. I can't imagine," he whispers, the insane amount of sadness in his tone forcing me to cry harder. "Oh, baby, come here. Please, come here."

"It hurts so bad," I whisper.

I want to climb him, for the strength he holds is something that I crave right now. If he can pass it over, I would be forever grateful. I run out of ideas months ago, but part of me will never stop trying to find a cure.