Love's Rebirth

Chapter 8

Delia's POV

Sam gaped at Abi and I, shocked by our outfits. He kept opening and closing his mouth, searching for the right words to say. The struggle for tact was visible in every furrow of his brow and every small breath he took. He scratched his head, looking lost, before finally settling on a shrug and a thumbs up. I let out a soft chuckle and gave him a questioning look. "Dee, I've never seen you dress like that. It's very disorienting. However, I'm smart enough not to put my foot in my mouth, unlike Trent. So have fun and be safe. Also, take your pepper spray and the activated charcoal with you." he said gently. I smiled at him. "Thanks for the reminder. I need to look for the smaller can of mace because my bag isn't big enough. Where is the activated charcoal?" I replied to him. He quickly went to get both items from the downstairs guest bathroom and brought them to me. He had even brought extra for Abi. Trent narrowed his eyes, looking annoyed, and Sam, sensing the hostility, turned to him and gave him a confused look. Trent just shrugged before muttering under his breath to us about not thinking of that sooner. I shook my head with a small smile on my face. Kyle and dad also walked in, looked at mine and Abi's outfits, and made a scoffing sound. Dad quickly regained his composure and gave us a compliment, but Kyle's annoyance wasn't that discreet. His sharp eyes found mine, and he said, "Delia, what in the hell are you wearing?" I gave him a pointed look, my mouth settling into a hard line, and replied, "Clothes, Kyle. And you will refrain from taking that tone with me. I am an adult, and I can dress how I like when I go out with friends." He heard the annoyance in my voice and his annoyance quickly evaporated, replaced by discomfort and remorse. He looked at me sheepishly, and he said, "Sorry, Dee. I just got weirded out by how revealing it is. You don't normally dress like this, so it took me by surprise. I hope you ladies have taken all safety precautions. Don't accept drinks from strangers, and if you feel threatened, call us immediately." I rolled my eyes, letting out an irritated sigh before responding. "Security is coming with us. I'm not an i***t, Kyle. And we have taken all the necessary precautions. We're good." He sighed in relief at the mention of security and stroked my cheek affectionately as a means of apology. I gave him a reluctant smile and leaned into his touch. Mom came running down the stairs with a pair of long, dangly diamond earrings and said, "Delia, honey, wear these instead. I think they'll look great on you." I went to her, took the earrings, and put them on, handing her the studs I had initially worn. Abi squeaked in excitement and said, "Those make you look even hotter. Love them!"

I hugged my mom, said my goodbyes to my father and brothers, then walked out with Abi trailing me. We approached her sister's car, a grey sedan, and we got in the backseat. I greeted Kayla, Abi's sister, and Beth, Abi's best friend. Abi had mentioned earlier that they would be joining us for the outing. Security, comprised of 4 guys, followed us to the club in a dark SUV. We chatted excitedly in the car and sang along to the music Beth played as she had connected her phone to Apple car play. We were loud, and the other girls were very off-key, and I decided to follow their lead so as not to call attention to myself. Abi knew I could sing, but I didn't want the others thinking I was shaming them. The ride was fun, and we chatted in between songs, getting to know one another.

We got to the club, having parked the car down the road, and we were let in by the bouncer at the door. 2 of the 4 security guys followed us in and made a point to be invisible but present. The other 2 remained in the car, waiting in case the team with us needed backup. I got us a VIP booth, and the girls squealed. We settled into our booth and started dancing while waiting for a server to take our order. A pretty blonde with bright eyes and a friendly smile came to take our order. I read the name on her name tag, Brie, and committed it to memory. We gave our orders, and she left shortly after. We continued dancing and talking really loudly, as the music drowned our voices out when we spoke at a regular volume.

I noticed 4 guys heading in our direction, walking with a practiced swagger that probably made other women swoon. They reached our booth and greeted us with lazy smirks. I knew that look all too well. I'd seen it many times in high school and college. Guys believed that a smolder was the quickest way to get a girl interested in you. The guys managed to catch Abi and the other girls' attention, but they realized I didn't seem interested. The leader of the group came to talk to me, but I shot him down politely, showing him the ring on my finger. He glanced at it and chuckled before saying, "He doesn't need to know. We'll just have some fun and call it a night." I glared at him, and Abi, sensing my rising anger, intervened. "Dude, she's happily engaged and not interested. Don't push." He ignored Abi's statement, forcefully grabbed my wrist, and tried to convince me to hang out with him. Just as I was about to punch him, Brie returned with our drinks. She placed them on our table and asked if we needed anything else. I smiled at her, shook my head, and told her to come back in a half hour to check on us. When she left, I turned my attention back to the i***t still holding my wrist and said in a calm voice, "You have 2 choices. You either let go willingly or I make you let go. What will it be?" He and his friends laughed, thinking I was bluffing. I dug the nails of my other hand into his forearm, and he quickly let go of me. He looked pissed and got closer as if to retaliate. One of my security guys came forward and flashed him his gun. The guy noticed and backed off completely. He told his friends they should go, and they left us alone. Abi laughed, Beth chuckled, and Kayla shook her head in amusement.

We opened up our champagne and popped the cork, pouring it into our glasses and taking generous sips. "To a great night, great friends, great atmosphere and great security." I said. They laughed at the last one before clinking our glasses. We danced, laughed, and had more drinks. I realized as the night was coming to a close that I hadn't thought of Leon at all, and the pit in my stomach returned. We finished off the last bottle of champagne, setled our bill, which included a big tip for Brie, and called it a night. We were all tipsy, and none of us were in any condition to drive, so my security split up. Abi and Kayla were driven home by 2 of my security, and the other 2 drove Beth and me home. We dropped Beth off first, then headed to the estate. I walked into the house as quietly as I could, stumbled up the stairs into my room, drunkenly did my evening routine, and then flopped onto the bed in a very un-ladylike manner. My last thought before falling asleep was about tomorrow's brunch with mom. I hoped it wouldn't be a disaster.