Love's Rebirth

Chapter 11

Delia's POV

The morning came with an absent hangover and sharp clarity. I woke to zero calls and zero messages from Leon, which only served to strengthen my suspicions. My dreams last night were confusing, mostly featuring the memories of my interactions with Xavier. Leon made very small cameos in my dreams, but his appearances were always upsetting. Xavier, on the other hand, was more of a hero in last night's dreams. It felt very disorienting dreaming of my old crush as the hero and my fiancee as the villain. I had never told anyone, not even my best friend, about my crush on Xavier. I never felt the need to because he always acted like I disgusted him. Having him appear in my dreams just threw me off even more.

I got out of bed, made my way to the bathroom, and stared at myself in the mirror. I stood there for ten minutes, analyzing my appearance and my feelings. The answers to my questions eluded me, so I gave up and took a shower. Once I had finished getting clean, I steeled myself for the sympathy my family would drown me in. I opted for casual clothing today, settling on a dark green silk blouse and black skinny jeans. I paired it with black flats and small, diamond studs. I kept the makeup natural and minimalistic and put my hair in a bun. I grabbed my phone, left my bedroom, and made my way to the dining room.

My family was already seated at the dining room table, waiting for breakfast to be served. As soon as I walked in, all eyes landed on me. I couldn't ignore their pitying looks, so I just took a seat. My dad was the first to break the silence. "Hi, sweetheart. How did you sleep?" he asked. My brothers all pretended to focus on other things, but I knew they were also waiting for my answer. I gave my dad a small smile and responded, "I slept ok. I had some weird dreams, but I never woke up." Kyle looked at me, searching for something, what it was I didn't know. Sam nodded slightly and went back to whatever he'd been doing on his phone. Trent just huffed and continued tapping his fingers on the table. Mom, who was seated next to me, took my hand and squeezed it. Breakfast was served shortly after, and it continued with a heavy, suffocating silence. I could feel the pity rolling off my family in waves. I pushed my half eaten breakfast away and made an excuse to leave the table. My parents let me, realizing I needed to be alone with my thoughts.

I went to the home gym that included an indoor pool and sauna. I swam for an hour, then sat in the sauna for another half hour. By the time I finished my workout, I was a lot less confused and a lot more determined. I made my way to my bedroom, avoiding the common areas and the study.

I spent a long time in the shower, organizing my thoughts and plotting how I would deal with this situation. I scrubbed my skin raw, lost in my thoughts and planning, ignoring the sting of the hot water on my reddened skin. By the time I noticed, the sting had turned into a dull ache. I rinsed myself off and exited the shower, drying myself and donning a silk robe before making my way to the vanity. I sat down, lotioning myself methodically, a small smile blooming on my face. Leon clearly believed he was really good at deception, either that or he was incredibly stupid. My thoughts leaned towards the latter option. I scoffed softly and began organizing his downfall.

As I listed my plan in order, a thought intruded into my mind, stopping my plans abruptly. It was an image from my past. An image of eighteen year old Xavier, as if my mind was adding an extra variable into my already elaborate revenge plot. My smile faltered momentarily before the idea crystallized, becoming more solid as the idea settled into my mind. I would marry in six months, but the groom would change. I just needed to convince Xavier to go along with this plan. Leon hated Xavier, being replaced by him would absolutely shatter him, destroying the easy confidence he had built over the years. He had always felt inferior to his older brother, and losing his bride to him would be the biggest blow.

Once I was done with my post shower routine, I went back downstairs, bypassing the study and making my way to the library instead. I wanted to curl up with a good book and lose myself in the story, but I quickly realized how long I'd spent working out and getting clean. I changed directions and went to the dining area. I opened the door, and this morning's scene seemed to be replaying itself. My family's eyes landed on me, and they all seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief once they'd completed their appraisal. I sat down, and my mother gave me a small smile. The look in her eyes seemed less like pity and more like approval. Lunch was brought in, and we ate in a comfortable silence, filled only by the sounds of silverware scraping against ceramic.

Before I could make my escape, Kyle said calmly, "You look resolute. You look like you have a plan. You look ready to destroy. I like that." I smirked at him, replying with an amused tone, "You know I hate people making a fool of me. It's only fitting that I retaliate." Trent and Sam nodded approvingly, and my father chuckled softly. I nodded to all of them before walking out.

I went to the library and read until dinner, pausing only to use the bathroom. Dinner was a boisterous affair, our earlier anger and plotting forgotten. Kyle spoke animatedly about upcoming business deals, Trent and Sam were locked in a fierce debate about sports, and my mother and I discussed the final plans for her birthday banquet the following Saturday. Her birthday was Tuesday, but we'd needed to choose a date that accommodated all our schedules. She was excited for the banquet and even more excited for the gifts she would receive. Dinner ended, but no one immediately got up to leave. I eventually excused myself, realizing how late it was getting. I still had to get my outfit ready for work tomorrow. By the time I lay down to sleep, it was well past ten pm. I slept, plagued by dreams of my cheating fiancee and his hot older brother. I was going to enjoy crushing Leon to dust.