Chapter 38

"You're giving up your apartment, so where is your stuff gonna go? When are you coming to Cincy to get it all?"

"On our next days off, which will start next Thursday. Jon MIGHT have something planned with another organization, I'll have to check the schedule." She took care of their schedules, booked flights, rental cars, and everything else they needed. Screw hiring a personal assistant, that was her and she could kick ass in the ring too. "Truthfully, I don't know what I'll do with my furniture since his is a lot nicer than mine. I might just donate it, or I was gonna ask if you wanted it. But as far as my trinkets and stuff, I'll figure something out." Delilah didn't want to mess with the décor of the house at all since she loved it.

Jon was dying, listening as Delilah prattled on to Sami, wondering if she was really going to do this normalcy thing and act like Sami hadn't come busting in their house or anything. She was, god bless this woman, he adored her.

"Might as well mix them with Moxley's or else it's gonna look like you're a houseguest and not his wife."

"Or I might just leave them in storage. I don't want to clutter his house with my nonsense." Delilah argued, folding her arms in front of her chest and tried not to let what Sami said bother her. A houseguest…maybe that was all she was considering this wasn't her house. Nothing about this place was hers, it was all Jon's.

"Damn it, Del, see? That's what I'm talking about right there! You are his WIFE, this shouldn't be just HIS house, it should be your house too. Everything is shared between you now that you're married." What the hell was his sister thinking, doing something like this? "Look, just tell me straight up, did he force you into marrying him? Did he coerce you into it?"

Delilah frowned, hating these doubts that were suddenly in her mind, thanks to her brother. "No. I wanted to marry him. He asked me on the Strip in front of a chapel and I said yes." Flat lie, but it was the story she was sticking with and it would not change. "I married him because I love him." Even though they had just recently found out they'd been married for the past two months, without any knowledge of it, Delilah had been in love with Jon for years, so she wasn't lying about that part. She married him because she loved him, even though she didn't remember the actual ceremony.

Sami saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He knew his sister better than anyone, including Moxley, and there was something hidden beneath the surface she wasn't telling him. "I don't believe you. You know what I think? I think that son of a bitch lured you into a false sense of security, took advantage of you, and made you a bunch of empty promises with marriage. He doesn't love you and, the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be. I'm not staying here either. I can't stand seeing you like this, you're not Delilah anymore, you're just Moxley's toy to do with as he pleases. And when he breaks you, he'll toss you away when he's had his fun and don't come crying to me when that happens…when this all blows up in your face."

"Sami…"

"I can't! I won't stand by and watch my sister be used and destroyed by that sack of shit! You choose right now – you come home with me and forget about him, or I never want to hear from you again." Sami was giving her an ultimatum, extending his hand to her. This was her one and only opportunity to get out of this mess she'd put herself in by marrying Moxley, who was no longer his friend or his brother in arms. "He'll destroy you, come home with me, and we'll get this thing annulled. Please, Del, I don't want to see you get hurt. It's him or me and remember, I'm the only goddamn family you have left in this world and the only one who gives a rat's ass about you!"

Blinking, heartbreaking tears slid down her cheeks as Delilah stepped back from him and shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "Safe travels back to Cincy, brother. I'll show you the way out." She walked past him and he followed, the tension between them extremely thick, until they finally arrived at the front door. She opened it widely and couldn't meet his eyes as he walked past her out the door to his rental, slowly closing the door until he was out of sight. Goodbye Sami."He's going back home and we won't hear from him again. I'm going to lay down, I'm not feeling good right now. Forget about the cookout today." Saying all of this with her back to him, Delilah walked past her husband, who had followed them silently, and climbed into the big king-sized bed to spend the day crying her heart and soul out from losing her brother.

Why did choosing Jon hurt so much?

Since Sami was still out there, looking back and forth between his ride and the house, Jon was contemplating what he wanted to do, if anything. No, probably shouldn't go out there and beat the guy to a pulp. Delilah was very upset right now and he didn't blame her, he was too. Instead, he moved to the front window and grinned broadly, flashing his former best friend a thumbs-up. Sami was so goddamn worried that Jon might hurt her that he had gone and done it instead, like a total moron.

Sami began cursing up a storm, getting into that rental screaming his lungs out.

Shaking his head, Jon headed upstairs to comfort his wife.

Delilah didn't want to be comforted or touched, making it clear she wanted to be left alone. It was because of her choice that she lost her brother. She chose Jon over him…and the guilt crashed over her like a tidal wave. Jon tried to tell her to give Sami time and she shook her head, getting out of bed and wiping her tears away angrily. "I need to be by myself right now, Jon. I don't want to be told to give him time or that it'll be okay, he'll come around. I don't want to hear any of that bullshit right now. I need you to leave me alone. I don't want to be held, I don't want to be touched or kissed or anything right now. I just lost the only family I have left in the world and…I need time to process it." A walk would do that and clear her head while also allowing her to exercise. She grabbed her workout clothes from the dresser Jon had designated as hers before heading into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Jon left her alone, knowing better than most that sometimes it was just better to be left alone to sort everything out. A person could be prone to lashing out during these moments, saying things they didn't mean. Did that ever stop him? Not usually because he was surrounded by pushy people, but he wasn't about to do that to her. Delilah hadn't lost Sami; Sami had purposefully pushed her away after she had extended that olive branch to him, which made Sami a dick and Jon could not wait for that to come crashing down on his brother-in-law's head. He watched as she eventually made her way outside, leaning in the open doorway with Blue at his feet as they both just watched her head down the driveway, his blue eyes filled with remorse. Even though he wanted her for himself, he did not like seeing his Delilah in pain like this.

Jon realized he should probably try making amends with Sami, for real this time.

It wouldn't happen. Jon could try to make amends with Sami as many times as he wanted, but Sami was done with both of them. It hurt him to lose his sister, but she made her choice. She chose Jon over him. He gave her the choice and she made it. There was no turning back from that. When Jon shredded her to pieces and left her broken, Delilah would have nobody to blame except herself. It was twelve hours until his flight…he'd give her until then to change her mind and come back home with him, to leave Jon Moxley behind. He even sent her one final text message, giving her one last chance of redemption.

My flight leaves in 12 hours. Come home with me or we're done, Delilah. I won't watch my sister be torn apart by that cocksucker. I'd rather cut you out of my life and spare myself that pain. Do the right thing – come home with me, please.

Delilah had gotten that text message, crying harder than she ever had in her life, and sent a final one back to him before blocking his number. Goodbye brother, I love you and I wish things could've worked out. Safe travels.

It was going to suck to be Sami when he realized that Jon really, truly did love Delilah. Jon had NEVER, EVER felt this way about anyone before, the way he did for her. She knew things about him nobody else did, like he was a secret gaming nerd, something they actually shared. Well, she probably wasn't a secret nerd, but…he was. She also knew the soft, romantic side of him. If he was planning on 'tearing' her apart, Jon would NOT have bothered with all of this because, even for him, it was a bit much. He had let her into his life, the weirder aspects of it included, and he'd be damned if he let anyone come between them.

I love you, Houseguest. She wouldn't get it, not that Sami knew that, but he also knew that was all she was.

A guest in Moxley's life until the man got bored with whatever games he was playing.

It was several hours later when Delilah finally walked through the door, eyes red and swollen from how much crying she'd done on her walk. Sami calling her a houseguest was uncalled for. He could've just said he loved her and left it at that, but no, he had to drive the knife deeper into her heart. She was drenched in sweat and headed straight for the shower, not caring where Jon was at the moment. She tossed her phone on the bed, peeling her clothes off, and turned the sprays on as hot as she could stand them before stepping under the water. A few minutes later, she felt the breeze from the glass shower door opening and warm, strong hands planted on her hips. This time, she didn't push her husband away and leaned back against his chest, shower sprays hitting them from different directions, not just one.

"He texted me while I was gone, asking me to come home with him and forget about you. I told him I love him and safe travels." She spoke loud enough to be heard over the sprays, feeling his lips drop a kiss on the side of her neck. "He said he loves me and called me a houseguest. He thinks I'm a houseguest since this is your house…and not ours…"

Jon frowned, bending down so he could bury his face in her hair, not caring if it was wet and just inhaled. She had been dripping sweat, still smelled like her walk, and if regret and despair had a scent, she reeked of that as well. "It's not my house, it's ours, darlin'. Do whatever you want to make yourself feel at home." He didn't WANT her feeling like a houseguest and Sami was a dick for putting that idea into her head! "His and her matching gaming setups, all your knick-knacks and whatever else you got, Delilah. This is YOUR home as much as it is mine." He made a mental note to cram his fist down Sami's gullet the next time they encountered each other, as long as she wasn't with him.

Despite how sad she was, Delilah did let out a bit of a chuckle at the 'his and her matching gaming setup' comment, slowly turning to look up into his electric blues. "Are you sure? I don't want to ruin your house with my junk…" Jon pressed a finger to her lips, reiterating what he said and she brought his forehead to hers, softly brushing her lips against his. He really did love her. Why did she let Sami get in her head? "Well, I admit my furniture isn't nearly as new as yours. It's a bunch of hand-me-downs, actually. And the 'his and hers matching gaming setups' doesn't sound so bad either. I wanted to ask how you felt about making one of the guest rooms a gaming room. We could get those comfy gaming chairs or a couch and set up everything in there." The rooms were more than big enough. "What do you think about doing that?"

"Okay, darlin', let's be honest, I had poor kid syndrome. You know how bad shit was when we were kids." Jon smiled slightly when she nodded up at him, cupping her face in his hands and brushing his lips against her forehead. "I went with the whole matching, polished look because growing up, isn't that what it was supposed to be? You know when you got money? All matching and nice looking, like a magazine?" Another nod, Delilah knew exactly what he was talking about. "Yeah, that's not really me and we both know it. I'm sure you've noticed the random shit out of place here and there," From where he had started adding his actual personal touches. "So yeah, you want those comfy chairs or couches? Hell, you want matching toilets side by side, let's do it, babe! Let's make this OUR place, no matter how eclectic or weird it might seem to others, it's OURS."

"Matching toilets?" Now she was laughing heartily, the sadness in her eyes diminishing and lighting up at his suggestions. "Part of that game room of ours will have my entire Game of Thrones collection set up." Delilah didn't just adopt the look of Dany from Game of Thrones, she LOVED that show with her whole heart. The last season left little to be desired, but she still loved it and could watch all the seasons repeatedly without getting tired or bored. "You're so amazing, Jon. I know it'll take time and it won't be overnight, but we'll make this our place." Hanging pictures, getting new bedding, and adding some womanly touches to each room would do wonders for this house. "I love you so much, my husband." Delilah kissed him softly, resting her hands on his shoulders before sliding them down his strong arms. "Thank you for today, for giving me time alone to deal with what happened with Sami." There were times for Jon to push and others where leaving her alone was the best thing he could do. "And just so you know, I made the right choice and, no matter how it happened, I'm happy to be your wife."