Hear You Me

Delilah folded her last shirt and stuffed it into her suitcase before closing the top and zipping it up.

“Hey Lila, we were wondering if you wanted,” Sean said as he walked onto the bus but he stopped short when he saw the suitcase out in the open. “What’s that?”

“A suitcase,” Delilah said, not offering any other explanation.

Sean rolled his eyes. “Ok, I know it’s a suitcase. I meant why is it packed and looks as if you’re leaving.”

“Because I am.”

“Would you like to give me an explanation or are we going to stand here and play 20 questions all day long?”

Delilah sighed. “I got an offer for an internship position at a family therapist office back home so I decided to take it. Plus, I just kind of want to be home. I love you guys, but tour gets a little old for me after a while.”

“Does Joel know?”

“No,” Delilah looked down to avoid Sean’s questioning gaze. “I…uh…I just got the call this morning so I haven’t had time to talk to him yet.”

“Are you sure there isn’t another reason why you’re leaving, Lila?”

“Like what?” Delilah questioned instead of answering.

“I don’t know,” Sean shrugged. “Is everything ok with you and Joel?”

“Yep, just peachy.”

“Ok, well I was coming to ask if you wanted to get lunch with us.”

“Sure. I’m guessing we’re going to Chipotle?”

“Duh. Do we go anywhere else?” Sean laughed.

Delilah and Sean headed towards the outside of the venue where the rest of the boys and crew were waiting.

“Hey Sean,” Delilah stopped him before they were within earshot of everyone else. “Could you not mention anything about me leaving at lunch? I kind of want to tell Joel alone.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Sean nodded. He thought there was something else going on, but he wasn’t going to question Delilah anymore. She obviously didn’t want to tell him what was wrong and he wasn’t going to push.

Thankfully Delilah was able to make it through lunch without anyone noticing something was wrong or giving away the fact that she was leaving that evening. She did almost give it away when Ryan mentioned something about the show they were having in a week, but she quickly stuffed the contents of her burrito bowl in her mouth to keep her from having to answer.

As the group was leaving the restaurant Delilah reached out to grab Joel’s arm and ask him if he’d walk back with her because they needed to talk.

“So what’s up?” Joel asked as he slid his sunglasses over his eyes to shield them from the sun.

“Well, I…uhhh…I wanted to um let you know that I’m um leaving for home after tonight’s show.”

“What?” Joel came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk.

Delilah looked down, unable to look Joel in the eyes. “I got an offer for an internship at a family therapist place back home so I decided to take it.”

“Delilah, you had that opportunity back in the beginning of summer, but you said you could do it in the fall and that’s why you came on tour with us.”

“I changed my mind,” Delilah shrugged and then sighed. “I just really need to be back home. Being on tour with you guys has been awesome, but I don’t know. I’m missing home and want to go back.”
Joel wanted to ask if this had anything to do with the kiss or the post-kiss talk they had a few days prior, but was too scared.

“Ok.” Joel simply said as the pair started walking again.

“Please don’t be mad,” Delilah pleaded.

“I’m not mad…just disappointed.”

“I know I was supposed to stay the whole tour, but I just felt like I needed to take this opportunity. Plus, you guys will be home soon. You just have a month and a half left on this tour…we’ll be reunited before you know it,” Delilah forced a smile.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll just miss you,” Joel sighed. “Well I better go get ready for the show. Have a safe flight home.”

Joel leaned over to hug Delilah and being there in his arms almost made her change her mind. She wanted so badly to tell him that she had changed her mind and was actually going to stay, but she knew leaving was for the best. Staying would just hurt her more.



Delilah sat on the patio at the local coffee shop a few days after arriving back home. Her feelings were still jumbled, and she still had yet to completely face her emotions, but she knew being back home and away from Joel was ultimately the right decision. She knew it would be hard when he came back home, but she had over a month to figure out how to pretend like she wasn’t in love with her best friend.

“Lila! I’m so glad you’re back in town. Tempe isn’t the same without you.” Delilah heard a voice behind her say as she was enveloped in a tight hug. She looked up to see red hair covering her and knew that Jenna had arrived.

Delilah had called Jenna and John to see if they wanted to meet up for coffee because she needed someone to talk to about the whole Joel situation and they were the first two she could think of. Normally she would talk to Holland about boy things, but she wasn’t around and Delilah’s boy drama involved Holland’s ex-boyfriend.

“So what’s going on with you, dear?” Jenna said as she sat down and took a drink from her cup. Delilah assumed it was green tea because that was what she almost always drank.

“Oh, you know. Same old, same old,” Delilah shrugged. Now that John and Jenna were here she didn’t’ really feel like getting into all the details of what went down. She’d never been good with expressing emotions.

“What happened to make you leave tour?” John asked suddenly.

“John!” Jenna slightly scolded while hitting him on the arm. “I thought I said we were going to ease into this conversation.”

“So you’d rather sit here for five minutes making awkward small talk while we all ignore the elephant in the room?” John argued.

“What’s the elephant in the room?” Delilah asked.

John rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Delilah. The elephant in the room is the reason why you left tour. No one knows for sure why you did – at least anyone who knows the reason isn’t talking.”

“I got the internship opportunity and I was tired of being on the road.”

“And…” John said, fishing for more information.

“And that’s it.”

“Bullshit.”

“John,” Jenna groaned. “If Lila doesn’t want to tell us what’s going on she doesn’t have to.”

“JoelandIkissed.” Delilah quickly said.

John and Jenna immediately shut up and turned to stare at her.

“What did you just say?” Jenna asked.

“We kissed.” Delilah sighed. “Joel and I kissed.

“So why did you leave?! Isn’t this what you’ve been wanting for forever? Did you get scared? Is that it?” Jenna bombarded Delilah with questions.

“Yo Jen, I thought we were going to ease into this conversation,” John smirked.

“Shut up, O’Callaghan,” Jenna rolled her eyes before turning back to Delilah. “Ok, sorry for that. I was just surprised. So you guys kissed.”

“Yes.” Delilah confirmed.

“Dang it, Delilah! What happened next?”

“We talked about it the next day and Joel said he was sorry because it was a mistake. He said we should stay as we are…just friends.”

Once again John and Jenna were silent.

“Oh D, I’m so sorry,” Jenna softly said.

“I know this is going to sound crazy, but Joel likes you Delilah. And I mean as more than a friend,” John said.

“You’re right, that does sound crazy.” Jenna agreed.

“He just got scared or something. It has to be pretty scary. I mean he kissed his best friend of like 10 years who is also the best friend of his dead, ex-girlfriend. Of course he’s going to freak out and say he wants to just be friends.” John explained.

“You may be right, John, but I can’t do this anymore. I’ve liked Joel forever, but I can’t keep waiting around for him. It’s time to admit that we’re just friends and that’s all we’ll ever be,” Delilah sighed, admitting defeat.

John and Jenna kept silent and Delilah could see pity in their eyes, but thankfully they didn’t push the issue.