What Do You Want From Me?

Delaney held her phone in her hand, debating on whether or not she should answer the call. It was the second time he was calling her tonight, and she had purposely ignored the first call. But now that it was the second time, she felt like she should answer his call.

Clicking accept, she took a breath before bringing the phone up to her ear. “What’s up Alex?”

“You didn’t answer earlier.”

“I was busy. What do you want?” She said, a little annoyed with him already. She was under no obligation to answer her phone for anyone.

“Can I come over?” He asked and she couldn’t believe that after everything that he said to her yesterday, and she had said to him, that he wanted to come over.

“No.” She said shortly. She was going to stand her ground this time. No more caving in to his requests. No more mental debates.

“Come on Del.” He said, and she closed her eyes, trying to refocus. He sounded so needy and desperate.

“No Alex. I’ve got stuff to do tonight.” She responded, and she could hear his exasperated sigh.

“Really Del? It’s a Sunday night. You don’t have anything going on. Look, if this is about yesterday.” He started but Delaney cut him off.

“I was serious yesterday Alex. I’m not sleeping with you anymore. And I do have stuff to do tonight. I’ve gotta go.” She said before hanging up the phone. She let out a scream of frustration before shooting a text off to Jack.

“Alex just tried to come over again. He’s so infuriating. How am I supposed to keep saying no when he’s being so persistent?”

It was just a few moments later before Jack responded to her.

“Will chocolate help your will power? I’ll be over in a few with some ice cream. If it doesn’t help the will power, it will at least taste good =]”

Delaney couldn’t help but laugh. Jack always knew the best way to cheer someone up. When they had dated, Delaney was finishing college. She was always stressed when finals or midterms would roll around and Jack always found a different way to cheer her up each time.

She decided that since it was, as Alex had so gracefully pointed out, Sunday, she would get her stuff for work together and watch a movie to wind down for the night. No point in wasting the night away.

She got to work organizing her stuff for tomorrow, making sure her clothes were laid out and she had all her files ready to take back to work with her. She smiled knowing that tomorrow would be less hectic, making a mental note to start doing this every night. She sat down on her couch, turned on the TV and flipped through the channels before finaling landing on The Longest Yard remake. She inwardly cheered in success, leaving the movie on and relaxing against her sofa. Before she could really start to enjoy it and get into the movie, there was a knock on the door. Delany smiled, heading over to open the door, ready to grab the chocolate ice cream out of Jack’s hand. However, it wasn’t Jack on the other side of the door.

“What are you doing here?” Delaney asked Alex with a huff, crossing her arms across her chest. Did he not understand the word ‘no’?

“I wanted to come over.” He said with a smile before pushing his way into the apartment.

“And I told you I had stuff going on tonight.” She retorted before pointing back to the door. “Now please leave.”

“Really Del? The Longest Yard? That’s what you have going on?” Alex said with a roll of his eyes before grabbing Delaney by the hips. “Come on Del. I bet we’d have more fun together than you would watching this movie alone.”

Delaney removed Alex’s hands from her hips, shaking her head. She was about to respond, but was interrupted.

“Hey Lex. What are you doing here?” Jack asked as he walked into the apartment, grocery bag in his hand. He wrapped his free arm around Delaney, giving her a half hug.

Alex looked at them momentarily, a bit confused and startled, before finally answering Jack. “Oh. I was bored and thought I’d see if Laney wanted to hang out.”

“I told him I had plans.” She replied to Jack, before turning to glare at Alex.

“You’re more than welcome to join us Lex. We’re just gonna watch a movie or something.” Jack said, shrugging.

“I already picked the Longest Yard.” Delaney said happily, before grabbing the grocery bag from Jack and heading into the kitchen, away from Alex and Jack.

“Of course you did.” Jack said, chuckling at Delaney’s predictability.

“Nah man. It’s cool. I was wanting to go out. Was hoping Laney would be my wing woman” Delaney rolled her eyes. ‘What a liar.’ She thought as she grabbed a couple spoons and bowls for the ice cream. “Maybe I’ll hit up one of the guys or something. Have fun.” He said before departing.

Delaney walked back into the living room with two bowls of chocolate ice cream, catching Jack’s smile.

“He’s such a bad liar” He proclaimed laughing before sitting down and taking the bowl of ice cream that Delaney had offered to him.

“I told him I was busy and he still showed up! He’s infuriating!” She proclaimed, falling back into the couch and taking a bite of her ice cream.

“Did you see his face when I walked in the door?” Jack asked, cuddling up on the couch and nursing his ice cream bowl as his laughter shook his whole body. “He was not expecting me to walk through the door.”

“Well I’m glad you walked through the door. Wing woman my ass. Two seconds before you walked in, he was trying to tell me I’d have more fun with him than with The Longest Yard.” She said, rolling her eyes. “He obviously doesn’t understand my love for this movie if he thought sex could tempt me away from it.”

“Hey. I know for a fact that you can be tempted away from it with sex.” Jack said pointedly, causing the brunette to roll her eyes. Sex could indeed tempt her away from just about everything, but Alex was the last person on earth that needed to have weapon in his arsenal.

“If I didn’t adore the rest of you lot so much, I’d stop hanging out all together at this point in order to get away from Alex. I don’t want what he’s offering anymore.” She said, before taking a deep breath.

“Now we both know that’s not true. You totally want what he’s offering, you just happen to also want more than he’s willing to give.” Jack said, his eyebrows raised in an attempt to make his point.

“If you hadn’t just saved me from him, I’d tell you I hate you and to get out of here.” Delaney said, her tone flat, even and pointed.

“You’re so lovely.” Jack replied, laughing. Delaney shrugged, focusing her attention back on the movie in front of her. They sat in silence, focused on Adam Sandler on the illuminated screen. It was as the explosion happened on the screen, that Delaney broke the silence.

“Thank you.” She said quietly, not removing her eyes from the screen. Jack almost didn’t hear her, but Jack had spent a lot of his time with Delaney over the years, between being friends and dating.

“Laney.” He said softly. “I’m always here for you. You are my best friend. You mean the world to me and I will always be there for you, even if it simply means bringing ice cream over and watching a movie so my other dick of a best friend can’t try to seduce you.” He said, his lips pulling upwards at the corner. “I love you Laney. Always have, always will.”

“I love you too Jack.” She said quietly, her lips turning upwards to match his.