Before Katina left, she told us that the man with the fedora hat had been here before. And that he was the one who told them about 'Delilah'. At this point I was blocking all my feelings about AJ. I had fallen in love with him. And even after all the evidence pointing towards him. I just couldn't not be broken and hurt. He was my weakness now. And so I'd block him out. All I cared about was getting to Willow.

"So what now? Y'all have any plans? It's still only 3 in the afternoon." Jesse said breaking the silence.
John had told him everything, about AJ and G. We'd decided to leave Jake and Lily out of it. For the time being.

"Do you know where this place is? Where Katina says they've held up Willow?" I asked Jesse without meeting his eyes.

"Yeah, it's about 1 hour from here. By the outskirts, it's quite..... deserted." He said and I could feel him staring at my back.

"Well we can't just bombard in there." Said John.

"Do you have a better plan?" I asked him holding back tears.

Even till this very moment. Hell. Still, I couldn't believe AJ was actually involved.
The way he looked at me, the way he kissed me, all the crap he told me about knowing me before I'd ever known him. Was it all a lie?
Was it all a ruse?

"I do actually. But you won't like it," said John sighing.

"Try me," I said knowing exactly what he was going to say next.
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JESSE'S POV:

"AJ! Seriously man? No. No, you saw what happened. I don't think she'll be able to keep it cool John," I said.

"What? He's the only one who can help us. You know that." John said.

"No, I'll help. I'll do whatever I can John. Look....I don't know what's going on between the two of them. But put them in a room together right now, and just wait for a ticket to hell. I've seen relationships go the wrong way man. It ain't pretty."

"I just can't understand why? Why would AJ do this! I mean....it seemed like..well like.." John was trying to say.

"Like he truly loved her," I completed for him.

"Yes. I know the kid, since... well since he was a kid. He's always been quite, but never manipulative. And Delilah, he's known her for long Jesse, he used to ask me about her. Who she was? Why I'd meet her and her brother so often. Back then I thought he was just being curious. But maybe... maybe he was intrigued by her or something." John said sighing, he was sitting in the penthouse balcony.

We'd come back home to find it completely empty. G and Ghost were missing as usual. Jake and Lily were busy, as usual. And AJ wasn't in either. Which just made everything more suspicious. Delilah had sighed when she realised AJ wasn't home. And then she'd taken off to her bedroom. Without another word.

"Could it be that maybe he is just being framed by Ghost, to...to maybe confuse us off the heist?" I asked hopefully. AJ was like a older brother to me. I mean he was my best friend. He wouldn't..he couldn't have...

"I don't know man, with G gone. And Jake busy...and everything else that's been happening lately, I don't know who to trust or what to think.." He said, with one hand to his head.

"I should go check on Delilah, she must be worried as hell and-" but I was cut short.

"Worried about what?" AJ said coming into the balcony, he was wearing a green t-shirt and black shorts. His hair was messy and without his irritating hat.

Somehow he looked younger.

"Aaw you know Willow," I said just as John shot me a look.

"Willow?......Right, I'm sure she's fine though. Lilah said that she'll wait till the Russians attack. So....well..." AJ was saying with a crinkled brow.
"Anyways how was your trip?"

"Our tri-" I was getting sick of being cut off.

"Our trip was unsuccessful. No shopping, only eating. But Delilah needs some rest right now. So we brought her home." John said.

"Rest? Is she not well?" AJ asked with concern.

Now this is where I'm confused. This concern, it's too real. He can't be faking it. If he is, however faking it. He should immediately quit the takers and try acting. He'd be bloody rich.

Well, richer. I'd hope.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that exact thing." John said, standing up.
"How in the world did you let her consume Absynthe? It almost killed her. Are you fucking insane AJ?"

Absynthe? Whoo that's some freaky shit. I had a tiny sip of it once at a rave or something. And it hit me harder than a bloody truck. I'd had a hallucination that I was riding a pony on top of the Eiffel tower. And damn I didn't like it.

"Absynthe? That wasn't Absynthe. That was-" he shut up mid sentence.

"That was what AJ?" Growled John.

"I need to go check on her, I'm sorry." He said and dashed back inside.

John just watched him go. With a look of regret and guilt.

"John? Are you alrig-" And again I was not allowed to complete my sentence.

"I'm fine Jesse, get ready. We don't need AJ. Let's go get Willow." John said as he too began to leave the balcony.

"Wait! What about Delilah?" I asked. "You want to leave her all alone with AJ?"

"She can take care of herself. And AJ might be a jerk, but he'd.....he'd never hurt her. She's had enough. We can save Willow without her, I know someone who can help. Besides, don't you want to kick some Russian ass and save a damsel?" Asked John.

"Hell yeah." I cheered, knowing that all this could go most terribly wrong.
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Back to Delilah's pov:

I had gotten out of the shower and had laid down on my bed in a blue t-shirt dress. My hair was damp and my face was burning.

I wanted so badly to belong. Belong to someone, to a cause. And when I met AJ, I felt like a puzzle piece in my heart clicked. Perfectly fitting. This was worse than a break-up. Not that I had ever been through one. Or that I was technically going through one right now.

All I wanted even through all the shit that had been happening, was to collapse into AJ's arms. Feel his soft lips on my neck, cheeks, lips. I wanted to smell his familiar scent of mints. And I so desperately wanted look into his eyes.

But I also wanted to beat the bloody shit out of him at the same time. I wanted to hurt him, to make him feel what I was feeling. I wanted-

My thoughts were cut off by the door opening. I was so sure, I'd locked it.

"Delilah!" It was AJ, he looked disheveled, concerned.

"What?" I asked getting up slightly.

When he looked at me he seemed to ease down a bit. He looked younger without formal clothes on.

He came by me and sat down on the floor with his head in my lap. His arms intertwined around my waist. He let out a long sigh.

"What're you doing AJ?" I asked barely moving.

"I thought you were ill?" He said looking up at me. "You'd consumed the Absynthe. I didn't know it was Absynthe, I thought she'd given you just a normal mix drink."

"Well you did tell me not to drink too much of it. You said it was strong."

"Yeah well I thought with alcohol, better safe than sorry." He said. "But I'm so sorry baby, I didn't even notice you were ill, you vomited? And fell unconscious too. I thought you were just tired. I'm so sorry."
He said looking into my eyes. I got my wish, I thought and regretted it.

"It's okay, I don't expect you too."

"Don't expect me to what?" He asked unclear.

"I don't expect you to protect me. I can do it on my own. And I'll suffer the consequences on my own." I said with a dull expression.

"Baby, baby no. Of course you can protect yourself. But I was responsible for that. And...you trusted me," he said getting up a bit.

"I did....trust you." I said, I wanted so bad to just blurt it out to him. To tell him everything, but I shut myself. Willow, I needed to get Willow back first.
"But I'll learn."

"Delilah? Is something wrong? You seem... different."

"Different?" I chuckled.

He just looked sad.

"I-I..I'm done AJ," I said losing it.
" I can't do this anymore."

"Do what baby?" He asked hurt.

"Us." I said simply, even though I knew after this I'd not have a heart left to give to anyone ever again.

"N-No...why? What happened? I-I don't understand. You said, I should never say goodbye. And now.." he began.

"AJ, I need time. Time out. I did say that. But you told me you loved me. You told me I can trust you. You told me you'd never let me down." I said completely forgetting everything else.

"And I did. I still do. I still love you. A-And..." He seemed lost. Until he didn't.

He knew exactly what I was talking about now.

"Yeah, she wasn't Jesse's sweet-heart after all, now was she? Big boy?" I said sarcastically.

He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. He looked shattered and broken. But all I could see was his lies. And the fact that he wasn't speaking up, that just made it hurt more.

"I'm going AJ." I said getting up as he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"No please Delilah, understand! Please try to understand. It's not safe. I know what you're trying to do. Willow, she's protected, if you go alone, they'll kill you.
Especially because-" he was saying. His arms were wrapped around my waist and his face was by my neck.

"You knew! YOU FUCKING KNEW ABOUT WILLOW! I CALLED HER MOTHER IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU TWO FACED ASSHOLE." I screamed and scrambled out of his grip, he let me go without a struggle.
"ALL THIS TIME YOU KNEW WHERE SHE WAS! AJ HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU! WHAT HAVE I? WHAT HAS SHE EVER DONE TO YOU!!"

He was on the verge of breaking. And I was already crying. Hot tears were streaming off my face, trickling down my neck.

"Delilah, don't cry. You have to listen to me. They'll know you. Please just listen to me this once and then I'll let you go. I promise just-" he was pleading, his hands were reaching out trying to wipe my tears.

But I swat them away. I wasn't going to be weak now. To hell with love, to hell with him.

"No! Don't you dare touch me. Never. Again." I warned him and raced out of the room. I grabbed my phone and a backpack I'd prepared for myself.

"Lilah-" he called.

"Don't call me that. And AJ, if you ever felt even a fraction of anything for me. Then please do not follow me. Let me save my friend. And I will never again step into your life. You can be with all the girls you want to be with. You'll never have to pretend. Just let me save my friend." I said and turned away fumbling out the door. He didn't follow.

I ran into the parking and sat inside Lily's sedan. She'd told me I can borrow it whenever. I'd return it of course. It seemed like John and Jesse must have gone for a bite or something. But that wasn't going to stop me.

My heart was broken, I'd shed all the tears I had. I was hurting. And I wanted to get my friend back.

I wiped my damp cheeks once again, before starting the engine and driving out into the dark wild city.
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