Tears streamed down Rylie's face like a miniature waterfall.
Delia grabbed Rylie's hands and he received her touch in his vice grip.
"I'm sorry Rylie, I didn't know." She cried to. Neither of them noticed what a spectacle their scene was creating. Everyone was watching, to Delia's humor and horror. Just like the old days, she thought. Her and Rylie use to be the item couple.
Rylie looked into Delia's eyes. His boyish face took on a more serious stance.
"Delia, a lot has happened since the two of us have parted ways."
Delia looked at Rylie questionably.
"What do you mean Rylie?"
Rylie hesitated. He didn't know how to tell Rylie this or even if he should. His heart was in a tight tug-a-war.
"I ..... I" he stuttered.
Delia looked on puzzled. Spit it out, she thought.
"I'm not supposed to be talking to you. I'm not supposed to talk to anyone from my past ..... and there's something else. Well, two things, really. One ..... " Rylie took a deep breath.
His eyes teared up again.
"I'm engaged." He cried. He literally sobbed into his hands. He sobbed like a little toddler.
Delia couldn't believe her ears. Literally, her heart jumped so hard, and flip flopped in her chest so vehemently, it was a wonder she didn't drop dead on the spot.
I can't breathe, she thought. Please no, don't faint again. Delia took a deep breath. While Rylie slowly attempted to regain his composure, Delia had to do everything she could not to have a bitter panic attack.
How could this be? How could fate have done this to her? And to Rylie. How was Delia going to get over this? She couldn't wrap her mind around it. She had literally handed over her heart to him without even as much as a question. She was stunned ...... literally stunned.
"There's something else Delia. Something far worse."
Delia looked up. Pale. She responded.
"What else?"
Rylie look up at the ceiling as if in pain.
"Apparently these guys had been following me and my family for a long time. My dad got into some trouble with these guys back in his early twenties, before I was born. He and my mother have been on the run ever since. I had had no idea at the time. It's one of the reasons why we had moved from pillar to post every other year, never staying in the same place even once. Dad didn't come clean about it until after i returned home."
Delia was so confused her head was spinning.
"What? ..... Rylie, I spent a whole week with the Deights after you supposedly died and none of them ever mentioned anything to me. Your parents even asked me to stay and live on with them until I could figure out what my next steps were going to be, especially after my parents temporarily cut me off for moving in with you. This honestly makes no sense to me at all ..... are you saying they followed us into the city and kidnapped you after we got our apartment after leaving our parents house?"
Rylie sympathetically looked in Delia's direction.
"Bingo." He replied.
Suddenly, Rylie noticed everyone was listening.
He jerked his head back to Delia.
"Delia, let's get out of here and talk somewhere more privately."
Delia nodded and the two of them grabbed their belongings and headed out. To what future and to what relationship climax, well ...... only God knew .
As crude as it sounds, Rylie and Delia went to a cemetery. At least they could have some privacy. It wasn't cold out. In fact, the breeze felt great. It was a public cemetery open til midnight to the public. It was one of those fancy cemeteries. All the graves were of famous people. The headstones were pure, shiny marble.
Rylie and Delia were holding hands as they entered. Delia didn't know if it was right or wrong since Rylie was now engaged. She decided to play the part of girlfriend for now.
Sitting at a little rest stop between acres of plots, Delia and Rylie got comfortable. Delia walked carefully on the open grass because she was wearing high-heeled boots. When they finally made it to the little pavilion with the tables and chairs, Delia sat down.
Rylie sat down next to her. It was only natural for Delia to sit near Rylie, which she did, and got very warm. Rylie permitted it in light of recent events. She rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned his head into hers.
"I could stay like this forever." Delia said.
"Me to."
Neither Rylie nor Delia knew how long they sat this way, but eventually, Delia leaned in to kiss Rylie full on the lips. Rylie initially sat shocked, but gave in quickly to Delia. What am I doing? Delia asked herself. Rylie is apparently engaged. I shouldn't be doing this.
After a moment, Delia backed up from Rylie, looked him in the eyes, and told him she loved him.
Rylie returned Delia's gaze. He had a few tears. "I love you to Delia. With all my heart. I never stopped loving you. I never thought I would see you again."
"What are the odds?" Delia laughed.
She backed up from Rylie.
"Rylie, I don't intend to stand between you and your fiance. I don't want you to think I mean to create any trouble between you and her."
Rylie looked at Delia.
"Delia, when I set my eyes on you for the first time back at our college campus hours ago, I was literally brought back to three in a half years ago. This is a miracle to me. You haven't changed. You are still just as beautiful and even more grown up than you were before."
"Thank you Rylie!"
They looked into each other's eyes, both showing the kind of love in their faces people dream of seeing in magazines. Another tear went down Delia's cheek.
"Yes I am engaged. I found love again after I thought I had lost it. I did build a new life Delia. I met her over a year and a half ago. I restarted my life. Wrote a new chapter. I didn't have a choice. I've had a lot of practice." Then he was quiet.
"But this", he continued, "is amazing." He was referring to having bumped back into Delia.
