A few days later...

I watched carefully as Zak paced the floor, his phone to his ear and his hand tugging at his hair in stress.

"Well can they even do that?" He asked pausing to hear the answer before he spun on his feet and walked back across the lounge.

This was bad.

From what I had gathered, our location for the next investigation had fallen through. Taking along the money the channel had given them to secure it for the night after the building was deemed unsafe. But instead of returning the money, they had decided to keep it and cut all contact.

"That's bullshit! We had a contract! They signed!" Zak snapped making me push my mouth to the side and roll my eyes when he turned to pace again.

Then he snapped his fingers at me. I looked up to see him beckoning me over and because I was in an argumentative mood from a poor night sleep thanks to the nightmares, I refused to move.

He came over instantly and sank onto the couch beside me as I folded my arms. Sighing gently when he moved my hair aside to rub the back of my neck putting just the right amount of pressure into my muscles.

"Yeah.. Yeah okay. Thanks." He hung up and tossed his phone onto the table.

I waited, patiently and quietly whilst he continued his massage until he rubbed the top of my back "I didn't mean to come across as a douche then, it's just.. You're presence has calmed me over the last few hours. I wanted to feel you."

Twisting my head, I take in his facial expression. "Getting stressed won't help. There's hundreds of places that are haunted, probably thousands. Hell, I know there are thousands. I know it sucks about the money but is it worth getting worked up over?"

"Yeah, a little. It's our budget."

"Then we arrange two closer to home to cut down flights and hotel costs. We don't need a separate room, do we?"

He smiled slightly "I guess not. Now you mention it, I might like sharing with you."

I share his smile "That's the spirit. Now seeing as that's fallen on its face. Let's go to the museum, get some stuff done, I'll text everyone and let them know."

His shoulders relaxed "Really?"

"Absolutely, and you can let your mom know she's off dog sitting too."

"Good thinking."

"I know! Let's go." I pat his knee and pull myself up. Leaving him on the couch alone.

+++

"Delilah..."

I look up from my joke match with Dakota through text to find one person, I really didn't want to see.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I speak quietly as we pull up under the car port. Zak had decided to take my car today and after his constant asking, I caved and allowed him to drive us.

"Have you asked to see her again?"

"No. I haven't spoke to her since the last time."

Opening the door, I get out and lock eyes with my mom whose stood outside gesturing to the museum and stopping strangers. Not waiting for Zak, I march straight out the gates and for her.

"What are you doing here?" I ask folding my arms.

"Delilah, darling please. I know you're mad about the other day. But it was a shock, I'm sorry."

"I don't care. Leave!"

"Please just hear me out.." She begs.

"No!"

A warm hand touches my side and I instantly feel his presence calm me. "Sweetie, maybe you should think about this first. You want answers..."

I look up at Zak whose eyes are watching mine.

"But she-"

"I know. I'm not doing this for her benefit, I'm doing it for yours.. Take the car and go for a coffee? Talk." He suggests putting my keys into my palm.

"He's right." My mother chirped.

I glare at her and look to Zak "I don't think I will. She doesn't deserve a second more of my time."

He looked disappointed and I couldn't stand here, pretending to act like that didn't upset me slightly. Even he was willing to give her a chance, after everything she has done...

"Delilah. Please, I'm begging you."

Something inside me shifted. I couldn't hold my tongue.

"Like I begged for you every time you locked me in that cupboard! Whilst you shoved coke up your nose! Like I begged for you when Randy would beat me with his fucking belt! What did you do?! Hmm! You told me to shut my crying up before you also give me something to cry about! Remember that?"

Her eyes lowered.

"So don't you stand there and make me out to be the bad party. You should have been spade. You fucking bitch!"

"Delilah!" Zak scolds.

"No. I don't care if she stands there looking upset. Acting the victim won't wash with me. Mother. Take your own advice... Stop your whinging. Before I give you something to cry about too."

Turning on my feet and take the museum keys before I begin walking away.

"Delilah where are you going?" Zak asks.

"To work! Leave her there." I shout back.

Letting myself in the museum, I deactivate the alarm and head off into the maze, needing time to be alone.

I ended up in the mirror room, it's large reflective surface and gold frame almost took one whole side of the room up. The frame itself was beautiful and as I backed up, the back of my knees touched the bench making me sink down on it.

Because this is just what I needed time to self reflect... not.

I was grateful that nobody was here, to ask me questions or wonder what I've been doing.

But fate has this way of kicking me in the ass, as the door opened, I refused to turn and my bitterness only shifted when I spotted Zak's mom step in and come to sit beside me.

"Hello Delilah."

I looked down at my hands, taking a breath before twisting myself to look at his mom. "Hey Nancy."

"Want to talk?" She asks eyeing me with her ice blue eyes. I could see Zak's eyes within hers, which caused my armour to crack slightly.

"What would you like to talk about?" I return.

"You? Zak? You and Zak?"

"Zak." I decide making her nod. "Why does he have to be the voice of reason? Why did he not stand and support me then? He knows what she is like."

His mom waited until she knew I had finished before speaking "Zak is an empath, sensitive. He feels the emotions of another, it conflicts him. He loses his own feelings and thoughts when he picks up someone else's. I'm guessing she is your mom?"

I nod.

"No doubt he picked up on what you were feeling and what she was feeling.. I don't know the full story, I don't wish to know. But what I do know is, Zak stands by the people who are good to him. He will create hell fire for the people he cares about, he probably feels your emotions attached to your mom and wants to help you?"

"She's going to wrap him around her little finger. He's going to be blinded from what an evil woman she is!"

"I doubt that very much. He can see untrustworthy people a mile off. It comes with his job. You never have to worry about how he feels for you Delilah. He wants you to find peace though, that's how much he cares for you.. Not for her benefit. For yours."

I look at Nancy quickly "You know about us then?"

She smiles "I know the minute my son has a woman. He changes, he comes a lighter light. This time, I noticed how his eyes twinkle a little more, he smiles a whole lot more too. To think at one point you used to make him so angry..
Fatal attraction for you."

"He's been great. Really great with everything."

"Sounds like him. He's a good man, Delilah. He's going to make mistakes, because it's in his nature. We all make mistakes. All I get is Delilah this, Delilah that. He's smitten."

"How can he be? I'm a mess."

"Then you're a beautiful mess. Stop giving yourself a hard time. If you don't want to see your mom. Then that's your business. But explain that to him. Because he only wants to help."

I sighed "He doesn't understand what it's like though."

"He does.."

I frown. "How? You two have a perfect relationship."

"We do now.. We didn't once upon a time. Like you, Zak was raised by his gran. I was young, probably too young to have a baby of my own that's for sure. But none the less, I stuck by my decision and kept the baby. Meredith, Zak's sister came along and before I knew it, I was expecting Zak. His gran raised them whilst I finished school and put myself through college. He resented me for it. His dad and I split whilst he was still young. Things came to head when he started high school, he suffered from bullying terribly, and I knew nothing about it. He went to live with his dad at one point but it just started there too. Him and his gran, two person a pod. You couldn't get a piece of paper between them. He loved her so much. So much. It broke him when she passed too. He was away at the time."

"I saw the episode." I answered quietly.

"Then you know from his voice alone at the end, how he struggled to cope. He had a big place missing in his heart, I still say a piece was buried with her. We probably only bonded over loss. But we bonded. Maybe his reasoning to patch things up with your mom comes from what he went through?"

Her hand touched my arm gently "Nothing is right now. But death is, don't leave it too late."

+++

I stayed in the mirror room until the museum opened, slipping out and round the museum, I made my way into the office and pushed it closed. The lock dropping made Zak look up from paperwork. I noticed the security camera was enlarged. He'd been keeping an eye on me.

We didn't say a word as I walked over to his desk and got between him and the desk. His eyes turned up to mine as his head cocked to the side slightly. I leant against the desk and placed my foot onto the chair between his thighs and moved it back slightly causing him to grab my calf.

I wasn't an idiot to not know how much he cared, I wasn't oblivious to the way he always found a reason to touch me, how his body would always seek mine in bed, how he would caress my face or stroke my hair when we led in bed, how he patient he was when I had a night terror.

I owed him. A lot.

A heated glaze was sent my way as his hand tightened on my calf until he decided to stand up.

Reaching out, I grabbed his belt and pulled him to me. Just as his hands moved to take hold of my face.

We didn't speak, instead he pressed a kiss to my lips and rested his forehead against mine, watching as I undid the belt and unbuttons his jeans.

Pulling them down slightly, I stuck my hands into his boxers causing his breath to hitch. I moved my hand in rhythm causing him to pant.

"Delilah.." He whispered making me look up at him.

"I want to try."

He moved back slightly and let me go to move himself back, sinking down onto the seat, I moved off his desk and knelt between his legs watching as he got himself out and comfortable.

My source of pleasure for almost a week was sat between us. The reason why I slept like a log some nights and the reason why we both got little the next.

Taking hold of him, I looked up to his face to make sure I wasn't hurting him before I reenacted what I saw on film Poppy once put on. It was a porn film, she acted shocked at first but I was too drunk to care and we watched the whole film talking about the woman's nails. It was an experience to say the least.

I kept my eyes on him for visual feedback and lowered my mouth around him.

He sighed deeply and instantly touched the side of my face. I moved my tongue and traced the main vein before moving my hand back and forth.

At some point, I got lost. My desire to make him moan loudly took over and the speed went up, my head went lower, he went further and my hand did a corkscrew motion.

"Fuck. You're so beautiful looking at me like this." He moaned spurring me on.

I moaned up at him as my own arousal peeked its head up.

"Yes." He sighed.

Ignoring the pain in my jaw, I kept going and pushed past the gag reflex which caused him to groan out loud and grip my hair tightly. I moaned back in slight pain, but I needed to do this because, quiet frankly, I owned him.

"D-Delilah. Delilah stop. I'm gonna.. Fuck!" He ground out.

I kept pushing my throat until I caught sight of Zak going red in the face, his vein rising from his neck. With a massage of encouragement, he came and hard.

As his hands gripped the arm rest, his body trembled and thighs tightened trapping me in position.

Poppy's voice telling me that men always got off on a swallow came into my mind and I pushed the sweet but saltiness aside and cleared my mouth before sitting back on my knees.

He looked down a little exhausted "That's not fair."

I wiped my mouth and grinned before crawling along the floor and getting us both a bottle of water from the under cabinet fridge he kept in his office.

I came back and sat on his lap nuzzling in to his neck.

"For your first time, that sure was something." He spoke kissing my face. I smiled and found the opening in his shirt collar, where I placed my hand and stroked my finger back and forth between his collar bones.

"I'm not trying to interfere with your mom-"

"I know, let's not talk about it right now. I just want to spend time with you."

"Okay."

Tiredness came crashing down on me and his warmth was just what I needed. Then just as I was tittering on the edge, I said those words that fuck everything up before everything went black...

"I'm falling in love with you."