I'm going to get serious with her.

“I’ll try,” you whisper and turn over to Delilah. You see her face as she rests. “I’ll try for you.”

The morning is brief at Sage Lodge. The mood is bitter because of the two new inches of snow outside. Emmalyn eventually shrugs and says. “This is what we get for never moving further South.”

When you finally leave the lodge, you and Delilah are trekking back on foot in the new snow. The crunching is all that keeps you company until you are out of view of the building.

Delilah is close behind you when you bring up a subject you were expecting. “When I was kid, my older brother and I would make snowmen all around our house.”

You turn to face her. Her eyes are downcast, and her nose is pink with cold. “Where did that come from?”

“Well,” she looks up at you with a smile. “I don’t know. I should tell you more about my life. You’re my best friend.”

“So, after all that sex, I’m your best friend?”

She smiles wider. “Even without the sex, I mean. You’ve become something to look forward to.”

You stop entirely to face her, making her stop too. “What is it?”

“Delilah, I’ve been thinking,” you begin. “Maybe we should make our relationship more…serious?”

Delilah tries to fight the smile that spreads on her lips but fails. “Really?”

You look around. “I think you deserve someone better than me. I’ve done horrible things these last few years. Things I thought made me lose my humanity. But, whenever you smile or laugh because of something I do, it gives me that sense that I’m not too far gone.”

“I… when I first left my hometown, I hurt someone I really cared about,” you continued. “I can’t do that you. You’re worth the effort. I would be the shittest person alive if I didn’t at least give it a try.”

Delilah chews on the insides of her mouth. However, you decide to tell her more when she doesn't say anything.

“I need you to be careful, though. People have gotten hurt because they know me. If we solidify our situation, you’ll become a target someday.”

She shakes her head. “It won’t matter because I’ll have you still.”

You stare at Delilah and nod. “I’ll do everything I can to protect you. I can promise you that.”

“I can handle myself,” she says. “Plus, you know…no one is out here that could hurt you.”

Delilah doesn’t understand the danger she’s stepping in. You hope she never will understand it either. “I love you, Delilah.”

She blinks hard and bites her lower lip. “Warren...”

“I love you,” you repeat. “I love you enough to drop everything in my life and pick yours up. I don’t know what happened to you and your family, but it’s more important than any contract I have unfinished. Let me help you. Tell me what’s wrong, and we’ll fix it together.”

Delilah is silent for a couple of seconds, considering the situation with more than just her emotions. “Warren...”

“I love you enough to see past your imperfections, too. Your habits and guilty pleasures. Your fears, your worries, your–”

“Warren!!” Delilah shouts; she smiles crookedly now as tears start to spill from her face. “Just hug me. I just want to feel myself in your arms.”

“Oh,” you blinked a few times and walked over to her, and wrapped yourself around her. Her petite frame is enveloped by yours as she holds onto you.

“Don’t let me go,” she whispers. “Please, don’t let me go.”

“I’m here,” you tell her. “I’ll be here for you.”

She squeezes tighter. You feel her heart pounding, and the desperation in her voice grips her words. “Just hold me for a second. Please, just hold me.”

“I’m here,” you say again. “You’re not alone anymore.”

“Thank you,” she manages through a gasp. “I’ve been so alone.”

...

…

When you return to Tiny’s Tavern, another round of snow starts to fall. Delilah held on to your hand in silence. You held onto her for 3 minutes before she finally let go of you. When you saw her after your hug, you were amazed to realize how broken she was. She had problems she wasn’t ready to talk about yet, but you knew you would soon learn about them.

You part ways for the day, and you return to your room, feeling different and a little bit lost. Arabella greets you with a smile but notices your change of demeanor. She dismisses the twins, and she sits on your bed.

“Master?”

You take off your coat and lay down your rifles before sitting at your desk. Arabella clears her throat. “Master?”

“Arabella,” you say when you look up at her. “Can we talk?”

She nods. “What did you want to talk about?”