3| Desperate

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Desperate

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Chapter 3: Desperate (Delilah's POV)

I walked into the kitchen and spotted my aunt preparing for lunch. I took a breath and walked over, dusting my hands on my dress. "Shall I help you with that?" I offered.

She looked over at me. "Do you even know how, Delilah?" She rolled her eyes.

"Do I know how to cut vegetables? Yes, Aunt Rosy. I do," I smiled cheekily.

She shot me a dirty look before giving me the chopping board and knife so I sat at the dinner table and started peeling the potatoes first. "You came home late last night. Way after your Uncle Felix. Where were you?"

"Nowhere," I replied, focusing on the potatoes.

"Were you out with a boyfriend, Delilah?"

I snorted, "As if I have one of those."

She turned to me. "One of those?"

"Well, I have many," I smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't fool around with me. Who were you with?"

"Nobody," I chuckled. "There was a customer who got drunk and passed out. I was waiting for someone to come pick them up before I left. That's why it took so long."

"Must have been some important customer for you to cater to." Her eyes narrowed.

"It was God himself," I said sarcastically, knowing she takes God very seriously.

"Don't joke about God with me, Delilah. You know it angers me."

I sighed at her. "Then don't interrogate me, Aunt Rosy. You know it pisses me off," I smiled sweetly.

"What did you say?"

"Forget it. Have fun making lunch. But don't cook for me. I'm going out with Willow for lunch."

"You—"

"Aren't you happy? One person less for you to feed. Enjoy your lunch." I stood up, quickly rinsing my hands, and then grabbed my bag, heading out, pulling my shoes on by the door. As I opened the door, my uncle was coming back with fresh groceries.

"Where are you off to?" He kicked his shoes off before ruffling my hair.

"I'm going out to lunch with Willow. And I'm sorry in advance."

"What for?" He frowned in confusion.

"I fought with your wife again." Before he could scold or lecture me, I walked around him, calling out, "Bye!" over my shoulder. I grabbed my bicycle and climbed on, leaving my bag in the basket and then heading off.

I lied. I don't have lunch plans with Willow. I actually have a day job which I've kept a secret from my uncle and aunt because when I first asked my uncle about working a job somewhere else, other than Mirage, he flat out refused to let me do so. He thinks a regular boss wouldn't treat me as kindly as he does, which may be true, but it's what every employee must deal with.

I work my day job at a flower shop called Bloom House. It's owned by an old lady, but her daughter who is currently seven months pregnant is the one who runs the store. My job there is as a delivery girl. I go around Everton every single day, delivering flowers and bouquets. It's also why sometimes I arrive late to Mirage because a delivery was too far from the bar and took too long.

I got there, stopping outside the store, ringing the bell on my bike. The door opened and Juliette walked out. The owner's daughter. "Hello," she sang.

"Hi," I sang back. "How many?" I asked, hopping off the bike and taking the bouquets from her.

"Twelve, for the time being. Deliver them and come back. I'll give the next set to you then."

I nodded, fixing the bouquets in the basket of my bike. "See you later, Juliette," I smiled, climbing on the bike and looking at the address on the first bouquet. That's nearby, it won't take long. I began biking, going door to door and delivering the flowers, pocketing the money so I could give it all to Juliette later.

I started working at 10 AM and it's now noon, the hottest, brightest hour of the day. I stopped at a nearby grocery store to buy a bottle of water for myself with a snack and then continued. I only had three bouquets left. The first two were within Everton, but the last one? Oh, my god.

Spencer Roman's castle.

This isn't even a proper address, it's an entire hour away, uphill too! How can I bike all the way there?

I sighed in frustration, stopping at a phone booth and dialing Juliette's number, reading it off the business card stuck to the bouquet. "Hello, Bloom House flower service, how can I help you?"

"It's me, Delilah."

"Delilah, what's wrong?"

"There's a bouquet that's meant to be delivered to Spencer Roman's castle."

"Yes, there is."

"I can't bike all the way there, Juliette."

She paused. "Then you can't be paid for that delivery either."

I rolled my eyes, falling in thought while leaning against the wall of the black, glass booth. "Is he paying extra for the delivery?"

"He's paying 500 nova, cash." Nova. Our very own currency. And 500 is more than a lot. It's worth nearly 200 US dollars.

"Fine," I sighed. "But I'm not sure if I can deliver more today once I come back. This is a long trip you're sending me on."

"No worries, I'll have Logan deliver the others."

"Bye," I mumbled.

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and left the booth, climbing back onto my bike. I looked at the address one more time and then started biking east. I stopped at a nearby shoe shop when I started getting confused about where to go. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" An old man looked up at me.

"Could you please tell me the way to Spencer Roman's castle?"

He paled and his lips turned into a frown while he blinked his wrinkled eyes. "I don't know," he shook his head, looking down and polishing the shoes.

I sighed in defeat, "Thank you." I went to a few shops like these, only for everybody to tell me the same damn thing. They don't know. Obviously, they do but they just don't want to tell me. People in Everton aren't supposed to talk about Prince Spencer or his castle.

Everybody knows the king and his older son, Nico, don't appreciate it when the town talks about Spencer. They want him gone and forgotten.

I stopped at a small crystal shop that was run by an old lady. She looks like a grim reaper from her clothes, and I say that in the most respectful way. "Excuse me."

She stopped polishing her crystal and looked at me through the hood of her cloak. "Yes, Delilah?"

I blinked in confusion. How the hell does she know my name? I've probably delivered flowers here, whatever. "Could you please tell me the way to Spencer Roman's castle?"

"Spencer Roman's castle, huh? What are you going up there for?" She resumed polishing her crystal before setting it down and picking up another one.

"I have a flower delivery to make up there," I said, offering her a smile. "Please don't say that you don't know. I really need to get there soon," I whined.

"You'll find it on your own, whether I tell you or not," she chuckled. Whatever that means.

"But I bet it'd be easier if you could tell me, wouldn't it?" I lifted a brow.

"Hmm," she nodded casually. "I suppose it's a good deed to lead you to your future."

"Sorry?" I frowned.

"Take the next right. From there, keep going straight. The road will become uphill. If your bike can't take it, then walk. There's a shortcut through the forest, don't take that."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why not?"

"There are wolves and other wild animals. Just take the road."

"Okay," I mumbled. "Thank you so much."

She nodded, reaching down and grabbing a sign which read 'Fortune Tellings' and put it up on her counter. Ah, she's a fortune teller. "You need to pay if you want to hear that too," she chuckled, nodding to the sign.

"Um, that's okay. Bye." She nodded as I climbed back onto my bike and followed her instructions. As I turned the right she said and reached the road, a car was turning away and I nearly crashed into it. I gasped, my tires screeching with the breaks while I set my feet on the ground before I could fall. "Oi, oi, oi!" I yelled, nearly falling off, my bike going down. I brought it back up and climbed off, kicking the stand down and picking up the bouquet which fell onto the road. I whined, blowing on the petals and brushing the dust off. I turned to the car, glaring at it.

The window rolled down from the backseat and a head came out. "You should have rung the bell," said a guy's voice. He looks familiar.

"You should have beeped the horn then," I argued, climbing back onto my bike. I pulled back a little before pushing on the pedals, keeping close to their car. Close enough to scratch it.

As I got closer, he exclaimed, "Hey!"

I bit back a smile and got away from the car, letting them be. I looked at them over my shoulder and then continued biking.

After about thirty minutes into the bike ride, I could feel the slope of the road getting larger and larger and every time I would slow down or stop, my bike would begin moving backward. Pedaling was getting too exhausting and I wanted to turn back. I stopped and set my feet on the concrete, hopping off.

"This is bullshit," I said to myself while grabbing the handles and starting to walk. "A freaking hour just to deliver a bouquet. He's a prince, for god's sake. He could easily send someone to receive these stupid flowers. What does he even need them for anyway, huh? He probably has a huge flower garden for a backyard. Unless he doesn't like flowers, but how could someone not like flowers?" I rambled to myself.

This bike ride was definitely making me delusional. I was singing, screaming, talking to myself, taking breaks, and just sitting in the middle of the road at times too. And finally, a long forty minutes later, since I was walking, I arrived at the main estate gates of the castle. I rang the bell on my bike while drinking from my bottle.

Two security guards stood behind the black steel gates, looking at me. "Who are you?" one of them asked.

"I'm here for a flower delivery. This bouquet was ordered from Bloom House, I work there."

"As a... delivery girl?"

"Yes," I bit back. I'm not here to humor the prince's security.

"Give it to us."

"It hasn't been paid for yet."

"Give us the bouquet."

I frowned, "Pay for it first."

"The bouquet, ma'am."

"The payment, sir," I argued.

"The bouquet."

"The money."

"The bouquet."

"The money."

"The bouquet!" he yelled in frustration.

"The fucking money!" My eyes widened as I gasped, slapping my hand over my mouth.

He stared at me in disbelief. "Out!"

"I am technically outside the estate," I mumbled.

"Out!" he demanded.

"Please, I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry. It's just protocol, sir. You have to pay for the bouquet before I hand it over. Please, I'm desperate here."

"Desperate to deliver a bouquet?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Desperate for my delivery fees. I didn't come up here for nothing, sir. So pay up, please."

He scoffed at his partner, "Get this."

"I hope you do!" I screamed. "Pay me my goddamn money! Now!"

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Chapter 3

I'm feeling so much better thank freaking lord

next chapter: ruckus