Two

"Listen, Delilah, we will get nowhere if you don't decide to do something about all of this. You sit here, telling me the same thing every week. You don't want to talk about what happened after? Fine. But stop sulking and do something with the life you have. Your brother took six lives, don't you think it's a waste for you to just sit around every day and waiting for it to end? Call your old friend. Make a trip away from this routine. Get some perspective, Delilah. You need that." With that, Dr Nighy dismissed her.

It seemed like the doctor had finally grown sick of her avoidance. Delilah wanted to retort something, but every comment stuck inside her throat. She knew the doctor was right. But it still stung, making that reference was harsh. It had been another three weeks, another three sessions of barely getting anywhere. Delilah understood the woman's frustration in her.

It was loud outside and very busy, as well as inside the Café she now stepped into. It did not seem like the noises had declined for a second since she arrived in New York. Delilah was fidgeting with her hands, searching for the familiar face in the crowd. It also seemed like there was not a quiet moment in this city.

She spotted Camilla sitting in a corner by a window. She had not spotted Delilah yet. Delilah took the sight of her in. She looked tan, still rather slim in her figure and wore casual clothes. She looked happy, well-rested. Nothing one could say for Delilah, who desperately tried to conceal the dark circles underneath her eyes. Nightmares had plagued her more frequently by now.

Her hands felt clammy and cold, they were shaking slightly. The heart in her chest was racing against her ribcage, but she mustered up her courage and made her way towards the table.

It had been only two weeks since those same trembling hands had picked up her phone and dialled a number she was terrified of. But it had been a pleasant phone call and they had set up to meet in New York, where Camilla now went to university. Delilah had just accompanied her brother and stayed at his apartment too.

"Hey." Her voice sounded more trembling than she would have liked it to. Camila looked up from her phone and a huge smile made its way onto her face. The blonde jumped up and took Delilah into a bone-crushing hug. And there could have been nothing more comforting than that hug Delilah received. It felt like home. Camilla still smelled the same and it felt like no time had passed at all, as if nothing had happened.

They embraced each other for longer than other people would find normal and other customers started to watch, but none of them could care less.

"I missed you so much, Lilah! I was so worried about you. How are you?" Camilla gushed as soon as they broke up from their hug. While she was smiling, Delilah could definitely see the worrying in her eyes. Camilla knew her, she knew Delilah tended to hurl everything inside and suffer, rather than progress.

"It's not been too great, but I have a therapist now. She's been helping me a lot so far, although I don't think I make it very easy for her." A sly grin appeared on their faces. "How have you been? I am so sorry I never called. I just-" A trembling intake of air. "I was so ashamed to even look at you. I truly am so sorry about what you had to go through."

A recognizing look washed over Camilla's face as Delilah said the words that had been so heavy on her chest. She felt lighter immediately after saying those words.

"Lilah, none of it was your fault and you should never make it yours. Cal was just… He was acting on his own accord, nothing you could have done would have changed anything. He would have snapped at some point." Her words hit Delilah someplace deep. "And I am fine. She would be healed and with a bit of physical therapy, everything was fine. It took some time to get over what happened, but as I said, none of that is your fault. It lead me here and I am very happy with that. NYU is amazing so far and I mean living in New York is such a dream. I changed my major though." Camilla's face lit as she talked about her life in the city. How it had all been a coincidence since she was only visiting a friend and only a month later, she was moved in with that friend. Camilla had begun to study Business but now went for Law. Which was no surprise, she had always been amazing at discussing with people.

They chatted a bit more about their day to day life and Delilah was almost ashamed to tell her she had done nothing in the past year, other than sulking in her own misery. But Camilla had been more than understanding, that whatever had happened to her would always stay with her and now it was time to embrace it. To work through it and to start living her life again.

"You can come to visit me. My roommates are there, but they are amazing. You'll like them. I could show you some great places to hang here. How long will you be here?"

A question Delilah did not really know the answer to. She had packed a rather large suitcase, since according to Dr Nighy the longer the better. It sometimes takes new places to find closure and yourself again.

"As long as I want to. Logan has an extra room in his apartment, and he said I can stay as long as I want to. He is barely home anyway. I would really like that."

Delilah and Camilla decided to take another cup of coffee to go and strolled a bit through the busy streets. The weather was not too bad and they were close to Central Park.

"I still have nightmares about it, you know?" Camilla said as they passed into the park.

"Me too. I still feel that feeling of being paralyzed. I really thought he would kill me right then and there." Delilah admitted. Camilla had seen it, seen Callum put the gun against his sister's head. She had heard the mad laugh. She had seen the SWAT man who shot Callum in the arm. Seen as they dragged him away. Seen how Delilah sat on the floor, staring into the nothingness. Camilla had been carried away by medics after losing a substantial amount of blood. She had seen Delilah again at the memorial. But after that, her friend vanished from the earth. Crawled into a hole of sorrow and terrors.

As their coffees got cold and the sun was slowly sinking, they arranged to see each other the next day, at Camilla's apartment.

As Delilah walked up to Logan's apartment, she missed the fresh air of her hometown. New York's air was rather stale in comparison.

The apartment was empty as she arrived and her stomach growled angrily. Deciding to cook, she rummaged through the fridge and pantries, only to decide on salmon pasta. The sauce was simmering a bit on the stove, as the door opened. Logan had his tie loose around his throat and carried his suit jacket on his arm. Behind him followed two other men she did not know yet.

They were both tall, wearing suits and looked generally expensive. There was another sandy blonde guy, who also seemed to have gotten rid of his tie. He was not as tall as her brother and the other man but looked built from what she could judge. Viewing his grin, he revealed perfectly white, aligned teeth. He looked like the typical sunny boy.

The other man was taller than her brother. He still wore his tie, but had gotten rid of his jacket and pushed his sleeves up, to reveal muscular forearms. He had brown hair, but it was not too dark. He had a three o'clock shadow on his prominent face. She saw his skin was not too pale, but he also was not too tan.

Both strangers stilled as they saw her standing next to the stove and frowned when Logan kissed her on her head as a greeting. He had also been a great support with their mother's antics the past weeks and they had bonded a bit more while spending a lot of time together.

"Guys, this is my younger sister Delilah. Delilah this is Adrian," Logan pointed to the blond guy, who now grinned at her. "And this is Mark, he is my new boss at the company I work for now." Since they stood far away from each other, they only exchanged polite nods as they were introduced.

Mark seemed to view her more intensely as Adrian, who now stepped around the kitchen island to lean over the pans she was cooking food in.

"Oh my god, that smells amazing. Please tell me you will share your food with me." He commented as he tried to dip his finger in the salmon sauce. Delilah smacked his finger away.

"I will share but get away from the pans now." Her grin was bright. She quickly doubled up the portions she was making and Adrian kept her company, while the other two already sat down in the living room.

"Logan didn't tell us why he visited you at home for so long. I mean I can barely stand a week with my family, much less almost six." Adrian commented as he picked plates from a higher up pantry. Delilah was not sure to answer, if her brother had not said anything so far, he probably wanted to keep it a private matter.

"Oh, just our mother. She decided to re-do the house and Logan wanted to secure my sanity, so he helped with getting rid of all the old stuff and keeping mom in check." She smiled, it was only a half-truth, but it would suffice. They were Logan's friends and so it was his story to tell.

The men had planned to talk a bit about work and some other things, which was why they were at the apartment, and even though all of them protested Delilah decided to get out of their way. She took her plate and sat in her room, watching a show.

It had been an emotionally draining day and she needed some calm.

Logan and his friends were now in the living room and Delilah had her earphones in to listen to music while cleaning up the mess she made during cooking. It was in the middle of Tongue Tied as she noticed Mark standing in the entryway.

"Sorry, did you need something?" She asked while blushing furiously with embarrassment. He seemed to notice it because it set off a sly grin.

"Not really, I just wanted to thank you for the dinner. You did not have to do that and it was delicious." He smiled gently at her. She only now noticed he had warm, green eyes that seemed to emit calm to her. "Why are you in the city anyway? Your bother never mentioned you really."

He stepped next to her and tried two plates she placed on the counter. His voice was as smooth as his looks, but it also felt like it could make the world vibrate.

"I'm rekindling with old friends. Finding some perspective on what I want to do with my life." She smiled at him, making it seem like she was just another girl trying to find a path in life.

"Your name is Callahan-Montgomery, right?" Her smile faltered a bit, but she nodded. "And you are about twenty-one?" Another nod followed Delilah. But Mark only nodded. Nothing else followed though Delilah was sure he had heard of what happened. Maybe he figured out their connection to the crazy kid who shot up a college.

"You and your brother have quite the age difference," Mark stated, as he took another plate and dried it with the towel he held.

"Yeah, he was early in my parent's life. We followed when they had built their successful lives." She realized her mistake as she finished her sentence.

"We?" Mark's eyebrow was raised and now he was facing her with a questioning look. Depending on how long Logan knew Mark and Adrian, he had maybe be avoided telling them about all of his siblings. How does one explain a brother who will never be seen again, because he is rotting in a high-security tract of a prison?

But she continued nonetheless, she would find an explanation. "My twin and I. Callum." It was a short sentence, making it clear she wanted to avert the subject. Luckily for her, Logan called for Mark from the other room. He gave her another weird look, but then left the room. Callum's face came back into her mind and Delilah had to shake her head. He was gone, for good. Time to shut him out.