"Hey!" exclaimed Delphine, her hand raised while she approached Dorian.
Dorian removed his cigarette from his mouth and gave a nod.
Delphine took a seat beside him and, with a smile, proceeded to tell him about her mother's invitation.
"Will you join us for lunch tomorrow? It's been a while since you last visited us after school ended."
Dorian nodded while taking drags from his cigarette.
Then he inquired "Is this the urgent matter you wanted to talk about?"
Delphine leaned closer to Dorian, a worried expression etched on her face, as she divulged a perplexing predicament.
"Dorian, something unexpected has happened" she whispered urgently. "I can't go into details now. Just know that now my mother believes that we spent time together these days."
Dorian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he removed the cigarette from his mouth, his interest piqued.
He nodded, silently urging Delphine to continue.
With a hint of anxiety in her voice, Delphine continued "I need your help, Dorian. I know it sounds weird, but could you… could you pretend that we were together? Just for tomorrow, until I can figure out how to explain everything to my mother."
Dorian's eyes widened in surprise, the request catching him off guard.
He hesitated for a moment, wrestling with how own thought.
Of course he would help his best friend, but he couldn't figure out why she lied and didn't tell him anything.
He nodded cautiously and a bit of concern and curiosity etched on his face.
"Alright, Delphine" Dorian finally replied, still unsure of the whole situation.
"I'll help you. But I think you owe me an explanation first. No lies." he added with a stern expression.
Delphine leaned in closer to Dorian, her eyes filled with anxiety and desperation.
"Dorian, I'm caught up in a complicated situation, and I felt like I had no other choice but to lie" she confessed in a hushed tone.
"But please believe me when I say that I will explain everything to you and then to my parents too. I don't want to keep any secrets from you."
Dorian took a deep breath, processing Delphine's words.
He met her gaze, his expression firm yet compassionate.
"Delphine, I understand that you're in a tough spot, and I want to help you with your mother" he responded, his voice steady.
"But I can't condone or participate in any more lies if I don't know what's behind them. I want to know the truth."
Confusion and concern mingled on Dorian's face as he continued.
"I can't help but notice how different you've been acting lately. This isn't like you, you didn't act like this even during the toughest years of our adolescence. Something has changed, and I'm worried about you. Can you tell me what's going on? I really want to help and support you, but I need to understand what's at the root of all this."
Delphine looked down, a mixture of guilt and vulnerability washing over her.
She took a moment to collect her thoughts before lifting her gaze to meet Dorian's again.
"You're right, Dorian. These days I've been going through some things and it has affected my behaviour" she admitted, her voice tinged with sincerity.
"There are things I've been dealing with that I haven't been able to share with anyone, not even you. But I promise, I'll open up to you, to my parents, and explain everything soon. I just need a little more time to gather my thoughts and understand more before I tell you about that."
Dorian's face grew flushed with a mix of anger and frustration.
He couldn't help but let his emotions spill out as he confronted Delphine.
"You've always been so open with me, Delphine. We used to share everything, and now you're hiding things and telling lies. I can't help but think that someone else is influencing you. Is it related to the guy at the party? That's when you started acting like that."
His accusatory words hung heavy in the air, and Delphine's heart sank.
She knew exactly who he was referring to—Ethan, the mysterious guy she had met that night.
Of course it was about him, even if she had never mentioned him to Dorian.
Tears welled up in Delphine's eyes as she tried to find the right words.
"Dorian, I understand why you might think that, but it's not really about someone else. It's about me, my struggles" she managed to say, her voice still quivering with uncertainty.
Dorian's frustration softened, replaced by concern.
"Then why won't you tell me what's really going on? Why are you keeping me in the dark?" he implored, his voice tinged with hurt.
Delphine took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Dorian. It's just… it's complicated" she began, her words barely above a whisper. "I've always told you everything, you've been with me in any situation, but this is just… different."
Dorian sat there, his mind racing as he tried to unravel the mysteries that surrounded Delphine.
He desperately wanted to understand what she couldn't reveal to him in that moment, but the pieces of the puzzle remained frustratingly out of reach.
Despite her reassurances, he couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with the enigmatic guy from the party.
Delphine's changed behaviour since that meeting only fueled his suspicions.
Looking deep into Delphine's eyes, Dorian struggled to find the words.
"Delphine, I want to trust you. I want to believe that this is just something personal, something about yourself that you're struggling with. But it's so hard for me not to connect it to other people, especially to that guy. Everything changed after that night, and I can't shake the feeling that he's involved somehow."
Delphine's gaze faltered for a moment, a mixture of guilt and vulnerability sweeping over her features.
She waited for a few moments before responding.
"Dorian, it's not about him. It's about something within me, something I'm still trying to accept" she confessed, her voice laced with sincerity.
Dorian let out a frustrated sigh, his emotions bubbling to the surface.
"I want to be here for you. I want to support you through whatever you're going through. But I can't help if you keep shutting me out. I need you to be honest with me, even if it's difficult. I can't stand any more lies between us."
Tears welled up in Delphine's eyes as she reached out to hold Dorian's hand.
"I don't want to lie to you. I don't want to keep anything from you, especially since you've always been so open with me. But there are things I'm grappling with that I can't fully understand myself. It's something deeply personal" she explained, her voice trembling.
"I'll accept you anyway. You know, if I didn't think that the guy from the party was involved I would assume that you're trying to tell me that you like girls." he said, pretending to be serious.
Delphine giggled among her tears and looked at him.
Dorian squeezed her hand gently, his voice filled with resolve.
"Delphine, I care about you too much to let this come between us. I'll be here for you, waiting patiently. But please, no more secrets, no more lies with me. Can you promise me that?"
Delphine nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"I promise, Dorian. I don't want to lose you. I'll find the strength to confront what's inside me, and I'll tell you everything. Just please understand that it's not easy for me, and I need a little more time."
Dorian wiped away a tear from her cheek and nodded in understanding.
"I'll wait for you, Delphine. Just remember, I want the truth, no matter how difficult it may be. We'll face it together, you know that."
He stroked her face with the same finger that had wiped away her tear.
At that moment the silence seemed infinite.
Dorian decided to change the subject to lighten the air.
A glimmer of surprise flickered across Delphine's face as he shared what he was planning to do.
"Anyway, I ordered pizzas for both of us before you arrived. I thought we could have dinner together on my boat, we didn't eat together for a while" he revealed, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Delphine's eyes widened, with gratitude reflecting in her gaze.
"Dorian, you really shouldn't have done that. It's already dark and I have to go back home. My mother will be worried" she replied.
But Dorian had already planned everything and tried to reassure her.
"Don't worry, I'll take you home on my motorcycle of course. I'm going to call your mother telling her that you're with me" he said, his tone filled with confidence.
With a slight hesitation, Delphine nodded, her worry gradually leaving her thoughts.
"Alright, Dori" she replied, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Without further delay, Dorian reached for his phone and searched for Helena's number.
Helena was enthusiast at the idea that they were spending time together.
After hanging up the call, Dorian returned to Delphine, a wide grin on his face.
"All settled! Now, let's go get those pizzas" he exclaimed.
They made their way to the nearby pizzeria, where Dorian picked up the delicious aroma of freshly baked pizzas.
With the mouthwatering boxes in his hand, they strolled back to his boat.