Delicia & Iman: Secrets Between Shadows
Some betrayals don’t explode—they sit quietly at the table, smiling, waiting for the moment they’re spoken out loud.
1. The Smile That Hurt
Delicia kept her smile intact, perfectly balanced, like glass on the edge of a table. From the outside, she looked fine—composed, calm, supportive. Inside, her chest felt tight, as if every breath had to squeeze past something sharp.
Across from her, Shayla was glowing.
She laughed easily, brushing her hair back, speaking with that careless happiness that only comes when you believe you’ve won something back. Every word Shayla said landed softly in the room—and heavily in Delicia’s heart.
“I didn’t even expect it,” Shayla said, shaking her head with a grin. “But sometimes what’s meant for you just finds its way back.”
Delicia nodded. She didn’t trust her voice.
Because meant for you sounded too much like never meant for me.
2. What She Said… and What She Meant
Delicia remembered the words that started all of this.
He’s not my type.
She’d said it casually. Confidently. Like it was the full truth.
But it wasn’t.
It was the safe truth. The one that protected her from questions, from judgment, from crossing lines she wasn’t ready to admit she was already standing on. Saying it out loud had made it easier to ignore the way her heart reacted when Iman leaned closer… the way silence between them felt charged instead of empty.
She’d told herself it didn’t matter.
Until it did.
Until Shayla was sitting here now, retelling moments Delicia had lived in secret.
3. The Room Knows Before Words Do
Tamara laughed too loudly at something Shayla said. Lauren shifted in her seat. No one said anything—but the room felt different, like it was holding its breath.
Shayla kept talking.
“He said he didn’t want to lose me,” she continued, eyes bright. “That he was confused, but now he’s clear.”
Delicia’s fingers curled slowly under the table.
Clear.
Iman hadn’t sounded clear when he’d whispered, “We should tell her.”
He hadn’t looked clear when Delicia had answered, “Not yet.”
She’d told herself she was protecting everyone.
Now she wasn’t sure who she’d really been protecting.
Shayla finally looked at her. “You’re quiet. You okay?”
Delicia met her gaze and forced a smile. “Yeah. Just listening.”
What she didn’t say was: I’m listening to my own mistake echo back at me.
4. The Man in the Middle
Iman stood near the window, half-present, half-absent. His phone was in his hand, screen dark, like he was waiting for permission to disappear into it.
Delicia watched him without turning her head.
He didn’t look at Shayla when she spoke about him.
He didn’t look at Delicia either.
That hurt more than either option.
Later—too quietly for anyone else to hear—he leaned toward Delicia and murmured, “We should talk.”
Her pulse jumped.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied, just as quietly.
He hesitated. “That’s not true.”
She finally turned to him, eyes steady, voice calm in a way that scared even her.
“You wanted to tell her. I told you not to. Now you’re back where you started.”
Iman swallowed. “It’s not that simple.”
Delicia almost laughed.
Nothing ever was—until it was too late.
5. The Secret That Refuses to Stay Quiet
The conversation shifted. Plates were moved. Glasses refilled. Life went on around the silence like it always does.
But Delicia felt it—something tightening, something preparing to snap.
Shayla stood, stretching, completely unaware of the quiet war unfolding inches away from her.
“Tomorrow’s going to be a good day,” she said lightly. “I can feel it.”
Delicia looked at her then—really looked.
And for the first time, she didn’t feel anger.
She felt regret.
Not for liking Iman.
Not for crossing a line.
But for believing silence could protect her from consequences.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
A message from Iman: Please. We need to talk tonight.
Delicia stared at the screen. Then she typed slowly, deliberately.
Tomorrow.
She slipped the phone back into her pocket as Shayla returned to the table, smiling, unaware that the truth was no longer hiding—
It was waiting.
And the longer it waited, the more damage it promised to do.
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