Delaney came back later that evening and surprised me by telling me to get dressed so the two of us could go on a walk. I was skeptical of his intentions and he must have noticed because he didn't hesitate to clarify.

"I figured we should talk," he told me, taking a drag from the cigarette in his mouth before blowing out rings of smoke. "Lots of new developments in this... arrangement. If we talk in your room in the mental state you're in now, I'm positive my words won't get through to you. So we'll talk outside. Under the sun in the autumn air you seem to appreciate so much."

"What makes you think I'm more inclined to consider your words outside?" I asked. I'd already pulled on a plain dress that was as bright a blue as the early morning sky. Pulling on my shoes, I couldn't help but notice as Angelica watched the pair of us curiously from the other side of the room. Redirecting my attention to Delaney with a shake of my head, I said, "I don't like you."

"I'm aware."

"Angelica isn't horrible, though," I muttered, tone lowered considerably. "Can she come?"

Delaney looked off into Angelica's direction, as did I. 

She smiled at me as if those were the nicest words I'd ever spoken of her.

Delaney sighed irritably. 

"No."

I paused, letting the laces of my boots fall limply back to the ground. I stared at Angelica, at the way her shoulders had sunken so subtly, and then back to Delaney who stared back.

"Then I don't want to go."

"What makes you think I was ever planning on giving you the option?" Delaney asked. For all of his immaculate acting skills, he was having a lot of trouble hiding the underlying frustration beneath his words. 

He didn't like it when Angelica and I were together anymore. Ever since the night he'd laid hands on her, it had become blindingly obvious. Delaney felt threatened in a way I would never understand because, whether Angelica had taken a liking to me or not, it didn't matter and it never would. Considering she would never and had never loved Delaney, that is.

"Fine." From the corner of my eye, I could still see Angelica smiling at me so kindly. I didn't deserve the altruism she constantly showered me with. The girl was sickeningly selfless, lending me all of her extensive warmth but consequently leaving herself cold. I finished tying my laces and shifted to stand. "Let me get my jacket."

The task should have been a short one. My jacket was at the end of the hall in a small closet and the cabin wasn't exactly large. If anything, it was incredibly tiny and stuffy. Before I could reach said closet, however, I heard hushed sniffling. Realizing with a shock where it was coming from, I turned to peek into Atticus's room.

Through the crack in the door, I witnessed Atticus sitting upon his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest and his expression hauntingly blank. Tears escaped his wide eyes one by one, sliding down his cheeks, catching at his chin before plummeting to dampen his clothes. His lips kept trembling, twitching even, and the entire visual was so entrancing that I watched for longer than was probably wise.

I was broken out of the spell by Delaney's voice.

"Firebird, hurry up!" he shouted. "I don't have all day."

I quickly grabbed my jacket and exited the cabin with Delaney on my heels.