by Ruby Vincent
I glanced at my screen for the twentieth time in ten minutes.
“Stop freaking out,” Jordan said. “You’ve had many first dates by now.”
“But this is Derek and there’s a lot going on with us. My nerves are justified.”
Jordan speared a piece of watermelon and put it on my plate, knowing it was my favorite. One of the many ways she was the best cousin ever. “You’re going to have a good time.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I know I will. I didn’t think it was possible to feel this way and I have this with four amazing guys. I want Derek and me to be as close as people can be. He doesn’t let others in, and I’m fine with that, as long as he makes an exception for me.”
“What about Michael, Cole, and Landon? If you guys are going to do this whole thing, they should be close too, right?”
“They are united in making sure no other guy touches me, so that’s a start, but yes, I’d love it if they were all friends. Michael, Cole, and Landon seem cool, but Derek has always been a bit of a lone cat.”
“Well, I guess you guys don’t have to be like Adam’s family, all living together under one roof and raising each other’s kids. Four guys. Four separate relationships.”
“I never really asked them how they pictured the future,” I said. “We haven’t talked about the future at all. In my head, I did see us like Adam’s family but... what if that’s not what they want?”
I pressed my lips together. My stomach was churning—twisting and writhing as pressure built in my throat.
We’re young and in high school. Sharing a girlfriend might seem perfect now, but what about college? What about marriage, kids, buying a home, and meeting the parents. None of their families know that I’m dating all four of them. Why did I never think to ask why they haven’t told them?
“Uh-oh. I said the wrong thing, didn’t I?”
“No,” I rasped. “You said the right thing. I’ve been so loved up, I haven’t been thinking. It’s our senior year. College acceptances will be rolling in. What if we end up in different places? Or what if they stay to be with me? They’ve worked too hard to compromise their futures over me. I should have thought about this. We should have talked about this.”
“Yep, I definitely said the wrong thing.” Jordan walked around the island and hugged me. “Don’t spin out. Just have the conversation now. You might not all live in a big mansion on the hill with twenty kids, but that doesn’t mean you can’t carve out your own happily ever after.”
Melting into her hug, I replied, “Of course, you’re right. Thank you.”
I said that, but I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon going back and forth on what we talked about. I must have picked up my phone a dozen times to start messages to the guys. Every time, I shook my head and tossed the phone back. If we were going to have a serious conversation about our future. We should do it in person.
I forced myself to sit at my desk and watch a movie. Derek called me partway through.
“I’m leaving Evergreen,” he said. “Chances of your mom calling the cops if I drive off with you again?”
“Slim. I told her we’re dating. She’s cool with it.” I made a face. “Well, not cool, but she won’t try to stop me.”
“Glad we don’t have to go through her too. My mom and dad are crazy about privacy, but otherwise, they’ve been the relaxed, hands-off types my whole life. Now I’m hit with groundings and family meetings. What the fuck is that about?”
I chuckled. “You’re living a completely different life, my friend. Us normal kids get grounded for forgetting to take out the trash and not making the bed. Two things I’m sure you’ve never done.”
“And you’d be correct.” He sounded amused. “I tried the ‘I’m eighteen’ card, and Mom blew up. She gave me the speech about living in her home and abiding by her rules. I think she got that from one of her scripts.”
“So we’re definitely in for it if we get caught.”
“I love my mom, but she’s not keeping me from you. Don’t worry about that for a second.”
Love spread through me like blazing heat. “You say the sweetest things to me, Derek Grayson. Careful, or I’m going to think your soul is a teddy bear instead of a wet cat.”
“Wet cat?”
I laughed. “I have to get ready. I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Taking out Jordan’s pick, I spread it on the bed and then hunted for the perfect accessories to match. I began the day nervous about the date and the conversation to come, but one talk with Derek and it melted away. I loved him and he loved me. Everything else would work itself out.
The doorbell rang almost exactly one hour after we spoke.
“I’m leaving, Mom,” I shouted as I raced down the stairs. “We’ll be back before eleven. Don’t wait up.”
“Zela, hold on. I want to speak to him.”
I froze with my hand on the knob. “Speak to him? About what?”
“Just wait here.” Mom opened the door herself and stepped outside. I caught a glimpse of Derek’s smile morphing in surprise before the door slammed in my face.
I pressed my ear to the wood, listening. Only the soft murmur of voices floated through.
What is she saying to him? Is she warning him off? She promised she wouldn’t try to stop me dating him. Or are they talking about his father? How monumentally uncomfortable would that be for Derek. I should rescue him.
The knob turned just as I reached for it.
“—we understand each other. I expect her home at eleven and not a minute later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Never in the last four years had I ever heard Derek so contrite.
Mom kissed my forehead. “Have a nice time, my only one. I will be waiting up.”
“Yes, Mom.”
I waited until her footsteps retreated to turn to Derek. The boy standing on my porch was gorgeous, but then, how could he not be? This son of a movie star had all the beauty people paid surgeons millions of dollars to achieve. His blond hair curled at the temples, still damp from his shower. A simple sweater and jeans concealed his body from me, but I could already picture taking them off beneath his soft sheets.
I can’t believe he’s all mine.
Derek hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me forward. I crashed against his mouth with a moan on my lips.
“You look incredible,” he whispered. “Ready to go?”
“Yes.”
We walked hand in hand to his car.
“What did my mom say to you?” I asked.
“You know, the usual mom stuff.”
He held open my door for me to climb inside. I considered pushing it as he walked around to his side.
Leave it alone. It’s your first date. Just enjoy it.
“What are we going to do tonight? Watch movies in your home theater? Mess around in the game room? Order in?”
Derek laced our fingers together and brought my hand to his lips. A ripple passed beneath my skin as he kissed my knuckles.
“I’m making you dinner. From scratch. All by myself.”
“Really? That’s so sweet. I didn’t know you knew how to cook.”
“I don’t,” he said without a lick of shame. “It’s most likely going to be a disaster but it’s the thought that counts.”
I laughed. “I can help you with dinner. You don’t have to poison us.”
“Have some faith in me, Manning.”
“You just said it’s going to be a disaster.”
“Shit. Fair enough.”
We laughed. I let go, forgetting about everything else and just enjoying being with Derek.
The ride to his place we spent talking, joking, and listening to music. The guard let us in at the sight of Derek’s car. He gave me a curious look as we rumbled through the gates but didn’t attempt to stop us.
“Are you sure he won’t tell your parents?”
“Not unless they ask and
they have no reason to. I told them I was going out tonight.”
“I promised my mom I wouldn’t come here and I broke it in less than a day.”
Derek put his mouth to my ear. “I love our morning meetups, but we shouldn’t do the things I’m going to do to you outside.”
I released a shuddering breath. My core pulsed with need. “You don’t get to say things like that and then turn me down for sex. Just giving you a heads-up.”
His chuckles ghosted over my ear. “We’ll do it when the time is right. It may be tonight. Who can say for sure?”
“We can.”
He leaned away, grinning. Derek was enjoying this way more than I wanted him to.
He parked and then came around to open my door.
“Such a gentleman... all of a sudden.”
“Hey, I’ve always been a gentleman.” He tucked my hand under his arm. “I treat women right. I wasn’t raised to do anything else.”
“So, it’s going to be all holding doors, flowers, breakfast in bed, and foot massages from now on?” I teased.
“I didn’t say that.”
The world spun. Derek whirled me around and pressed me against a column. The air whooshed out of me as he draped himself on my body.
“If you wanted a guy like that,” he said, “you wouldn’t be with us. You want someone who’ll bend you over in the dirt, smack your ass, and then treat you like an equal and remember you’re smarter than we’ll ever be. I am more than happy to be that guy for you.”
My chest heaved. Pressure was building in my lower belly to the point I feared I would explode. “We’re having sex tonight,” I growled. “Don’t fucking think you’re going to tease me, Derek Grayson.”
He laughed low in his throat. “I like you giving me orders.”
I rose up to kiss him when something flickered out of the corner of my eyes. The guard walked out of the shadows, doing his rounds. He glanced at us pressed against the column—my dress up around my waist and Derek’s thigh between my legs—and kept going like he didn’t see anything.
“Let’s take this inside,” Derek said.
“Let’s take it upstairs.”
“We have to eat first,” he said with a grin. “I’m starving.”
Derek threaded our fingers together and led me inside to his kitchen. My fervor cooled as we passed through their saloon doors into the sparkling, marbled space. Bright red and orange peppers, leafy broccoli, asparagus, chicken, and a bunch of spices were spread across the island waiting for Derek to turn them into something delicious. Beneath the bay window, the breakfast nook had been transformed by flickering candles and a tiny speaker playing soft music.
“Derek, this is beautiful,” I breathed.
“I thought you’d like it. I was going to take you to the best restaurant in the Promenade, but after this week, I figured it was my turn for a big romantic gesture.”
“Your turn?”
“Yep.” He moved over to the stove and flicked it on. “You were so obsessed with me, you became Zeke. You showed me how much you love me. Dinner is the least I can do.”
“Obsessed is a strong word,” I muttered. “And I did it because I thought you were my brother. Don’t rewrite the Zeke years.”
“I will rewrite it.”
Derek puttered around the kitchen, pulling out knives, cutting boards, pots and pans. For someone who claimed he didn’t know how to cook, he sure looked like he knew what he was doing.
“If anyone asks,” he said, “you were a lovesick fan trying to get close to the son of Naomi Grayson. I fell in love with your brand of crazy and the rest is history. We are not telling our future children you thought I was your brother. Especially, not the part where you seduced me anyway.”
“I didn’t— We never— There was no—”
There was so much to unpack in those freaking statements I didn’t know where to begin.
“I didn’t seduce you!”
“All that time you spent in my bed?” He winked. “Brothers and sisters don’t normally sleep together.”
“Maybe not in the States, but that’s not weird in other places. I just wanted to have you to myself.”
His grin grew more knowing. “Repeat that to yourself and hear how it sounds.”
I huffed. “It’s not weird. And it’s not obsessive.”
“It’s both of those things and you can add possessive to the list. It’s alright, Zee, I said I’m into your brand of crazy.”
“You’re not telling people your version of history. Our future children or otherwise. And speaking of which, are you serious about that or is it one in the many ways you like to mess with me?”
“Am I serious about children?” Derek chopped the peppers as he spoke. It made it hard to study his expression. “Yeah. I’ve always wanted them. Mom’s been going on about her grandchildren since potty training.”
“But... with me?”
“Did you think there is any version of the future where you’re not knocked up with my kid? I want kids, and I’m having them with you.”
I lowered my head. Now it was me who didn’t want him to see my expression. “Thanks for informing me,” I replied, fighting to keep my voice even. “Anything else I should know about our future?”
“We’re going to travel together. See all the places you haven’t gotten to yet. We can live wherever you want. I’m not bothered. I can act anywhere.”
“What about Cole, Michael, and Landon?” I ventured. “Are they there too?”
“Yeah. They can come. We’ll be one Moon-type family.”
“That’s what you want?”
Derek looked at me steadily. “I want whatever you want, Zela.”
I didn’t push it further. If I did, I might have burst and spread Zela confetti all over the kitchen. Derek wanted a life with all four of us. This was more than I could have dreamed.
“You want to be an actor?” I asked instead.
“I’ve learned from the best. Plus, I think I’d enjoy it. You meet cool people, film in amazing locations, and bring stories to life.”
I loved this. Planning my future with Derek made me the happiest I’d ever been.
“What about college?” I asked.
“You’re going to Somerset, right?”
“I haven’t gotten my acceptance yet. I feel good about my application though. I have all As, lots of extra-curriculars thanks to Cole, and glowing recommendations from my teachers since freshman year.”
“I told Mom I was going there since I found out it was your top choice. The dean is a huge fan of hers and they have a good drama program.”
“You’d be a great actor,” I said. “I could tell you were gifted from how well you pretend to not be a nice guy.”
“Maybe I’m not pretending. From what everyone else says, I’m only nice to you.”
“Hmm. No. You’re definitely one of the best men I know.”
“I love that you feel that way.”
Something in his voice made me look up.
“But you don’t know everything about me,” he said. “Not yet.”
“You want to have this conversation now?”
“Don’t you think we should before”—he glanced up toward the ceiling—"we go any further.”
He has a point. If this night is going to end the way I want it to, we should get everything out in the open. I just don’t want this perfect date to sour.
“Yes, we should,” I said. “What’s going on with the Network, Derek? Why did you take over for Cameron and what does that even mean?”
He sighed. “We’re not dancing around this thing.”
“This is what you wanted.”
“Okay. You’re right. I just...” Derek put down the knife. “Can you take over for me?”
I hesitated.
“Please. If we’re going to eat sometime tonight, you should finish this while I talk.”
Moving around the island, I accepted the knife. For a spell, the only sound in the kitchen was the so
ft thwack, thwack, thwack of my chopping.
“This will make more sense if I start at the beginning,” Derek began. “With the expansion and why the Network wanted it.”
“To make millions.”
“Yes, but it was more than that. That night in the woods when Cameron recruited you guys, he wasn’t making anything up. The Network has grown in the last sixteen years. Meeting the right person at the right party, whispering in their ear, promising them they’ll get to mentor the next Steve Jobs before the world discovers his talent.
“That’s how my father and his buddies were able to amass the largest secret club of professional athletes, billionaires, musicians, businessmen, and moguls. They don’t do this for free of course. They do it for the favors, connections, and perks. The house we stayed at that my father keeps close to the studio, he’s got plenty more of them all over the world. He puts up Network members for free and they do the same for him when he asks.”
“How?” I asked. “How did he build this?”
“He’s a director, Zee. The number of rich, famous people he meets on a daily basis would blow your mind. Not to mention the number of people who fall over themselves just to be in the same room as Mom. They came to him... and he brought them on board.”
My hand stilled as the truth hit me. “Your dad founded the Network.”
He nodded. “Like Cameron said, Dad saw what went down at Evergreen Academy and he had an idea.”
“But where does the expansion fit into all of this?” I threw out my hand. “He’s already a billionaire with a gorgeous wife and the perfect son. Why did he get it into his head to spread the messed-up battle system to the rest of the schools and make more millions he doesn’t need?”
Derek came closer, pressing his body against me. His presence soothed me even though I didn’t want it to. I was so clueless for so long.
“A rich man never has enough money, Zela. That drive that pushes you to reach limits no one else can dream of doesn’t disappear when you run past the finish line. It just tells you to search for another race. The Network is made up of those people, and inevitably, they realized they could be doing more.
“I said before the members don’t mentor for free. They get perks, and in exchange, getting facetime with them is the lure that brings new members like Michael, Cole, and Landon in. One of the members came to Dad a few years ago and pitched him an idea. He said he’d offer more of his time for a price.”