I couldn't help the smile that covered my face. He hit the nail on the head on that one, I thought.
Me: I'm home. We are safe. Gabby started talking to me as soon as I walked through the door, and I hadn't gotten a chance to text you yet.
Derek: I see, and my phone? Do you know anything about that? Maybe it was Jenny.
Oh shit! I couldn't let Jenny take the blame for something I did.
Me: That was me.
Derek: Why?
I sat thinking for a moment, and then I thought about the picture of his wife. Gabe was my love, and Jennifer was his. We were friends. I needed to remember that.
Me: Because I wanted to delete the picture I'd sent that first time.
Derek: Why?
Me: Because you shouldn't have it.
Derek: Why?
He was starting to get on my nerves.
Me: There's no reason for you to. Not to mention, it's embarrassing.
Derek: Do you honestly think I'd show someone?
Me: I don't know. What if someone got into your phone and saw it? What if one of your girlfriends see it? What if one of the guys at work sees it?
Derek: Nobody can get into it. I don't have any girlfriends. The guys don't see my phone.
Ugh! He was really beginning to piss me off.
Me: I shouldn't have sent it.
Derek: What's going on?
Me: Nothing
Derek: Don't give me that shit. You're lying. Tell me now.
I heard a knock on my door and hurried to put my phone on vibrate. Then I typed out a fast message before setting it on my nightstand.
Me: I have to go. Gabby is calling me. I'll see you Monday.
I hurried to my door, walked out, and closed it behind me.
“Sorry I took so long,” I said. “What are we watching?”
I was happy to spend some time with my friend without anyone else around. Gabe was there of course, but he sat in her lap while she played with him. We finished a thirty minute show, and Gabe had fallen asleep again.
“You tired him out today,” she said. “Did he like the park?”
I got up and walked over to take him from her.
“He did,” I said. “You should see him watch all the kids play. He looks around the whole time.”
“I'm off to bed too,” she said, as she stood and leaned in to hug me. “I'll get the lights. See you in the morning.”
I walked to the stairs and stopped half way up.
“Gabby,” I said.
“Yes,” she yelled up.
“Next year, I want to plant the flowers.”
Then I took off up the stairs and into Gabe's room to put him to bed before she could respond.
She was already in her room when I crossed the hallway to mine. I got into bed and looked over at my phone. The light was blinking. I wanted so badly to ignore it, but I couldn't. I definitely should have.
Derek: Of course she is. We wouldn't want to keep her waiting.
What the fuck was that supposed to mean, I wondered? Then I read the next message.
Derek: I deleted your photo. I deleted them all. Now you can sleep good knowing that I have no proof of you knowing me at all.
What the hell was his problem, I wondered? Was he that mad that I'd tried to get into his phone?
“Fuck you,” I snapped at my phone.
It took all I had not to text him back, but I knew if I did, it would turn into a back and forth like none we'd had yet, and I was exhausted.
I stared up at the ceiling for hours before I finally fell asleep, and it was all his fault.
The next two days went by pretty quickly. I tried not to think about his text, and I knew exactly what I was going to say when I saw him. My blood was still boiling Monday night when I pulled into the parking lot and parked my car. I looked around, but I didn't see his truck. When I walked into the building, I looked around, thinking he'd taken another car or something, but he wasn't there. I sat down in the chair he always sat in. There was no way his ass was going to miss me. I had words for him, and I wasn't going to let him get away without hearing them.
I was looking down at my phone when I saw shoes walking right toward me. It was Stephanie, and I wasn't in the mood for anything but going off on Derek.
“How was your weekend?” she asked in a super friendly tone that I wasn't buying.
“Good,” I said, still looking down at my phone. “And yours?”
“It was okay,” she said. “Did you do anything fun after you left the picnic Saturday?”
I knew right where she was going with our conversation. Derek could act oblivious if he wanted, but I wasn't about to jump on that train. Stephanie was a nice person, so I wasn't going to be mean. I just didn't want her talking to me to get to him. If she talked to me, it needed to be for me.
“I did,” I said, still looking down at my phone. “I watched a cartoon with Jenny, had dinner there, read her a story before bed, and went home.”
“I saw Derek walk you to your car,” she said. “I also noticed he was waiting for you to follow him. I had no idea you were going to his house.”
“I know you like him, Stephanie,” I said, finally looking up at her. “If you want him, go for him, but don't pretend to care about me just so I'll talk about him.”
“It's not like that,” she said, obviously shocked that I'd called her on it. “I do care about you. I was just surprised.”
“Why's that?” I asked.
“He's never let any of us come into his home,” she said. “That man keeps everything locked inside. The only thing we really know is that his wife died giving birth. We know nothing about her or their relationship. We don't even know her name.”
“Really?” I asked.
It was my turn to be surprised.
“We don't even know what he did before coming here,” she said.
He was a SEAL, I thought. How could he have been going to the meetings for years and they know nothing about him?
“He's really nice,” she said. “I don't mean anything by it. He's right there to help if someone needs it, and he's a great dad. He just doesn't share anything about his life before Jenny.”
I heard the door behind me open and turned to see who it was. It wasn't Derek, and it wasn't Taylor. It was the guy that had tried talking to me several times. Stephanie looked up at him and smiled, but not the same smile she always gave Derek.
“He's a nice guy,” she said. “You should give him a chance.”
“It's not him,” I said honestly. “It's shit from my past. I don't trust easily.”
“But you trust Derek,” she said.
“Hey,” the guy said, as he walked over to us. “Where's Derek? He's always here early?”
“No idea,” I said, looking at Stephanie. “Taylor isn't here either.”
“That's no surprise,” he said with a laugh. “He'll squeeze through the door at the last second.”
“I guess we should get started,” Stephanie said. “I'm sure they'll be here. Derek hasn't missed a meeting in over a year.”
I shook my head when she walked away, and the guy laughed.
“She's had it bad for him since before I started coming here,” he said.
“She sure does,” I said.
“That doesn't piss you off?” he asked.
“Why would it?” I asked.
“Because you're his woman,” he said.
“I'm not his woman,” I snapped defensively.
I looked up at him. It was the first time really. The other times I'd been so nervous that I hadn't really paid attention to what he looked like. He was a nice looking man. He was tall, slim, had green eyes, facial hair that was neatly trimmed, and brown hair. He really wasn't a bad guy. He'd never said anything demanding or cocky. He'd actually been very respectful. I wasn't lying when I said it wasn't him. It truly wasn't.
Stephanie started talking, and the guy sat down two chairs away. I wasn't sure if it was because he'd realized I'd been un
comfortable or if it was because of Derek.
I tried to concentrate on what everyone was saying, but I couldn't. What Stephanie said was swirling around in my mind. I thought Derek hadn't shared much with me, but I knew way more than she'd said. She also mentioned that he hadn't invited any of them into his home. He hadn't invited me either really. Jenny was the one that did that. Every time I heard the tiniest noise, I looked toward the door. Derek wasn't there, and she'd even said that he'd never missed. Was it Jenny? Was she sick? Shit! I pulled up a new text.
Me: Is Jenny okay? She's not sick is she?
He didn't answer back. I knew he kept that damn phone right there with him at all times. The only time I'd seen it away from him was when he carried her to bed. Taylor wasn't there either. He would have been there by then, I thought. He was always later but never that late. TJ couldn't be sick too, could he?
Me: Where are you?
After a few more minutes had gone by, I thought about it. Was he fucking with me? I hadn't text him right away to tell him I was home. Maybe he was paying me back. Would he miss a meeting just to do that? Where the fuck was he? Where was Taylor? Not that I minded his cocky ass not being there.
Me: This shit isn't funny. If this is payback or something, I get it.
I'd walked into that meeting ready to tear him a new ass, but all of that was gone by the time it ended. I was freaking out inside. Had something happened to Jenny? Had something happened to him on the way there? Where the fuck was Taylor?
“You okay?” the guy two seats away asked.
I looked up to see that the meeting was over and everyone was walking around.
“Yeah,” I said. “I just zoned out for a minute. I have to go. Tell Stephanie I'll see her next week.”
I took off out the door and jumped when I felt a hand on my arm.
“Shit!” he snapped. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I am,” I said. “I just need to go do something. Look, I'm sure you're a nice guy. Please don't think I'm being a bitch. I'm really not. I just have some things I'm dealing with. It's not you. I know you're just trying to be nice. I'm grateful for that. I just get nervous when someone touches me or gets really close. I feel bad. I don't want you to think bad of me. I just need to deal with some stuff right now.”
The entire time I rambled on, I wanted to take off, get in my car, and figure out what was going on. I couldn't walk away having the poor guy think I was an evil person. I wasn't. I really did have shit to deal with.
“I'll see you next week,” I said, as I took off for my car.
I knew I needed to go home, hug my little boy, and relax, but I couldn't. If Derek was fucking with me, I was going to tear his ass up and then never ever speak to him again. What if something happened, I wondered? I just needed to know that he was okay. Then I'd walk away and leave him alone. I had to know. Ugh! I was supposed to be backing away from him. He'd even deleted the picture. That was what I wanted. I knew I was nothing like his wife. I didn't want to be anyway. I didn't want a man. I loved Gabe.
“Shit!” I cried out in the empty air filling my car.
I felt like I couldn't breathe. The world felt like it was closing in around me. Tears began slipping from the edges of my eyes, and I couldn't stop them. If Gabe had been buried, I would have gone to talk to him. I would have asked him what I should do. He wasn't though. He was sitting on the mantle at home. I couldn't go there. Then Gabby would ask me a million questions. She'd tell me how everything was going to be okay. Was it, I wondered? Was anything ever going to be okay again?
“Screw you, Gabe,” I yelled out. “Why the fuck weren't you paying attention? How could you leave me pregnant? How could you not tell me you loved me if you really did?”
I pulled out of lot and started driving. I had no idea where I was going when I first started. Tears were covering my cheeks when I stopped my car in front of the driveway. It was Derek's driveway, and his truck wasn't there. It wasn't Jenny. What if he'd taken her to the hospital? I looked up to see the drape on the front window move. Then the front door opened. It was Jean. She walked out onto the porch with a worried look on her face. I'd forgotten all about the tears when I opened my door and walked toward the porch.
“Bridget,” she said, as she came down the stairs. “What is it?”
“Is Jenny okay?” I asked, barely getting the words out.
“Yes,” she said, as she wrapped her arms around me. “She's in bed. Why? What's going on?”
I hugged her tighter than I'd hugged anyone in a long time. I pulled back when I realized I was still crying and my tears were running onto her shirt.
“I'm sorry,” I said, as I dried my eyes with one hand and her shirt with the other.
“Don't be sorry,” she said.
“I shouldn't have come here,” I said. “Please don't tell him I was here. He's just screwing with me.”
“What?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Derek,” I said. “This is his way of paying me back.”
“For what?” she asked, sounding even more confused.
“I tried to get into his phone to delete a picture the other day.”
“A boring one,” she said with a laugh.
“You saw it?” I asked. “I knew he was going to show it to people.”
“Calm down,” she said. “When he realized someone had been in his phone, he wasn't happy. I told him it was you and that you were talking about deleting a picture. I think he was worried I would think it was dirty, so he showed it to me. Don't be mad at him. He didn't want me to think he'd done something. My daughter was his wife, and he's had a very hard time losing her. I have too, but I want him to be happy. He seems to think Jenny is all he needs. I feel for that little girl when boys start coming around. That man can be pretty intimidating.”
“That's for sure,” I said without realizing it.
“You do pretty good,” she said. “Your the first person he's ever let get close.”
“Close,” I said with a laugh, as I wiped my eyes again. “He hasn't let me get close, not that I've wanted to. I don't want to get close to anyone.”
“You too,” she said, with a shake of her head. “You kids. I don't understand how he's paying you back though.”
Then it hit me all over again. Where the fuck was he, I wondered?
“He didn't show up at the meeting, and he hasn't answered my messages,” I said, as fresh tears began to fall. “ I knew either Jenny was sick or he was paying me back by freaking me out.”
“He didn't show up?” she asked. “He never misses the meetings.”
When a worried look crossed her face, I felt like I was going to be sick.
“You don't know where he is?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “I'm sure he has a good reason, Bridget. I don't think he'd do that to upset you.”
“There have been times I haven't text him when I've gotten home, and he's been pretty mad,” I said.
“Really?” she asked.
I nodded, and she smiled.
“I don't think Derek would do that,” she said. “I'm sure there is a very good reason.”
“What if something happened? Shit! What if there was an accident?”
“Bridget,” she said. “I'm sure he's okay. You need to calm down. Let me call him.”
She pulled her phone from her pocket and called him. I heard his message right away, and fear shot through me. If his phone was on, it would have rang several times before his message came on, but it didn't. That meant his phone was off. Derek kept that damn thing right there. How could it be off?
“I have to go,” I said, as I stood up. “I have to find him. Then I'm done. I knew I shouldn't have been around him. I knew it. Don't tell him I was here. Please!”
“Bridget,” Jean called after me. “Wait here.”
“I'll be fine,” I yelled back over my shoulder. “I have to be.”
I got in my car and
started down the street with tears pouring down my cheeks. There were bright lights behind me within minutes, and I could barely see. I pulled over so they'd pass, but they didn't. Before I could pull away, I heard the knock on my window. Then I heard my name.
“Bridget,” he said through the window.
I looked over to see a worried look on his face and hurried to wipe my eyes.
“Shit! Open the door. What's wrong?”
I shook my head and covered my face with my hands. Seeing his face made the tears come even faster.
“Open the damn door,” he yelled.
When I didn't move, I heard him again but much quieter.
“Unlock your door.”
I knew he wasn't going to go away unless I let him in. That was Derek. One minute, I thought to myself. I'd give him one minute. Then I was going home and never seeing him again. I reached over to hit the button and heard the click of the lock. He pulled the door open and leaned down.
“What is it?” he asked. “What happened?”
When I didn't answer, he got down on his knees next to my car and pulled my hands from my face.
“You weren't there,” I said, as I tried to catch my breath. “I didn't know where you were.”
“I'm sorry,” he said softly in a voice I'd never heard him use. “I'm so sorry.”
“I was so mad. I'd been waiting since Saturday night to yell at you. You weren't there. You never showed up. I thought it might be Jenny, that she might be sick. Then I thought it was your way of paying me back for not sending you a text or for saying I had to go because of Gabby.”
“You thought I did it to freak you out?” he asked, and I nodded. “I wouldn't do that. How could you think that? I'd never hurt you on purpose.”
He took my chin in his hand and lifted it so I was forced to look at him. When my eyes connected with his and our sadness mixed together, something happened. I leaned forward. When my lips touched his, it felt like fireworks shot off around me. I'd never felt anything like it in my life. His hand wrapped around the back of my head, and I was done. I felt his tongue slide across my lips, and I opened for him. When his tongue dove into my mouth and found mine, I was lost. He kissed me hard. His tongue was demanding and in control. I felt my legs clench and my entire body come alive. That one kiss held more passion than I'd ever felt in my entire life.
Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1) Page 21