by Dawn Martens
The kiss is broken when Mel says, “Ok, no fucking in the parking lot. Holy shit, that kiss looked hot, I need to go home to B.O.B.”
I step back shakily from Derek. And he looks at me hungrily. As if he wanted to finish what we just started. “I’ll, um. See you later.” I say, not meeting his eyes.
He pulls me into him again. “First fucking inkling.” He says hugging me tight. Kisses me on the forehead then walks away.
I pull myself together and get in my car. “Well, was that kiss as hot as it looked?”
“Oh my god Mel. That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
“Still thinking about being friends with him?”
“Shut up Mel.” I say as I pull out of the parking lot.
I drop Mel off and head home. I notice a black Camry in my driveway. Derek. What’s he doing here?
“Hey.” I say sounding confused as I get out of my car.
“Hey, I brought over some popcorn and a movie. What do ya say?” he asks, sounding hopeful.
I check my cell phone to see the time. Only nine. “Ok, sounds good.” I make my way to my front door and unlock it. Once we’re both in and the door is closed, I realize I never told him where I lived. “How did you know where I lived?”
“I followed you home one night after supper. Wanted to make sure you got in ok.”
Oh. Well. There you have it. I shrug off my coat and hang it in the closet. “I’m just gonna go get changed. Be right back.”
I change into my fuzzy zebra print pajama bottoms and a white tank top, throw my hair up in a ponytail and go back downstairs. I notice Derek in the kitchen starting the popcorn.
“Hey you want anything to drink?” I ask him as I walk in the room.
“Do you have coffee? I usually have a few cups throughout the day, but only got one today.”
Shit. He’s been buying me coffee every day for months now and I haven’t told him I don’t drink the stuff. “Uh sorry, no. I don’t like coffee.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, I’ve been buying you coffee and you’ve never said anything.”
“Um, yeah, sorry. I’ve been giving the coffee to Erika after you leave.”
“You should have told me.” He says shaking his head. “What do you like then?”
“I like hot chocolate.” I say with a smile.
“Ok, from now on, that’s what I’ll bring you. And, I’ll go out and buy coffee and a maker this week sometime to leave here for when I’m over.” I freeze. Huh? Does he plan to be over a lot? Did he not know that tonight in front of Connor it wasn’t real?
He senses my inner freak out and says gently, “Hey, Ry, relax. We’re friends, for now. Don’t worry.”
We settle in on the couch and throw on The Expendables movie. It’s one of my favorite movies, but I’m asleep before the good stuff even starts.
~***~
I can hear Caleb downstairs, but I'm alone in the room. I push myself up off the floor. I try to stand up straight, but I'm in so much pain that I can hardly breathe. I'm sure he broke a rib this time. So, I end up walking bent at the middle. I slowly make my way to the bed and do my best to lay completely still. Hopefully, Caleb will leave soon. Then, I can go to the emergency room. I wonder how I will explain the beating this time. I hate having to lie to everyone. Especially the doctors, because they know the truth. I'm pulled from my thoughts, by Caleb walking into the room. He stops a foot from the bed and starts to unbutton his shirt. I close my eyes and pray that he just wants to sleep, but I know better. I feel the bed move, as he climbs in. He lays his body on mine and whispers into my ear. "I love you Rylie."
“Rylie, it’s ok. It’s only a dream.” A voice says as I open my eyes and bolt upright. I throw my arms around Derek and hold onto him as tightly as possible. I hate that I feel this way. Caleb is fucking dead!
“Oh my God.” I breathe. After all this time I’m still dreaming of Caleb.
Derek is still here, I must have fallen asleep during our movie. “Do you get these nightmares often?” Derek asks as he wipes the tears from my face.
“No, that’s the first one in a while.” I let him go but keep my eyes on him. I cannot keep doing this. I’m so fucking confused with everything that’s going on. Why is Derek around still? Can’t he tell I’m fucked up in so many ways?
Derek keeps rubbing my arms up and down. It’s nice having him here around me. I feel safe and protected. He looks into my eyes, “It’s late, if you’re ok now, I should probably get going.”
I sit straight up. I don’t want to be alone tonight. “Wait. Can you, um, stay the night?” I ask him quietly.
“Are you sure?”
I nod. “Just sleeping. I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Ok, let me just run home and grab a change of clothes, and I’ll be back.”
Derek is back a half an hour later and we curl up in my bed. “Thanks for being here.” I whisper.
He snuggles into my back. “Don’t mention it, babe.”
It ended up being the first night of many.
Chapter 15
Rylie
I cannot believe I let Derek talk me into this. How did dinner as friends turn into sleepovers, late night phone conversations, and weekly rollerblading dates? Well, date isn’t the right word. I don’t date. I don’t know if I’ll ever date again. So, I guess they are rollerblading outings. Yeah, outings work for me.
“Come on Ry, get your ass moving.” Derek says after picking me up for the third time.
“If I could stay off my ass, I would.” I snarl at him. “Why do I have to this? What is so important about rollerblading?”
“It’s fun. You never have any fun. All work and no play makes Rylie a very dull girl.” He says while laughing and pulling me along with him.
“That may be true but bruises on my ass will make me a very bitchy girl.”
We skate together for a few minutes, before I realize that he is still holding my hand. It feels so good to be this close to him. It feels normal. Almost like our hands were made to fit together. Shit! I can't do this.
I jerk my hand away with such force that I end up on the ground again. I land on the edge of the path, where it is lined with gravel. I hit hard on my left side.
“What the fuck was that Rylie?” Derek asks leaning over me.
“I just lost my balance.” I say trying to sit up, but I stop when I feel a sharp pain in my side. I jerk my shirt up and notice a big red groove, where the gravel dug into my skin. I start to put my shirt down, when Derek grabs it. He looks it and shakes his head.
“You're going to have a hell of a bruise there tomorrow.” He starts to my put my shirt down, when he notices the scars on my stomach.
Derek looks at me and opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He looks back at my stomach and runs his hands across the scars that Caleb left me. He leaves his hand there for a moment and closes his eyes. I have no idea what he is thinking. All I can do is pray that he doesn't ask any questions. The one thing that no one knows is that I can’t have children. That was left out of my medical information during the trial. It wasn’t a need to know thing.
Finally he removes his hand and pulls my shirt back down. He reaches down and unlaces my skates. He removes them and then removes his. He grabs my hand, to help me up.
“Come on. Let’s get you home. Get some ice on that side.”
~***~
Derek
As soon as we get back to Rylie’s, she goes upstairs to change. I go into the kitchen and make her an ice pack. I look through the drawers, hoping to find something to crush the ice with. The second drawer I open is full of knifes. I start to close it, but I catch sight of a butcher knife. I look at the way it is made, and I instantly know what caused Rylie’s scars. I slam the door, as a wave nausea passes through me.
I want to talk to Rylie about what happened with Caleb, but I don’t think she is ready to talk about it yet. Everyone knows what happened. The trial was all over the television. I only know w
hat the news reported, but I want to hear the whole story from Rylie. Seeing the scars on her stomach had me livid. I’m glad the bastard is locked up, otherwise I would fucking kill him.
I am still thinking about Rylie’s scars, when I hear her come down the stairs.
She looks incredible in her dark blue dress. It’s sleeveless and shows off her hot ass tattoos. The dress hits her knees and she’s wearing fuck me shoes. She looks beautiful. “We better hurry; I want to be there a little early, to help your Mum.”
I shake my head and motions for her to come to me. “We are not going anywhere, until we take care of you.”
When she reaches me, I pick her up and set her on the counter. I pound the ice cubes, with a pan. Then, stick the crushed ice into a baggy and wraps it up in a dish towel. I gently place it on her side and hold it there.
“How much time did he get?” I ask her, hoping she’ll fill me in on more about this shit with Caleb.
“A lot, but it doesn’t matter now.” She says quietly.
“What do you mean doesn’t matter now?” I say sharply.
“He’s dead, got the call a while back. Someone shanked him.”
I’m both relieved and pissed. Relieved that fucker will never get to hurt Rylie again, but pissed I won’t get my shot at him.
I move the ice to the side, to see if any of the redness has faded. As I lean in closer, I hear Rylie take a deep breath. I am pretty sure she was smelling my hair. I jerk my head towards her face, and she is deep red from embarrassment.
“You can smell me any time you want, babe.” We hold our stare for a few minutes. Everything in the world keeps going but we’re stills stuck in this moment. I have the urge to kiss her and take her back to her room. I want to show her how fucking good it could be between us. I want to hear her scream my name and make her come alive.
She ignores me and jumps off of the counter. I look at the clock and realize that we are running late. Mum decided it would be better for Rylie to keep me company while she set up the party. But, I know she’s really just trying to give me some time alone with Rylie. “We’re going to be late.”
“Let’s go!” she says, as she stomps towards the door. I can’t help but laugh as I walk behind her.
Chapter 16
Rylie
I gasp, as soon as we drive up to Derek’s parents’ home. It is three stories tall, and it’s at least half the size of a football field. There must be a fifty windows on the front alone, and the double front door is about twelve feet tall and is made of an intricately carved mahogany wood. It is absolutely the most beautiful home that I have ever seen.
I look at the way I am dressed, and wonder if I will stand out I look down at my dress and heels. I fucking hate heels. I wanted to wear my pink flats, but I promised Elizabeth I’d where the shoes she bought me. Stupid fucking uncomfortable shoes. I play with my dreads and look at my tattoos. Fuck. I should have down a cardigan or something. I don’t want people to stare at me or anything. I think I look nice, but I bet everyone here will be wearing designer dresses and Jimmy Choos.
“You grew up in a mansion?” I ask Derek, as we walk towards the door.
He laughs and replies. “Mansion? I just think of it as a really big house.”
We walk through the huge front door. Elizabeth comes out to greet us right away and then pulls me into a quick hug. “Oh Rylie dear, you must meet my husband.” She turns her head and yells. “William!”
“I’m right here woman, no need to yell.” Says a deep voice from the next room.
I smile at the man that walks into the room. I instantly feel more comfortable, because he doesn’t look like he belongs here anymore than I do. He’s tall, fit, with sandy blonde hair and is wearing just a simple t-shirt and jeans.
“You must be Rylie. I’m Derek’s Dad, William.” He says, then he walks over to give me a hug.
As soon as he pulls me in, I smell it. William wears the same cologne my father did. All of a sudden, I’m ten years old again. I close my eyes, and try to stay in the present. But, it doesn’t work. I feel hands moving over my body. His weight pressing me into the mattress. I taste my father’s lips on mine.
I jerk away from William, drop to the floor, and start to chant. “Go away. Go away. Go away!”
“Now Rylie, you know better. Get over here.” Dad says as he follows me down the hall.
“Dad, please don’t.” I beg.
He gets close to me and pushes me backwards until I’m on the bed. I see Mummy look at us, then walk out of the room, closing the door behind her. How could she just leave me alone? I close my eyes as my father undresses me. As he lays over me all I can smell is his cologne.
“Open your eyes Rylie.” Dad demands. But I don’t listen. I can’t look at him. He slaps me across the face and tells me to look at him. I still don’t.
I feel someone pulling me up, taking me out of my memories, but I still have my eyes closed. “Rylie, babe, its ok, what’s wrong?” Derek says hugging me. His voice sends my father from my head. I open my eyes and look up at Derek.
“I’m sorry. It was just... He smells like him.” I try to explain, but the word father will not pass my lips.
Elizabeth walks over to us and places her hand on my arm. I’m still shaking and crying when I look up at her.
“It’s okay Rylie.” She says with a sad smile.
“Sure it’s okay. I’ll just take another shower. Was it my cologne or the soap?” William asks, like this my reaction was the most normal think in the world.
“Cologne.” I whisper, without looking at him.
“Fine. That shit is going in to the trash.” He says as he walks out of the room.
After I calm down, I look up and William is gone. Derek and Elizabeth are looking at me like I might break. So, I take a deep breath and pull away from Derek. “Come on, we have a party to get ready for.”
We head out to the patio and I see that his Mum has set up at least four different tables with all kinds of food and drinks. The first table has nothing but chips and dip with mini sandwiches, second table has fruit and vegetables while the third and fourth tables have drinks; one with alcohol and the other was for people that are the Designated Drivers or just want to stay sober.
I tried to ask her if she wanted my help, but she just kept pushing me to the couch to sit with Derek. After the third and final time of trying to help her, I gave up and sat by Derek. My side was already turning purple from the fall, but I didn’t want Derek to make a big deal out of it. I don’t even want him to look at my stomach again.
I know they are going to eventually start asking questions about my freak out, but hopefully they will get so busy that they won’t even remember it.
It isn’t long before people start to arrive, most of which are family, but I do notice that Connor and few other people from Derrick’s office are here. Everyone seems to be really nice even though I don’t really know them, and feel a little uncomfortable. I end up sticking to Derek side the entire night.
I also had a chance to finally meet Derek’s birth parents. Mary and Frank Fleming are such down to earth people, and funny thing is, they act almost like Elizabeth and William.
As the party starts to die down, I notice Elizabeth beginning to clean up. She is carrying some dirty dishes inside, but she is stopped by another woman. I can tell that it’s an important conversation, so I go over and take the dishes from her to take inside of the house. I am just placing the dishes into the sink, when hands grab me around the waist.
I try to pull away, but he jerks me in even closer. He leans down and whispers in my ear. “I know the truth about you and Derek. You two aren’t dating. You’re just friends.”
I try to pull away again, and he finally lets me go. “That is none of your fucking business.”
Connor laughs. “You’re right. I would still fuck you, even if you were with him.”
I don’t even respond. I just turn away and rush out to the patio. My heart is racing and feel like
I’m about to get sick. Derek sees me, as soon as I walk out. He comes over and ask what’s wrong. I want to tell him about Connor, but I’m not sure there is anything really to tell. Yes, Connor is a pig. But, he didn’t really do anything terrible. So, I just shake my head. “Nothing. Just a little tired.”
“Come on let’s go back out.” Derek starts walking ahead of me but stops and puts his hand out for mine. I hesitate at first but without any more thinking, I grab his hand. We walk out together and a few people are looking at us. They’re all smiling at me and I start to feel more at ease. Derek pulls me closer. Suddenly, the hairs on my air rise. I feel my body tighten. I look to the side of me and I see Connor standing there drinking his beer. He’s eyes are filled with desire, and something else, something not right.
Within moments, Derek has said his goodbyes and we are on our way home. I hated that we left the party so early, but I am glad to be away from Connor. We make small talk on the way to my house. Derek knows something is wrong. He even asks me again, but I change the subject. When we pull up, he walks me to the door.
“Come on in. I have something for your birthday.” I say as I walk through the door. I make my way upstairs and grab his present. When I get back to the living room, Derek is sitting on couch. So, I walk over and lay the gift in his lap.
“You know you didn’t have to get me anything.” He says, as he starts to tear off the paper. I’m a little nervous, because I didn’t know what get him. When he opens the box, he pulls out the envelope inside. Then, he pulls out the tickets and looks up with a smile on his face.
“You got me tickets to see Screaming Jets?”
“Yeah. You mentioned you really liked them, and they are going to be in town next month. I got two tickets, so if you wanted to... we could go together. I thought...” I end with a shrug, and start to second guess my gift choice.
Derek jumps off of the couch and picks me up. Then he starts to swing me around. “We are going to have so much fun!”
~***~
Derek
After giving me my gift, Rylie runs back upstairs to change into her pajamas. I’m not sure when she started to feel comfortable enough to wear them around me, but she has been doing it a lot lately. That has to mean she is starting feel safe with me. At least, I think it does. I get comfortable on the couch, while I’m waiting. The vision of her freaking out with my Dad pops into my head. Seeing Rylie flip out like that was hard to witness. This is more than just Caleb. Someone else hurt her, and after the reactions she had with Mum, Mum told me she got upset when they were out, and with Dad’s cologne, I would bet my trust fund it was her parents. Shit! What all has happened to this girl?