The Unreal Boyfriend

by Miranda P. Charles

  “But they don’t know that I had anything to do with Ross, do they?”

  “Well, you’re my girlfriend, so they might think they can inveigle information out of you.”

  “No way.”

  He kissed her temple before ringing his mother’s doorbell.

  “Hello, my darlings,” Sally cried, looking beautiful in a blue evening dress. “You both look stunning.”

  “You look amazing yourself, Sally. Happy birthday,” Bernadette said, giving Derek’s mother a hug.

  “Yes, you look gorgeous, Mum,” Derek added, taking his turn to envelop his mother in a warm embrace.

  “Thank you. Come on in. I’m not quite ready to go yet.”

  Derek closed the door behind them.

  “Bernie, do you mind if I borrow Derek for a couple of minutes?” Sally asked.

  “Of course not,” Bernadette said with a smile.

  Derek’s brows rose, but he followed his mother upstairs.

  She led him to her room, then she opened a small safe in her closet and took out a large necklace box.

  Derek’s heart pounded hard. The police had advised him that they’d recovered the Anton pearls, and that they were delivering them to his mother.

  “We have it back,” Sally said, opening the box.

  Derek nodded, touching the pearls that had meant so much to his grandmother, and now his mother.

  “I want you to keep it for me, Derek,” Sally asked.

  Derek smiled. His mother was now afraid that it might get stolen from her again. “Okay. But if you want, we can hire a bank safe deposit box.”

  Sally shook her head. “This necklace is very important to me, but it’s also a reminder of the lack of love between me and my brother. Your grandfather handpicking each pearl to make up this necklace for your grandmother was an act of love. I don’t want for this extraordinary gift to lose its meaning because of what someone in our family did.”

  “What are you saying, Mum?”

  “I want you to keep it safe for me. And when you find that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, I want you to hand it to her.”

  Derek’s mouth dropped open.

  “I was so heartbroken, Derek, and a part of my heart will never heal. My own brother had known about the murder of my soulmate and had stolen this very necklace. These pearls in my keeping will keep reminding me of that, and I don’t want my experiences to taint its true intention. I can’t give it back its true meaning. But you can.”

  Derek ran a hand over his face.

  “I’m not pressuring you to get married or anything, darling. I’m not even saying Bernadette is the one for you—although I admit I hope she is. But do you get why I’m handing this to you? It’s not about how valuable it is in terms of dollars. It’s about its true meaning. My brother and I were responsible for it losing its true meaning. So sometime in the future, I’m hoping you would allow these pearls to again stand for what they’re supposed to be: a symbol of someone’s love for another.”

  Derek put his arms around his mother. “Okay, Mum. Thank you.”

  Chapter 21

  Six months later…

  Bernadette held out her hand under the shower, testing the water temperature. Finding it perfect, she walked in and stood underneath the big head. She wished she was still in bed. After a late night attending an officemate’s wedding, she could do with a few more minutes of sleep.

  But she didn’t want her and Derek to be late for Nate’s birthday party. Natasha and Gavin’s gorgeous little boy was turning four today. Plus, Nate himself had excitedly said on the phone last week that he was going to announce at his party if he was going to have a new baby brother or baby sister.

  She smiled as she shampooed her hair. Paige and Tristan themselves had just discovered that they were pregnant with their second child, making them the fifth couple in their gang to have their second baby after Lucas and Jade, Carter and Cassie, Rick and Lexie, and Natasha and Gavin.

  Bernadette wondered if Brad and Erin, Jarryd and Marilyn, and Simon and Geri would have their second children before she and Derek even got pregnant.

  She snickered. It wasn’t that she was in a hurry to have kids, but seeing her friends’ loveable little ones always made her clucky.

  “Hey, babe,” Derek said drowsily, walking into the bathroom.

  “Morning, sleepyhead! Did you sleep well?”

  “Uh-huh. Just didn’t get enough of it,” he grumbled.

  She chuckled. Derek usually needed a few minutes to fully wake up. Once he did, though, he was as bright as the sunshine.

  She rinsed off the shampoo, closing her eyes and letting the water hit her face.

  Then she felt strong arms snake around her waist.

  “Good morning, my gorgeous lovely,” Derek said kissing her shoulder.

  “Good morning again,” she said with a chuckle.

  “You didn’t say good. You just said morning.”

  She rolled her eyes. “My bad.”

  Derek continued to drop kisses on her neck and face.

  “Hey, don’t forget that we still have to pick up a present for Nate,” she reminded him. “We haven’t got time.”

  “We have enough,” Derek murmured, caressing her body.

  She turned around to face him. “Honey, we really don’t,” she said firmly, although she was starting to get excited, too.

  Derek ran his hands on her bottom. “How about I show you that we do have enough time?”

  She sighed, putting her arms around his neck.

  Derek grinned and captured her lips with his. He held her head, his tongue gently duelling with hers as his hungry mouth showed her just how much he was desiring her.

  She let out a soft moan, melting from Derek’s passionate kiss. She stepped back so that she was against the wall.

  Derek kneaded one of her breasts and slid his other hand down their bodies to rest on her mound.

  “Shall I continue?” Derek teased.

  She rolled his eyes. He already knew she was a goner the moment he started caressing her. Derek never had to do much to arouse her.

  She cupped his balls with one hand and stroked his hard-on with the other. “What do you think?”

  “Mmm. How much time do we have?”

  “Considering we’re already running late, no time at all.”

  “In that case…” Derek kneeled, kissing around her tummy first, then made his way down, down to the apex between her legs.

  She widened her stance, running a hand lovingly over his hair.

  “Mmm, love you,” Derek murmured before flicking his tongue against her nub.

  She half-moaned, half-laughed. “Are you talking to me or my pussy?”

  “Mmm, you’re so delicious, little clit,” Derek said, not looking up at her. “And this…” He inserted a long finger inside of her. “Such a warm and wet pussy. I love you so much.”

  Bernadette chuckled, grabbing what she could of Derek’s short hair with her fist and pulling.

  Derek moaned some more.

  But when he sucked on her nub and massaged her channel with his finger, her loud moan outdid his. “Oh, God, honey,” she cried, her pleasure spiralling up with speed.

  Derek stood up, his gaze hot and lusty, and tender and loving. He cupped her face, staring deep into her eyes. “I love you. Every inch of you. All of you.”

  She smiled, every cell in her body responding to his Derek’s declaration. “I love you, too. With all of me.”

  Then she took his erection and guided him to her entrance as she wrapped a leg around him.

  Derek pushed in, filling her completely, and moved in and out, over and over.

  Sounds of their heightened pleasure echoed all around shower stall and soon, Bernadette was gasping loudly, calling Derek’s name.

  “Come for me, baby,” Derek grunted, his gaze not leaving hers.

  And she did, trembling as her body clamped all around his manhood.

  “Arrgh!” Derek
cried simultaneously, holding her tight against him as he exploded inside of her.

  “Mmm,” she said, hiding her face in the crook his neck.

  Derek laughed softly, kissing her head. “Was that worth being late to a party?”

  She looked up at him. “It’s always worth it. That’s why I didn’t want you to start, because once you do, I never want to stop.”

  Derek beamed and kissed her passionately, once more.

  She pushed against his chest. “Nah-uh. Don’t you dare start another round.”

  “Fine,” Derek said, stepping under the shower head. “That’s all for this morning.”

  She poked his muscular chest with a finger. “I’ll hold you to that promise, Derek McCarthy.”

  Bernadette sprung to her feet as Holly and Xavier arrived at Gavin and Natasha’s for Nate’s birthday party. She went up to the siblings to greet them. “Hey, guys. Glad you can make it.”

  “I know,” Holly said. “I almost didn’t because my new manager kept insisting I attend a radio interview with the two broadcasters I can’t stand. Anyway, I got out of it. And I don’t think it’s working for me with this manager, so I’m thinking of sacking her and finding a new one.”

  Bernadette gave her friend a sympathetic smile. Holly’s breakup with Dante had not only affected her personal life, but also her career. She hoped Holly settled down with a good manager that she got along with soon.

  “Hey, Bernie,” Xavier said, kissing her cheek. “Where’s Derek?”

  “Over there.” She indicated the barbecue, where Derek was standing around with the other men.

  “Xavier’s worried about something,” Holly whispered. “But he won’t tell me what’s wrong. Do you think you can listen in on their conversation, please? I’m kind of worried.”

  “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

  Bernadette walked over to the corner of the garden where Xavier and Derek had gone to. “Hey, guys.”

  “Hey,” Xavier said.

  “Holly’s worried.”

  Xavier sighed. “It’s nothing.”

  “Do you mind if I listen in? Derek and I tend to share most things with each other, anyway.”

  Xavier glanced at Derek. “Like I said, it’s probably nothing. I just don’t want to worry Holly unnecessarily.”

  “What’s going on?” Derek asked.

  “Mum and Dad got a threatening letter written anonymously. Whoever wrote it said they know about my parents’ true partnership with Ross Anton, and that they better be prepared.”

  Derek frowned. “The police didn’t find anything untoward regarding their business partnership with Ross at Stirling Mortgage Brokers.”

  “I know.”

  “Have they shown the letter to the police?”

  “Yes. They said they’re investigating. But Mum and Dad haven’t heard anything new from them for weeks. I understand there’s nothing much to go on, but I’m worried it might be too late before they figure it all out.”

  “Do you want to talk to Gavin and Carter about it? They’re great PIs.”

  Xavier shook his head. “Not knowing if someone connected to Eugene Barker sent it, it might cause more problems for my parents if PIs got involved. I just might do my own poking around first. Talk to my parents and see if there’s something they haven’t disclosed to the police. And chat with some people that both my parents and Ross were connected to.”

  “Be careful, Xavier,” Derek warned. “You have to assume Eugene Barker’s behind it. Anything less than that assumption could be dangerous.”

  Bernadette’s heart beat faster. Eugene Barker. She hoped Xavier wouldn’t do anything stupid as to stumble into Eugene Barker’s lair.

  “Well,” Xavier said, “in the end, my parents don’t know much about Ross’s crimes. As you know, we kept them in the dark. So it could be good news that they hadn’t had any new messages in weeks.”

  “Let’s hope so,” said Derek.

  “Anyway, let’s party, hey,” Xavier said with a grin. He put an arm around Bernadette and the other around Derek as he led them back to the middle of the garden where the guests were congregated.

  When everyone was full from lunch, Nate stood near the buffet tables, waving his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Hey! I have news about the baby!”

  Bernadette chuckled as she and everyone else gathered around the birthday boy.

  “Are you excited?” Nate asked, to the delight of his parents.

  “Yes!” everyone responded.

  “Well, I am going to have a baby… brrr—sister!”

  Everybody cheered, congratulating Nate, Gavin and Natasha, whose pregnancy was well advanced.

  “And!” Nate said when the noise had died down.

  “I’m the luckiest little boy in the whole wide world because…”

  Bernadette held her breath.

  “Because…” Nate grinned at his audience cheekily, enjoying the suspense he was creating.

  “Because?” Julian asked.

  “Because Auntie Holly, the superstar, is going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’!”

  “Aw, aren’t you sweet, Nate,” Holly said with a laugh. “Can I ask all your other guests to be my backup singers?”

  Nate nodded before turning to his parents. “Can we have my cake now?”

  Gavin sighed. “You weren’t supposed to know we’re bringing out the cake, so you can be surprised.”

  “I won’t look.” Nate covered his eyes with his hands.

  “Okay, no peeking,” Gavin said, going into the house with Natasha.

  The couple came back with a large cake shaped like Lightning McQueen, the Disney car. Beside it were four lit-up candles.

  Holly started leading the singing of “Happy Birthday” and Nate dropped his hands. His eyes grew like saucers when he saw his cake, then his face broke into the biggest grin. When the last words were sung, Nate eagerly blew out his candles.

  Bernadette was helping Natasha serve pieces of cake to the guests when Gavin spoke.

  “Hey, all,” he said. “Thank you for coming and helping us celebrate the birthday of our beautiful boy, and also the announcement regarding our soon-to-be-born baby girl. But Tash and I are not the only ones with good news. Paige and Tristan also have something to say.”

  Paige and Tristan waved from their seats.

  “Guys, Tristan and I just want you all to know that we’re pregnant again,” Paige said.

  Bernadette grinned as Paige and Tristan were hugged by everyone. She and Derek, of course, had heard the news first.

  “And,” Tristan said when the congratulations had finished, “could I ask everyone for some silence, please?”

  “Silence?” two-year-old Tanner said, looking up at his dad with a frown.

  “It means be quiet,” Lara interjected.

  “Like no talking?” Tanner asked.

  “Yes, that’s what it means,” Lara confirmed.

  “Okay,” Derek said, walking to the spot where Nate had made his announcement.

  “Shh, Uncle Derek,” Tanner said, putting a finger against his mouth. “Silence.”

  Tristan chuckled. “Uncle Derek’s the only one allowed to talk.”

  “Why?”

  Tristan sat his son on his knee. “Because he has to say something. Shh.”

  Bernadette raised her eyebrows. What did Derek have to say?

  “Well, everyone,” Derek said. “I have here with me a piece of paper with a name that Marilyn wrote.”

  Bernadette glanced at Marilyn, who was grinning from ear-to-ear. What was this about?

  “And the name is…” Derek unfolded the paper in his hand. “Simon Alexander!”

  Simon stood up, raising both arms in the air in triumph. “I won!”

  Cheers went up, and Bernadette frowned. “What did you win, Simon?”

  Simon simply grinned at her.

  And Derek walked to her and went down on one knee.

  Bernadette’s hand went to her mouth in surprise as
her eyes started misting.

  “Bernadette Luna,” Derek said. “You are my shining light and the love of my life. I can’t imagine a future without you. Nothing would make me happier than spending the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

  She sniffed. “Yes.”

  Cheers went up all around them as Derek slid a ring on her finger. Her throat closed up as she got her first look at her engagement ring. It was beautiful and perfect.

  Just like the man rising to his feet.

  She cupped his face and kissed him, unable to believe how much love a heart could hold. It was already bursting in her chest, and yet she knew her love for Derek would keep on growing day after day.

  “I love you,” Derek murmured.

  “I love you, too.”

  “Congra-ta-lation!” Tanner said.

  They broke apart, laughing, and thanked Tanner and the rest of the guests.

  “What game did Simon just win?” Holly asked.

  “We all bet on when Derek was going to propose to a woman,” Natasha said, “with the losers all giving money to a charity selected by the winner. It looks like Simon picked the date closest to today.”

  “I sure did,” Simon said. “I’m actually off by only seven days.”

  “There you have it, people,” Marilyn said. “Simon is the last winner of the Captured by Love betting game personally handled by me. Unfortunately, life is much busier now with a baby and, with this game now having become so big, I’ve handed over its organisation to my PA. I’ll get her to send you an email regarding the next round, which now has over twenty single people to choose from.”

  “Aw,” said Lucas. “It won’t be the same anymore.”

  Everyone else concurred.

  But Bernadette was simply over the moon that she’d found the love of her life.

  Bernadette blinked to ward off the tears from her eyes. She had to be strong, because she wanted to clearly see everything that was to happen today.

  “You’re so beautiful,” June whispered.

  “Thanks, Mum. So are you.”

  “I’m so proud of you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Tears threatened to spill. “Oh, Mum.”