44. Derrick
44
DERRICK
I bolted into the Roller Derby rink, the smell of sweat and rubber assaulting my senses. I scanned the area, searching for Rachel among the women zipping around on their skates.
"Derrick! Over here!"
Eva was waving at me from the bleachers. As I ran over, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
"Where's Rachel? Is she okay?" I sucked in air, my hair and clothes a mess after speeding through the streets of Brooklyn on a motorcycle.
"She's fine."
I narrowed my gaze. "What the hell, Eva? You said she was hurt."
"Oh, she is. You broke her heart." Her smile was saccharin.
"What is this?”
"Derrick, with all due respect, sit your ass down and for once listen."
I ground my jaw in annoyance, but I turned toward the rink. A whistle blew, and Rachel's teammates gathered in the center of the rink. My breath caught as I spotted Rachel among them, healthy and strong, strands of her neon-pink hair flying behind her.
In a synchronized motion, the women started shuffling around, Rachel tucking behind them. Then the first woman skated in front of me, holding a large, handwritten sign that read:
Derrick Jacques.
What the hell? The next woman skated across the rink with another sign.
You're a stubborn jackass. But...
I snorted out a shocked laugh, remembering when Rachel thought that was my last name. Then sign after sign was revealed as skaters zipped from side to side each with a new sign.
You're also kind...
Loyal...
A valiant protector of women...
Old AF...
I laughed hard at that one, the ice in my veins slowly melting.
And...
Rachel skated to the front holding another stack of signs and I tensed, my stomach flip-flopping. I glanced beside me at Eva and raised an eyebrow.
"It's from Love, Actually ," she explained, referencing the famous scene with Kiera Knightly in the popular rom-com.
"Yeah, I got that," I said. "I have six sisters." I turned back to Rachel as she flipped over the signs she was holding, one by one.
I love you more than the Kardashians love a camera...
She dropped it and revealed the next one.
More than Billie Eilish loves oversized clothing...
And the next…
More than Taylor Swift loves a surprise album drop...
And the next…
And even though you're scared...
And finally…
I'm yours, I'll always be yours, until I'm super old. Way older than you, boss man. I love you.
My heart was pounding, and I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't do anything but stare at the poster boards discarded on the rink around Rachel.
Then, as if my body was operating on autopilot, I stood, turned, and walked swiftly toward the locker room.
I needed space. Needed to think. Needed to?—
And that's when I spotted them. A large tub of roller skates in the corner of the cluttered room. I headed straight for the bin and found a pair in my size, and before I could second-guess myself, I laced them up.
The door swung open behind me, and I heard the unmistakable sound of skates on tile.
"Really?!" Rachel's voice was a mix of hurt and disbelief. "You just walk away after that? Even if you hate it, I don't deserve to be ignored."
I stood and faced her, my heart pounding. "Why did you do that?"
She skated closer, her eyes blazing with emotion. "That was me fighting for what I want. And what I want is you."
"Rachel..." I sighed, the weight of her words pressing on my chest. God, I loved her like this—all fire and passion.
"It's not enough," I said, my voice low.
She blinked, stunned. "What do you mean, it's not enough?"
"There's still something missing." I pushed off from the wall, gliding out of the locker room and back toward the rink. The feel of the skates under my feet was both foreign and familiar, a rush of adrenaline coursing through me.
Rachel skated after me, confusion etched on her face. "Derrick, what the hell? You can skate? How did I not know this about you?"
"It's been years," I tossed over my shoulders. "But I am a nineties kid with six sisters. Where do you think we spent our weekends?" I enjoyed her look of shock and awe. I picked up speed as I moved toward the center of the rink. "I haven't done anything this reckless in years. But I want to. I want more spontaneity in my life. I want more fun and playfulness." I stopped, turning to face her as she caught up.
"These were nice." I gestured to the cards scattered around the rink.
"Nice? Is that all?" she asked, arms on hips.
"I guess,” I said, just to fire her up.
"That’s all you have to say," she huffed.
Her teammates were huddled around the edges of the rink, watching with eager smiles on their faces. Eva stood on the other side of the barrier wall of the rink, leaning forward, rapt.
Rachel didn't seem to notice or mind our audience. She was too busy ticking off points on her fingers. "Well, I have more to say. We have fun together. We both value independence and family above all else. We're both ambitious. We're fiercely loyal." Her lips quirked in a teasing smile, and she lowered her voice. "We have mind-blowing sex, and I think we both want more of that. A lot more." She raised an eyebrow. "Shall I continue?"
I pushed off with my right skate then turned so I was skating backwards while she skated forward, following me. I was a little shocked I still knew how to do this.
"By all means, counselor." I put my hands out, encouraging her to continue her case as we circled the rink. "The floor is yours."
Rachel took a deep breath, gliding in front of me. "Derrick Jacques, I love you. Not just in that swoony, gaggy kind of way—though trust me, there's plenty of that. I love spending time with you. You're the person I want to share every adventure with." She paused, her eyes shining, and she swallowed. "And yeah, maybe we're different in some ways. But those differences are why we're great together. I love you, damn it. Is that enough? Have I made my case?"
I couldn't fight this anymore. I wanted her in every way she mentioned and so much more. I wanted every piece of her, and I wanted it now.
I turned sideways, skidding to a stop. Rachel wasn't as quick and nearly plowed into me. I caught her shoulders with my hands, stopping her, and we slowly glided until I bumped into the low wall. I slid my hands up her face and cupped her jaw.
"I was yours before I walked into this rink," I said, staring into her fiery eyes, finding it hard to breathe. "I've been yours from the moment you skated into my office. You're right. Everyone's right. I was a fool. But I love you. I want to be with you. Yes, I want to start a family before I need Depends, but it's not a deal-breaker. You're the deal-breaker."
"Well, it's about damn time!" She leaped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist, her skates clattering behind my back. She kissed me and I kissed her back, pouring every ounce of love, frustration, and desire into it. When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless.
"I love you," she said, her face lit up with joy. "I love you so much, Jackass."
"I love you too, Smartass," I murmured, my heart swelling as I pressed my forehead to hers.
Suddenly, the rink erupted in applause, Rachel's teammates and Eva clapping and cheering on the sidelines.
Eva grinned, stepping forward. "Alright, everyone, let's give these two some privacy!" She waved her arms, shooing everyone to the far side of the rink.
Rachel looked back at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Follow me, boss."
I skated backward toward the locker room, pulling her with me. The moment the door closed behind us, I pulled her into my arms, my lips crashing into hers. The kiss was frantic and hungry, a collision of love and relief.
As we broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling. "You make me feel alive, Rachel," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "I may be old AF, but I'm going to be the youngest old dude I know. Because of you."
She grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Then let's start living."
"No more talking," I growled against her neck. "I'm tired of talking."
"Got it, Boss," Rachel said, her eyes glazed with love. "You wanna play a game?"
I laughed. "I'll play anything you want if it makes you happy."
"You make me happy," she said, softly kissing me. "Even when you're being a stubborn ass."
"Right back at you, Rach."
I squeezed her tight, soaking in her essence, my arms around her waist, her head on my shoulder. Then Rachel's eyes hooded and she slid down my body, not stopping until she was on her knees. "Ready to play?"
I grabbed her under her armpits and yanked her up, pressing her against the wall, and then I flipped the script and sank to my knees, my feet still clad in skates, a weird role reversal.
"Not so fast." I kissed the inside of her exposed thigh and tugged at the boy shorts under her miniskirt. "I went first last time. It's your turn."
Her eyes shone with delight. "Fuck ya."
She shimmied out of her shorts and underwear and swung her right leg over my shoulder, her skate hitting my shoulder blade. But I didn't care because I had uninterrupted access to her beautiful pussy.
"I love a girl who knows what she wants," I said, breathing the words against her glistening folds.
She shivered, her fingers sinking into my hair.
"Shhh..." she said, glancing at the door. "Let's play the quiet game."
I ducked between her thighs and licked up her slit. She gasped.
"I don't think there's gonna be anything quiet about this game," I growled, sucking her clit into my mouth.
She yelped and I smiled against her flesh as I continued to devour her, every bit of love pouring out of me. I kissed, licked, sucked, and nibbled until she screamed out her orgasm, her thighs convulsing against my head.
On shaky legs, she collapsed to the floor and pulled me down to her, kissing me.
"You lost," I whispered against her mouth.
"Your turn," she said, a lustful glint in her eyes.
I opened my mouth to protest, but she yanked my zipper down and tugged my pants to my ankles, her body following its path. My cock sprang out, and before I could utter another word, she swallowed me to the hilt.
"Holy fuck!" I screamed, slamming my hands into the wall behind me. Her mouth was a vacuum around my dick, sucking me like a Hoover. Her hands wrapped around the sides of my bare ass, her fingers digging into the flesh, pushing me deeper into her. Man, I'd never get tired of this. I'd never get tired of this amazing woman and her outlandish ways.
"Your mouth is so good," I mumbled as she slid me in and out, spending time on my tip, driving me mad until suddenly my orgasm ripped through me, tearing me apart from the inside out.
I roared, pressing my palms into the wall to hold myself up as my cock released weeks of pent-up want into her mouth.
When every last drop was out and I was panting like a sprinter, I pulled her to my chest and held her so tight I worried she'd break, but she gripped me with the same force.
"I love you, Rachel. So much it scares me."
"Good." She looked up into my eyes. "Because I love you the same."
Rachel pushed up my shirt, her hand making circles over my abs. The circles grew smaller, and her hand moved down, lower and lower, until it covered my cock.
"I want this inside me," Rachel said, her eyes sparkling.
"Do we have time?" I asked, glancing at the door.
She took my hand and put it between her legs. She was dripping, and I groaned, my cock already filling with blood, ready for more.
"Babe," she said, pulling me to the floor on top of her, squaring her hips with mine. "We have the rest of our lives."
I shook my head, grinning despite myself. This woman was going to be the death of me. Her head dipped forward, her long, pink hair curtaining my face, and she kissed me, deep and long, taking her time to explore every corner of my mouth.
We fell into each other, into a love that was fierce, spontaneous, and just a little bit reckless.
Wherever we went, whatever the future turned out to be, it was going to be a hell of a ride, and I couldn't wait for every minute of it for the rest of our lives.