Chapter 5 Derrick
DERRICK
Sienna: SOS
My phone lights up and I read Sienna’s message. Shit. I detangle myself from Chance’s arms and message her back.
Derrick: What’s going on, is everything okay?
Sienna: I ran into Beau last night and he wants to talk.
Derrick: What does Evan think?
Sienna: I haven’t told him.
Derrick: Babe.
Sienna: It’s just coffee. Closure. For me.
Derrick: Evan would understand.
Sienna: Not when it comes to Beau.
Derrick: Do you want me to come?
Sienna: No. I can do this. It’s just coffee. Five minutes tops. He owes me an apology.
Derrick: You seriously think he’s going to do that?
Sienna: He seemed different last night.
Derrick: You owe that man nothing after what he did to you.
Sienna: I know. But I owe myself and Evan. I love him, D.
Derrick: OMG!!!
Sienna: I’m going to tell him when I get back. I’m all in with Evan. He’s my future. Just need to tie up these loose ends of my old life to concentrate on my new one.
Derrick: Good luck. Love you.
Sienna: Love you too.
Sienna: Beau is an asshole. I should never have gone.
Derrick: Seriously? What happened?
Sienna: Diana’s baby isn’t his.
Derrick: Noooo, but also totally knew it wasn’t. Whose is it?
Sienna: His fathers.
Derrick: What!!!!! No way. His father? That is messed up.
Sienna: He thought me knowing the truth would change how I feel about him.
Derrick: I can’t believe Diana was screwing his dad, that is messed up, and to frame his son. Diabolical.
Sienna: I feel for Beau over that, but he was happy to let his family destroy me.
Derrick: So true. As bad as this sounds it’s karma.
Sienna: I’m looking forward.
Derrick: You have so much to look forward to, especially one pierced rock star dick.
Sienna: Derrick!
Derrick: What? It’s the truth.
Sienna: I know and it’s so good.
Derrick: Bitch.
Sienna: Who never came home last night?
Derrick: It was a weird night.
Sienna: Do tell … you went home with that hot rugby guy, didn’t you?
Derrick: Yes.
Sienna: And?
Derrick: Hot as hell. But then I went to Chance’s room and spent the night with him.
Sienna: Derrick! Chance?
Derrick: Don’t you dare judge me.
Sienna: I’m not. I thought he took home some girl.
Derrick: Well, she wasn’t there when he invited me over.
Sienna: And?
Derrick: Nothing. He is firmly in the closet. He isn’t coming out anytime soon. It’s just a little bit of fun.
Sienna: Hey. I’ve made it back to the hotel.
Derrick: Go jump that man and call me later.
Sienna: Will do. Love you.
Derrick: Love you too.
There’s a loud knock on my door, then another and another.
“Hold your horses, I’m coming,” I yell, jumping out of bed and grabbing a pair of shorts. When I open it, I see Vanessa standing there looking pale.
“We need to talk,” she says seriously. I open the door, and she storms in just as the door across from me opens, it’s Charlotte. I can’t shut the door now that she’s seen me.
“Morning, Derrick.” She smiles, walking over to me. “How are you?”
She asks as the sound of people arguing echoes down the hall from Evan and Sienna’s room. No way. There’s no way those two are arguing. Charlotte and I stare at each other in shock as Vanessa rushes back toward me.
“Fuck,” Vanessa curses.
What is going on?
“Just get the fuck out of my room,” we hear Evan scream, then Sienna’s sobs. No fucking way. Nope. I march toward the noise and start thumping on their hotel room door. He isn’t going to talk to my friend like that. “Open the fuck up,” I scream, Vanessa and Charlotte scream too.
Sienna opens the door to her suite. She looks devastated as we rush in and embrace her. There’s crashing in another room, where Evan must be destroying it.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise. I’ll make the photo disappear.” Vanessa reassures Sienna, which makes her burst into tears again. She’s shaking like a leaf and is a mess.
“What photo?” I ask. Vanessa hands me her phone, and I look down at the article.
Dirty tEXas
Beau Willams, Sienna’s ex-husband, is in town dodging his own scandal. Now that the truth has come out, will these two lovers reunite? Where does that leave Evan?
Charlotte looks at me with concern. “I’m just going to check on my brother,” she says, but we don’t pay her much attention, our priority is Sienna.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” I say, pulling a sobbing Sienna out of Evan’s room and into mine next door. We get her to take a seat on my bed where she loses it. “Deep breaths, Si. Deep breaths,” I tell her, pushing her head between her legs as she has a panic attack.
“I’ve never seen Evan so angry,” Vanessa adds.
Sienna looks up at Vanessa, her eyes red-rimmed, her face puffy from crying. It’s déjà vu all over again just like what happened with Beau.
“I fucked up. I should have told Evan about Beau, but I was in shock,” Sienna explains. Yes, maybe in hindsight she should have but Evan also shouldn’t have flown off the deep end like he did.
“You don’t want Beau back, do you?” I ask her.
“Fuck, no! I want Evan. I’m in love with Evan.” Sienna sobs. “Did you see how angry he was? He’s never going to forgive me.” I pull her into my lap and hold her.
A knock at the door sees Vanessa opening it to Isla’s pale face.
“Hey, I heard what happened. I’m so sorry.
” She hugs Sienna. “I can’t believe I have to do this or say this, but Evan wants you out of the hotel.
He’s asked that you move to another hotel and that the job offer is no longer on the table or the move to LA,” Isla tells Sienna. He can’t be serious. That motherfucker.
“What the fuck? That fucking bastard. How dare he,” Vanessa screams.
Sienna reaches for Vanessa. “It’s fine, V. I’ll go,” she says softly.
“So will I,” I say, wrapping my arms around her, we are in this together. I helped her through one breakup, I’ll do it again.
“Sienna, I’m so sorry. I told him he was a dick, but his ego is wounded. Just give him time. He will eventually come around,” Isla adds.
“This is bullshit. That motherfucker. I’m going to go over there and punch him in the face. How could he do this to you?”
“Derrick, please, I just want to go,” Sienna begs as tears fall down her cheeks.
“I’ve got you. I’ll never let you go. Ever!” I tell her as we pack my shit, while Vanessa packs hers.
Sienna’s life has imploded over the last couple of days, and the paparazzi have been relentless, even worse than when she broke up with Beau. We need to go somewhere that doesn’t care about Dirty Texas.
“I think we should take up Yvette’s offer of coming to Paris. No one can be upset there,” I tell Sienna.
“Paris?” she questions me.
“Yes. Think of the shopping, the food, the men …”
“Too soon, D.” She looks up at me, teary-eyed. “This one hurts.”
“I understand, babe.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You love Paris. What better way to heal your broken heart than there?”
“In the city of love?” she questions me. Oh. Yeah. Um. Sienna smiles. “I get what you’re saying. I need to sort out my life. I can’t go back to Sydney, not yet.”
“Then Paris it is,” I tell her. “I promise things will get better, not right now, but in the future, this will all be a bad dream.”
“I hope so, D.”
“I know so, SiSi.” I hug her tightly.
“Hey,” Vanessa says, joining us in our hotel room. “The boys are leaving today. I have to go back to LA as well,” Vanessa says, looking conflicted. “Evan refuses to talk about what happened. He won’t even listen to reason when it comes to you, and he’s one moody bastard.”
Sienna hugs Vanessa, bursting out crying. “I’m sorry I messed it all up.”
“You made a mistake. You know what? I probably would have done the same thing. Everything that has come out about his dad and Diana … that’s totally fucked up.
I believe you when you say nothing happened, but the photo does look unfavorable.
Evan’s hurt. I know a bit about Hailey from Christian, so I understand why he reacted the way he did.
He’ll come around, but it will take time.
You love each other. You have fun in Paris, you two,” Vanessa adds as she leaves.
It’s the night of Yvette’s fashion show here in Paris.
Charlotte is photographing it for Yvette, thanks to Sienna for being a doll and helping her get the job.
I know Charlotte was worried that after her brother broke my bestie’s heart, she would lose the opportunity, but my girl is not like that, she is a beautiful soul who would do anything for her friends or the people she loves. I wish Evan would understand that.
Sienna has been ill for the last couple of days brought on, I think, by the stress over her breakup with Evan.
It took everything in her to come out tonight.
I knew she wouldn’t let Yvette down, but I could see on her face that it took it out of her to be here, her face looks pale, she’s not eating, only nibbling baguettes because she can’t stop throwing up. She was never this sick over Beau.
“I had such a great night, thanks for talking me into going,” Sienna says.
“I’m glad you are feeling better. You had me worried there for a second,” I tell her, putting my arm around her as we move through the crowd, making our way backstage to Yvette. We see Charlotte rushing around taking photos, and she gives us both a quick smile as she continues working.
Yvette sees us and waves us both over.
“Congratulations.” I kiss her on each cheek.
“Thank you so much. The reaction has been crazy.”
She should be so proud, this collection is literally amazing.
“Some of those dresses are going to be on the Hollywood red carpet this season,” I tell her because if I were a celebrity stylist, these dresses would be on every single starlet in Hollywood, they are that gorgeous. I’m so very proud of her.
“Thanks for coming, I know you haven’t been feeling well,” Yvette says, hugging Sienna.
“I’m sorry. I’m exhausted. No amount of sleep helps.” Sienna sighs.
“You’ve had a crazy year, maybe your body is forcing you to relax,” I tell her.
“Maybe you’re right,” Sienna answers.
“I must go. I love you two. Thank you for coming tonight. I’ll see you at home, where we can celebrate properly together,” Yvette states. We say our farewells and let her go off and celebrate her awesomeness.
“Come on, five minutes at the after party and then you can go home,” I tell Sienna.
“Fine.” She grumbles but gives me a smile. “There’s Charlotte,” Sienna points out. “I should say something, don’t you think?”
“You owe her nothing.”
“It’s not her fault,” she says.
True, but I’m a petty bitch, and anyone related to the man that broke my heart is dead to me, even if Charlotte is a lovely girl.
“How did it go?” Sienna asks Charlotte, who looks surprised that she is speaking to her, and the next thing we know, she is pulling Sienna into a hug.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she squeals excitedly. Urgh, it’s hard not to like her. “Spoke to Evan earlier.”
Sienna stills. “Yeah, how is he?”
“Good. He’s on his way to some party tonight.” Charlotte realizes as soon as she says the words that they were the wrong ones.
“I’m sure he will have fun.” I pretend to choke.
“You can be upset,” Charlotte says.
Sienna shakes her head. “No, I can’t. We broke up. He’s now a single guy. He can do whatever he wants.”
“Well, I’m hoping he checks his emails in time because I sent him something that he might find interesting,” Charlotte continues with a big grin on her face. What is she up to?
“What did you send him?” Sienna asks.
“I may have made a couple of calls to some photographer friends and found the sequence of images from that day showing everything that happened. It showed you slapping your ex. You were telling the truth.”
Of course she is telling the truth, my girl is not a cheater.
“Why did you do that?” Sienna asks in shock.
“Because my brother is miserable without you, and something didn’t seem right about it all.
Over the last couple of months, I watched you and Evan together, you were different from all the other women.
You loved him. I know you did, and maybe you still do.
I just wanted him to know that you were telling the truth, so I could maybe help you to get back together. ”
The only way Sienna is taking Evan back is if he gets on his hands and knees and grovels for the next ten years.
Sienna tears up. “Thank you, Charlotte, but I think your brother and I maybe just had a great summer romance.”
Charlotte doesn’t seem deterred. “Just you wait. When he sees those photos, he will realize he still loves you.” She gives Charlotte a sad smile, appreciating her.
“I’m going to head home. I think I’ll skip the after-party, I’m just not feeling well.”
“I’ll come with you,” I tell her.
“No, D, stay … have fun. I’ll grab a cab. I’m just too tired.”
“You sure?” I don’t want her to go home by herself, but I feel like maybe she needs alone time.
“Yes.” She hugs Charlotte and me goodbye.
“You seriously think your brother is going to believe whatever is in your email?” I ask her.
“When there’s photographic proof, yes,” she says.
“And you think he deserves to win Sienna back after the way he treated her?”
Charlotte’s face falls. “No. But I know he loves her, and I’m hoping she still loves him.”
“Sometimes love isn’t enough,” I tell her, loving her young, na?ve mind.
She lets out a sigh. “Look, I can’t defend my brother’s actions, but in his mind, he thought she cheated.
Yes, in hindsight, he should have talked to her about it, but what Hailey did to him changed him and I don’t think he’s gotten over that betrayal.
Sienna is the first woman he has let in, like really let in, and then he thinks she betrayed him too. ”
“Which she didn’t.”
“We know that, but my brother is thick-headed.” She smirks.
“I will agree on that.” I smirk at her as I grab another glass of champagne from the tray. “Are you having fun tonight?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Um. Yes. I can’t thank Sienna enough for this opportunity. She didn’t have to, but she did.”
“Because she’s a beautiful human being, that’s why.”
“She is. And I hope that one day she can forgive my brother for being the biggest dumbass in the world.”
“We’ll see,” I tell her.
My phone starts ringing, and when I look down, it’s Sienna.
“Miss me already?” There’s yelling on the other side of the phone. Everything in me stills and a cold shiver runs through my body.
“Derrick …” Sienna’s voice is strained, “the taxi crashed.”
No!
“What? Your taxi crashed? Are you okay? Where are you?” I start screaming down the phone as panic and worry take over.
“Derrick?” Charlotte looks at me with concern.
“Sienna, are you okay?” I scream down the line.
“I don’t know, everything hurts,” she mumbles as the sound of sirens echo down the line.
“Be brave. I’ve got your location. I’m coming.”