Chapter 13 Derrick #2
“Do you hate me that much?”
“I don’t hate you. I hate me.”
Silence falls between us. “I like you. Wish things could be different,” Chance says quietly.
“They can’t so …” After the night we had, I shouldn’t still be so angry but I am.
“I’m sorry, Derrick.”
I look over at him. “I know you are, but please let me go, Chance. The last guy that strung me along like you do, nearly killed me. He made me lose myself, and I almost did when I found out he was marrying someone else, a woman.”
“Shit, D, I …”
“I don’t want your pity. I’m sorry that you don’t feel comfortable coming out, and I get it, truly I do. But please don’t pull me into your orbit anymore.”
“My feelings for you are real, know that,” Chance tries to reassure me.
I nod. I understand where he is coming from. He has his own battles to work through, but they shouldn’t involve me.
“I don’t doubt you, Chance, but being your lover in secret is affecting my mental health. I see the signs, and I’m putting myself first. We can’t keep doing this.”
“I never want to hurt you, Derrick. You mean too much to me.”
“Friends? No benefits,” I add.
“Yes. Friends,” he says, giving me a small smile.
“Derrick,” Sienna calls my name again, pulling me from last night’s memories.
“Fine, Sienna. I hooked up with Chance again and one of the strippers. And I know that boy is no good for me because he is so far in the damn closet it’s not fucking funny. But I just can’t seem to stay away from him, okay?”
The room falls quiet at my outburst.
“I’m sorry, D.” Sienna reaches out and squeezes my hand. She and Stacey remember what I went through with my ex, it nearly killed me, and they know I’m smart enough not to put myself in that situation again, but …
“But the boy can suck like a Hoover,” I joke, lightening the mood. Vanessa high-fives me.
“So, you had another threesome?” Isla asks.
Cheeky little ho. Like I regularly do this. Heath did invite me to catch up with him while I am here, and I just might, especially when he is in a dominant mood. Who knew I would enjoy being bossed around?
“I don’t normally have that many threesomes, but Chance just seems to find me in compromising positions and joins in.”
Yvette groans. “It’s so not fair.”
My girl needs to get laid, she works too hard and is way too cute to not get some. Are there no good guys in Paris?
“I slept with Blake, again,” Charlotte blurts out.
“Again?” Sienna asks.
“He’s charming. We’ve hooked up a couple of times since meeting in Paris.” Charlotte winces upon revealing that bit of information.
You get it, girl. Blake is hot and brooding-looking.
“I thought you didn’t date rock stars?” Sienna asks, suddenly all concerned.
“Sienna, she said she’s fucking him, not dating him,” I tell her.
“We’re just friends. I know my brother hates him and is being overprotective …” Charlotte says, trying to ease Sienna’s worry or hoping she doesn’t blab to her brother. She’s pregnant, the woman is like a goldfish, she will forget all about it in five seconds.
“We all know he hates him because he kissed Sienna,” I tease.
“Derrick!” Sienna yells at me.
Opps.
“Don’t worry, Sienna kissed my brother as well,” Yvette adds, lightening the mood. I give Yvette a high-five. Sienna doesn’t look pleased at the two of us. Sebastien is hot.
“Blake has been lusting after you since the moment he met you,” Isla tells Charlotte. That is true. But cockblocking big bro has other plans.
“I like him, I really do, but, and there are so many buts. He lives in New York, he’s traveling around America, his band is about to hit the big time, they are signed with my brother’s label, and he’s a rock star.
Just look at the man. He is beautiful, and he has women falling at his feet.
Plus, we are both too young for anything more.
” She sighs. Poor thing, those are all valid reasons, she should just be fuck buddies, nothing more.
“Yeah, but look at Sienna. She tamed your brother, and he was one of the worst womanizers in the band.” Vanessa laughs.
“Yeah, and V’s locked down Christian,” Isla comments.
Ohh, Issy is stirring the pot, I like it.
“What?! No, I haven’t,” Vanessa blurts out defensively.
“Um … as if that boy hasn’t been lusting after you for the past five-odd years. I remember the first night they met, the chemistry between them was electric. Christian didn’t leave our place the whole weekend. Who has a one-night stand that lasts all weekend?” Camryn smirks.
“Christian and I are just friends, nothing more,” Vanessa argues.
“So, you haven’t hooked up together while you’ve been home?” Sienna asks. Vanessa opens her mouth, then closes it again. Busted.
“I say that’s a yes, then.” Camryn smirks.
“Well, screw you guys very much. Fine, yes, we have, but we both know it’s not leading anywhere. We had an itch, and we like how the other scratches it. That’s it,” Vanessa says.
“I’d hate to see the day Christian meets someone. I think then it’s going to hit you,” Isla says, raising a brow at her friend.
I kind of agree with her on that. As much as Vanessa argues that she and Christian are only friends, they aren’t.
He has been with her through some of the toughest times.
He’s ride or die with that girl. I wish the two of them would put aside their worries and just go for it, because I think if they did, they would be as loved up as Sienna and Evan.
“This is Christian we are talking about, world-famous playboy. He’s no more ready to settle down than I am. See, that’s why it works,” Vanessa replies smugly.
“Now that Evan’s gone, I wouldn’t put it past them to start dropping like flies.” Isla chuckles.
“What? No,” Vanessa says.
“They aren’t getting any younger. Come on, they are going to see Evan and Sienna together, all loved up, playing happy families, as if that isn’t going to change the way they look at the world,” Charlotte adds.
Now that would be a plot twist.
“But … but …” Vanessa splutters. “What about you then, Isla? What happens when Finn meets someone?”
Oh, them be fighting words, Ness.
Isla takes a deep breath. “Can’t hurt any more than it has for the past fifteen years watching him sleep with every woman he encounters.”
“I’m sorry, Is,” Vanessa says, walking over and hugging her tightly, seeing the tears falling down her cheeks.
“No, stop it. I’m fine. I’ve wasted enough time on him. I need to get over this ridiculous crush on him for my own sanity,” she says, composing herself.
“Wes has just arrived, and he still has the hots for you. You guys had a good date a while ago, maybe it’s time you give in to that,” Sienna adds.
As cute as Wes is, that’s not the guy for her.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to put what I feel for Finn in a box and pack it away because being in love with someone all your life and having them not love you back is pretty pathetic.”
I feel ya, sista. “Isla, sweetheart, you are so fucking hot, and if Finn Connolly can’t see how fucking lucky he is to have someone like you after him, then he’s not worth it. Plus, he has three other hot-as-fuck brothers that you should be fucking.”
“No way, those guys are like brothers to me,” Isla says, scrunching up her face.
“Such a shame.” I smirk because I would screw any of them.
“Well, I slept with Johnny from Sons of Brooklyn. That boy made me come so much I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Actually, scrap that, he fucked me so hard and dirty that it was pure sin, and he was the devil.”
“Fuck, that sounds hot. I want details, bitch.” I move closer to Camryn.
“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t kiss and tell, but let me tell you one thing, that boy had me in every single position imaginable and didn’t stop, his stamina is amazing. Once you’ve had young, you never go back.” Vanessa high-fives Camryn.
“I have to agree,” Yvette pipes up. “I may have hooked up with the other member, Tyler.”
I’m so proud of my girls. Seems like I wasn’t the only one getting screwed last night.
“Those Sons of Brooklyn boys are trouble,” Stacey comments.
“Oh Lord, they most certainly are.” Yvette smiles.
“Well, thank God I can trust Stacey not to go crazy. Tell me, Stace, you didn’t do any rock stars or strippers?” Sienna asks.
“No, no, I was a good girl.” She smiles confidently.
I call bullshit. “Please put that Miss Perfect act away, I saw you flirting with Oscar.” I glare at her.
Stacey rolls her eyes. “Flirting is fine, nothing happened.”
Still call bullshit.
“Ahh, now I get why my brother was asking about you?” Isla interjects.
“What?” Stacey gasps.
“Hmm … interesting, that’s all,” Isla says, smiling at Stacey.
“Not so innocent now, are we?” I tease because Isla isn’t believing her bullshit either.
“Okay, I think I have heard enough from you raunchy fuckers. Derrick, I realize I forgot to give Evan his groomsmen presents and his wedding day present. Could you do me a huge favor and take them to the boys’ cabin?
Stupid pregnancy brain. I told Camryn she didn’t need to do it and that I was perfectly capable of remembering something little like that. Well, obviously, I can’t.”
“Sure, babe, of course,” I tell her.
“Derrick, you need to tell us what the boys are talking about,” Vanessa states.
“Oh, yeah, get the goss,” Isla agrees.
“This feels like school camp all over again when I used to be put in the middle because I could easily infiltrate both camps.”
“Knock, knock, knock, naughty Santa is here,” I call out into the cabin.
“Come in, Derrick, we’re in the pool,” Evan calls out to me.
I drop off the bags of goodies in the foyer and make my way out to the back area where the pool is. My mouth falls open seeing half-naked rock stars, like Dirty Texas and Sons of Brooklyn, as well as Finn’s gorgeous brothers and the guys from California Bros. all in a pool together.
“Seriously, I think I’ve just died and gone to gay heaven.”