Chapter 76
DERRICK
“Ican’t believe that happened,” I whisper for maybe the eighth time this morning.
He gives me that soft, private smile reserved just for me. “I’m so proud of you.”
His words make me all warm and fuzzy, but before I can jump his bones, my phone buzzes. If that’s Toby cockblocking me.
It buzzes again.
Then again.
“What the?” I mumble, checking the screen, wondering what the hell is going on.
I freeze.
You’ve been added to ‘Sinclair Brothers’
“What the fuck.”
Charlie leans over immediately. “What?”
“I’ve been … added to a group chat,” I tell him.
He bursts out laughing. “Welcome to having siblings. This is going to be good.”
The chat explodes instantly.
Callum: WELCOME brOTHER!!!!
Tavish: Why are you yelling?
Callum: I’m excited. I’ve never had a new brother before.
Rowan: Cal, stop. You’re going to scare him away.
Callum: He’s family, he needs to get used to it. Us.
Rowan: You were dropped on your head.
Callum: Lies. You pushed me.
I choke on a laugh.
“They’re insane,” I whisper as more messages start coming through.
Arran: Hold on. WHAT??
Callum: I have a new brother, and we’re best friends already.
Tavish: Are you serious?? We actually have another brother?? I want to see.
Callum: No, Ro and I do and he’s awesome.
Rowan: Derrick seems really nice.
Tavish: That’s not fair. I want a new brother too.
Arran: How is he not our brother when we are your brothers?
Callum: Different parents, dumbass.
Arran: That’s not fair. I don’t want to be stuck with you assholes.
Callum: Too bad.
Rowan: No one tell Mum yet.
Tavish: Why?
Rowan: Because …
Tavish: Because why?
Rowan: Just let me handle it.
Tavish: You always do this to me, I’m a fucking adult, Ro.
Callum: Because we were born out of hate not love like you two pea brains, and Ro wants to make sure Mum is okay.
Arran: Does she know about this brother?
Rowan: Of course she does. She is the one who told us about him. Look, it’s complicated. If you weren’t listening at the family meeting, I’m not going to repeat myself.
Arran: I can’t remember everything, okay.
Callum: Mum’s going to cry and probably redecorate a room for Derrick, which might be overwhelming.
Rowan: This chat is overwhelming for him, I’m sure. Derrick, if you read this, I’m sorry. I thought I would have longer to keep you out of the chaos. And why aren’t you guys in bed? It’s late.
Tavish: Not that late. We aren’t old like you.
Callum: I’m out.
Arran: Me too.
Rowan: You’re all out together?
Tavish: Yep.
Rowan: And you are all texting in the chat instead of talking to each other?
Callum: Fuck you.
Rowan: Derrick, I’m sorry your brothers are imbeciles.
Callum: At least we are fun, not boring like you.
Rowan: I’m at work.
Callum: And when was the last time you went out partying?
Rowan: I don’t have time for that.
Tavish: When was the last time you got laid?
Arran: Exactly, you wouldn’t be so grumpy if you got laid.
Rowan: Fuck you all. I do okay.
Callum: Doubtful.
Rowan: I have control of my dick, unlike you guys.
Callum: Like I said, boring.
Rowan: Fuck you all. I have shit to do.
Tavish: He needs to get laid. Do you think we should send an escort to help him?
Arran: He would kill us.
Callum: He would, but it sure as hell would be funny.
I look over at Charlie.
“You are going to fit right in.” He chuckles.
And you know what, I think he’s right. This conversation is gold.
My phone buzzes, and a separate message pops up.
Rowan: I’m so sorry about them, they’re probably drunk.
Derrick: Nothing to apologize for, it sounds like my group chats with my girls.
Rowan: You don’t think we’re unhinged?
Derrick: Honestly, it’s kind of hilarious.
Rowan: They mean well, but get excited easily. I didn’t know how this would go, but you seem to be rolling with it.
Derrick: It’s weird and overwhelming, but also … kind of great.
Rowan: I’m glad. And I meant what I said in the letter that we don’t want anything from you other than knowing you. We just want our brother.
Tears well in my eyes. Dammit.
Derrick: That’s all I want from you guys, too.
Rowan: Okay. Well, I’m going to leave you with those chaos goblins. Mute the chat if it gets too much. I have to get back to work. I’ll be in touch about LA if they haven’t scared you off by then.
Derrick: They won’t. And thanks again for reaching out.
Rowan: Thanks for accepting it.
“I like him,” Charlie states.
“Me too.” I grin.
“I think you might need to pop into that chat and quell the crazy.” Charlie smirks.
Derrick: Little bros, hey.
Callum: Derrick!
Tavish: See, told you we are his brothers too.
Arran: Welcome!
Derrick: Thanks, guys. And thanks for the add to the chat.
Callum: It’s standard protocol in our family.
Tavish: We haven’t scared you off yet.
Derrick: Not yet.
Arran: Give it time, our brothers are annoying.
Tavish: You’re annoying.
Derrick: Aren’t you guys out?
Callum: Yeah.
Derrick: Why are you talking to me? Aren’t there any girls around?
Arran: It’s like he’s one of us already.
Callum: We can multitask.
Arran: What he’s saying is he hasn’t got lucky yet.
Callum: Like I said, I can multitask, but there’s no one here tonight that I’m interested in. Anway, I’m saving myself for LA. Derrick’s going to hook me up with a Hollywood starlet.
Tavish: Hey, no fair, I want to come to LA.
Arran: Me too.
Derrick: You’re all more than welcome.
Callum: Derrick is besties with Dirty Texas.
Tavish: No way.
Arran: Sons of Brooklyn & Gypsy Sisters too?
Derrick: Yes. I know them too.
Callum: The Gypsy Sisters are cute.
Tavish: Damn right they are.
Derrick: They are lovely and gorgeous.
Tavish: Can we meet them when we are there?
Derrick: I can arrange something for sure.
Tavish: You’re the fucking best. My other brothers don’t do shit for me.
Callum: He’s not your brother.
Tavish: I don’t care, I’m claiming him. Why does he get to be your brother and not mine?
Arran: DNA, dickhead.
Tavish: Don’t we share like some? There’s no way we can’t be related.
Callum: You’re not.
Derrick: I have loads of people that I don’t share DNA with who I consider family.
Tavish: See, I knew it. He’s going to be the best brother.
Callum: I found him first.
Tavish: You need to learn to share.
Arran: You know he was never good at sharing, even as a kid.
Tavish: Facts!
Callum: Fuck you both.
Tavish: Rather not. Oh, peace out.
Arran: Oh fuck, Liberty is here.
Derrick: Who’s Liberty?
Callum: Tav’s toxic ex.
Arran: She’s a bitch. And I don’t like to call women that, but she is. She cheated on him constantly when they were dating, but he can’t quit her.
Derrick: Oh no.
Callum: She keeps breaking his heart. She’s slept with all his friends, but still, he’s a sucker and goes back to her time and time again.
Derrick: Sometimes it’s hard to break a toxic cycle.
Callum: If she was a nice girl, we wouldn’t have a problem, but she gets off on hurting him.
Derrick: I don’t like that.
Callum: We’d better go save him. Derrick, stay in touch, okay.
Derrick: I will. Look after him.
Arran: We will.
Then the group chat goes quiet.
“That escalated quickly,” Charlie says.
“I feel bad for the poor guy.”
“Not much you can do, sounds like it might be a lesson he needs to learn. We’ve all been there.”
Don’t I know it.
“And that is why I am so happy I’ve found you.” I smirk, booping his nose.
“Me too.” He grins, wiggling his brows. “Want me to take you to bed and show you how toxic I can be.”
“Hell yeah. Then I have to get to work.”
“Say no more.” Charlie picks me up in his arms, fireman-style, and whisks me to bed.
By the time I walk into the studio, coffee in hand, and a spring in my step from the multiple orgasms Charlie pulled from me, Toby is already standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, one brow raised so high it’s practically orbiting.
“Oh, good,” he announces loudly, “he lives.”
I stop dead. “What?”
Toby points at me. “You. Spill. Everything. Right now.”
I blink. “Good morning to you, too.”
“Don’t you good morning me, and it’s afternoon anyway.” He huffs. “I’ve been worried about you. You never call in late like that. Your phone call has had me worried.” He pouts.
“Aw, babe, didn’t know you cared.” I wink at him.
“Fuck you. My anxiety cannot handle this. Sit.”
He pushes me onto the client couch like I’m a naughty toddler.
I sigh and scrub my face with my palms. “Okay … well, not sure where to start. It’s been a weird weekend.”
“Start from the beginning,” he snaps.
I explain to him how the weekend with Charlie went, which feels like a lifetime ago, and then how Sienna brought over a letter for me, and then everything changed.
“I found out yesterday I have two brothers.”
He stares at me. Blinks once. Twice. “No,” he says slowly. “No. No-no-no. You have brothers?”
“Yes.”
“brOTHERS?”
“Yes, Toby! Scottish brothers.”
He grabs my shoulders and shakes me lightly. “Are they hot?”
“Toby!”
“What? It’s an important question!”
“Yes, they’re hot, they’re my brothers,” I admit. “Some would say insanely hot. One is practically a Calvin Klein ad in human form. And the other is a chaotic, charming mess. And then there are their two brothers, and they are just as hot.”
“Oh my god.” Toby drops onto the couch beside me like he’s fainting. “You have hot Scottish brothers? Like … Outlander energy?”
I laugh. “Apparently.”
“I hate you,” he mutters. “You get trauma AND aesthetics? That’s rude.”
I roll my eyes. “Toby … they are my brothers.”
His eyes light up. “Which means you can’t fuck them.” I make a disgusted face. He leans forward. “Tell me everything.”
So, I do. I fill Toby in on everything, show him their socials, and have a good gossip session. It’s exactly what I need to help me decompress.
“Okay. Well. I’m meeting them. I’m buying a new outfit to impress one of them.”
“They’re straight,” I tell him.
“Are they?” He smirks, raising a brow.
“You will not corrupt my brothers.”
Toby rolls his eyes at me. “You’re such a killjoy. Fine, but we have work to do,” he says, standing up and sashaying away.
I’d better check in with my own group chat before I start anything.
Derrick: Bitches, gather around. I have some news.
Sienna: Charlie proposed?
Derrick: What? No. I wish.
Vanessa: He will, one day. You two are adorable.
Isla: You’re having a baby?
Derrick: I wish. I’m not getting knocked up anytime like you bitches.
Olivia: Spill it NOW.
Derrick: I spoke to my brothers.
Silence.
Sienna: OMG. No way. You did it.
Vanessa: I can’t believe you got the balls and called them.
Derrick: I messaged Rowan first. I thought start with the closest one.
Isla: And?
Olivia: He’s nice, isn’t he?
Derrick: He seems it. He was very excited when I messaged and then promptly asked to FaceTime, and it was surreal. Obviously, he gets his good looks from me.
Sienna: Obvs.
Olivia: How do you feel?
Derrick: Happy. Freaked out. But … I don’t know, like a piece I didn’t know I was missing has been filled.
Vanessa: So happy for you.
Stacey: Brothers!
Derrick: Rowan must have told Callum about me reaching out, and the next thing I know, I’m on the phone with him. And if you think I’m crazy …
Vanessa: Wait. Are you telling us there is another Derrick out there?
Derrick: Probably another three because then he created a group chat called Sinclair Brothers, even though I’m not a Sinclair, and added Tavish and Arran to the chat.
Olivia: That is awesome.
Derrick: They’re insane. And emotional. And kind. And annoying. I might love them already, and I’m trying not to freak out.
Olivia: Rowan is lovely. Callum is chaos. Tavish and Arran are menaces. Welcome to the Sinclair clan.
Isla: Pics. Now.
Vanessa: I second that.
Sienna: Thirded.
Derrick: FINE.
I drop in Rowan’s profile photo.
Then Callum’s.
Then the chaos chat screenshot.
Vanessa: HOLY SHIT THEY’RE GORGEOUS.
Isla: Excuse me, is this a GQ spread??
Stacey: Callum is trouble. I can smell it through the phone.
Sienna: I’m so proud of you, D.
Olivia: They’re good men. I promise.
Vanessa: WE ARE THEIR SISTERS NOW, TOO, I DON’T MAKE THE RULES.
Isla: Poor them.
Derrick: You guys are ridiculous.
Vanessa: LOVE YOU TOO.
A tiny smile tugs at my lips.
Family expanding in both directions.
Maybe … this is what it feels like to be chosen and connected by blood.
Both.
For the first time in my life.