Chapter 89 Derrick
DERRICK
By the time we get back to the penthouse, every part of me hurts.
My shins hurt. My thighs hurt. My pride hurts.
And under the concealer, my cheek throbs in a slow, pulsing ache I can’t quite ignore.
The family peels off toward their rooms to shower and change for dinner.
Caroline is still buzzing from the ski day, Faith is already talking about ordering schnitzel, and Everly is planning her outfit like she’s hitting a runway instead of a restaurant.
Charlie lingers in the hallway with me, helmet under one arm, gloves shoved into his pockets.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
“I’m going to die,” I announce.
He huffs a laugh. “Okay, but besides that?”
I sigh, leaning against the wall. “I’m exhausted. And sore. And bruised. And I absolutely never want to see skis ever again.”
“But?”
“But … I’m glad we went.”
His shoulders drop like he’s been holding himself tense all day. “Good.”
Caroline pokes her head out of her room. “Dinner reservations are at seven! Are you two coming?”
Charlie answers before I can. “We might stay in tonight, Mom.”
She nods immediately, eyes flicking to my face with soft maternal worry. “Rest. Both of you. We’ll bring dessert home.”
Not long later, the penthouse is quiet, the family gone for the night.
Charlie turns to me. “Hot tub?”
“God, yes.” I groan. “If I don’t soak in boiling water in the next ten minutes, I’m going to fossilize.”
We change into swim shorts, well, I change slowly, wincing at every bruise I find. My ass looks like abstract art. Charlie tries not to react, but I catch the guilt flickering across his face.
“Stop it,” I warn him.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your eyebrows apologized just now.” He huffs out a tiny laugh, then grabs towels, and we step out onto the enormous terrace. The entire balcony is covered in a soft layer of untouched snow. The frozen lake below sparkles like crushed diamonds. Steam curls lazily from the hot tub.
“This is ridiculous,” I say as we climb in. “This is obscene luxury.”
“Yeah,” Charlie says, taking off his leg and placing it on the side before sinking down beside me. “Mom doesn’t do things halfway.”
The heat is instant relief. My muscles sigh. I sigh. I might actually melt. For a while, neither of us talks. We just float in quiet warmth, snowflakes landing on our hair, dissolving instantly. Then Charlie shifts beside me, arms resting along the edge of the tub, gaze fixed somewhere far away.
I nudge his knee underwater. “Talk to me.”
He swallows. “About last night …”
“I knew this was coming,” I murmur. “Go on.”
“I’ve had episodes before,” he says quietly. “Flashbacks. Nightmares. But it’s been a long time since the last one. I really thought maybe I was done with it.”
“You’re not broken because your brain remembers something scary,” I say gently.
He rubs a hand over his face. “I hit you, D. That’s, I can’t even say it. It makes me sick.”
I move closer until my knee brushes his firmly. “You didn’t hit me. The nightmare hit me. You weren’t awake.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“It does,” I counter. “Because the man who loves me would never raise a hand to me consciously. I know that. You know that.”
He looks away, jaw tight. “I could’ve hurt you worse.”
“But you didn’t. And even half-asleep and terrified, the second you recognized me, you stopped. That tells me everything.”
His throat works as he swallows hard. “You weren’t scared?”
“I was,” I admit. “And the punch definitely sucked. But scared of you? No. Not for a second.”
He lets out a small, shaky breath. “You should be with someone who doesn’t come with this baggage.”
I sit up straighter, heart kicking. “Okay, absolutely not. Don’t do that. Don’t turn this into a reason I should walk away. Trauma doesn’t disqualify you from being loved.”
His eyes flick to mine, vulnerable in a way that breaks me open. “But I don’t want to drag you into it.”
“You’re not dragging me anywhere. I choose you,” I say. “I choose all of you. Even the parts that hurt.”
He closes his eyes briefly, snowflakes melting on his lashes. “How’s your cheek?” he whispers.
“Sore.”
“I hate that I did that to you.”
“I know,” I say softly. “And that’s exactly why I’ll be fine.”
The silence stretches again, comfortable this time. The sky darkens. Lights shimmer across the lake. Somewhere below, laughter echoes faintly from the restaurant terrace. Charlie shifts, moving until his forehead rests against mine, water lapping gently around us.
“I’m scared,” he admits in a tiny voice. “That this is always going to be inside me.”
I wrap an arm around his waist under the water. “Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But you won’t face it alone.”
His breath stutters, then steadies. “I love you, D,” he murmurs.
“I love you too,” I whisper back. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
We sit like that until our fingers prune, until the cold air starts to bite at our shoulders, until Charlie’s breathing finally sounds normal again.
When we go inside, he takes my hand.
Not like he’s fragile.
Not like I’m fragile.
But like we’re holding each other up. We order room service, put on the fluffy white robes, and jump into bed. Together. Like it always should be, and we turn on a movie until I’m unable to hold my lids open anymore and I fall asleep wrapped in the strong, protective arms of my man.
I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus. Every muscle in my body protests when I try to sit up. My ass feels like it belongs to someone else, someone who fell down a mountain repeatedly. The bruise on my cheek has bloomed, deep purple now. Attractive.
Charlie rolls over beside me, eyes sleepy, hair a mess. “Morning,” he says quietly.
“Don’t look at me.” I groan. “I’m eighty percent bruise and twenty percent regret.”
He chuckles and touches my thigh carefully. “Are you skiing today?”
I snort so hard it hurts. “Absolutely not. My body has filed for divorce.”
Charlie tries not to smile. “Okay. That’s probably wise. I’m starving. Are you ready for some breakfast?”
“If I can get up out of this bed.” I moan.
“Let me put my leg on, and I’ll carry you.” Charlie grins, and he does just that, picking me up in his strong arms, carrying me out to the dining room, and depositing me on the chair.
The rest of his family filters into the dining area.
“Morning, guys. How are you feeling this morning, Derrick?”
“Sore. Charlie had to carry me out here.”
“Oh dear.”
“I’ve used muscles I didn’t even know I had.” I moan.
“So, no skiing again today?” Robert asks.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “But Charlie is.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Charlie argues.
“Yes, you are. Go, have fun,” I tell him.
“I want to go check out the north ridge today,” Faith adds.
“Me too,” Robert agrees.
“I’m going to hang out here. I have shopping to do,” Caroline adds.
“Can I come?” Everly asks.
“Of course, sweetheart.” Caroline turns to me. “Derrick, are you up for shopping?”
“Um, yes.”
“It’s a miracle. He can walk,” Charlie teases. I roll my eyes at him. “If Derrick is going shopping, I’ll come with you guys, if that is okay?”
“Of course,” Robert answers. “Glad that’s settled. I’m starved. Your mother needs to stop taking us to restaurants that serve miniature food.”
“I’ll agree the servings haven’t been great. Tonight, I’ll take you to get a great big schnitzel, how does that sound?” Caroline smirks.
“Like heaven.” He smiles.
My entire body screams in pain, but something about strolling around St. Moritz, and drinking champagne while shopping in designer stores feels right.
Our first stop is Via Serlas again. Except this time, Caroline is fully unleashed.
We walk into a luxury boutique, and within seconds, three attendants appear like summoned spirits.
“Just browsing,” she says.
Except she doesn’t browse. She scans. She selects. She buys.
“Oh, this cashmere scarf would look lovely on Derrick,” she says, tossing it over my shoulders before I can protest.
“It’s very soft,” I admit, burying my face in it.
“We’ll take it,” she tells the saleswoman before I even inhale.
“Caroline, no, I don’t …”
“Nonsense.” She waves off my protest.
Everly finds a pair of boots that make her look like a Bond villain. Caroline buys them. Then Everly finds a jacket that matches the boots. Caroline buys that too.
Everly spins. “I love being spoiled.”
Caroline points at me. “Pick something.”
“I … I don’t need …”
“Derrick,” she interrupts firmly. “Let me do this.”
I swallow. “Okay. But something small.”
She ignores that completely and hands me a black wool coat so soft it feels illegal. “Try it.”
I slip it on. It fits like a dream.
Everly whistles. “Damn. Charlie’s not going to be able to keep his hands off you.” My cheeks heat.
“This one,” she tells the associate before I can protest.
“It’s too much. Plus, LA doesn’t get that cold.”
“But Montana does.” She winks. I see what she is doing. I just shake my head.
Our next stop is a jeweler. A jeweler. I brace myself.
“That necklace.” Caroline gasps, pressing a hand to the glass. Its sparkles are blinding, and the diamonds are huge.
“Stunning.” Everly gasps.
“I don’t have anywhere to wear it,” Caroline adds.
“You go to a million and one galas every year, you will find a place to wear it,” Everly tells her.
“No harm in trying it on, is there.” Caroline smiles widely.
And she does. And it’s gorgeous. Usually, something like this is on loan for a starlet for an awards show, I’ve never seen a normal person wear something like this.
I see the price tag in Swiss francs, quickly do a calculation, and nearly die.
“Mom. It’s stunning,” Everly tells her.
“Your father will kill me, it’s too much,” she says, running her fingers over the diamonds.
“No, he won’t. Like he says, diamonds are an investment, and you have two girls to pass them onto and maybe in the future, grandkids.” You’re playing dirty, Everly.
“So true.” Caroline grins. “I’ll take it,” she tells the assistant. “Do you wear rings, Derrick?”
“I … um …. Sometimes.”
“Oh, let’s try on engagement rings,” Everly says excitedly as the assistant brings out another bottle of champagne for us and a tray of diamond engagement rings. Everly tries them on as if it’s her personal dress-up box. “What kind of ring do you want?” Everly asks.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it,” I tell her.
Everly gasps. “Derrick, you are a fashion girly. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about what your engagement ring should be.” She’s got me there. “Can you bring out men’s rings, please?”
“Everly.”
“Mom just dropped a fortune, we can play around with the diamonds,” she leans over and whispers to me. Fine. Looking at diamonds keeps my mind off the pain in my body.
The assistant brings out a tray of rings for me, and the choice is overwhelming. I pick up the one that is all diamonds. I always thought something sparkly on my hand would look good, and I wasn’t wrong. The way the diamonds catch in the light is breathtaking.
“That suits you,” Everly states.
“It’s gorgeous.” I grin, unable to take my eyes off it. Then I try on another ring with a diamond in the center on a platinum band. Then there’s another that has diamonds zig-zagging across the band. “As long as it sparkles, it’s a winner for me.”
“What do you think Charlie would like?” Caroline asks.
“Probably something plain but different. I know he’s liked the black wedding band of one of the Dirty Texas guys.”
“Yes. I could see him in something like that.” Everly grins.
“But nothing too flashy because he wouldn’t want to get it caught when he’s riding.”
“So true,” Caroline adds.
“Guess we got some good ideas then.” Everly smirks as they take the rings away.
“One more shop. There’s something I’ve been meaning to get for the family to celebrate this milestone,” Caroline says. We walk out of the jewelers and into another store, next thing I know, she is ordering love bracelets for all of us.
“This is too much,” I tell her, shaking my head. I can’t accept a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.
“Derrick, I will not have you fight me on this,” she tells me sternly.
“Caroline. Please. I can’t,” I plead with her.
“Sweetheart,” she says, placing her hand on mine.
“Let me. I know you aren’t with my son for his money, because I see how uncomfortable you are around it all and how you are going out of your way to pay your way, and it’s very sweet.
But one of my love languages, and I have many, is buying gifts,” she explains.
“This is my gift to you, to thank you for bringing love and joy back into my son’s heart.
” I tear up at her words. “You will never know how much you have saved our boy by loving him. And I hope what happened the other night hasn’t … ” She hiccups on her emotions.
Now it’s my turn to reach out to her and place my hand on hers. “That man has saved me, too. I love him with all my heart. And we will get through these challenges together.” Caroline reaches out and hugs me.
“You two.” Everly sniffles as she hugs us both.