38. Sienna
thirty-eight
Sienna
Daisy eyes me curiously for the third time as my phone buzzes again, signaling a new incoming text message.
“It’s okay if you want to answer your texts, Sienna, I won’t get mad.” She chuckles softly, stalking towards her bag at the front of the studio.
Hastily, I make my way over to the phone and snatch it up, chuckling as I read the five separate texts from both Derek and Jace.
Heart
Congratulations, angel
Heart
Maybe if you’re lucky…I'll show you how big my column is
The laugh that erupts from me is from the bottom of my core as Jace sends a string of smirking emojis my way.
This morning, we got our midterm test results back and I freaking passed! I got a 93% on my History of Modern Art midterm, which was way better than I thought I would do especially after the hell that this class has put me through.
With a bright smile on my face, I open my message thread with Derek and double over in laughter, clutching my belly.
It’s a picture of Delilah with cake all over her face and her hair in two terrible buns…if that’s what you can call the lopsided balls in her hair.
Derek
I’d like to think that I did amazing
Derek
SOS SHE LOOKS LIKE AN ANGRY GREMLIN
HELP
Clutching my stomach, I hold the phone up, showing Daisy the screen. When she comes over smiling, her lips quirk when she eyes the phone.
“My friend is horrible! Look at my poor baby’s hair!” I joke as Daisy laughs lightly, her eyes lingering on the phone as Derek texts again.
Derek
I need you.
I shake my head, chuckling at his audacity.
Me
You ruined her hair
Derek
Shut up and come over. I need you to fix this
Sighing, I turn to Daisy, slightly noting the way she’d already been eyeing my phone. Daisy’s lip quirks as she looks over the picture of Delilah, her hair in disarray with cake smeared on her face.
“She’s adorable, is she yours?” she asks, her curious gaze washing over me as I snort.
“Nah…She’s his daughter. Do you mind if I leave right now? We're nearing the end of our practice, and I’m pretty sure he’ll leave her hair like that if I don’t help out.”
Daisy looks me over, her stare quizzical before agreeing, a large smile breaking out on her face. “Yeah…go save that little girl, I’ll catch you later.”
By the time I get to Derek’s house, I can already tell that I’m going to need an energy drink and some pasta when I’m done with everything. Delilah is running around like a chicken with its head cut off, war crying, with cake everywhere .
She comes to a halt when she catches me standing in the foyer, nearly falling when our eyes lock.
“Where’s your dad?”
Delilah tilts her head at me as if she has no clue what a “dad” even is. I raise a brow at her, trying to convey seriousness. The act must work because in an instant she buckles down.
“He’s hiding…” she frowns, jutting out her bottom lip as I roll my own in to keep from laughing.
This man…
“Where?”
She doesn’t answer me and instead points to the bathroom.
Nodding, I don’t head for her father. Instead, I lock the front door and pick her up, placing her on the marbled kitchen island.
Cleaning the cake off Deli’s face and getting her to settle down in the living room takes me less than five minutes, but also gives me time to look at Derek’s apartment.
The apartment is industrial-styled with red brick accented walls and floor to ceiling windows.
It’s bigger and more luxurious than I would’ve expected for a single dad in college.
There’s all types of things showing that a child lives here from the toy box in the corner of the living room to the small kiddie chairs in the dining room.
However, the thing that makes me laugh a bit is the fact that this apartment is in the same building as Jace’s loft. It’s cute that they bought units in the same building.
Derek comes out of the bathroom, dark under eye bags making him appear older as his eyes widen, finding me in the living room.
“She said you were hiding…” I snicker as he sighs, running a hand through his hair.
“You would be too if a miniature Bigfoot was chasing you around…Want some tea?” he asks as he opens the cabinets in the kitchen, rummaging around while I take a seat behind Delilah. Her hair bow box and hair care products are already in the living room.
“Water’s fine. ”
We move in tandem with me doing Delilah’s hair and Derek handing me each product that I need while I instruct him on what to do with her mane of curls.
He listens intently to everything that I say, and fifteen minutes later, when I’m done with the two braided pigtails, he looks like a new man.
“So…How’s everything with Jace? No more arguments that I have to save you from?”
I roll my eyes at him, my heart swarming with butterflies at the thought of my boyfriend.
“Everything’s fine…He helped me pass my midterm and look, the photos from our photoshoot came back!”
When Derek spots our partnered picture, a smile breaks out on his face. He laughs lightly, catching Delilah's attention and soon enough, she’s in his lap laughing dramatically how kids do.
I hate to admit it, but Derek is a good freaking dad and a good friend. He helped me without question and would do anything for his daughter. I know that I hated his guts originally, but he’s pretty solid.
We’re talking about my participation in the Winter Showcase when there’s a knock on the door. The three of us are dressed in princess gowns, playing tea party with Delilah, all of us rocking Delilah’s makeup. Derek raises a brow at me, looking as confused as I am.
“Did you order something?” I ask only for my question to be answered by a shout.
“Open up, dickhead! I know my girlfriend is in there!”
My boyfriend, ladies and gents…
Derek raises an amused brow at me, finding this hilarious as I sigh, following behind him to the front door with Deli in my arms.
When the door opens to reveal an angry Jace Heart, three things happen. Deli screams, “Uncle Cupid!” Jace gasps like he’s in a telenovela, and then proceeds to grasp his heart like a woman scorned.
Biting back my laughter, I watch as realization dawns on him and smirk when Jace pouts, his emotions directed at Derek .
“Well, aren’t you going to let me in, you big oaf? And why didn’t you tell me you lived here too?”
My eyes widen as I look between the two while Derek lets Jace in, the latter immediately kisses my cheek as soon as he gets inside.
“Wait, let me get this straight…You two have been friends for years and neither of you knew the other lived in the same building?” I ask, looking between the two as Jace makes himself at home on the couch after taking off his shoes at the front door.
“Pretty much…Hey Momma bear, you feel like making chicken parm? I’m starving !”
Derek chuckles at his friend’s antics, agreeing to make the dish as I settle beside Jace with Deli in between us. He turns, smiling warmly in his spot.
“Loving the whole undead princess vibe, angel.”
Rolling my eyes, I reach behind Deli and smack him upside his head.
“Enough…Anyways, I think that it’s time,” I say, twiddling my fingers.
Jace’s eyebrows crinkle quickly as he gives me his full, undivided attention. “Time for what? To get married and say F U to college or—”
I can’t take him seriously…
Chuckling, I shake my head. “No…I mean that it’s time for us to tell Cleo.”
Delilah, who I hadn’t known was listening, nods her head. “Yeah, bro. Tell her, dude.”
Did she just…?
“Hey, Derek?” I call out, my voice filled with humor.
“Yeah?” he shouts back, pans clanging in the kitchen as Jace and I laugh.
“Please find a girlfriend,” I chuckle, pinching Deli’s cheeks, “Dels is starting to sound like a frat guy!”