Chapter 90 Derrick
DERRICK
Our week in St. Moritz has come to an end and our suitcases are fuller, my body is still bruised, and the penthouse is littered with luxury shopping bags that are now coming home with us.
“Time to get up, babe.” Charlie nudges me this morning.
“I reject this reality,” I mumble into my pillow. “Wake me when we’re back in California.”
“You have to get on a plane to get back to California.”
“Tell the plane to come to me,” I grumble.
He laughs, kisses the back of my neck, and drags me upright. “Come on. We’ve got a long day.”
We shuffle out into the living area, where Caroline has already arranged a farewell breakfast like she’s hosting a gala event, pastries, fruit, eggs, three types of bread, and enough coffee to fuel a small European nation.
“Good morning, my loves!” she calls brightly.
Robert looks at me over his mug. “Morning.”
Everly is curled into a chair, wrapped in a blanket like a dramatic Victorian child recovering from an illness. “I don’t want to leave.” She groans.
“Welcome to being an adult,” Faith teases her.
Everly pokes her tongue out at her. Faith is staying on with her parents as they head to Monaco to catch up with friends tomorrow.
Apparently, she’s never left the ranch before, but luckily, her bestie is looking after it for her.
She happens to be the sister of the neighbor with the wandering bull, who is the bane of her existence.
“I’m going to miss you guys,” she says, hugging me.
“Come to LA anytime.”
“I love you guys, but …” She grins.
“Faith is never coming to LA,” Everly states.
“It’s not you, it’s me.” She laughs.
Understandable.
Caroline clasps her hands together. “We had the best time. Truly. I’m so grateful you came with us, sweetheart,” she says, hugging me. “Having you here felt … right.”
My throat goes tight. “I loved it. Even the skiing. Kind of.”
Charlie snorts.
We gather our bags, pack the last bits, and step into the private elevator one final time.
On the drive to Zurich airport, St. Moritz sparkles under fresh snow like a glittering postcard.
Charlie holds my hand between us, thumb brushing my knuckles.
No words needed. And just like that, our magical time in Switzerland is over, but the memories will stay with me forever.
We are back in LA. The blast of warm air hits us the moment we walk out of LAX. Palm trees. Smog-filtered sunshine. Traffic for as far as the eye can see.
“Home sweet home.” Charlie chuckles.
“I have culture shock,” Everly grumbles as we get into our transfer. I understand what she means, but LA has a certain charm about it.
We drive quietly back to Everly and Charlie’s apartment first. “So, um, are you staying tonight or going to Derrick’s?” she asks.
“I was going to do some washing and then head over later,” Charlie tells her.
“You know if you two want to live together, I’d be okay with it,” she says. It’s a conversation we have both been wanting to broach, but haven’t had the courage to.
“Ev …” Charlie starts.
“I’m fine with it. Truly. I think it makes sense, plus, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet. I’ve never lived by myself before, and I feel like someone in their twenties should be.”
“Are you sure?” Charlie asks.
“I am. This trip away has made me re-evaluate a lot of things and what I want and where I want to go.” Oh wow. We had no idea. “I think it’s time you and I cut the cords from each other.”
“We’re not that bad,” Charlie argues.
“I know. We’ve had fun, but you’re moving onto a new chapter with Derrick, and I need to find mine.” This is devastating. This isn’t how I wanted Charlie to move in with me.
“Are you sure?” Charlie sniffles, and it’s my turn to squeeze his leg in reassurance, letting him know I’ve got him.
Everly is crying now, but she is smiling as she turns and looks at us in the backseat. “Yes. I need this as much as you do.” She sniffles. Charlie reaches out and takes her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“I love you,” he tells her.
“And I love you too.”
We arrive at Charlie and Everly’s apartment, and the siblings get out and hug each other. I leave them to have their moment before jumping out and hugging Everly goodbye.
“You look after him,” she tells me.
“I’ll be back. I have to get my things,” Charlie tells her.
“I will. I promise.”
“Good.” She smiles. “Now go,” she says, pushing her brother away as she makes her way into the apartment. We wave and watch to make sure she is in safely, and then head back into the car.
“That wasn’t how I thought us moving in together was going to go,” Charlie states. “I mean, you still want me to move in, right?”
“Yes. Fuck yes,” I tell him. “As long as you do.”
“I do.”
“Okay. Well, I guess we’re doing this.” Charlie smirks.
“Guess we are. Does this mean you’re going to want to redecorate?”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, but I do need closet space.”
My eyes widen. “Um …”
He bursts out laughing. “I can set my stuff up in the spare room.”
“Oh, thank goodness, because I didn’t know how your stuff was going to fit in my closet.”
“We might need to buy a bigger house.” Charlie grins as he nudges me.
“Definitely need the closet space, but I love that we are both walking distance to work.”
“Me too, but we could have a look and see what is around and if we could afford it.”
“Something that is both of ours.”
“We don’t have to rush into anything,” Charlie reassures me.
“When there’s a ring on my finger …” I wiggle my hand at him, “I’ll happily look at buying a new place.”
“Is that the deadline?”
“Yep.”
“Good to know. Let’s see how we go living together. I might not want to put a ring on it.”
“Oh my god, that’s so me.” I nudge him as he bursts out laughing.
“I’m joking. You’re stuck with me, D. I ain’t going anywhere.”
“Good,” I say, giving him a glare.
It’s not long until we arrive home. I drop my suitcase in the doorway, flop face-first onto the couch, and groan into a cushion. “Wake me up in a week.”
Charlie sits beside me, running a hand through my hair. “We have groceries to get.”
“No, we don’t,” I mumble into the cushion.
“We do.”
“We have takeout apps. That’s the same thing.”
He laughs, leans down, and presses a soft kiss to my temple. “I missed this.”
“What? My complaining?”
“Yes. And also, your face. Even the slightly battered version.”
I turn my head and look up at him. “You doing okay being back?”
His expression shifts to something quieter, thoughtful. “I will be.”
I reach up to run my thumb gently along his jaw. “We’re home. We’re together. And if your nightmares show up again, we’ll deal with them here too.”
He nods, eyes warm as he pulls me into his chest, his heartbeat steady under my ear.