Chapter 91 Derrick
DERRICK
Bros Chat
Tavish: Lads. Tell me this is fake. *Sends screenshot from a gossip site* “ROCKSTAR CHANCE COLE MARRIES A LORD IN VEGAS”
Callum: What the fuck?
Rowan: Wait. Is that …
Tavish: He’s wearing the family’s fucking kilt.
Callum: Nope. No. Absolutely not.
Derrick: Um …
Rowan: D? What the hell? He’s your friend.
Derrick: This is the first I’m hearing about it. Give me a minute.
Tavish: I don’t believe it’s him.
Rowan: Is Arran gay?
Callum: I don’t know.
Tavish: Hell no.
Rowan: Then why the hell did he marry a male rockstar if he isn’t?
Callum: This must be AI.
Tavish: I don’t know. I’m just as confused as you guys are.
Rowan: Why does he look happy in these photos?
Callum: That kiss is full on. Is he biting his lip?
Tavish: He has to have been wasted, there is no way in hell he would do this sober.
Derrick: I think it’s real, guys.
Rowan: Derrick.
Derrick: Fuck. It wasn’t my place to say.
Callum: Wasn’t your place to say what?
Derrick: Guess he’s just outed himself.
Tavish: Outed himself?
Derrick: Arran’s bi. I saw him and Chance making out when you guys first came to LA.
Rowan: Wait, what?
Tavish: No way, you’re lying.
Derrick: I wouldn’t make this shit up.
Callum: He’s bi? How did we not know? I’ve only ever seen him with girls.
Rowan: Did he think we would be upset finding out he’s bi?
Tavish: I feel blindsided.
Derrick: Chance is also my ex. My toxic ex.
Rowan: He’s the toxic ex.
Derrick: Yeah. Apparently, he’s sober. I told them both to stay away from each other, but they never listened.
Tavish: What the fuck, Derrick? How could you keep this from us?
Rowan: Tav. It wasn’t his place to say.
Tavish: But I could have done something.
Callum: Like what?
Tavish: I don’t know. Kept him from getting fucking married in Vegas to a guy.
Derrick: Has anyone spoken to him?
Tavish: Tried calling. Straight to voicemail.
Rowan: Same.
Callum: Same here.
Rowan: I thought he was going to Vegas next week.
Tavish: It was this week.
Derrick: Last night was the show.
Callum: So … he flew from Scotland to Vegas. Went to the concert. Married your ex. Outed himself publicly. And then ghosted his entire family?
Derrick: Chance was in the closet too.
Callum: Fuck.
Tavish: ARRAN ANSWER YOUR PHONE YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE.
Rowan: Derrick, can you try Chance?
Derrick: I have. My messages aren’t going through. He’s either blocked me or …
Callum: Fuck.
Rowan: Mum and Dad are going to lose their minds.
Callum: I’m not telling them.
Tavish: Neither am I.
Derrick: Don’t look at me.
Rowan: Fucking fine. I will.
Tavish: Arran. We’re not mad you married a rockstar.
Rowan: We’re mad you didn’t tell us and left it for us to find out in the fucking gossip pages.
Callum: Should we be booking flights?
Derrick: No one is booking anything yet. Let me try a few more things.
Tavish: ARRAN, IF YOU CAN SEE THIS SEND A SIGN. ANYTHING.
Rowan: If he is in a honeymoon suite somewhere, not checking his phone, I’ll fucking kill him.
Callum: Dick move.
Derrick: I hate this. I feel like I could have done something.
Rowan: There is no way in hell you knew this was going to happen.
Derrick: I knew they were close …
Callum: Yeah. Still wouldn’t have expected this from him. Hooking up with a guy, yeah, maybe, but marrying one.
Rowan: What was his plan?
Tavish: He’d better have been fucking pissed doing this because if he did that sober, I’m really hurt because he married someone, and his brothers weren’t there.
Callum: Exactly. Derrick, we’re coming over. I can’t sit here waiting.
Tavish: I’m coming too.
Derrick: Okay. I’ll keep you posted. I’ll get Charlie to investigate. He has his ways.
Rowan: Keep us posted.
“What the fuck?” Toby squeals as he walks into my office.
“I know. I just saw.”
“Derrick!” Sienna calls out my name as she walks into my studio. “What the fuck. Like, what the actual fuck.”
“I didn’t know your brother was gay,” Toby says. “If I had, I would have made a play for him.” I glare at Toby. “Right. I’ll leave you guys to this.” He shuts the door to my office.
“How the hell did this happen? I don’t understand,” Sienna asks me.
“Arran’s bi.”
“He is?”
I nod. “Arran and Chance hooked up at your place.”
“Wait, what? Back up for a moment, that has been months.”
“I know. I noticed the two of them flirting, but I thought it was all in my head because it’s Chance. I thought maybe I was exaggerating things, but when I noticed them missing from the party, I went to find them. And I did. They were making out.”
“Derrick, why did you not tell me?”
“I know. Look, I was shocked, but also it wasn’t my story to tell.”
“I get that …” Sienna says.
“I warned Chance away from him, but he refused and said that them being bi and in the closet, was helping him stay sober. He alluded to them being friends. Not …”
“I’m in shock.”
“I know.”
There are footsteps outside my door, and when I look up, Vanessa and Isla are in my office.
“Please tell me this is a joke or something?” Vanessa questions me.
“It’s real. Believe me.”
“I thought there was something going on between them,” Isla states.
“But your brother’s straight, isn’t he?” Vanessa asks.
“He’s bi. I found the two of them making out when they first came to LA.”
“Fucking hell. D.” Vanessa gasps. “Are you okay?”
“I’m over Chance, but it’s my fucking brother,” I tell them, I then launch into the story I just told Sienna.
“I will say Chance has been doing really well recently. I hate to say it, but maybe Arran is a good influence on him,” Vanessa winces as she says it.
“Let’s not go that far.”
“I don’t understand why they got married?” Sienna asks.
“They are MIA. They’re not answering any of our calls,” I tell them.
Vanessa tries, and it just rings out. Isla does, too, and she gets the same no answer.
“Fuck. Let me try Blake,” Vanessa says, but he doesn’t pick up either. She tries each one of the boys, but nothing. “Shit. Sienna, can you try Charlotte?”
“She didn’t go to Vegas, but I’ll try her,” Sienna says. “Hey, Charlotte, yeah, I just saw. You don’t know anything? You haven’t spoken to Blake? Okay. Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” Sienna looks up at us. “She knows nothing. She can’t get through to Blake either.”
“Shit. You don’t think something has happened to them?” Isla asks.
“I don’t know, but it looks like we’re going to Vegas to hunt down some fucking rockstars.”
“Derrick!” Charlie sprints in after the girls have left.
“I know.”
“What the fuck.”
“I know. Everyone has been in here. My brothers are freaking out, they can’t get in touch with them. They’re MIA.”
“Fuck.”
“I can’t believe he did that. He fucking married him. It’s everywhere.”
“I know, Jackson was the one who told me.” Charlie shakes his head. “Married?”
“Guess that’s one way of coming out of the closet.” I huff.
“For two people who were very much in it, they just went ‘fuck it’ didn’t they?” Charlie states.
“What the hell were they thinking?”
“You don’t think Chance is drinking again?” Charlie asks.
“Maybe. Why else would he have done it?”
“You don’t think …”
“That they are in love?” The word sticks in my throat.
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“Are you saying that because you know, or are you saying that as his ex?” Charlie asks me. I try to speak, but no words want to come out. “It’s okay to be upset, it doesn’t mean you love me any less.”
“I’m not upset. I’m confused. He was so adamant when he was with me that no one could know about his sexuality, and then in one night he just blew it all up.”
“Maybe he was sick of hiding?”
“Do you think that’s the reason?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “It has to be something else.”
“Exactly, but what?”
THE BOYS
Evan: Did you see this? *Inserts link to gossip article about Chance and Arran.”
Derrick: I did.
Christian: What the fuck.
Axel: Is this real?
Finn: Pictures look real.
Oscar: AI is pretty good now.
Evan: I thought Arran was straight.
Christian: And I thought Chance was in the closet.
Derrick: Arran is bi as is Chance. They were both in the closet until now. They got together at your place, Evan.
Evan: My place.
Christian: This is all your fault.
Evan: No, it’s not.
Axel: How did you know they got together at Evan’s place?
Derrick: I walked in on them.
Oscar: Shit.
Christian: Oh no.
Evan: Fuck.
Finn: Were you okay?
Derrick: It scarred me, I’m not going to lie. I was shocked. I had no idea.
Evan: That was ages ago that party.
Derrick: I know. I warned Chance away from Arran, but he didn’t listen.
Christian: Obviously.
Derrick: Then at New Year’s, I warned Arran away from Chance. Told him he was my ex.
Finn: And that didn’t go down well.
Derrick: No. He’s been pissy with me ever since.
Christian: Fuck, man. I’m sorry.
Oscar: I thought Chance was sober.
Derrick: So did I.
Axel: Sober people can get married in Vegas.
Oscar: I know, but this is out of character for Chance.
Christian: He’s hidden his sexuality for years. Look at the shit he put Derrick through.
Axel: Has anyone been able to get in touch with him?
Derrick: They are both MIA. Jackson and Charlie are looking for them.
Evan: Shit. Hope nothing serious has happened. What about the other guys?
Derrick: Sienna spoke to Charlotte, and she can’t get a hold of Blake.
Evan: Fuck.
Christian: Does this mean we need to organize a dad trip to Vegas?
Finn: Don’t sound so happy about that.
Christian: I’m not. I’m just saying, maybe we should check to see if everything is okay.
Oscar: I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Vegas.
Evan: Me too.
Derrick: You guys!