12. Georgia
The apartment smells like Derek. Hell, everything in this place screams Derek.
The apartment is huge and has an industrial vibe. The walls are accented with red and brown brick and large floor-to-ceiling windows. He’s kept the decor very minimal, but it’s clear as day that a child lives here.
Taking a deep breath, I put down our dog and put on a smile.
When we were leaving Vegas, both Derek and I decided it would be better for us to keep the golden puppy rather than put her in a shelter.
Sadly, we still haven't been able to find a name for her yet.
She yips, clearly excited to be in a new space as Derek rounds into the living room. He gave me the access code to the door earlier, so I waltzed in.
“Hey, Blondie,” he greets me, pulling me into his strong arms. Inhaling his scent of rich pine and vanilla, I groan. This man smells like heaven in human form. “How was your drive? Have you eaten yet?” he asks as we part.
Grinning warmly, I nod. “Yeah, I drank a smoothie and had a protein bar.”
In less than a second, he’s tugging me into the kitchen. My jaw is practically on the ground when his strong hands grasp the bare skin on my waist and lift me onto the kitchen island. I gasp when my sweatpants-clad thighs land on the cool surface.
“You haven’t had real food today, and it’s almost noon. Sit tight, I’ll get Deli. Blake and Jace both said that they will be here soon,” he tells me with his back turned as he cooks up a dish on the stove.
Whatever it is has my mouth watering from the smell. I sniff the air a few more times, trying to make out the dish, when the sound of feet padding against the floor alerts me to Delilah’s presence.
Hopping off the counter, I smooth my sweatpants and mentally curse myself for not showing up in a better outfit.
This little diva is dressed in a yellow shirt that says “My daddy is a goalie” with a matching tutu, pink tights, ballet slippers, and a tiara.
Meanwhile, I’m wearing three-year-old sweats with paint stains and an IONYX F1 crop top I stole from Cleo’s closet.
Delilah stops in the open space between the kitchen and the living room with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. She first looks at me, her eyes brightening as she screams, “Georgia!” before hugging my legs. My heart melts in an instant, and all my anxiety from earlier melts away.
I can do this. I can be a great stepmom…
The yips of the golden puppy steal her attention.
Delilah gasps softly, her small hands shooting to her mouth as she eyes the dog.
Derek stops cooking, turning to stand next to me, watching as the small dog trots up to Delilah. She takes a step back as the puppy approaches her before freezing.
“Papá… do you see the puppy too?” she asks, her voice soft as she loudly whispers.
“Yeah, Sunshine. I see the dog too.” He chuckles softly, watching as the puppy and small child interact.
She giggles. “Is she ours now?”
I’m at a loss for words, unable to figure out what to say when her brown eyes lock with my green ones.
Derek cuts in, taking the lead.
“Of course, you and Georgia should come up with a name for her. Shouldn’t you, Georgia?”
Kneeling to Delilah’s height, I take her hands in mine. “What do you think we should call her, Deli?”
She pauses, poking her finger into her dimple before her eyes widen with excitement. “Agnes!”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline.
Did she just name our dog Agnes?
Derek and I share a look before grinning at the four-year-old, nodding our heads.
“Agnes, it is.”
Delilah’s eyes light up before she jumps into my arms, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. For her to be only a four-year-old, she’s strong as hell. The weight of her body and the strength of her hug cause me to teeter a bit before she lets go, turning to the dog.
“Come on, Agnes! I’m going to show you my toys!” she exclaims, trotting over and picking up the dog to take back to her room.
“Be careful with the dog, Deli! And pay attention to her!” Derek calls back to his kid as she laughs her way down the hall.
Turning back to face the man, I smile. “How’d I do?”
“You were perfect. Now sit down and eat.”
The two of us eat in silence. Derek prepared a delicious lunch of shrimp quesadillas and fruit.
After, we sit and talk about what’s to come and our moving strategy while our friends arrive.
Sienna is the first to get here, tugging a sleepy Jace along into the apartment, the two of them in pajamas.
Jace wastes no time making a plate of food and parking his butt at the island next to Derek.
Sienna chuckles as her grumpy boyfriend falls asleep while eating his fruit and turns to me.
“How are you feeling? Ready to start bringing boxes in?” she asks, rubbing a soothing hand down my shoulder as I nod, taking a bite of my own food.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I chuckle through my bite, feeding her one of my grapes. Luckily, Derek didn’t prepare strawberries today since he knew that Sienna is allergic to them.
Blake, Cleo, and Denver arrive not too long after, the three of them hauling in boxes of my things that I couldn’t fit in my car and left in our apartment.
When Cleo sets down the box in her arms, the smile that breaks across her warm brown skin is magnetic, and I mirror her instantly.
“My girl!” she squeals, jogging over to me, hugging me from behind, swaying side to side.
“My favorite girl!” I mimic her as she giggles.
“I brought over the stuff for your vanity and a few of your sketchbooks. Blake has the last box from your closet with the rest of your shoes, and Denver has some of your fabrics.”
Eyeing Denver and Blake, I mouth a “thank you” before turning to Derek.
“Looks like the gang is all here; the only things left to bring up are the four boxes in my trunk.”
Derek nods thoughtfully, popping a raspberry into his mouth. “I’ll get Jace and Blake to help me bring those in, but first I have to give you a proper tour. I didn’t think to do it earlier, but now's a better time than any.”
Agreeing, I stand from the table and clean up the dishes that both Derek and I had, taking them to the sink to wash as Jace walks into the kitchen.
“Ugh… I can’t believe I’ll have to live in the same building as you,” says the ugliest reptile alive.
Turning from my spot at the sink, I point the dirty knife that Derek used earlier at Jace.
“Keep talking, asshole, and I won’t hesitate to cut you,” I threaten, narrowing my eyes as he rolls his and pouts, facing Sienna.
“Angel, are you going to let this she-devil speak to me like this? Beat her up.” He huffs as Sienna rolls her eyes, ruffling his hair.
“Make sure you get him good, G. He’s ticklish, so get the side of his stomach too.” Sienna chuckles, swatting Jace away as he wraps an arm around her waist.
He scoffs, “And to think, you were just so sweet to me earlier.”
Ignoring the two of them, I turn back to the sink and begin to clean the dishes when I feel a warmth at my back. Chills run down my spine when Derek leans to rest his head on my shoulder.
“What are you doing, darlin’?” he whispers, his voice deep as he tilts his head to eye me.
“Washing the dishes, what does it look like?” I sass, bumping him off with my hip.
“Why? I was going to clean them.” He furrows his brows.
Turning to face him, I frown. “You cooked the meal, so that means I clean it up. It’s only fair to clean up after you spent your time cooking for us.”
Something in Derek’s gaze softens as he nods. “Okay, fine, then I’ll dry them.”
And so he does. We work like a well-oiled machine, washing and drying dishes together like an Olympic team, and soon enough, the entire kitchen is spotless.
Our friends sit around the living room, the girls all helping to fold my clothes while Blake and Jace color-code my shoes just how I like them.
The feeling of a hand lacing with my own steals my attention. Derek gives me a small smile before pressing a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet.
Nodding slowly, I allow him to whisk me away to the room off the kitchen and living room area.
My jaw drops as I take in the huge room.
The bedroom reminds me of a billionaire bachelor pad from movies.
His walls are painted black and gray, and there is a wall with the same brick as is in the living room.
The furniture is sleek and also black, with a giant bed in the center of the room and small silver accent pieces along the shelves and walls.
The room smells like him, rich and full of warmth.
I take in a deep breath. “Quite the bachelor pad you’ve got here.”
He smirks, raising a brow at me before chuckling.
“This is your side of the drawer. You have this entire column, but if you need more drawer space, let me know, and I’ll get it fixed.”
His words take me aback as he continues on. What does he mean by my side of the drawer? Are we sharing the dresser? A crease forms in my brows as I look over the massive dresser and the man in front of me as he talks.
Did Derek clean out his dresser to make space for me?
“... And this is the bathroom, pretty standard with a duo sink, there's a space in the middle where you can set up your vanity. I didn’t know if I should install a new mirror so that you could see yourself better right there, so I left it up to you.” His words drone back in as I mindlessly follow him around the bathroom.
Wait… My vanity? Are we sharing a bedroom?
He smiles softly. “This is the closet… I moved my clothes to the office. You have more need for a walk-in than I do, and you can use the space to design as well.”
When I enter the closet, my jaw falls off its hinges as I take in the enormous space. Derek’s apartment is huge as is, but this closet is the size of my old bedroom.
There are small pieces already hung up and a pair of shoes on the five-tiered built-in shelf. When my eyes catch on the small desk in the corner, a fresh sketchbook already open and ready for me, tears spring in my eyes.
“Oh my goodness…” I whisper, my hands to my mouth as Derek continues speaking, unaware of my current state.