12. Georgia #2
“I know that this is hard, having to move in with a dad and daughter duo isn’t easy, especially while being young and in school… I want you to be as comfortable as—what’s wrong?” His voice softens as he turns to face me.
I can’t get my words out, but I don’t need to.
Derek pulls me in for a hug, resting his head over mine as I cry into his chest, his arms encompassing me like a shield.
No one has ever done something like this for me, and Derek did it within the first three hours of us living together.
“We’re a family now, Georgia. Families take care of one another.”
“And then, I laughed and freaking ginger ale shot out from my nose! I soaked Cleo and Jace with it, and it was honestly probably the second most embarrassing moment of my life. I remember I’d always do small embarrassing things as a kid, but snot rocketing ginger ale at a restaurant was by far the…
I’m rambling. Sorry…” I wince, my cheeks growing hot as I unpack the last of the boxes for my new closet with Derek.
Everyone left about an hour ago, and Derek made us dinner. When he went to check on Delilah after dinner, he’d found both her and Agnes cuddled up in bed, fast asleep.
Now, the two of us are drinking hot cocoa and getting my new closet together.
“Listen… If I’m ever too much, please let me know… I know that I can be a bit much sometimes.” I sigh, placing one of my red heels in its rightful spot. Lord knows my father has told me multiple times over the years to “calm down” or to “stop being so dramatic.” I wince.
Derek eyes me momentarily before shaking his head. “Never apologize for your muchness. Besides, I like hearing you talk. As you could probably tell, I don’t talk a lot, but I enjoy hearing the things you say.”
I gulp, my heart racing as our eyes connect. We hold one another’s eye contact, the air around us growing thick. Taking a sip of the warm drink in my hands, I cough as it goes down the wrong pipe.
Great freaking going, G… way to embarrass yourself.
“I’m happy you’re here, Georgia—Deli is too. She was so happy when I told her that you’d be living with us, she picked out a tiara from her stash for you… and a mug.” He chuckles softly as my heart cracks.
“She did?”
He looks up from the hanger he’d been fiddling with and smiles.
“Of course, she loves being around you and the girls.”
The thought of Delilah actually enjoying my presence gives me a newfound sense of confidence as Derek continues to talk.
“We have a few rules for her as well. I thought I’d let you know before you moved in.
I forgot to mention them earlier,” he says, picking up a vintage dress and hanging it up in the closet gently.
“Shoot. I’m all ears.”
He chuckles. “My rules for Delilah are pretty simple. No sweets after dinner on week nights. She has to go to dance every Tuesday and Thursday, and she must read something every day. I mainly need help with her dance classes, since I have hockey on those days. Mom typically takes her, but I know that she can’t all the time. ”
My ears perk up. “I can! I don’t have anything to do on those days. I can take her to practice and stay with her until she gets out if that’s okay…”
Derek’s eyes brighten. “Thank you… that’s perfect.”
Smiling, I feel triumphant as we finish up with the closet. We spend the night joking and laughing with one another, neither of us ready to go to bed until Derek checks his watch.
“It’s late; get some rest. I’ll be in the living room if you need me,” he says, standing and gathering our mugs.
“Oh! Uh… Okay? Goodnight, Derek.”
He smiles, “Goodnight, Georgia.”
I watch as he disappears around the corner of the bedroom, leaving me alone in the closet with my thoughts.
It takes me no time to get ready for bed; the shower was already stocked up with my products, courtesy of Derek and Sienna. Making sure to moisturize, I prep myself for bed, putting my hair in a heatless curls set.
When I get out of the bathroom, the reality of my circumstances truly dawns on me.
I just moved into my husband's place and now have to sleep alone in a new place. Looking for the most important box from the move, I groan when I can’t find it.
“I swear to all things holy if Cleo threw out Mr. Snuffies without me knowing…” I curse, looking around the bedroom in search of the old rag doll.
When I can’t find it, I curse.
I can only sleep peacefully when I cuddle Mr. Snuffies…Without him, I can kiss all semblance of a good night's rest goodbye. Plus, being scared of the dark at twenty-one doesn’t help… Either I sleep with Mr.Snuffies, with the TV on, or both.
There’s no in-between.
Tiptoeing into the living room, I try to make my way to one of the boxes we hadn't unpacked and freeze when Derek shifts in his spot on the couch. Quickly covering the flashlight on my phone with my fingers, I roll my lips in.
So much for trying to keep quiet…
“Georgia?” a voice calls out to me in the darkness of the living room. The light turning on causes me to hiss and cover my eyes.
He chuckles softly. “What’s wrong?”
Standing up straight, I press my lips together.
How do I tell him that I can’t sleep peacefully without my twenty-year-old stuffed animal or a night light?
Derek tilts his head at me, and before I know it, I’m blurting out my words.
“Uh… Can you… Can you sleep with me tonight?”