38. Derek
The moment Delilah walked out of the house last night to check on Georgia, I felt like my heart was ripped out for the second time.
I want to be there with them, to laugh and watch the silly little movies that they tend to like. I want to create inside jokes with them and be there with my girls. Instead, I’m standing outside, wishing I could turn back time as my life continues on without me.
Georgia loves me.
I close my eyes. The of her crying as she yelled that she loves me is both poetic and painful as I fight the urge to go to her right now and comfort her, but I can’t.
She wants space—needs it, and I respect that. If space is what she wants, then I’ll give her the solar system as long as she’s the sun and I’m Mercury. I’ll give her all the space she needs as long as I can orbit around her.
“Fuck.” I run a hand through my messy curls, cringing when my finger gets stuck in a tangled one as footsteps approach.
It’s been twelve hours since she and I spoke. Five hours since I finished cooking the last of my dishes and baked goods for my wife, and twenty minutes since I finished my second project for her.
I can’t buy Georgia’s love, I mean, you’ve met her. You know my wife just as well as I do, but I can show her my love for her in other ways. An apology is one thing, but action? Action is a completely different ballgame.
I stroke Nora’s mane, silently comforting myself. I don’t think I can handle any more drama or arguments… ever.
“I heard you two arguing last night. I think NASA might’ve heard you guys too.” Mamá says almost as soon as my thoughts clear, and I slump my shoulders.
Were we that loud? I grimace, scrunching my nose because yeah… We were that loud.
Mamá continues on, her voice void of all emotions.
“Was what she said true? ?Era todo una mentira1?” There’s no malice or anger in her tone as she faces ahead.
Instead, there’s resolve. She’s watching me carefully as I pet Nora, and I feel like I’m twelve years old again, telling her my problems while I comfort myself using Nora.
I don’t respond to my mother—she already knows the truth.
The silence between us is loud. She doesn’t say a single word for about five minutes, and all I can think about is Georgia. Maybe she’s already on a flight halfway across the country to Maryland right now…
“I didn’t like that girl at first, y’know?”
I snort quietly, turning to the shorter woman as she shrugs, holding up her hands.
“It’s true… Georgia knows it, you know it…
I didn’t like her, but she loved you. Even then, she stood her ground and stood by you when I was nasty to her.
I can see her love for you, and I can see that you love her just as much, if not more,” she says, placing a hand on my slumped shoulders.
Mamá cups my cheek with her other hand, her eyes somber as she frowns.
“Listen, mijo, even though you lied, your inheritance is still yours. You deserve it, and Georgia deserves about twenty new purses with that money—go make up with your wife. She’s still upset, and we all feel it.”
My breath is shaky as I wrap my arms around my mom, crumbling when she pats my back and whispers small assurances to me. The moment is so soft and warm that by the end of it, I feel like I’ve been granted new wings by an angel.
I can get my wife back, show her I love and care for her, and I know just how to do it too.
Whipping out my phone, I pull up my text thread with the guys.
Married Man Anonymous
Derek
Code red I need help
Jace
Oh brother…
Blake
Now’s my time to shine
Ryan
Why am I still in this groupchat????
Derek
I’ve severely fucked up
Jace
It seems like this is an ongoing theme for you
Blake
Shut up. He needs advice
Ryan
Is Georgia okay?
I scoff at his text, pocketing my phone as I walk into the kitchen of the main house. Checking on last night's creation, I smile. The tops are cooling perfectly and are ready to be iced. The phone pings again, and I chuckle, rereading Blake’s text twice.
Blake
Why wouldn’t she be? Derek's a saint
Jace
Saint? If he’s a saint, then I’m the pope
Mama Bear is a freaky little fuck
Derek
I may have forgotten to tell her that Eden Marlowe is my God Mom…
Ryan
Have you lost your mind?
Jace
Eden Marlowe? As in THE Eden Marlowe????
Dude…………….
Blake
Yikes… Uh… I should go, if Cleo finds out that I know, I’ll be in trouble…
Blake has left the group chat
Derek has added Blake to the group chat
Derek
What did you do to win Cleo back? She hated you for weeks and you Jace, how did you win over Sienna?
Blake
I apologized like crazy and was there for her. Cleo needed space and I gave her the inch she needed
Jace
Sienna needed someone who understood her. We don’t argue because I understand my girlfriend more than anyone on this earth.
Derek
So, what should I do?
Blake
We can’t tell you what to do, but I think you know already
I nod at myself in the mirror and fix my hat. I’m going to get my girl back, no matter what. Taking a deep breath, I grab the packed basket and small bouquet before heading out to the pool house.
“Deep breaths, Derek. Steady deep breaths…” I tell myself, blowing out air as I step to the front door of the pool house, knocking three times.
I close my eyes as the door opens and let out a sigh, only for my eyes to shoot to my hairline as they trail down to my daughter.
Delilah stands with her tiny arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her delicate face. She is so damn adorable that I have to roll my lips to not coo at her. She shakes her head slowly, tutting her little tongue at me.
“I’m mad at you, Papá,” she says, her voice dropping an octave as her scowl deepens.
Plucking a flower from behind my back, I crouch to her level and place it behind her ear.
“Be mad at me after you brush your teeth, Sunshine.” I chuckle. Delilah’s eyes go wide, a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks as she scurries off to the bathroom.
Georgia comes walking out of the bathroom as Delilah scurries past her. “Woah, Dels, what’s going… on?” She stops in her steps when she sees me in the doorway.
Her long blonde hair is damp from her shower; crystal beads of water pepper her hairline as she stands before me in my shirt and a pair of slippers.
She sighs, and it takes everything in me not to run to her and pull her into my arms. She’s not looking at me; I need her to look at me… To just smile at me.
Please, darlin’... Please just look at me.
I move my head, trying to catch her eye, but she remains firm in not meeting mine.
Her voice is cold as she asks, “Why are you here?”
My heart sinks.
“I…”
Deli pops out of the bathroom, her kiddie toothbrush dangling out of her mouth as she looks at me, gesturing wildly.
“I…”
My daughter makes gestures to Georgia, opening her mouth as if to scream at me, before her toothbrush falls out.
Georgia chuckles, turning to the four-year-old. “How did that happen?”
Delilah gives her an animated shrug, cutting a quick look at me before bouncing back into the bathroom.
I clear my throat and take a step forward. “Will you go on a date with me?”
She gives me a confused look, her brows raising and lips parting, “You want to go on a date? After everything, that’s the first thing you say to me?”
My underarms itch as sweat begins to bead. Georgia’s gaze is like fire, enticing, but the closer I get, the more it burns to be near.
“No, ma’am.”
“Ma’am?” She chuckles as a small smile creeps on her face.
“Ma’am.” I nod. “Let me take you out, right now. Please?”
Georgia’s shoulders fall, her brows creasing as she looks me over. She drinks me in from head to toe before nodding.
“Fine, you can take me out, but the cowboy hat stays.”
“When did you have time to get flowers?” Georgia asks as we trot down the path, riding Nora. She’d been quiet for the past hour, from the time she got ready for today, we dropped Delilah off, and headed to the stables—she was radio silent.
I turn back to her quickly, placing a hand on one of the ones she has wrapped around my waist, and blush when I face forward.
“Plucked them from Lita’s garden.”
She gasps, quietly mumbling, “So he’s a thief and a liar…”
I can’t help the small laugh that tumbles from my lips as I steer Nora toward the clearing near the back of the property.
“I’m not a thief. Lita makes the flowers into bouquets. She—like everyone else—heard us last night and helped me arrange the flowers correctly.”
She hums, nodding as she places her head on my back. “We were a bit loud, weren’t we?” she asks, chuckling awkwardly.
Mimicking her, I nod.
“We were so loud last night, Mamá thinks the neighbors might’ve heard.”
Georgia lets out a mortified sound, gripping my waist tighter, “What neighbors? I don’t see—”
“They’re about a mile and a half down the road,” I respond, holding a laugh in as she lightly smacks my arm.
When we arrive at the clearing, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I help Georgia off Nora, happy to be able to touch her before she slips away from me entirely. I lead her to a part of the clearing and put down our blanket.
The clearing reminds me of a forbidden faerie grotto with whimsical willow trees that let the sun creep through the cracks between leaves. There’s a huge waterfall in the middle of the clearing, and land surrounds it. When Georgia takes note of her surroundings, a gasp escapes her lips.
“Where are we?” she asks, her hands covering her mouth as I smile.
“The Forbidden Hollow,” I announce, twisting with my arms out like a showman announcing his acts for the night as she grins.
“What is this place?” she questions, her eyes rounding around the edges as I take her hand and pull her down to the ground with me, placing a sunflower behind her ear. My breath hitches as my finger lingers, caressing the smooth skin near her cheek.
“This is where we’ll make up. I want to give you the whole world, Georgia, but I know that I’ll have to earn back your trust.”
She opens her mouth to speak, “You’ve got twenty minutes.”
I move quickly, taking the very first item out of the picnic basket, placing it on her lap.