Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ROSALIE
I didn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aaron's face, the hurt, the betrayal, the anger. I'd replayed the conversation a thousand times, searching for something I could have said differently, some way I could have made him understand.
But there was no magic combination of words that would have made it okay. Derek and I had lied, and Aaron had every right to be furious.
My phone had been silent. No texts from Aaron. No calls. Just deafening silence that felt worse than any angry message.
Not even the usual playlists could sooth my racing mind.
Derek had texted around 2 AM:
Derek
Can't sleep. Missing you. I'm sorry.
Not your fault. We made this choice together.
Derek
Still. I hate that you're hurting.
I hate that you are too.
Derek
We'll get through this. I promise.
I wanted to believe him. But lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling while Daisy slept peacefully across the room, I couldn't see how this would ever be okay.
The next morning came too soon. I dragged myself to classes, but I couldn't focus. Every time my phone buzzed, I jumped, hoping it was Aaron.
It never was.
By afternoon, I'd made a decision. I couldn't just sit around waiting for my brother to be ready to talk. I needed to see him, to make him understand.
The soccer team had practice at four. I'd go to the field, wait for him after, force him to listen.
But when I arrived at the field, the atmosphere was tense. I could feel it from the bleachers where I sat, watching the team go through drills.
Aaron and Derek were on opposite sides of the field. Always. Like they'd made an unspoken agreement never to be close to each other.
And every few minutes, Aaron would shoot Derek a look that could kill.
"This is bad," Nova said, appearing beside me. She was dressed in another one of her colorful dresses, but her expression was worried. "Really bad."
"I know." I couldn't tear my eyes away from the field. "Aaron won't even look at me. He's blocked my number and blocked me on social media too. Who does that?"
"He blocked Derek as well. And he's been talking to Dad about switching up positions for Westpoint." Nova bit her lip. "He wants Derek benched."
My heart sank. "He can't do that."
"He's not wrong that team chemistry matters," Nova sighed. "Derek's good, but if Aaron can make a case that having him start would disrupt the team dynamic..."
"This is all my fault." I put my head in my hands. "If I'd just..."
"Don't." Nova's voice was firm. "You fell in love. That's not a crime. And Aaron's being a dick about this."
"He's hurt. We lied to him."
"Yeah, you did. But you had your reasons." She touched my shoulder. "Look, I'm not saying what you did was right. But love is messy and complicated, and sometimes there's no good choice. You picked each other, and now you have to ride it out."
On the field, Derek missed an easy goal. Aaron didn't hide his satisfaction.
"This is going to get worse before it gets better," Nova predicted.
She was right.
Practice ended, and Aaron stormed off toward the locker rooms without a word to anyone. Derek saw me in the stands, and his whole body seemed to deflate.
I made my way down to the field, meeting him at the edge.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey." I wanted to hug him, but there were still teammates around. "That looked rough."
"Aaron's making sure I know he's pissed." Derek's jaw was tight. "He's lobbying to have me benched for Westpoint."
"Nova told me. Derek, I'm so sorry..."
"Don't." He finally pulled me into his arms, not caring who saw. For the first time, we were hugging in public. "This isn't your fault. We knew there would be consequences."
"But your game..."
"Doesn't matter if I lose you in the process." He kissed my forehead. "I'd give up soccer before I'd give you up."
"You shouldn't have to choose."
"But if I do, I choose you. Every time."
I held him tighter, wishing I could protect him from all of this. Wishing we could go back to being a secret, to those stolen moments when it was just us.
"Derek!" Max's voice cut through our bubble. "Coach wants to see you."
Derek's arms tightened around me briefly before he let go. "I have to go."
"I'll wait."
He jogged off to where Coach stood with Aaron and a few other seniors. I watched from a distance, seeing Derek's expression shift from defensive to resigned before moving into Coach's office.
Whatever they were saying, it wasn't good.
Twenty minutes later, Derek emerged from the Coach's office, his face carefully blank.
"What happened?" I asked when he reached me.
"I'm starting. But Coach made it clear that if there's any hint of drama affecting my performance, I'm out." He looked exhausted. "And Aaron argued against it. In front of everyone."
"Derek..."
"It's fine. It's what I expected." But his voice said it wasn't fine at all.
We walked to his car in silence, both processing the weight of what we'd lost and what we stood to lose.
"Do you regret it?" I asked quietly once we were inside. "Telling him?"
Derek turned to face me. "No. I regret that it hurt him. I regret that we have to go through this. But I don't regret choosing you."
"Even if it costs you your friendship with Aaron?"
"Even then." He took my hand and kissed my palm. “I love you, Thorn. Please start believing it.”
I chuckled and nodded, moving to straddle him, before I kissed him, my tongue slipping into his mouth seamlessly. I wanted to kiss him since all of it blew up last night in our faces. And with all the drama, I just needed him. To feel his safety and warmth.
His hands moved to cup my ass as I grinded against his growing erection, and a moan escaped me.
Dex pulled away and looked at me. “The irony of us telling your brother, but still having to have sex in my car isn’t lost on me…”
I chuckled. The only way we were going to get through this was with humor. “Thank god, I’m flexible.”
Derek lifted his hips, kicking his shorts off, before making me stand up to remove my jeans.
His lips trailed my hipbone and my stomach, as he peeled the very tight jeans off, making me stifle my giggles mix with moans of pleasure.
His lips found my clit, as his hands reached my ankles, leaving my jeans above my sneakers.
“Oh Gosh,” I sighed, almost hitting my head on the top of his car as his tongue worked in magic circles, making me wetter and wetter. “I need you inside me, Derek.”
“Come and get it, Thorn,” he grinned, guiding me back on his lap and letting me sink onto him with a satisfied moan.
I threw my head back and arched my back before my hips took over and started to move. Dex kept his hand on my always-aching hip, limiting my moves and guiding them to make sure I didn't hurt myself as I chased my release.
“That’s it, baby girl,” he praised me as he sprinkled kisses onto my face. “I love seeing how you make yourself come.”
“Touch my nipples,” I begged him, pushing my chest to him, and I didn’t have to ask twice. He pushed my t-shirt up, bunching up the material, and with a wickedly sexy grin, he handed it to me.
“Bite onto it.”
A wave of self-consciousness hit me, before I followed his instructions, my own t-shirt gagging me as his sinful lips found my perky, needy nipples, and he sucked on them.
My moans were muffled by my t-shirt, but my hips sped up as pleasure started to blur my vision.
“You’re doing so well, baby,” he groaned as he moved his attention to my other nipple, his fingers digging into my hips, as he moved in unison with me. “Come for me, Thorn.”
“I’m so close,” I tried to mutter over the t-shirt, as I rode him harder, sweat trailing down my back from the effort.
Derek bit into my sensitive nipples lightly, making me squeak, before the pressure of his hand disappeared from my hip and reached for the bundle of nerves in my middle.
Within seconds, I came apart with muffled moans and screams, calling his name.
I was faintly aware of Dex’s cum trailing down my thigh as he pulled out and came all over both of us.
“Shit, we forgot about the condom,” I muttered, dropping the t-shirt from my mouth almost straight into his cum.
Derek chuckled. “Yeah, think we have enough problems for now. Let’s not play Russian roulette.”
“I’m actually on birth control,” I admitted with a shy grin.
“That would have been very useful information fifteen minutes ago,” Derek laughed. “I would have loved to come inside you.”
“Next time,” I kissed him with a grin. “And hopefully in a more comfortable place.”
Derek nodded, his lips trailing kisses all over my face, before he reached my ear. “Next time.”
The next two days were a blur of tension and silence. Aaron continued to ice us out. The team was divided: some supported Derek, others sided with Aaron. Sebastian, surprisingly, kept his mouth shut, probably because Aaron had scared him into silence.
The night before the Westpoint game, I couldn't sleep. Again. I kept thinking about Derek facing the team that had injured him, about Aaron's continued anger, about everything that was falling apart.
Around midnight, my phone buzzed.
Derek
Can't sleep. You?
Me
No. Thinking about tomorrow.
Derek
Me too. Terrified.
You're going to be amazing. I know you are.
Derek
What if I'm not? What if I freeze? What if Aaron's right and I'm not ready?
Then you pick yourself up and try again. But Derek, you ARE ready. You've worked so hard for this.
Derek
I wish you could be there. In the stands. Wearing my jersey.
I'll be there as always.
I attached a picture of myself in his jersey and nothing below. He told me once he loved unsolicited nudes, and I took the picture earlier today with him in my mind. Right before I made myself come. I was starting to become sex addicted.
Derek
Fuck, Thorn. Now I’m hard. And I suddenly forgot how terrified I am. All I could think about is being inside you.