Chapter 13
If I have to hear about how pale I am one more time, I might actually go insane.
Mom has even gotten to the point where she’s slipping spray tan flyers under my door like a stealthy pizza company at a crappy hotel.
Of course, my skin does look better with a healthy glow, and I’ve been spending most of my time in my room, obsessively applying to jobs and avoiding Derek, so even though I’m naturally tan, I’m losing my shine.
It’s obvious that she’s so adamant about the fact because she wants me to impress Lewis.
I should want the same, but the thought that I must improve myself to win him back drives me mad.
I have nothing better to do, and it’s a sunny day, so a tanning session in the backyard while reading some smutty romance book I found in my closet sounds like a perfect idea.
At least it did, until I actually got out here, set up my lawn chair, and made myself comfortable, all before the neighbor's teenage kid decided it was time for his backyard rock band session.
I have half a mind to climb over the fence and tell him to give up his drummer dreams, until a large shadow blocks my sun, causing a chill, and I pull my sunglasses down to catch the culprit.
Derek stands over me, arms crossed over a gray t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, accentuating his muscular works of art. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Fighting the possession of a sleep paralysis demon.”
I sit up on my elbows. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re grimacing and twitching.”
I lie back. “It’s the stupid neighbor kid, ruining my zen.”
He kicks my chair lazily. “Let’s go somewhere.”
“Why?”
“I need to get out of the house, and clearly so do you.”
“I am out of the house.” I flinch when the neighbor kid hits a particularly loud note.
“Yeah, and it looks so enjoyable. Come on.”
“Why do you want me to go?”
“I can't drive.”
I examine the bandage poking out from his shirt. “You seem more than capable of doing other things. I don’t know why you wouldn’t be able to drive.”
He smacks his lips and grins. “Damn, Isabella. Naughty girl. No, it’s not because of my injury. I don’t have a license."
“Why?”
“Suspended.”
Figures.
“Can’t you call one of your friends to get you. Perhaps a mountain lion or a werewolf.” I smirk, pretending not to glance at him under my dark sunglasses.
“Very funny. But I’m currently lacking in the friend department right now.”
“Wow, shocker. You’re such a delight.”
“Isabella, I share a soy paper-thin wall with you. Don’t pretend you’ve got the most active social life.”
“Touché.”
“So are you coming?”
I sigh and sit up. “Fine, but let me change.”
“Please, no. I’d like to watch you in that bikini for a little while longer.”
“Derek!” I snap through a whisper. “Someone could hear you.” I make a weak attempt at covering the black spandex fabric with my hands.
“You think anyone can hear me over that shit?” He reaches for the bottom of his t-shirt and pulls it over his head. I’m thankful for my shades to hide the widening of my eyes as I take in his glorious, muscular form. Like why the fuck does anyone need abs like that in real life?
“What are you doing?” I manage to choke out.
He tosses me his t-shirt as the answer to my question. “You’ll want the bathing suit, but wear this so you don’t cause anyone to have a stroke on your way there.” He walks away, heading toward the gate leading to the front.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I call to him, pulling his shirt over my head, trying to ignore his signature smell enveloping me.
“You know what it means. You don’t go your whole life with tits like that without knowing what that means.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, kicking on my sandals and following after him. Why do I keep letting him get away with talking to me like that? Maybe because I like it—definitely because I like it. Stupid lady bits.
Derek runs into the house and grabs the keys to one of my mom's cars—the one she allows us to drive while we’re here, tossing them to me as he hops into the passenger seat.
“Where are we going?” I ask as I back the car out of the driveway.
“It’s a secret spot.” He grins, looking more childlike and carefree than I’ve ever seen him before. It takes the air from my lungs.
“Then how am I supposed to get there?”
He yawns and stretches his arms, resting one on my headrest, softly playing with a coil of my hair. “Just drive. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
I follow his directions as best I can. He’s being a dick on purpose, not telling me to turn until the last possible second, but what's new?
We travel down winding dirt roads, pushing deeper into woods I barely knew existed in Deep River. “Are you trying to murder me?” I ask, once I’m unsure how far civilization is behind us.
He laughs and runs a finger down my chin. “Oh, if I wanted to, I could have disposed of you with far less effort than this.” He runs a knuckle under my lower lip. “No, I’ll keep you around for a while.”
I swat him away.
“Oops, turn here!” He jerks the steering wheel, causing the car to jump into a clearing. I scream, slamming on the brakes.
“Jesus Christ!” I yell, hand over my heart as I assess the damage.
Good news. I’m alive. We didn’t run into anything, but unfortunately, Derek is unscathed too. I plan to remedy that. I slap his arm, the good one. I’m not an animal.
“Ouch!” he yells with a smile, rubbing at the spot. “What did you do that for?”
“You could have killed us!”
“Stop being dramatic.” He opens the passenger door and steps out, nodding at me as a signal to follow. “Take a look around. You’ll feel better.”
Despite my inner rage urging me to do otherwise, I follow his directions, exiting the car and taking in the scenery.
“Holy shit. Where are we?” A stream bubbles just a few paces away.
Large rocks crowd around the water, trees sway overhead, and plush green grass crinkles underfoot. It’s like a fucking storybook.
“It’s my secret spot.”
“To bring chicks and do drugs?”
He rolls his eyes, walking backwards and unbuckling his pants. “To hunt, clear my head.”
“Hunt?”
“I’m a bear, remember?” He kicks his pants off and charges toward the stream.
Shit. No. I actually forgot and keep forgetting.
Before his reveal, I didn’t even know bear-shifters existed.
Now I have to face the fact that I grew up with one and didn’t even know.
“Grew up” is a generous term, though, as we barely spent any time in proximity.
These past few weeks as an adult have been the most time I’ve been around him in my whole life.
I remind myself of this as if it makes any of this better.
I pull a towel out of the back of the car and walk toward the stream. Derek dives under the ripples, floating to his back once I’m at the edge. That’s when I notice it. “Are you naked?” Damn him for being impressive even in the cold water.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Don’t want to ruin my pants.” He shifts. One moment, he’s a smoking hot man, the next he’s, well, I guess a smoking hot bear. I’ve never thought bears were hot until now. Wait, ew no. I don’t think bears are hot. But it’s not a bear, it’s Derek. He’s inside the mass of mahogany fur.
Bear Derek dives into the water, reemerging with a fish within his jaws.
I laugh. “Shit, it’s like my own personal National Geographic.”
He doesn’t reply—can bear-shifters talk in their complete bear form? He perches on a rock in the water, devouring his catch, blood clinging to his fur.
I lay out my towel near the bank, pulling Derek's shirt over my head to resume my tanning. I don’t miss bear-Derek’s eyes lingering on my body, as if when he’s finished with his meal, I’ll be the next course on the menu.
I pull down my sunglasses from the crown of my head to hide my gaze, leaning back onto my elbows.
Derek swims through the water, rotating from floating on his back to diving underneath the surface, coming up with a mouthful of wiggly fish.
His brown hair catches in the sunlight, revealing a reddish hue.
His ears twitch with every snap of a twig or squirrel jumping from tree limb to limb.
He’s so…cute, even with fish guts coating his muzzle as he rips through scales with claws and fangs.
On the way here, he joked about how he could get rid of me easily, but seeing him like this, actually taking him in instead of just during the brief moments of his climax, makes me realize just how true that statement rings.
No, my stepbrother never hated me. If he did, I’d be dead.
It must have been hard growing up with such a secret.
Maybe he’s not the villain of my childhood story; perhaps it's me.
Derek pulls himself out of the water, slowly turning back into his human form, growing smaller, less hairy, his features returning to normal. His wound is without its dressing.
“You’re healing nicely,” I call out.
He looks down as he grabs his jeans and holds them over his crotch. “Oh yeah. I usually heal pretty quickly. When I’m not making it worse.”
“Because you’re a bear?”
He laughs. “I suppose.”
He walks toward me, falling to the ground. “Well, what do you think?” he asks, a little breathlessly.
“About what?”
“My spot?” He shakes his hair, getting me wet a little.
I tsk and wipe off the moisture. “I’m pretty pissed.”
“Why?” He lies on his side, facing me, propping himself up with his hand. The sun refracts the droplets of water over his muscles, and my insides heat.
“You never told me about this place.”
He grabs a small leaf stuck to my leg, resting his hand on my skin as he picks it apart. “I never told you a lot of things.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. Not really.”
I don’t know what he’s implying, but I press on. “Why did you keep your bear self a secret from me?”
“Darrell.”
“Darrell?”
“He didn’t want anyone knowing. That’s why he sent me away.”