Derek, page 8
She smirked. “Massive. But alright, I’ll be better.” A sly grin crossed her face. “What were you two doing anyway?”
Blushing, I spun on my heel and took off for the bathroom. Luckily, it was just the one room so I could lock the door behind me. She cackled and I knew she wasn’t done grilling me yet but I took a minute to collect myself and she let me be.
The afternoon was busy, I had a long session with a regular and a few shorter ones at the end of the night. It made the day go by fast but whenever my mind wandered, it went back to Derek. I was getting really attached really fast and it made me nervous. He’s a sweet guy but he didn’t know the whole truth and I didn’t know how to bring it up to him.
My phone went off a little after my lunch break and I couldn’t help but stop and check it. It was a message from Derek letting me know that he’d have my car fixed up by tomorrow and he could pick me up to get it whenever I was free. I chewed on my lip, wondering if maybe I should be less eager, but I sent him a text saying my morning was free before I could second guess myself.
Gigi and I finished at the same time and clean up was quick. I prepped for the next day early since I didn’t know how long it would take for me to pick up my car and caught a ride with Gigi back home.
“Sooooo…”
I pursed my lips against a smile. “So… what?”
“When ya gonna see him again?”
I chuckled. “Tomorrow. He said my car is fixed and he’s gonna pick me up so I can get it.”
“Uh huh. Get it on maybe.”
I snorted, slapping her arm with the back of my hand. “Shut up!”
She snickered. “Hey, no hitting the driver. It’s against the rules. And I don’t hear you saying I’m wrong.”
Lifting a shoulder, I went for nonchalance. “Probably because you’re not.”
She grinned wildly and I burst out laughing. She wasn’t totally wrong. I couldn’t seem to keep my hands to myself when it came to Derek. Ever since he told me people don’t touch him, I’ve been eager to give him as much affection as I could and not just sex. I wanted to be touching him or holding his hand at all times so he’d get at least an ounce of what he deserved. He said even his family doesn’t touch him and that broke my heart. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so heavy and dominant if people were kind to him. I barely noticed it anymore, only when he started to get mad did I start to feel it. And not for one second did I think he would hurt me.
I spent the night rummaging through my clothes and whining at Gigi that I didn’t have anything to wear. It was a lie, I had plenty, but I wanted to look good for Derek and I couldn’t decide. I ended up having a fashion show for Gigi and at the last minute changing the color of my hair. I used temporary hair dye because I never stuck with one color long enough to go for anything more permanent. This way I could wash it out and do something new. The longest I’ve had the same hair color is like a week. Derek called to say good night and I went to bed smiling.
I’d just finished getting ready the following morning when I got a call from a number I didn’t know. Frowning, I picked it up. It could be a client who’s number I didn’t write down or something.
“Hello?”
“Uh, hey. Is this Liv?”
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“Theo. Hailey’s boyfriend.”
My stomach dropped and I clutched tightly to my phone. “Is she okay?”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, she’s fine. This isn't about her. It’s Derek. He– Uh, he had to go somewhere for a bit. He told me yesterday that he was gonna pick you up so you could get your car so I wanted to offer you a ride.”
Worried, I started pacing my apartment. He seemed fine last night when we spoke on the phone. Did he change his mind? Was he hurt or something?
“Where’d he go?”
Theo’s voice wavered, like he was trying to sound convincing but I could hear the lie in his voice. “He had an…errand. Kinda forgot about it and had to go deal with it. I’m sure he’ll call when he’s through. So, did you need a ride still?”
Something didn’t feel right but I didn’t feel like I’d get anything from Theo. He seemed anxious and really stuck on the errand lie.
“No, I’m fine. Just tell him to call me when he’s through.”
“Will do. Bye, Liv.”
Hanging up, I immediately dialed Derek. It went straight to voicemail over and over again. Unease, suspicion, it all rolled through me until I was snarling and pacing my room like a caged animal. I couldn’t even go check on him because my car was at the shop and I wasn’t going to ask Gigi to give me a ride all the way out there. She had the first client today, she’d be late.
The rest of the day I was in a foul mood. I got lucky that the few clients I had today were the quiet types. I didn’t think I had it in me to force chit chat all day. And Gigi seemed to notice my mood and gave me my space. If I didn’t find a way to calm down, I was going to have to go for a shift. I didn’t do it often, I tried to limit it because I was too afraid of being caught. I lived in town and it wasn’t like I could go into my backyard to change whenever I got the urge. I had to plan it out and ‘go for a hike’. I try to go at least twice a month but I’ve been busy…
I swallowed a growl when Gigi stepped outside and locked up behind her. She frowned at me but said nothing as we headed to her car. I dropped into the front seat, a scowl on my face and she sighed loudly.
“Alright, I can’t take it anymore. What happened? You were so happy yesterday.”
Clenching my hands in my lap, I stared out the window. “Derek blew me off.”
She frowned. “What? He didn’t even call or anything?”
I lifted a shoulder. “His friend called. Said he had an errand he forgot about.”
She scoffed. “Okay, that’s a bullshit excuse. What, his errand is so important that he doesn’t have five seconds to call you?”
Pain ripped through my chest and I frowned hard. The longer I dwelled on it, the more I felt like I’d been played. The Derek I was getting to know would’ve called. He would’ve at least texted me and told me what was going on. He wouldn’t send his friends to handle business for him. Probably the only reason Theo called was because he’s dating my best friend and thought he’d earn some brownie points or something. I don’t know. The familiar rejection tore through me and I drew my legs up to my chest, staring out the window.
“Hey… it’s okay. I mean, you just met, right? At least you figured it out before you got in too deep.”
Yeah… lucky me.
Chapter Fourteen
DEREK
I paced the woods, my claws digging into the earth. I’d had everything planned, even bought a new shirt so I looked nice when I picked her up. I was gonna bring her flowers and show her the alley cat that liked me. Maybe invite her to stay a while and show her around the garage. She showed me her work, I felt like I should show her mine. But everything fell apart and Jackson said I had to stay out here until I got my head on straight.
When I showed up at work to do one more check on Liv’s car, Ethan was up to his normal shit. I’m usually better at ignoring him but for some reason he was irritating me more than usual today. He purposely got grease on my shirt and made fun of my hair and I ignored him like I always do but then he started joking with the guys about how Liv had poor taste to want to be with me and she’d have a better time if she was with him. I lost my temper. Jackson had to pull me off him before I killed him and I almost had an uncontrolled shift to boot. He forced me into the truck and drove me into the forest and demanded I shift and let off some steam before someone ended up dead.
Jackson’s bear isn’t bigger than mine. He’s not more dominant either. But he does have an energy I can’t match. I can’t describe it. He gives an order and it makes me want to sit up and listen to him. Usually I like it. Makes things simple for me. Follow his orders, get my job done, stay stable one more day. Today I fought back. I wanted to get to Liv and he was stopping me, telling me I couldn’t go near her if I couldn’t relax. He didn’t get it, she’s the one who makes me relax. We ended up changing and going at each other. I was angry but I didn’t want to hurt him and I wasn’t putting my all into it. He pinned me pretty quick with his jaws around my throat and I could see the promise in his eyes. If I didn’t do as he said and get my head on straight, he’d put me down.
I’ve been here ever since. Every time I think I can shift back and get back to Liv, Jackson gives me a dirty look and I have to walk away. He can feel the tension radiating off of me and he won’t let me leave until I’m calm again.
I contemplated more than once taking off and trying to get to her shifted. I was going to tell her anyway. She’s my mate and she needed to know the truth. But Jackson is faster than me and he’d bleed me if I tried. So I paced and growled until I was bored and sat down with a huff.
Jackson had already shifted back. He was sitting on the tailgate of my truck. He’d at least been smart enough to get undressed first before he shifted. I’d been so pissed off, Bear had ripped out of my skin and ripped my clothes right along with him. I kept a spare in the back just in case but my new shirt was ruined.
“You done yet?”
I lifted my lip in a bearish scowl before flopping onto my belly and letting out a long breath, stirring up the dirt in front of me. I heard Jackson jump down from the truck, his boots crunching the earth as he ambled closer. He dropped into a squat in front of me, his hands dangling between his knees, lifting his eyebrows at me.
“I’m sorry, Derek. I couldn’t have you shifting near the garage. You know what would’ve happened. And you know you wouldn’t have made it all the way to Liv’s. You were too unstable to drive. A bear your size wouldn’t go unnoticed, especially not in town.”
I growled but it was half hearted. He probably wasn’t wrong. I still think Liv would’ve made it better. She makes everything better.
It was the middle of the afternoon already. I was supposed to pick her up this morning. I may not know much about women but I knew that wasn’t a good thing. I’d need to think of something good to make it up to her. If she forgave me that is. She’s too good for me, she could use this as an excuse to end things and find someone better. A snarl ripped through me and Jackson gave me a flat look. If I was human, I’d tell him to shut up.
“Come on, man. We’re gonna go back to work, you’re gonna stay the hell away from Ethan, and tomorrow you can make it up to your girl.”
Pushing to my feet, I shifted back. It wasn’t pleasant but after years of doing it, I didn’t notice the pain anymore. When I was a kid it was slow and I hated it. It made me angry and I’d come out of the shift fighting. It made my family wary around me. I didn’t mean it. Bear was just reacting to the fact that it scared me.
I shook my head and rolled my shoulders, shaking off the rest of the tingles from the shift. Jackson handed me my spare clothes. I even ruined my boots, which was a pain in the butt, so I padded to the truck barefoot and climbed into the passenger seat. Jackson climbed in front and started it without a word, dropping my phone onto the seat between us. It was completely shattered. I had it in my pocket when I attacked Ethan. I didn’t know if I broke it during the fight or the shift but it was obvious I couldn’t even call Liv to apologize. Frustration burned in my chest and I ran my fingers roughly through my hair.
Jackson gripped my shoulder, leveling me with a look. “Work first, make it up to her tomorrow. You won’t be any good to her still riled up.”
Nodding slowly, I let out a breath. Work, then mall for presents and a new phone, then I’ll go see Liv and apologize. Hopefully she’ll forgive me.
The rest of the work day was uneventful. Ethan stayed away from me, the customers were all easy to handle, and we got out just after dark. The mall was closed already though so I was forced to wait until the next morning to go. I tried using Theo’s phone to call Liv but she didn’t answer. I didn’t sleep great, tossing and turning a lot. Bear didn’t like not checking on her before she went to bed and I still didn’t know where she lived.
I got up early and went straight to the mall. I had to turn around and go back home to wait because it wasn’t open yet. Jackson gave me the day off since he said I’d be no use to him if all I could think about was Liv. Theo had the morning off too and once the mall was open, he went with me.
“What do I get her?”
He frowned, his eyes moving from store to store. “Uh, I dunno. What does she like?”
My brow furrowed. I wasn’t entirely sure. While we were at the amusement park, we talked about a lot but nothing that I could buy her here. “She likes hiking. And swimming. And food.”
Theo grinned. “You don’t know, do you?”
Scowling at him, I turned into the first store we passed, turning right back around when I realized it was a panty store and I really didn’t want to be buying her anything from there right now. It’d send the wrong message. Theo wouldn’t stop laughing at me but it didn’t piss me off like when Ethan made fun of me. Theo wasn’t a dick about it. We eventually found a store that had outdoor stuff and there was a little teddy bear that looked a lot like my bear. I got her that and some flowers and Theo got his girl some earrings. I dropped him off at the garage before heading straight for Liv’s work.
Since it took so long for the mall to open and for me to settle on what to get her, her shop was already open by the time I got there. I could see people moving inside and I had to wipe my hands off on my jeans before I grabbed her stuff and headed in. The little bell above the door dinged and the woman from the day before looked up from the counter. She looked surprised before her face went dark and she glared at me. She stormed around the counter, crossing her arms with a scowl.
“What are you doing here?”
I frowned. “I’m here to see Liv.”
“Well, she’s busy and you’re a jerk so you can just–”
“Gigi.”
Her voice washed over me and I jerked my head up. Liv stood in the hall by one of the private rooms. I remembered what we did in there and the thought of her in there with someone else ripped a growl from me. Her eyebrows went up and I cringed.
“Sorry. Can we talk?”
She dipped her chin slowly but she wasn’t smiling like she used to. She looked wary and guarded and my chest hurt, my heart was racing so much. Gigi scowled at me as I passed her but my focus was on Liv. She spun on her heel and walked down the hall, straight out the back door without looking back. I followed her more slowly, dreading what was coming.
Chapter Fifteen
DEREK
When I pushed outside, she was waiting with her arms crossed, her hip cocked and her lip lifted in a snarl. She looked perfect like always.
“I like what you did to your hair.”
Her brows dropped but it didn’t settle her. She tapped her foot and I knew she was waiting for an explanation but Jackson said not to tell her about Bear, not after yesterday. He doesn’t think Bear is ready, he thinks he might attack her and force a bear in her. So I told a half truth, pulling out my phone and showing it to her.
“Got into a fight with Ethan yesterday. Broke my phone.”
She took it from me, frowning at the shattered screen. When she glanced back up, she searched me like she was looking for injuries. She wouldn’t find any. Even if Ethan could fight, which he can’t, he didn’t even touch me, shifters are quick healers. Any injury I might’ve gotten would’ve been gone by now. Even the claw marks from Jackson were mostly healed.
“Theo said you were running an errand.”
I nodded. “Jackson took me for a hike to cool off. I tried to use Theo’s phone to call you when I got back but you didn’t answer.”
She sighed, handing me back my phone. “I didn’t think he was telling the truth and I didn’t want to hear any more lies.”
She still looked uncertain and it did something to my insides. I edged closer to her, offering her the gifts I got her. “I got you these as an apology.”
Her face softened a little and she smiled at the little stuffed bear. “This is the second bear you’ve gotten me.”
I frowned, confused, until I remembered the one from the guy with the hammer. I made a face. “I didn’t get the first one, you did.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I was on a date with you. I figured it counted.”
It warmed my middle for her to call it a date and I stepped closer, close enough to touch her. I didn’t reach for her though. She still looked upset and I didn’t want to make things worse.
“Why’d you fight with Ethan?”
I shook my head. “Don’t matter. He lost.”
Her eyes went wide and she jerked her head up, a startled smile on her face. “Wait, did you actually fight him? Like hit him?”
I scrubbed my hand through my hair, frowning. “Yeah. He pissed me off. I won’t do it again though. He looks like shit.”
She rolled her lips between her teeth and her shoulders shook as she fought off a laugh. I twisted my mouth, trying to stay serious but she seemed real happy about me punching Ethan. A grin broke through as I added, “I think I broke his nose.”
That set her off and she burst into giggles. I no longer felt bad about fighting Ethan. It made Liv happy so the next time he decided to piss me off I’d knock him out.
The back door to their shop opened and her partner peeked out. She eyed me suspiciously before focusing on Liv.
“Everything okay out here?”
Liv sucked in a breath, brushing tears from her face. I was worried for a minute but her eyes were still dancing and she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Yeah, we’re good. He was busy beating up an asshole and broke his phone.”
Gigi’s eyebrows went up. “Well, I guess that’s as good excuse as any. You got a client waiting, Liv.”
