Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“I invited him for lunch,” Everest said. “I came down to tell you, but you were outside freaking out.”
Derek smiled up at me, knowing I was beat.
“Whatever,” I growled and took a seat as far away from Derek as I could get. My mind was too full of actual problems to think about a rockstar who was clearly starved for attention. I ate in silence, but my mind cranked away, going through lists and arguments I could use to get Nicola’s evil parents off my back. I had real problems that would cost real money to fix.
By comparison Derek was nothing more than an annoying little gnat.
Chapter 8
Derek
“That was intense,” I said as Bella rinsed her plate, shoved it into the sleek black dishwasher and stormed out of the house. “And this time I think we can safely say it has nothing to do with me.” I was trying for humor, because the kid was obviously worried.
“She said it’s fine, so it’s fine,” he said in a weak tone that even he didn’t believe.
“Did you ask her what’s up?”
“Yeah, I did. She said it was fine, and she wouldn’t lie about that.”
His confidence in her was admirable, but I hoped it wasn’t misplaced. “Want me to talk to her?” I was going to no matter what the kid said, but if he wanted me to, maybe she wouldn’t bite my head off or accuse me of stalking her.
Everest snorted. “Yeah sure, because you two are besties, and she’ll open right up to you.”
“Funny, but let me tell you something kid, sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger than someone you know and love. Why do you think shrinks exist?”
“To ask you what you think about this or that every second of the day,” he shot back easily, spoken with the wisdom of experience. “You’re full of it, aren’t you?”
“Nope. Told my shrink shit I don’t even tell my brothers, because sometimes you need to vent, and when you say some things to the people you love, you wish you could unsay them.” Like when I told my shrink I was pissed at Roman for branching out on his own. I was also proud as hell of him, but he would have only heard the first part of that statement.
“I’ll figure it out,” he said and sat a little taller. I wasn’t sure if that was pride, or if he was just reaching for another piece of chicken because damn could this kid eat.
“Whatever you do Everest, don’t snoop. You’ll get answers when she’s ready to share them, but if you snoop, it will take forever to earn that trust back.”
“Damn,” the kid whispered and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. Will you make sure she’s all right?”
“Yep.”
“Thanks Derek. I’ll get her to stop hating you, I swear.”
I laughed. “Thanks for lunch Everest,” I told him and left out the back door. I scanned the area closest to the house, searching for Bella’s long hair blowing in the wind, but she wouldn’t stay close where the kid could see her play out her emotions. The grass was soft under my boots, much softer than my own grass, and provided a comfortable walk as I searched the property until I found her giant red truck.
I took my time approaching, because I knew she wouldn’t be happy to see me. The music was low, but rock music drifted from the truck speakers, and when I drew closer I realized she wasn’t sitting inside the car under the cool gust of air conditioning, nope she laid down in the cab soaking up the sun, making an entirely too appealing picture. “You’ll go blind staring directly at the sun like that, or so I hear.”
She tensed the moment she recognized my voice and then slowly, like magic, her body relaxed onto the patchwork quilt beneath her. “Losing my eyesight is the least of my worries. What do you want, Derek?”
I rounded the truck so that she could see me. “You looked upset earlier, but more upset than I’m worth, so I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
She sat up slowly and gracefully, the muscles in her toned arms bunching until she sat up straight and hit me with those dark chocolate eyes. “Why do you care?”
I shrugged. I did care, but she wouldn’t believe me, so I went with what I knew she would believe. “Everest is worried about you, and the kid is too young for worry lines.”
Her shoulders sank at my words, but she didn’t respond to my attempt at humor. “Nothing can be done about his worry for the moment, but thank you for checking for him.”
I smiled at her begrudging words. “That painful to say something nice to me, huh?”
“Learned from the best,” she said snidely, and slowly rolled back down onto her back with a long sigh. “Just because my thanks wasn’t effusive doesn’t mean it wasn’t genuine.”