Page 65 of Always Right

Except it wasn’t his.

Oh God.

I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks when Dylan waved in my direction, appearing from behind the refrigerator. Derek walked toward me, picking up a blanket and placing it over my shoulders.

“Oh my god,” I mumbled as he pulled me into his arms, and he laughed, unable to contain it anymore.

“Well happy new years to you,” Dylan said with a snort. “Glad to know it went out with a bang.”

Earth, please open up and take me.

Derek smiled, pulling away from me and cupping my face in his hands before leaning in and kissing me, not giving a single damn that his brother was there, watching, and for a moment, I forgot too.

“Good morning,” he said. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

I shrugged, watching from the corner of my eye how Dylan sat in front of the girls and made an attempt to feed them. The spoon soon clattered on the floor and they laughed again, thinking it was hilarious. “You should have. I would have helped you...and avoided this...”

I waved my arms around, wrinkling my nose.

Dylan picked up a grape, popping it in his mouth as he made himself comfortable. “I guess you had a lot of heart to hearts yesterday, huh? Of course, I think you liked your heart to heart with Hannah the most.”

Derek chuckled, picking up a hand towel that rested on the counter and threw it at him. “Quit being a dick,” he said and Dylan laughed.

The sight made me smile. It was the first time I saw them interact like that...like brothers.

After a lifetime alone, without a family, it seemed like Derek was finally getting it.

“Listen, I’m only here because Evie is having breakfast in her cabin. She wanted everyone there so I thought I’d drop by and tell you guys though I’m sure you guys have had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the last few hours,” I groaned again, covering my face in my hands. Dylan laughed, continuing, “but I digress. Please join us for a family appropriate breakfast at Evie’s cabin, preferably with clothes on, I am begging...we don’t need a rated R spectacle.”

“Shut up.” That was all I could muster, sure that my face was beet red as he stood up, squeezing Derek’s shoulder.

I didn’t see him as he spoke, but I could hear the smile on his face as he said, “Congratulations, brother. I’m glad I get to see you happy.”

The door shut behind him and finally, I looked up at Derek, his eyes shining and bright...like he’d come back to life. Our girls babbled across from us, already messy from their early breakfast, but neither of us seemed to care. The messiness, the disasters, it could all be cleaned up.

We could do it together, like everything else.

Because we were together, now...and I could feel it in my heart that this time, it was forever.

“Isn’t my big brother hilarious,” he said, brushing my hair away from my face.

“Very,” I murmured, kissing him once more. He smiled against my lips, his hands resting on my lower back as he deepened it just enough to send tingles to the most intimate parts of my body.

“Runs in the family,” he whispered as he took the blanket off of me. His eyes traveled down my body and his green eyes darkened slightly, enough for me to know what he was thinking. “I’ve missed seeing you in my clothes.”

I ran my hands through his disheveled hair, looking up at him. I could see it in his eyes, the peace, the genuine happiness. I wondered if he could see it in mine, too. For the first time in a very long time, it felt like I wasn't just going through the motions. My heart felt complete...and every step I took felt a little lighter.

“Do you think he’s going to tell everyone?” I asked.

I didn’t care if they knew, but I didn’t want to answer all the questions...not yet.

There was still too much Derek and I had to discuss.

Many things he still wasn’t aware of.

“I’ll handle it,” he smiled.

I reached up, my fingers caressing the stubble around his jaw and cheeks, letting his happiness seep into my bones. It was so...real. I hadn’t seen it in a long time, and I never wanted to lose it again.

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