Page 39 of After Tonight

“To avoid your mom?”

She hesitated, but eventually nodded. “Yeah. I have a new project I want to dive into, but I don’t want to tell her about it yet.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “A new project?”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek but nodded.

For a second he considered teasing her about if it was legal or if it involved offshore bank accounts, but he held back. He wasn’t sure why. “You’re not talking about it?”

“Not to my mom.”

Derek studied her face for a moment. Then he turned and started down the steps. He looked back when he realized she wasn’t beside him. “You coming?”

She took a breath and then started down the steps.

They walked for about a block before he finally asked, “So, what’s the project?”

He could tell she wanted to talk about it. Not with her mother, but with someone. He knew that Erika loved Riley. And worried about her. But he also knew Riley was fine. She was a little bit of a rebel, but instead of rebelling against societal norms and stereotypes or against the cliques and pressures of high school, she’d always pushed back against the expectations her parents put on her. They compared her to Kyle, Mr. Perfect, the straight-A-Mr.-Congeniality-President-of-Everything son they’d raised. And Riley had been none of those things. On purpose. It had been completely obvious to everyone, including her parents. But Erika simply couldn’t help but get on Riley about the things she did or didn’t do, or should or shouldn’t do.

“It’s for Scott.”

Derek felt a surge of satisfaction in his chest when she answered. “Yeah?” He glanced at her as they turned the corner.

“It’s not for sure,” she said. “But Peyton mentioned it, and I figure she can talk Scott into at least considering it.”

“Peyton can talk Scott into almost anything,” Derek agreed with a chuckle. Scott and Peyton were perfect for each other, and he couldn’t deny the tiny twinge of jealousy he felt when he saw them together. There was just something about seeing two people so in sync that made even the most cynical heart think “what if”. And Derek wasn’t all that cynical.

Over the next thirty minutes, they walked and Riley told him all about the project with Scott’s sex trafficking task force and the websites and what she’d already learned and what she could do. They somehow ended up back at his house, and he was shocked to feel disappointed.

“It sounds amazing, Ry,” he told her. “Great chance to use your super powers for good instead of evil.”

For just a heartbeat she seemed annoyed. Or hurt. And he felt a stab in the general vicinity of his heart. Had he hurt her feelings? He knew that she hadn’t done anything wrong out in California. He’d been kidding.

But before he could figure out what to say, she recovered and gave him a smile. “Well, the bad guys might think I’m a little evil.”

Derek pulled himself together too and said, “You better make them think you’re a lot evil.”

She nodded. “Definitely.”

“So, what’s for breakfast today?” he asked, getting off the topic that he suddenly wasn’t sure what to do with. Which he hated. It was like the awkward breakfast yesterday when he’d been trying to be sweet. But he still wanted breakfast with her today.

“Oh, I was…maybe I’ll just run home after all. Mom’s up by now, I’m sure.” She rolled her eyes slightly, as if she couldn’t help it. “And it’s omelet day.”

He smiled in spite of himself. At Erika Ames’s house, there was definitely one day that was always omelets. As there was waffle day, cinnamon roll day, oatmeal day, muffin day, cereal and toast day—the day she needed to do something easier because she had to go to her water aerobics class—and, his favorite, bacon and eggs day.

But if Riley went home, that meant she wouldn’t be showering here. Or working here. Or…here.

Fuck. Why the hell did he want her to be here?

“You need to get to work on the project,” he told her. Before he could think better of it, he grabbed her hand and started up the porch steps. “You shower first. I’ll make omelets here. It will be just like you’re at your mom’s.”

Riley snorted. “I certainly hope not.”

He stopped and looked back at her. “Well, you won’t have anyone on your ass here.”

He realized too late what he’d just said. They both seemed to freeze. Her hand was still in his, and he swore he felt the heat in his hand intensify and then spread up his arm and through the rest of his body.

Riley licked her lips. Then she pulled in a breath and said, “Yeah, that will be a nice change.”

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