Page 64 of After Tonight

And that was absolutely pathetic.

His phone finally pinged with a message. She’ll be fine was Scott’s answer.

It wasn’t good enough.

Dammit. What do you have her doing? Where is she going?

Scott’s answer a moment later was, Who is this and why do you have Derek’s phone?

Ha, ha. Fucking hilarious. Don’t make me come down there. He looked at the words that he didn’t think he’d ever actually say to anyone about anything, but he pushed send anyway. He wasn’t the possessive type. He just never got that worked up. None of the stuff he had couldn’t be replaced. None of the women in his life were ever supposed to stay.

Until now.

So come down here. She’s working right here in the station. I’m sure she’d love to have you breathing down her neck.

Derek wished Scott was actually here, because he’d love to tell him to fuck off in person.

What the hell is going on with you?Scott asked.

Well, that was a really good question. Nothing.

Bullshit.

Seriously. Just want to be sure this new thing is safe for Riley.

Because?

Because I want her to be okay.

I’m here. And she’s doing what she’s best at.

Yeah. But… He quickly deleted the words. Scott was right. Riley was fine. And it was none of his business.

Never mind, he finally typed.

Scott was right on that reply too. Yeah, sure, I’ll just never mind that you’re in love with Riley.

Derek read the words over again. And tried to figure out why they didn’t shock him. But he’d been the one to help both Scott and Kyle see how they really felt about Peyton and Hannah.

He thought about typing don’t tell her, but he knew Scott wouldn’t. He also knew that as of right this minute, Scott was going to give him shit the next time he saw him. So he did go ahead and type, Just take care of her.

At least he left off the for me he was tempted to include.

Then he stomped in the house, popped a beer, and turned on the television. And brooded until it was time to go to bed. He hadn’t gotten a text from Riley, but he also hadn’t sent Riley any texts checking up on her. That was something.

But now it was midnight, and he hadn’t heard from her and…fuck it.

He texted I want you. He hit send. Then shut his light off.

Fifteen minutes later, he didn’t have a text back. But he heard his front door open, the creak of someone walking over the floorboards in the hall. Riley slipped into his room, kicked her shoes off, and shed her clothes down to her panties. Derek lifted the blanket, and she slid underneath and right up against him.

Feeling an incredible sense of happiness, he wrapped his arm around her and put his nose in her hair.

“You okay?” he asked against the back of her neck.

“They found the girls,” she said quietly. “But they were really shaken up.”

He felt a tremor go through her. “You too, Ry?”

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