Page 5 of Derick

He pushed me toward the entrance. “I hope you’re not waiting for me to deny it, ’cause you’ve been a douche. I think you could win the biggest wanker award lately.”

Dustan opened the front door, and I saw his wife Cassie waddling down the hall toward us. She was the one I needed to make things right with the most. I’d messed up big time. I knew if any of my family treated my woman like I had Cassie, I wouldn’t have been as nice as Dustan had been.

I’d known Cassie since primary school. We’d been best friends with her twin brother Scott. He wasn’t talking to me at the moment because of all the trouble I’d caused his sister. Cassie had always been a bright, bubbly girl, but she changed when she found out Dustan was her soulmate. I know I made it worse too, but I was sick of life being so complicated.

“Derick, are you okay?” Cassie huffed out as she made her way to Dustan and me.

My brother wrapped his arm around her and rested his hands on her ever-expanding stomach. She was pregnant with triplets. Dustan gazed down at her adoringly, and Cassie gave a contented sigh as she leaned back against him.

I watched and my heart soared. I could have that. I wanted that kind of love and devotion. Fuck, I really was a douche. “I’m sorry, Cassie.”

Cassie’s brow raised. “What are you apologizing for? What have you done now?”

Running my fingers through my hair, I resisted the urge to pull it out. This was not going how I thought it would. I thought we would at least have some small talk first, build up to me apologizing for being an arsehole.

“Nothing,” I said. “Well, for being a dickhead. I know I apologized before, but we both know I didn’t really mean it. I know I’ve caused a rift between you and our family, and I feel like shit that Jade and you aren’t the friends you once were.”

Cassie’s sigh was loud and drawn-out. “Come on, let’s go to the loungeroom. Standing for too long is an effort I don’t have to expend. Come tell me why you’ve had a change of heart, or more like personality.”

“Angel, he’s been a major wanker, but it sounds like he’s gotten a kick in the arse he’s needed,” Dustan mumbled just loud enough for me to hear.

Rolling my eyes, I follow them to the loungeroom, walking extra slow behind them because of Cassie’s pace. She wasn’t due for several months, but with her being pregnant with triplets she was bigger than a normal pregnancy.

Dustan helped Cassie sit on the sofa, fluffing up pillows behind her, and sat next to her, gathering her feet so they rested on his lap. I settled down on the single recliner that faced them both.

“You and I both know I never truly meant the other apology. I’ve been angry at what life has thrown at our family lately, and when Dustan got taken and hurt, I blamed you. It wasn’t your fault. I’ve been a douche, and not only caused a rift between you and Jade, but I know you’re not as close to our family as you should be because of my shit.”

The giggle that came from Cassie was dry, almost a cough. “The rift between me and Jade has more to do with the fact that she knew where I was the whole time, and even encouraged me to do what I wanted, but when it came time to stick up for me in front of your whole family, she didn’t say anything. To make it worse, she hasn’t done much to fix our relationship either. Sure, she’s apologized, and the last time I thought we were good, but she never calls or invites me out. So…” She shrugged. “Second, now that I understand a bit better why you felt what you did and why you lashed out, I feel a little better. I’m not okay with how you treated me, but I understand. I love Dustan, and now when I think of the time we missed because of me being stubborn, and truthfully a little childish, I get annoyed with myself.”

“I met my mate.”

The change in Cassie from serious woman to the one I remembered knowing almost all my life came to the surface, a megawatt smile spread over her face, and she jumped up like she wasn’t pregnant and bounced on the spot. A genuine laugh exploded out of her. She was always the happy, cheerful girlthroughout school. Scott’s sister was known to be one of the bubbliest personalities I’d ever met. It was nice to see that side of her again.

“I’m so happy for you. When do we get to meet her?” She surprised me when she stopped bouncing, closed the small distance between us, and hugged me. After the way I had treated Cassie, I didn’t expect her to treat me like she was now. This just confirmed that I was the biggest arsehole ever to treat this sweet woman like I had. Cassie was one of the nicest people I knew, and she may not have done what I or my family wanted to, but she’d never been rude to any of us.

Holding her tight, I ignored the growl from my brother and kissed her cheek. “I’m so sorry for being the biggest arsehole in the world.”

Dustan yanked me away from his wife and glared at me. “You can apologize and keep your hands and all body parts off my wife.”

I looked at Dustan and realized that what I was seeing would be me and how I’d act with my own soulmate. For the first time in days, I relaxed and knew I may have a difficult road ahead of me, but if the love that I saw between my brother and Cassie was something I could have with my own soulmate, I was going to do whatever I could to have a love like theirs or even greater.

“Okay. No touching.” I raised my hands in surrender, or more like to show I understood he was laying down the rules and I would follow them. “Cassie is all yours, bro. I know I have no right to ask you two anything, but I need help with my woman. I…I think she needs a friend.”

Sighing, I sat back on the recliner. I had to tell them everything. I knew Ruby needed someone who would be a close friend that she could trust, and I knew that Cassie could be that.

Ruby

He was out there again.It had been seventy-two hours or so ago that I’d gone to a self-defense class and met a Silverman, and not just any, but the one whose brother my father had kidnapped. I’d first seen him two nights ago before bed, or at least I thought it was him as he was in the same car this morning when Hope had spotted it, calling it very pretty, and ran outside to look. When she saw Derick in it, she squealed her excitement. I caught her as Derick opened his door and carried her back inside, berating her for leaving the house without me.

I wondered why Derick was here watching us. He hadn’t been nasty to me or called me any bad names. He’d been nothing but sweet to Hope. I thought I would be scared that he was close and watching me, but I slept like a baby. Actually, I hated that saying because babies didn’t sleep well at all; I slept last night better than I had in as long as I could remember.

It was late, and I wondered if Derick would stay out there all night. I had no idea if he stayed there the whole night the last couple of days, as I didn’t check. It was only when Hope ran out today that I knew he was there.

“Mummy, Iza not sleepy.” Hope sat up in bed. I’d read her a story and promised I would stay here until she fell asleep. The only reason I saw Derick there now was because I was looking out the window, holding the heavy blackout curtains.

“Close your eyes and I’ll sing to you.” I leaned back in my armchair, dropping the curtain, and it fell back into place. I started singingBloodstreamby Ed Sheeran. By the second time around I knew she was out. Hope loved Ed’s music, and eventhough the lyrics weren’t really children friendly, she didn’t know what they meant yet, so I didn’t see any harm in it.

I resisted the urge to go check if Derick was still outside and got myself ready for bed. I was surprised none of the women here had called the police on him. The Silvermans were famous enough for people to know who they were, and that was the only reason I could think of why no one had reported him.

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