Page 129 of All In Good Time

“It would be better if you two would quiet down.”

“Give us a break here. We had to find out through the grapevine that you attacked Mark Stokes and got Derek arrested,” Marty said.

Becca was quickly wide awake. She popped up from her pillow and sent a burning glare at Marty. “He wasn’t arrested. Not really.”

She realized, after saying it, that he looked far too satisfied at getting a reaction from her. Of course, he knew that it wasn’t true. Her attention caught onto the bouquet of flowers he held in his hand.

“But you did actually attack Mark Stokes?” he asked, walking over to the bedside table to lay the bouquet next to her alarm clock that she must have slept right through. “Or were you going to wait to tell me about that too?”

“Marty.” Nicole sent him a warning glare. She looked at a confused Becca whose eyes bounced between the interactions. Maybe if her mind wasn’t so sluggish, she would already understand what was going on.

“Sorry, sorry. A conversation for another day, I know.” He sat down on the bed, too, and sighed.

“He overheard some people who saw you leaving with Derek the other day.Ihad to explain the situation to him.” Nicole sounded far too proud to say that.

Becca’s mouth formed an “O” shape as it clicked in her head. “I was going to tell you both everything, but honestly, I was still figuring it out for myself.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Right, Marty?” Nicole said.

He relented and leaned forward. The stubbornness left his face quicker than it had appeared. “I’m glad you’re okay, Becks. You had me worried there for a while.”

“I’m fine. Really. You guys don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, but we do.” Nicole stood. “In fact, we don’t plan on letting you out of our sight until we are absolutely sure that you are not going to run out and beat the ass of someone’s dickhead father.”

“That’s not—”

“Get your ass downstairs and in front of the television. I brought thirteen movies, and we are going to watch every single one of them, starting right now.” She held up her school bag, which must be where said thirteen movies were.

Becca blinked and looked between the pair. Marty looked just as determined as Nicole. “What about school?”

“Who the hell needs school?”

Both Becca and Nicole gave Marty a look.

“You are not helping our case here with your grades,” Nicole snapped at him.

He glared at her.

She rolled her eyes and looked back to Becca. “School can wait, but you, my friend, need us right now. We are here to be your personal distractions from whatever is running through that little head of yours. We won’t even require an explanation, or a story, or anything from you. Just your company will do.”

Becca didn’t know how she had been so lucky in life. A mother who loved her. Two best friends who cared for her at her lowest. And her Derek.

Derek, who was safe, even if she worried about him.

She wasn’t used to that feeling. She wasn’t used to the comfort of knowing that, wherever he was, he was okay. That he didn’t need her help. That he was perfectly capable of fighting his own battles.

She could rest her mind. She could stay up all night with her friends and watch movies and no longer be scared that he would show up bruised and hurt. He was safe, and she could let herself be happily distracted for a little while.

“I love you guys.”

“You’re so lucky to have us.” Nicole stole the words right out of her mind. “Now let’s go. I’ve already got the first movie picked out.”

Nicole rushed from the room, and Becca pulled the covers off to follow.

Marty, however, wasn’t moving. He stood by the door Nicole had gone through, watching Becca carefully. His face was serious, and Becca stopped to observe him. He wanted to say something. She could tell.

“What?”

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