Page 41 of All In Good Time

She pulled Derek’s legs onto the bed, and worked his boots off his feet as Marty groaned and stretched his arms.

“God, he is heavy.”

She shared the sentiment. “Can you open the closet and grab some pants and a shirt?”

Cocking a brow, Marty turned toward the small closet. He walked over, pulled the door open, and scoffed. “What the hell? He has his own closet? Exactly how often does he stay here?”

Becca mentally smacked herself for not warning Marty about that. Truth was, Derek was there so much, it was practically a second home, and this was his second bedroom. She kept a few easy pieces of sweatpants and shirts that were too large for her for these exact scenarios. This was one situation that certainly needed a new change of clothes. There were stains Becca didn’t recognize all over his shirt. She wouldn’t allow him to continue living in those. She didn’t want to explain all that right now though.

“Grab me the gray sweats and one of the shirts.”

Marty shook his head but threw the clothes at her and closed the closet door. Becca got to work on unbuckling Derek’s belt and undoing his buttons.

“Whoa. What are you doing?”

Becca sighed. “Does he look like he’s going to change himself?”

“So you’re going to strip him?”

“Well, areyougoing to do it?”

Marty hesitated and cringed but stepped forward. “God, I think I’m going crazy. Give me that.” He gently pushed a surprised Becca aside. “Turn around.”

She blinked and turned at his command. A few minutes passed, filled with some curses and rustling, before Marty gave her the okay, and she turned to see Derek, not only changed into the clean clothes, but tucked under the comforter on his side.

He looked peaceful, his breathing deepening against the pillowcase. She sighed and let the heavy weight in her body float to the ground. He was safe. He was here, and he was safe.

Quietly, Becca led Marty out of the room, and they walked to the living room before settling onto the couch.

Marty leaned his head back against the cushions, exhausted.

“You should get home. Get some rest,” Becca said quietly, rubbing her own exhausted eyes. They were still sore from the torrent of tears after Mark’s visit.

Marty sat up. “No, no way. I’m staying right here.”

“Marty—” she tried to object, but he had other ideas and cut her off.

“Clearly, that asshole’s dad is bad enough that someone like him would want to run away, and I just saw him leave your house. I’m staying here until Stokes wakes up—at least.”

Honestly, she was afraid hewouldleave. She didn’t tell him the full extent of her and Mark Stokes’s interaction. Like the fact that he now knew she was the one who had called CPS and that he suspected she knew where Derek was. If Mark were to find out that Derek was right there in her home, she doesn’t have any idea how he would react.

She was scared. So scared. So she was glad to have Marty there for now.

“I’ll bring you some blankets.”

Once she got Marty settled on the couch in the living room with pillows and blankets, she told him goodnight before returning up the stairs. One peek into Derek’s room assured her he was still safe and sleeping soundly, so she walked across to her own room and closed herself inside.

The exhaustion wore her down into dust, spread across her bed, and sunk into the thick covers. She wished she could be blown away in the wind.

However, for now, she’d stay there in place and face what was to come when her eyes opened again.

16

February 1985 | Before

School had always been Derek’s favorite time of the day. Not because he enjoyed classes or learning—that, he hated. No, it was because, for most of the day, he could get away from that house and that room and that man.

At school, he was a king. He was everyone’s idol. He was a dream and a model of the perfect person.

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