Page 36 of Derek
“Hey,” I smile brightly. “I was coming down to see you for a minute.” My smile fades at the look of anger on his face.
“You can’t take stairs. You know this. Why in the fuck would you risk going down these metal stairs? Do you have a death wish, or did you forget your brain today?” I flinch at his words as I force myself back up the step.
“I-I wanted to talk–”
“Then fucking call. You don’t do something this reckless. You want everyone to stop mothering you? Think before you fucking act. Like I’m not having a shitty enough day, I nearly had a heart attack as I watch–”
“Okay!” I cry out, silencing him. I know my face is not masking my emotions at all. I’m hurt and humiliated, and now, I’m crying… perfect. “Sorry,” I whisper and turn to go back inside but freeze momentarily and look back at him. “Here.” I hand him the bag, and he stares at it.
“What’s this?”
“I knew you were working late and wouldn’t eat fast food.” I whisper, and I hear him say, “Fuck, Indy!” before I shut the door and lock it. I walk back into the tattoo area and run into Janie.
“Help me get out.” I mouth, and as if she understands completely, she goes to Fox and whispers in his ear. Fox looks at me, motioning to follow him, and we go out the front of Hel’s Ink.
Fox takes me around the block before I stop him at a bus stop. “I’ll take the bus, thank you, though.” I sniffle as I wipe a stray tear.
“Indy,” he gives me an uncomfortable stare. “What happened? I know you went out there to talk to Derek. Do I need to beat his ass?” I let out a choked laugh while shaking my head.
“No, leave him alone. Please don’t say anything, especially in front of my brother. Derek is obviously having a bad day, and I just was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I freeze as the bus pulls up, smiling when I see it’s Dorene, a regular driver that knows I need assistance on and off the bus.
“Hi baby,” she smiles as she parks the bus and comes to help me.
“Hi, Ms. Dorene,” I say as Fox lifts me up the step with ease. I turn to look at him as he sets me down. “Actually, I wasn’t at the wrong place,” I say softly. “Everyone needs to be able to vent sometimes. It’s really okay. Don’t yell at him.”
Fox snorts, “He doesn’t deserve your kindness first off, and second, it’s not me you have to worry about. Torch is probably back there ripping his nipples off.” I chuckle at the thought of Janie taking on Derek.
“Well, I have no control over her, but I am okay. Thank you, Fox.” I squeeze his hand before letting Dorene help me up the step and taking a seat. What Derek said, it hurt. I won’t lie. But he does deserve kindness, patience, and understanding because despite what he screamed at me, I saw the terror in his eyes when he ran to stop me, and I saw the guilt flooding over him when I gave him the food. So no, I’m not mad at him, and I forgive him, but that doesn’t mean I’m not hurt.
Chapter15
Derek
“AND ANOTHER THING!” Janie roars at me, her small body shaking, and at this point, I can’t tell if it’s her tremors or just her blinding fury. I sit quietly on the couch in the office as she paces in front of me, cheeks red hot and fists clenched. I pay her no mind though. I just keep staring at the bag of food in front of me. She brought me lunch. She brought me a special lunch because she knows how I am about fast food. And I talked down to her in a way you wouldn’t speak to an ill-behaved dog, let alone someone as amazing as her.
“You ever feel the need to hurt Indy’s fucking feelings again, Rowe, you come fucking find me. My dad and Fox let your shit attitude slide, and even I did for a while because I grew up knowing that “Derek is a grouch.” But I’ll be damned if I ever walk through my shop again and find my employee and my best friend sobbing and needing help to get out of here because of you. Are we understood?”
“Yes,” I grunt, continuing to stare at the bag. Janie can say what she wants. None of it will make me feel any worse than I already do.
“Alright Pop,” Fox, who has been silently sitting behind the desk while Janie unleashes holy hell on me, finally speaks up. Pop had been our codename at Hel’s for when Tony, Janie’s late father, would become ten kinds of pissed off, and once Janie started taking over after the old man’s passing, she and her temper inherited that nickname. “I think he’s got the point.”
“I sure as shit hope so, because this dark, solitary attitude is done. This mentality that you don’t have to treat your family respectfully ends. Now.”
“Janie–” Fox interjects, but I wave him off.
“Janie,” I sigh as I look from Fox’s apologetic gaze to Janie’s heated one. I huff out a dry laugh. “I quit.” I watch Janie’s face fall.
“What?” She breathes and looks from me to Fox. “He… you can’t quit?” I shrug.
“Yeah, I can. I liked y’all the best I could, but I’m not going to be forced into being a “family member” or get talked down to like this.” Janie furrows her brow.
“Are you serious?” She turns to Fox, “Is he serious?”
“I am,” I say firmly. “I treated Indy horribly, and I will rectify that. But I’ve let you scream at me for an hour now, and I’m done. I need a break. I can’t do this anymore, Janie.”
“You can’t just leave.” I feel bad. She sounds rejected, and I hate that because as much as she and I bicker. I do like her. But I am getting yelled at by her, threatened by Ash, and Indy is constantly here or on my mind, and I need a fucking break, so if that means I have to leave Hel’s Ink, it will kill me, but I will.
“I’m sorry Mama J,” I say under my breath before walking out of the office and out the back door for what apparently will be one of the last times.
