Page 17 of Derek
“Well Indy, I don’t know, it was in my container, in my fridge, in my kitchen, in my house. You tell me.”
“Sorry,” she smiles nervously. “I was starving, and it looked like the fastest thing I could heat up and–”
I wave my hand. “Forget it, you’ve taken over everything else in my house. Why would my food be any different?”
“Derek,” she says softly as her small, warm hand touches my forearm. Fuck, that feels good, too good. Shit, she can’t touch me! “I’m really–”
“I got to go.” I interrupt, moving away from the warm current coming from her touch. “Close the curtains if you’re going to be doing that.” I mutter before walking back out of the house and towards my vehicle. Once in the driver’s seat, I smack the steering wheel. I can’t do this. I hate not having my house, my food, and my schedule, but her getting closer and closer to me it’s too fucking much. I’m going to end up snapping or losing my shit.
* * *
“So, how is she?”Ash asks as I walk into the shop. Seeing him takes me by surprise, and I instantly feel on edge. Like he somehow knows I stared at Indy’s ass.
“Good?” I say slowly while setting my bag down. “She’s taken over my entire house and ate my lunch.” Ash laughs softly.
“Sounds about right. What color is she today?” Color? My mind goes back to earlier this afternoon when she covered her wrist.
“Red,” I state, and he nods.
“Good, she’s coming back down. Listen, if she’s messing with your house, I can come get her.” My eyes snap up to his, and I raise a brow.
“She’s an adult. She can leave if she wants.” Ash leans back in his chair. His black eyes set on me.
“She’s also my baby sister,” He says, and I don’t miss the warning tone. “So if I need to come get her, I will.” I shrug, not allowing his warning tone to get to me.
“You know where I live. Trust me, you want her, go for it. Not going to hear me complain. Ow! Goddamn it Janie!” I yell while rubbing the back of my head where she had smacked me.
“Stop acting like she’s some puppy!” She snaps between the two of us. “Ash, you know she can’t move around as well in your place. Derek, you offered your house. If you want to take that back, fine, but everyone needs to stop playing hot potato with her.”
“I’m not playing hot potato with her.” Ash sighs as he rubs his temples. “She’s just being stubborn. She won’t let me help her find a place, and she won’t stop pouring her money into that damn non-profit, so she’s constantly broke.” Non-profit? She’s never mentioned a non-profit, though I’m usually trying to find ways to avoid speaking to her. Or looking at her. Or thinking about her. It’s obviously going well.
I roll my eyes at Janie and Ash’s back and forth. “Alright, alright! That’s enough outta both of you.” I say while standing up. “My fucking god.” I shake my head as I grab my backpack. “You know what, you’re back now, and I need a goddamn break. Consider this day one of my vacation.” Janie blinks her blue eyes at me.
“Derek, you can’t leave.” I laugh and shrug.
“Actually, Mama J, I can. You promised me time off when Ash got back, and here he is.” Janie frowns as she looks at me, and I know she wants to say something. But I don’t give her a chance. I need to get out of here. I need to get my life back in order and figure out what I need to do to make it so Indy is no longer consuming all my space. My routines, my meals, my shows—it’s all been ripped from me by this tiny, raven-haired woman.
Tiny, raven-haired woman that smells like purity and peace, has a voice like a saint and the ass of a sinner.
See, this is exactly my fucking problem. I need to rub one out… or twelve, this is getting fucking ridiculous.
* * *
“Come on D,”my brother’s deep, annoyed voice groans over the speaker of my vehicle.
“Fuck off Jackson, I ain’t in the mood,” I say as I look at the darkening skies.
“D, pops is not doing well–”
“I told y’all to tell me how much you need for a home health aide, and I would pitch in, but I ain’t going back to Virginia.” I snap as I turn into my driveway. There is no escape for me anymore. I’m feeling claustrophobic, and I’m going to freak the fuck out.
“I don’t know why I even bothered.” Jackson grumbles.
“Me either,” I grunt back before disconnecting the call and getting out of the vehicle, slamming the door shut and storming up the walkway when I hear it. My smoke detector is going off. “Goddamn it, what now?” I growl as I run into the house. Instead of the candle smells I’ve been choking on all week, I smell something burning, and there’s smoke in the kitchen. I walk in and see Indy reaching for the window over the sink, but she’s too short to reach over the large sink and lift the window.
“What the fuck is going on?” I snap as I turn the smoke alarm off. I walk back to the front door and open it to let the smoke clear out. “Is there any way I can have just one thing in my life that is not fucked up? Everywhere I turn, I’m fucking reminded that my schedule and routines are gone. That I can’t have my food, hours, or washer.” I look around as the smoke begins to clear the room. “And now, I come home to find you trying to burn the goddamn house down. There are instructions that anyone can follow on each of those containers. How is it even possible you fucked them up?”
Indy lifts her downturned head and—fuck, no.No, no, no!
