Page 12 of Prudence
I flushed. “It’s fine.”
Derek reached out as though to touch me, and my breath caught when he tucked some hair behind my ear, just like he’d done last night. He exhaled heavily, taking me in for a long moment before he motioned his brother and best friend forward. “These two have something to say to you.”
“We’re very sorry for what happened last night,” Tristan said, while Rhys added, “It was a stupid thing to do. We never meant it for you.”
“Well, thank you for apologising,” I said, touched they’d come all the way over to my house just to say sorry, though I suspected Derek had ordered them both to do it, and they had little choice in the matter. He had a bossy streak and was obviously the one they all looked up to in the group.
“They’re going to do some yard work out here to make up for it,” Derek went on, and my eyes widened in surprise. “Since your dad is still unwell, we thought he might appreciate a little help.”
“Oh,” I glanced from Tristan to Rhys. “You guys really don’t have to—”
“They’re doing it. They deserve the punishment. It’ll make them think twice before attempting something so idiotic in future,” Derek cut me off, his tone brooking no argument. I watched as he motioned for Tristan and Rhys to get to work before he lifted the box of doughnuts.
“While they’re doing that, I thought we could share breakfast?”
“Oh, yes, please come in,” I said, stepping back and leading him into the kitchen. I could still detect Jane hovering nearby when Derek said, a smile in his voice, “I brought enough for your sisters, too.” Just like that, Jane came forward, and Derek opened the box that contained a dozen doughnuts with an array of toppings. She selected a Boston Crème just as I heard Donna’s bedroom door opening and her feet shuffling down the stairs. She appeared in the doorway, her brown hair scruffy and uncombed, a rumpled T-shirt on and her eyes bleary in a way that told me she’d been up until the early hours playing the computer game she was addicted to.
“Are those doughnuts?” she asked, a thread of hope in her voice, and I had to hold in a chuckle. Donna was a sugar fiendand had a sixth sense for when dessert food entered the house. It called out to her like a homing beacon.
“Yeah, have one,” Derek encouraged. “I’m Derek, by the way. Your sister’s friend.”
“I know who you are,” Donna responded, unimpressed. She’d always been that way. My sister was in her own world most of the time and completely disinterested in the teenage hierarchy of our town. She preferred her gamer friends on the internet who lived in various locations around the world.
I sent Derek an apologetic look on behalf of my sister, but he only returned it with an easy-going grin. Donna took two doughnuts and retreated to her room, leaving me alone with Derek. Well, aside from Jane, who was in the living room likely listening to every word we exchanged with untold giddiness.
“So,” I began, clasping my hands together and suddenly feeling self-conscious under Derek’s keen attention. “Want some coffee to go with the doughnuts?”
“Sure,” he replied, and I busied myself with the coffee pot.
A silence fell between us for a minute before I commented, “Your brother seems to really feel about bad last night.”
“And so he should.” Derek dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily. “Tristan can be a bit of an ‘act first, think later’ person at times.”
“Right, he seems like a nice boy, though. You shouldn’t be too hard on him. He clearly looks up to you.” I set the coffee on the table alongside two mugs, and Derek took the liberty of pouring it while I decided between a classic glazed doughnut and one with some kind of strawberry-flavoured frosting. In the end, I decided to indulge myself when I selected the strawberry one. Derek watched as I took a bite, his gaze turning a little distracted when I licked away some frosting from the corner of my mouth.
“I don’t enjoy having to be tough with Tristan,” Derek replied at last, dragging his gaze away from my lips. “I’ve justalways felt this responsibility to set a good example for him. I mean, with Nuala, I don’t have to worry as much, aside from when sleazy lads try to come onto her.”
“She’s a pretty girl. She’s going to get attention from boys. It’s inevitable,” I pointed out.
“Right, but she’s such an open-hearted person. I don’t want her getting taken advantage of by some prick who’s only interested in sex.”
“Understandable.”
“With Tristan, it’s a little different.” He sighed.
I sipped some coffee. “Oh?”
“He’s the type of lad who says yes to everything, you know? Zero thought about the consequences. Sometimes I worry he’s going to say yes to the wrong thing and mess his life up.”
“Like what? Drugs?”
“More like diving off the Lion’s Head on a dare and breaking his neck. Or chugging an entire bottle of vodka to impress a group of girls and giving himself alcohol poisoning. He can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.”
“Well, from what I’ve heard of your brother, thatistrue, but he also seems to want your approval. I think that might trump any instincts to take on risky pursuits.”
Derek blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t feel that way. It feels like I constantly have to monitor him in case he makes a bad decision.”
On instinct, I reached across the table and placed my hand on his. Derek glanced up. “You’re not his father. It’s not your job to protect him from everything that might possibly go wrong, and you shouldn’t put that burden on yourself.”
