What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love) (32 page)

             
“Do you know that for sure?
No,
you don’t and nobody knows what I would
have
do
ne
, because you never gave me the option to decide what I would do, you decided for me. You are just like him.” I spat the words hard. “Let go of me, we are not friends. Do not call me, don’t text, just stay the hell away from me.” Lexi looked hurt and dropped my arm. I
climbed
into my car and pulled out of the restaurant, looking in the rearview
mirror.
I saw Lexi staring at me drive away. I had to wipe the tears with the back of my hand. My heart was hurting and I was in pain. I felt so betrayed. All the feeling of everything with David was coming back and knowing Lexi knew made it hurt worse this time.

             
I walked in the door and ran up to my bedroom. I threw myself on the
bed and cried. I heard my phone ringing, but I ignored it, there wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to right now and I sure as hell didn’t want to talk to Lexi ever again.  I kept thinking how shocked she seemed when I started learning about the affairs. I realized she was a great actor and wondered what else she had lied to me about. I ended up crying myself to sleep.

             
I woke the next morning feeling the sting from my eyes. The crying left my eyes red and puffy. I quickly changed and packed the car. I called my parents to let them know that I would be on my way to get the girls and shot Derek a text letting him know I was getting on the road and I’d see him tomorrow.

             
When I grabbed the girls, both my parents were in the driveway waiting with the girls. They helped the girls climb into their booster seats and buckled them up. After the girls were settled and ready for the
trip,
my dad leaned into my window and kissed my check.

             
“I see something is
wrong.
Do
you want to talk about it before you hit the road?” He had a very concerned look on his face.

             
“Nope, I’m perfectly fine. We need to get on the
road;
I’m already late heading out.” I
threw
him a forced smile.

             
“Call us if you need us, we are always
here, Bri.
Both
of us are always here.” He glanced over at my mom,
who was
standing off to the side of the car.

             
“I love you and we’ll see you in a week. I’ll have the girls call you when they get back from Hershey.” I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. Once we got on the
highway,
I felt lost. The girls were engrossed in their Barbie movie and I had nobody to talk to. I usually called Lexi or Derek on the drive, but I was not ever talking to Lexi again and calling Derek was out. I’m sure those two have already talked about last night and I don’t want to talk to Derek about the whole situation in earshot of the girls. Instead, I just drove with my thoughts.

             
David’s parents took the girls to Hershey the day after we arrived. They left early in the morning. The girls were so excited and David’s parents seemed to be excited about being
alone
with the girls for a few days. After I kissed the girls
goodbye,
I loaded my car and headed over to Derek’s. He was at
work,
so I let myself in and headed
for
the pool at his complex. I must have fallen asleep, because when I
woke,
Derek was standing over me.

             
“
Hey,
sun goddess, I think you’ve had enough sun for the summer.”

             
“I’m storing Vitamin D for the long cold Michigan
winters.
When
did you start sounding like my mom?”

             
“Ouch, that was a little
harsh,
”
he
said with a smile. “Come on, I’m taking you to dinner.”

             
“Could we just eat in tonight? Let’s get Chinese and watch a sappy chick flick.” I felt exhausted after driving all day yesterday.

             
“Sounds like a plan.” Derek reached out his hand. I grabbed it and followed him into the apartment.

             
I jumped in the shower and threw on a pair of boxers and
an
old running shirt. I put my wet hair up in a bun and walked out into the living room.

             
“I’m so glad you dressed up for me.” I could see the smile on Derek’s face.

             
“Shut up, what did you order? I’m starving.” I walked over to the kitchen area pulling out two wine glasses and
getting
a bottle of wine out of the fridge. As I was pouring the
wine,
Derek slid
onto
a stool on the opposite side of the bar. I slid his glass over to him, returning the bottle to his fridge.

             
I co
ntinued to stand across from Derek. “I know you talked to
Lexi,
so what? Are you mad at me, her, want to fix us? There isn’t anything to fix.”

             
“Since you brought it up, I’ll talk about it, I didn’t want to pry.”

             
“Bullshit, it’s been eating at you the minute you talked to her. You wanted to call me and lecture me, but I did nothing wrong.”

             
“You are right, you
didn’t
do anything wrong, but
neither
did Lexi.”

             
“
What?
Are
you fucking kidding me? You are serious? Please
,
tell me that was a fucking joke
, Derek,
so I can laugh.” I had both my palms flat on the counter and I was leaning in
towards
Derek now.

             
“I know she hurt you, but she was only trying to protect you. Talk to her, she can explain it better th
a
n I can.” I was shaking my head no. There was no way I was talking to her and I was getting angry with Derek for defending her betrayal. “Abbs, would you have left David if she told you what she knew?”

             
“I don’t know, because I wasn’t given the chance.” I didn’t know, I wasn’t lying when I said that to him.
I was
not sure what I would have done if I found out.

             
“Lexi was scared that she would tell you and
then
David would turn it on her. That you would believe him and you wouldn’t leave him, but she would lose you too. Abby, you need to talk to her.
She’s
hurting right now, just as much as you are,
so
talk to her.”

             
“
Derek,
I can’t.” I picked up my wine
glass
heading to the living room.

             
“
Abby,
you are pushing everyone away, eliminating everyone who loves you from your life. Pretty soon you will only have the girls. You cut your mom and Lexi out. Two people who love you more
than
you know.” He had a point. I was cutting people out of my life. “You won’t talk to either of them, you cut them out and that was that, no
talking before you made your choice.”

             
“I’ll think about it, I will, but I can’t right now. I need this week to clear my head. Can we make a deal that we won’t talk about this anymore this week?”

             
“You and your deals that avoid talking,” Derek let out a sigh, “
Fine
, deal.”

             
The Chinese came and we watched
Pride and Prejudice
and
Taken
. I had to agree to
Taken
after
I forced Derek to watch
Pride and Prejudice
with me. Plus, I was a mess even though I knew everything that was going to happen. It was my guilty pleasure. I loved the
book.
I read it at least five times and
watche
d
the movie more times then I could count. We finally went to bed around eleven. Derek kissed my forehead and said he would see me in the morning and
for me
to be ready. I wasn’t really s
ure what I needed to be ready for when I woke.

             
Derek woke me by jumping on the bed. I wanted to kick his ass. I was so tired, but he was so excited for whatever surprise he had. “
So,
Sleeping
Beauty,
did you have a lovely sleep?
”

             
“I was until some d-Bag decided to wake me.” I was now pushing at him.

             
Derek fell down on the bed with
me.
He
lay
next to me, but didn’t touch me. He put his hands behind
his
head and crossed his ankles. “Well, if you don’t want to get up, then you can’t find out the surprise.”

             
I jumped
up, straddled him,
and started tickling him at his rib area. I knew he was ticklish
there
and hated
it
. Derek started kicking his legs and
grabbing
my hands. Derek flipped me and pinned me to the
bed,
holding my arms down over my head and my body with his. 
I looked into Derek’s eyes and I could feel he wanted something more, but I wasn’t sure. What if we did cross friend lines and I lost him? I couldn’t lose him, he was my constant. Derek slowly leaned his head down and kissed
me.
I returned the kiss before I knew what I was doing. I felt his tongue slip into my mouth and kiss me deeply. Before I knew what was
happening,
the kiss had ended. Derek released my hands and pulled away from me. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. Abbs, I’m so sorry.”

             
I looked at Derek and brought my arms next to me on the
bed, propping
myself up on my elbows. 
I tried to look into his eyes, but he was looking down on the bed. I decided I needed to look at him,
and I
needed him to look at me in the eyes. I sat up crossing my legs Indian Style and placed my hand under his chin, bringing his face up so he would look at me. “Look, I love
you.
I love you so much, but not the way you need me to love you. Do you know how many times I’ve wished we had more sexual chemistry so I could love you like you need? We don’t have it, but I need
you in my life, Derek,
and I’m sorry.”

             
“Abbs, I always thought if I could get you in a situation like this and if I kissed you that it would change. That I could get
you
to look at me the way I
wanted
you
to
, but
shit
, I felt like I was kissing my sister. You suck!”
Well,
the awkward moment was over.

             
“What, I suck? Nobody has ever told me that before. I need a redo, let me try this time.” I was slightly serious.

             
“No, it felt slightly
incestuous
.” I pushed him in the shoulder, but he was completely right. I started to laugh. “So,
we’re
good?”

             
“Only if you get me coffee and tell me the surprise.”

             
“Well, I have a pot on and once your stinky ass is showered, we can head out. We need to be there by ten.”

             
“Do you have to be so harsh and such a douche?” I climbed out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. “Get my coffee ready.” I tried to say it
as if
I was pissed, but I
knew
it didn’t come out that way.

             
W
hen I got out of the
shower,
I
walked into the kitchen with my hair in a towel and a towel wrapped around me.
I grabbed my coffee and started drinking it and I let out a moan. Derek looked at me and spoke, “Seriously, are you trying to kill me, get some clothes on.”

             
“
Well
, you
said kissing me was
incestuous,
so I thought this was good. Plus, I have no fucking clue what to wear.”