All I Ask(76)

I laugh. “No, I’m much worse. I’m stronger and no longer think you are anything more than a piece of shit and a coward. I’ll keep Chastity from you, that’s her name in case you forgot. My beautiful, smart, funny girl that despite half of her parentage has turned out to be the best thing in the world.”

“Good. I appreciate it.”

“Oh,” I step closer. “I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for her because I never want to give you the opportunity to hurt her. Now, get the fuck out of here.”





Chapter Thirty-Four





Derek




Present



Teagan has been quiet since seeing Keith last night. I stayed at her house with her, mostly because I didn’t want to leave. Our first night together should’ve gone differently. I would’ve held Teagan for hours, told her how I felt, shown her that my heart was hers.

Instead, her fucking ex that I thought would never be an issue appeared.

“You don’t have to babysit me,” she says as she stirs her coffee, which she’s been staring at for five minutes.

“I didn’t realize I was.”

“I’m saying that I’m fine. Last night was…weird, but I’m okay.”

I don’t believe her, but sure. “I’m here because Keith wasn’t the only thing that happened last night.”

She stops stirring and looks up. “No, it wasn’t.” Her voice is soft. “It was…everything.”

I reach my hand out to her and she does the same.

Sex with Teagan was everything. It was fucking incredible and worth the wait. I want to tell her how I feel and the things I hope she’ll come around to. I don’t want to scare her off. I think she’s had enough in the last twenty-four hours and Teagan overanalyzes everything. I can’t imagine what her head is doing right now.

“The good thing is that Keith will be out of this town in a few days and then I can breathe again.”

“What about the fact that Chastity’s reaching out to him?”

She sighs. “Yeah, that I don’t know what to do about. If I tell her that I know, she’ll be upset and think I snooped on her. On the other hand, she and I…we talk about everything. I thought we didn’t keep secrets.”

Their relationship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They’re friends to some extent more than mother/daughter. Teagan talks to Chastity about us and I’m trying to get Everly to just talk at all.

“What are you going to tell her about him being here?”

Teagan shrugs while her head falls back. “That he’s here and she should avoid him. I feel like as many times as I imagined how this would go, this went way off course. What if she goes to see him? What if she completely ignores my wishes and then he treats her like shit?”

I’m completely out of my element right now. I don’t know what to tell her because I can’t comprehend what she may feel like. “Chastity trusts you.”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. She’s messaging him for fuck’s sake! Why? The man has never once tried to be a part of her life.”

“Maybe because it can’t be easy knowing he’s out there and not talking to her?”

I’m just winging it here. I know that it would bug me.

“She and I have the relationship we do because of his absence. We’ve been friends to some extent, relying on each other, and I swear to God, Derek, if him being here takes that away from us…”

I see the worry in her eyes. It brings me to my knees because I would give anything to take it from her. “I really fucking hate him for this. I hate that you’re worried and he’s anywhere near you and Chastity.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“What time is Chastity due home?” I’m not sure what the rules are of me being around when she gets here.

“She knows you were sleeping over.” Teagan smiles.

“So she knows you and I…”

“She knows that you’re the first man to ever be here overnight, so, yeah, I’m sure she’s assuming we had sex.”

I groan. “I have to work with her today.”

“Were you planning to talk to her about what we do?”

“What the…?”

Teagan grins. “I’m kidding. It’ll be fine, she’ll be home soon, you can have that awkward, I just slept with your mother moment and then you two can go back to your weird animal stories.”

I roll my eyes. “They’re not weird.”

“Yeah, the fact that you two talk about changes in poop of the stupid cat, who I still hate, is weird.”

For the first time since her mother’s call interrupted us, I see my Teagan. The girl who smiles, makes fun of me, who can radiate the world by being around because she’s who she is. Her laugh is infectious and I hate that he stole any of that from her.

“It’s important when it comes to the health of an animal.”

She shudders. “It’s strange.”

I lean over the table. “I think you like strange.”

Her smile grows as she inches closer to me. “Do you?”

“I do.”

“And what if it’s not strange I like?”