The Boy Who Has No Belief - Victoria Quinn Page 0,22

things I’d ever seen. My hand went to Derek’s arm, and I gave him a squeeze before I nodded to the first person.

She walked up, stared at him with a big smile, and then put the three books in front of him. “Oh my god, I soooo love you. You’re my favorite writer. I’ve read these books, no joke, like ten times. I can’t wait until the next one comes out.” She handed him the first book with the sticky note on top.

Derek stared at her for a few seconds before he smiled. “Thank you.” He grabbed the book and pulled it closer so he could open the cover and sign. “It’s nice to meet you.” He put the pen to the page and started to sign.

“And I watched your TED Talk too,” she added. “You’re using your brilliance to further humanity, and I find that so inspiring. You’re such a good person, and it makes me strive to be a better person too.”

He stilled, in the middle of his sentence, then looked up to meet her gaze. Silence passed like he had no idea how to respond to that compliment. “I… That means a lot to me.”

“Would it be too much to ask for a picture?”

“No,” he said immediately. “Just let me finish signing these…” He signed all three books, plus the new one she’d preordered, before he placed them at the edge of the table.

I left my chair and pulled out the one beside him. “Take a seat. If you give me your phone, I’ll do it for you.”

She fumbled with her phone before she got it into my hands, a rush of nervousness that made her clumsy. Under her breath, she whispered, “Oh my god, oh my god…” Then she fell into the chair beside Derek and grinned like it was the happiest day of her life.

Derek sat beside her and smiled but didn’t touch her.

I motioned with my arm, telling him to put his arm around her.

Without having an attitude about it, he did it. The smile he wore was genuine, like that single encounter meant as much to him as it did to her.

I took the picture and handed the phone back to her.

“Thank you so much.” She took the phone after leaving her seat and gathered her books before she waved and walked away.

Derek watched her walk away. “Thank you for coming to see me.”

I returned to the chair beside him and rubbed his back. “See? You’re loving this.”

“Yeah.” He waved for the next person to approach. “Not so bad…”

Derek had a great time, just like I thought he would.

Hours passed, and he only took a short break to use the restroom, get some water, and have a snack, and then he was back to signing books, and the line continued because people continued to show up.

It was remarkable.

He’d just finished signing some books for a young man and his mother and said goodbye when he stilled at the sight of the next person in line. He stared for a while, his entire body rigid and tight.

I looked at the young man standing there, wearing a handsome smile, with dark hair and brown eyes. He held up his book before he crossed the space between the line and the table and approached Derek.

Derek watched him, a slight smile moving onto his lips.

When the man came closer, I recognized their similar features. There was no chance they weren’t related, so I assumed he was Derek’s brother.

He set the book on the surface. “Sign that, asshole.” He seemed to be in his early twenties, considerably younger than Derek. But he was just as handsome, having a brightness in his eyes that Derek didn’t possess. Cleo’s features were in his face, even though he had his father’s eyes.

Derek opened the front page and signed it.

Dex,

You’re an asshole.

Love,

Your bigger asshole brother

Dex smiled like he appreciated the signature. “Good. I’m glad you didn’t write anything too serious about loving me and shit.”

“I would have to love you in the first place in order to write that.” Derek slid the book back.

Dex chuckled then pulled out his phone. “Can I get a picture? You know the folks will love it.”

“It’ll go on the mantle over the fireplace forever. Are you sure we should subject ourselves to that?”

He shrugged. “I think it’s unavoidable.”

Their interactions were amusing, especially since it was so different from the relationship Derek had with his parents. They seemed to be friends more than family, which probably made