with him because…he’s perfect.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” She turned back to her book.
“And he’s not cool because he’s rich, right?”
“No,” she said quickly. “He’s cool because he’s a good guy.” She started reading again.
This time, I just stared at her in silence, savored this moment, enjoying this time in my life…because it was pretty perfect.
A week later, Derek had an abrupt change of attitude. It came out of nowhere.
It had nothing to do with that old friend he didn’t want to see, as far as I knew. He hadn’t done anything with Ryan or participated in wedding stuff, so I had no idea what provoked him to become so distant.
He didn’t do anything too egregious, but he just seemed…distracted.
Even when he was working, he seemed disconnected. He’d sit at his workbench, and instead of working on his model or his laptop, his eyes just stared blankly into the distance…at nothing.
It wasn’t like him at all.
I came to his desk and stood across from him.
His eyes continued their lifeless stare, like he didn’t even notice me.
“Derek?”
He snapped back into reality, and his eyes focused on my face.
“You’ve been preoccupied all day. Everything okay?”
His coldness remained, the distant look still in his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He turned back to his laptop and went back to work like nothing happened.
“Is it the rocket?” It was supposed to launch in just ten days, so he was probably stressed about the success of the test mission.
“No,” he snapped. “I said I’m fine.”
“Well, you clearly aren’t fine—”
“Just stop.” His anger sliced through the air and brought me to silence. He dropped his gaze, his jaw clenched tightly. He took a few breaths before he spoke again, doing his best not to scream at me. “I’m just not having a good day, alright?”
It hurt to see him react this way when we were so happy just yesterday…and the day before that. “I thought we didn’t do this anymore.”
“So, I can’t have a bad day once in a while?” he snapped. “I’m a human being who has shitty days sometimes, alright? Just leave it alone.”
Instead of escalating the situation by snapping back, I let it go. I turned around and walked off, even though that was so hard to do. I didn’t care if he wasn’t his usual self; I just hated how his immediate response was to shut me out rather than talk to me.
But I walked away anyway and headed to the corporate office because now I needed space myself.
It was toward the end of the day when I got a text from a number I hadn’t seen before.
Emerson, it’s Deacon. I texted Derek this morning and got no response—and he always texts me back. So, I wanted to let you know that he’s probably having a hard day because today is the anniversary of his mother’s death. Some years he’s better, and some years he’s worse. So, I have a feeling what kind of year this one is. Just a heads-up.
And then it all made sense. Yes, he’s been a bit hostile. Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you for loving my son unconditionally, Emerson. Cleo and I appreciate it.
He was the one who loved me unconditionally, but I didn’t say that.
I finished up at the office then drove to the lab, where he worked alone because Jerome and Pierre had left for the day. With my purse over my shoulder, I walked to his table, watching him look up at me with that same combative look.
He spoke before I said anything. “I’m gonna stay longer. You can take off.”
I set my purse on the counter then took a seat across from him.
He sighed loudly like he knew what was coming. “I’m sorry I’m being an ass, baby. I just…” He rubbed the scruff along his jaw as he stared down at his notebook. “It’s one of those days.”
“You only have one of these days for a reason, Derek.”
“I love you, but I don’t have to share every little thing with you.” He got back to work like I wasn’t there.
“Why don’t you want to share every little thing with me?”
He stared at the paper, but it was obvious he wasn’t absorbing anything he looked at. “Do you share every little thing with me?”
“Yes.”
He straightened on his stool then gave a loud sigh, like he was irritated.
I waited for him to tell me on his own.
But all I got was silence—brooding and irritating silence.
So, I laid down my cards. “Your dad texted me…and told me