Page 52 of The Cupcake Standard

Exasperation coursed through me. “Yeah, I got that much. I also heard how Derek declared his undying love for her. I’ve heard him stomp away or completely shut down any time she’s mentioned. And he hasn’t brought her up to me yet.” I laced my fingers together, clenching them tightly. “I asked Liam. He said to talk to Derek. I just want to know how big the can of worms I’m opening is.” I was surprised to feel Rhonda’s hand on my shoulder.

“It’s big. I won’t lie to you.” Her blue eyes, only a shade lighter than Derek’s, filled with compassion. “Princess was a childhood friend of ours. She grew up with us, and Liam. Derek had a crush on her for as long as I can remember. But she had big dreams. Us three went to SMU, and she…” Her mouth twitched in a ghost of a smile. “She went off to chase those dreams. Derek was upset. Then she came back his freshmen year absolutely broken.”

Her pause was lengthy. “Derek helped put her back together. I think he used a lot of himself to do it, and he made her so many promises…” Her gaze flicked to mine, filled with sympathy. “He talked her into enrolling with us, but the day she was supposed to start, she hopped on a bus instead. She left a note saying her dreams were too big, and he was just too small.”

Ouch. My heart ached for the pain Derek must have felt at that rejection.

Her intense eyes lingered on me. “I don’t know what all he promised her, but I know it wasn’t done lightly. After she left, he was a mess. In fact, I haven’t seen him anywhere close to himself since that day.” She hesitated, studying me. “Until you came along.”

It was a pinprick of light in a realm of darkness. I couldn’t help wondering if it was best to cling to it, or let it fade? “And when she comes back?”

Rhonda pressed her lips together and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

I stared back at her, weighing her words, appreciating her candor. “Thank you.” And I knew what she needed to hear. “Derek doesn’t hate you. He keeps your picture right in the living room, the one of you and him at the fair.” I smiled at her. “I love that picture. You both look so happy.”

She looked down at her lap again. “I’ll come to your party, and I think I know what I want to get him. It’s a long shot, but one of his favorite football players volunteered at a few of our charity events. I bet I could convince him to make an appearance. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do. What’s your number?” She whipped out her phone as I pulled up my info for her. “Perfect.”

I realized what a force she could be when she put her mind to it. She started to walk away, then she stopped. Her blue eyes met mine once more, with a small smile of gratitude before she disappeared back into the club, and I felt like maybe things would be different for them. At least the possibility was there.

* * * *

The following week, I’d just finished my favorite marketing class and was packing up my notes when my phone rang.

It was Derek. “Hey, Liam’s parents are out of town, so he’s watching their house. He wants us to come over and play pool, hang out, said to invite whoever.”

I had to think over my schedule. It was Tuesday, no work tonight. “I have class first thing tomorrow, so I don’t want to be out late.”

“That’s not a problem.” He paused. “What do you think about having Greg hang out with us? I could line up another driver to take us home, or we could taxi it.”

A smile spread across my face. “That’d be fun. I like Greg, and I’d love to get to know him better. Have you guys ever done anything like that before?”

“Yeah, he’s just not into football, which is what we’ve been doing a lot of lately.”

Makes sense. “Should I invite Gina?” It was kind of a touchy subject with the tension between Gina and Liam lingering since the night I’d met Derek’s parents.

But Derek didn’t even hesitate. “Liam actually mentioned Gina by name when he told me to talk to you about inviting people, so yep, text her. Tell her to bring that boyfriend of hers, so I can actually meet him. What’s his name again?”

“Josh.” I smiled. Derek was so bad with names.

“Right, Josh. I’ll send you the address. And dinner’s covered. Liam’s ordering a bunch of takeout from a local joint once he knows how many are coming.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know about Gina.”

We said goodbye, and I called her next. She took a little convincing since it was Liam, but she loved pool. Josh was available, and the free food didn’t hurt. So I texted her the address.

I made it home in time to change, wanting to be cute, but not over the top. I settled on my favorite jeans, so worn and soft they were like butter, fitting me like a glove. My shirt was long-sleeved and dove gray, with a scooped neck. From the front it looked normal, aside from the lacy sleeves, but the back, well, the back had lace along my shoulder blades, then the lower half was mostly a cut-out. Luckily the built-in bra up front supported things.

Derek waited on the couch when I emerged from my bedroom. He smiled when he saw me. “Ready?” At my nod, he leapt up, handing me my zip-up from the peg near the door.

I managed to put it on while keeping the back hidden from Derek. It would be a fun surprise, and I couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

When we hopped in the elevator, he pushed a P button I’d always wondered about. “I thought I’d drive.”

Curious, I followed him to an underground parking lot where a sleek black Mercedes waited. He opened my door, ever the gentleman. The drive wasn’t a long one, and we caught each other up on our day. It felt so normal chatting with Derek, filling him in on all the mundane details of my life. I glanced at his profile. His sunny smile made my stomach flip, but a clench of anxiety followed it as I realized how comfortable I was getting with everything. With us. As we pulled into the driveway, I pushed the heavier thoughts aside, determined to enjoy tonight.

Greg pulled in next to us, driving a clunky, mismatched SUV. I bit back a laugh, not used to seeing him in anything other than sleek black Town Cars or limos. It was quite the contrast. He grinned as he hopped out, the door creaking when he pushed it shut.

“Hey Avery, Derek.” He seemed different out of uniform too, younger. Suddenly the six-year gap between us didn’t feel that wide, seeing him in his Henley and ripped jeans.

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