Page 80 of Lovewell Lane

“No,” I barked. “Good night.”

Without another word, I grabbed my backpack with everything I needed to sleep over and stormed across the backyard and into Derek’s house. He was already waiting for me, lounging lazily on his couch while he watched me with an amused glint in his eyes. When he saw how furious I was, he sat up and his face turned serious.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Why didn’t you say no?” I asked, talking at the speed of light. “I was clearly hinting at you to say no. The one time I need you tobe an asshole, and suddenly you’re all smiles? A gracious host? Fuck you.”

He stood up to stand before me and gently wrapped me up in a hug. “She’s your mom,” Derek said. “I wasn’t going to put her out.”

“My mother belongs far far away from here,” I seethed. “She called this town ahovel.”

He let out a small chuckle.

“You seriously find this funny?” I asked. I stared at him like he’d just kicked a puppy.

“You’re very protective of this town, it’s cute.”

I nearly bit his head off. He must have seen the rage building inside of me because he corrected himself, “It isn’t funny that you’re mad. I’m amused that you care more about her calling the town a hovel than anything else.”

“Whatever,” I muttered.

He pulled me over to the couch and sat me down on his lap. “Why are you so upset that she’s here?”

I groaned, not wanting to get into it. “She always does this. She falls head over heels in love with a shitty man and changes her entire life for him. Then, when it all comes crumbling down, she runs to me and it’s my job to fix her.”

Derek nodded solemnly. “Ah. So she wants to stay here?”

“No,” I laughed without any humor. “She wants me to run off with her to some foreign country, only for her to find a man there and ditch me.”

Derek’s shoulders tensed at that. He rubbed at my neck and hummed.

“I’m obviously not going to leave,” I assured. Wanting to lighten the mood I added, “If she gets too comfortable, I’m blaming you.”

He didn’t look at me when he answered, he just leaned down to kiss my shoulder and squeezed me tighter.

“I can take it. Let me run you a bath, baby.”

My mood completely changed at the sound of him calling me baby. He must have felt my ears perk up because his chest rumbled behind me with a laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

With that, he scooped me up in his arms and whisked me away to his room. I’d never felt more loved than when he washed my hair gently while I sat naked in the warm tub. His hands made sure to rub my neck with every pass.

How could I ever want to leave this?

Silence fell between us again. But it wasn’t uncomfortable.

28

Margo

I waited on the couch while Derek did bedtime with Tessa. We explained to her that I was only staying at their house for a couple of days because my mother was in town. Tessa was very interested in the fact that I had a mother and that she was visiting.

“Where was she before your mom came here?” she asked me.

“Oh, she was in Spain I think. She likes traveling.”

“Did you miss her?”

Not at all. “I don’t see her very often, so I didn’t really notice.”

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