Page 35 of Prudence
The maître d’ escorted me to a table in the back, where it looked like most everyone had already arrived. To my relief, there was no Derek, and some part of me hoped he wasn’t coming while another—very annoying part of me—wished for a glimpse of him. I suspected that part was my teenage self who still held a sliver of affection for him. I wasn’t sure it would ever go away, no matter how rudely he behaved towards me.
Nuala was the first to spot me as she stood and pulled me into a hug, followed by Charli and Rhys. Next, I exchanged greetings with Aidan, Tristan and Theo, all of whom seemed delighted to see me. I was touched by their warm welcome, especially since a certain someone had been so frosty, but I decided to focus on the positive. I was spending an evening with old friends, and a server had just brought out a selection of amuse-bouche from the chef.
I devoured some kind of parcel filled with chicken, mushrooms and teriyaki sauce when my phone vibrated. Checking the screen, I saw it was Deirdre and stepped outside to take the call.
“Dee, is everything okay?”
“Hi, Mum. Everything’s fine. Gigi came over to watch a movie, and we want to rent outMystic Pizza. Is it okay to charge it to your account?”
I smiled at her request, mainly because the movie was so old I was surprised either of them knew about it. “Sure. Where did you hear aboutMystic Pizza?”
“There’s a woman on TikTok who reviews old movies from the eighties and nineties. Actually, can we getPractical Magic, too? She highly recommended both.”
I chuckled. “Knock yourselves out. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry.”
“Thanks, Mum. Enjoy your dinner.”
“I’ll be home by eleven,” I said then hung up just in time for a shadow to appear before me. I lifted my eyes and found Derek’s disgruntled gaze levelled on me. We stared each other down, and I didn’t want to be the one to break first. Nonetheless, I found myself blurting, “No Kayla tonight?”
He frowned, like my mentioning her was odd, which it was. “She’s gone back to Australia.”
“Ah, I see. You must be looking forward to when she moves over here permanently.”
What was wrong with me? I’d been struck with a case of verbal diarrhoea. Derek frowned faintly. “Why would I …” he trailed off, some kind of realisation dawning before the faintest flicker of satisfaction crossed his features. “Yes, actually. Can’t wait.”
Something in his tone had me pressing my lips together and grinding my teeth. He moved to walk by me, and I tookthe opportunity to slip my phone back into my pocket. I waited for him to go inside so as not to inconvenience him with my presence, but then he reached the door and pulled it open, looking back at me, “Are you coming in or what?”
I sighed. “Fine.” Stepping by him, I re-entered the restaurant. The bustle of servers and chatter of patrons distracted me, and I made the mistake of turning to look at Derek, who stood directly behind me. He was staring at the back of my head with such unbridled frustration it made me want to shout, “Bloody hell! Surely being around me isn’t that bad!” But as soon as he saw me looking, he wiped his face clean, returning to blank disinterest.
“Gigi’s at my house with Deirdre, by the way. They’re watching movies.”
“I know where my daughter is,” he shot back, like my informing him was some kind of insult.
“Well, I was just letting you know. No need to bite my head off,” I muttered under my breath. I turned back around when suddenly a large, warm hand clamped around my upper arm. Derek’s grip managed to be both gentle and firm at the same time.
“What was that?”
My eyes narrowed into a glare. “Nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t. I heard you grumbling about me. What did you say?”
His persistence had me snapping. “I said there was no need for you to bite my head off since I was just letting you know where your daughter is. But clearly anything I say to you is offensive these days, so I think I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”
Something about my response seemed to surprise him. I wasn’t sure if it was my attitude or the defiant way I lifted my chin, but a hint of what looked like amusement passed over his features. Oh, he’d better not be finding this funny.
He exhaled heavily, his eyes tipping over my face in a way that had me tensing. His gaze seemed to snag on my lips, remaining there for a beat too long. I imagined he was pondering my statement about keeping my mouth shut. Perhaps it even amused him to imagine taping it shut. What I didn’t quite understand was the heat that sizzled under my skin while his eyes remained fixed there.
“Sounds like a good plan,” he said at last, looking away before he released me from his grip. He moved by me to join the others at the table, and I had to stand in place and take a moment to centre myself before I was finally calm enough to rejoin the group.
I wasn’t nearly as relaxed as I had been before Derek had arrived, and I couldn’t shake my awareness of his brooding presence. He sat across the table next to Theo, the two of them talking quietly while Tristan told us all about the new Balfe Hotel that the family had opened in Cork just a couple of months ago. I was trying to focus on lifting my wine glass without nervously shaking it and spilling droplets across the table. A soft hand came to rest on my wrist.
“Hey, are you okay?” Nuala asked gently.
I mustered a smile. “Of course.”
“You just seem a little subdued since Derek showed up,” she went on. “I saw he arrived while you were outside on the phone. Did he say something to upset you?”
“No, not at all. Well, I mean, he hasn’t exactly been a ray of sunshine. I think he just doesn’t want to interact with me, but we seem to keep running into each other unfortunately.”
