Page 7 of You've Always Been Mine

I don’t let myself think of Kyle the way he was towards the end of his life—the troubled man who made mistakes that led him to turn on his best friend and endanger his sister’s life out of greed. Instead, I think of the boy who brought me soup when I was sick on my fourteenth birthday. The one who stood up for me and Derek in the ninth grade when peers teased us about being a couple. Back when I was too shy to own up to my own feelings.

I continue to take in Derek as he walks the rest of the way down the stairs. He’s just as handsome as he was the last time I saw him, but the dark circles are still present under his eyes. And so is the somber air that’s followed him around ever since Kyle’s death.

“When did you get in?” I ask as he reaches the landing.

“An hour ago. Mom insisted I clean up before joining them at dinner.”

That explains his damp hair.

“I just got here.” I gesture towards the front door. “I got caught up at work.”

“At Harrowgates?”

“Yup.”

He tucks his hands into his pocket. “You still enjoying it?”

I nod. “Yup.”

“Can you say anything other than ‘yup’?”

“Yup.”

Derek laughs. I crack a smile.

For a brief moment, things between us feel like they did when we were kids. Back before I let my heart complicate our friendship. Oh to go back to those days and redo things. Maybe then Derek and I would’ve kept in touch better over the years.

And maybe our time in the Caribbean would have ended differently.

CHAPTER 4

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO

Olivia

The night iswarm and breezy as I walk through the incoming waves rolling over the shore. I carry my sandals and the end of my bridesmaid’s dress in my left hand, holding out my right to make sure I keep my balance. The moon and stars are bright as they light my way across the wet sand.

The sun set over an hour ago, not long after Avery and her new husband, Adam Moreno, exchanged their vows. Now, the wedding reception is in full swing, and I’m enjoying myself more than I expected.

The Lawsons are basically family. I grew up with Avery, Hannah, and Derek, but my friendship, or lack thereof, with the youngest sibling made me question whether or not things would be awkward at the destination wedding like they’d been at their parents’ vow renewal not so long ago.

We’d barely spoken at the party despite the fact I’d wanted to talk to him about Kyle. Not that I didn’t try. But no matter what I said, there was a distance in Derek’s demeanor that kept me at arm’s length. And I didn’t have it in me to push him to talk to me if he didn’t want to. After all, he’d lost his best friendand business partner. Who am I to say how someone should act after losing someone so close to them? Kyle’s death pained me too, but he and I had lost touch over the years. His death would impact Derek much more keenly.

“There you are.”

I turn and see the man I’ve been thinking about standing farther up the beach. The sound of the waves muffled his arrival.

“Here I am,” I reply, surprised to hear Derek allude that he’d been looking for me. Then again, maybe I’m not. He’s been far more sociable today than the last time we saw each other, and though he still looks tired and worn down, there was a lightness in his expression during the ceremony that makes me think he may finally be overcoming the ordeal with Kyle. That, or his happiness for his sister and his Spanish investor overshadowed his sadness. At least for the moment.

“Toasts are about to start.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll come back.” I walk towards him, trying not to admire how handsome he looks with the moon shining down on his shadowed features, or how sexy I find his rolled-up sleeves.

Sand sticks to my wet feet. I look around the dark beach for one of the complimentary shower stations to rinse off when I step into a divot in the sand and lose my footing.

“Woah, there.” Derek grabs my arm before I faceplant into the sand. He lifts me easily, and the maneuver puts my chest right against his.

My reaction to him is visceral and immediate, and it’s just as intense as it was all those years ago. My heart races and my skin tingles with awareness of our proximity. My stomach flutters and my breathing accelerates.

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