“Hey, it’s okay,” I said and thought about touching his shoulder, but then lowered my hand again.
“Not okay. I don’t know what to do. I’m not cut out for this—I’m aguy,” he insisted.
“You don’t know what to do about what?” I didn’t understand anything he was saying.
But I did believe him. Not only because he had no reason to lie to me, but because I had seen Dominic today and he’d looked…not well. Hot as all hell, sure, but he was skinnier and tired, and he’d had bruises on him, too. Curiosity had grown the size of a monster inside me already.
Derek turned to me again, a small smile playing on his lips, which took me off guard. Wasn’t he freaking out just a second ago?
“I need your help, Teddy. You’re a girl. You know what to do.”
“I—”
“It’s just for a minute. I promise, no danger.” His eyes moved up to the sky, and his left one twitched. “No danger you can’t handle,” he added, which did not make me feel better at all.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Derek.” His expressions changed so much you’d think he was ten different people at once, like an upgraded version of that guy in the movie Split.
“I’m saying I need your help. Please come with me. I’ll do anything.” And now he was desperate.
I shook my head, smiling like a lunatic. “I can’t, Derek. I have work to do.” Go somewhere withhim? I wasn’t that much of a fool, was I?
But he grabbed my hands in his and brought them to his chest, holding them tightly. “Please, Teddy. I can’t do this on my own. I’m a guy,” he whispered, eyes wide and kind of glossy, too, like he was about to start crying.
Oh, no. “What can’t you do on your own? Tell me, what is it?”
“I’ll show you,” he said, and turned away, my hands still in his, and he dragged me along with him.
“Derek, wait!” I tried to free myself from his grip, but it was impossible. He’d intertwined our fingers, and he didn’t care that I was struggling to get away.
“It’s just a few minutes—you’ll see. It’s just a few minutes,” he kept saying while he crossed the road, basically thrusting us in front of the cars that kept honking, the drivers calling us names. It was a miracle nobody ran us over before we got to the other side, and he opened the door of a black car for me. “Get in.”
“Are you insane?” I was not going anywhere, damn it. He was not well.
But Derek was not about to quit. “This is important, Teddy. I promise you, it will only be a few minutes, okay? I really, really need your help. I can’t do this on my own.” And he looked like he was about to start crying again. Damn it, how was I going to turn him down like this?
“Just tell me what it is first, and I’ll help you. I promise I’ll help you if I can, Derek.” But he shook his head, rubbing his chin stubble.
“I’ll show you. I’ll show you. Just get in. It’s just a few minutes.” He rushed around the car and to the driver’s door and got in before I could say anything else.
I looked at Headquarters across the street, wondering if maybe it was a good idea to let someone know about Derek. To have the Chief find Dominic right now, so he could come help his brother with whatever was going on.
“Are you coming?” Derek said when he started the engine and pressed on the gas, making the tires screech loudly.
The Chief wouldn’t care about Derek. Nobody was going to lift a finger to help him—he wasn’t Dominic. Letting go of a deep sigh, I cursed myself in my mind, and I got in the passenger seat, knowing that if I left him all alone now, I’d regret it. I wouldn’t be able to work. Or sleep. Or do anything. I’d be sick with worry.
“Okay, Derek. Let’s go,” I forced myself to say, pulling the door closed.
Derek grinned widely. “Better buckle up.” And he pressed on the gas again.
Please,God. If you let me survive this, I will do anything you want. I’ll actually cook dinner every day. Lunch, too. Even breakfast. I’ll go to church. I’ll go back to Everer. I’ll be—
“We’re here.”
My eyes were squeezed shut, my purse clutched to my chest tightly. I was so overwhelmed with panic, I hadn’t even noticed that the car had stopped.
The car had stopped. And I was still breathing.
With shaking hands, I pushed the door open and stepped out, breathing in the night air, so thankful to be alive I could cry. I’d been near death before, but I’dneverbeen so sure that my life was about to end.