Why Not Now? (The Blue Vista Crew #2)

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ava

A fter the party, I take Derek home, but I can’t spend the night since Lacey is with us.

I need a bit of space, anyway. After the revelation, I need to figure out exactly what we are. What I want us to be. He wants to try again, and I agreed, but is that smart?

I park in the back and as I’m getting out of the car, Theresa calls out to me. I send Lacey inside and go over to the fence.

“Hey, Theresa, what’s up?”

“New car?” she asks.

I look over my shoulder at Derek’s car. “Oh. No. Mine died. I’m borrowing a friend’s.”

Friend? Boyfriend? There hadn’t been time during the party to really talk about what exactly I was agreeing to. We’re more than friends-with-benefits, but how much more?

“That’s nice of your friend. So, Derek is back. That’s… great.”

I return my attention to Theresa. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. How did you guys meet up again?”

I take a breath. “Remember I mentioned the wedding photography I’m doing?”

She nods.

“My boss signed a contract with Blue Vista, a venue downtown. Derek is part owner.”

She stares at me, mouth hanging open. “He owns a wedding venue?”

“Him and his three friends.”

“Huh. I never would have thought that of him.”

I’m annoyed on Derek’s behalf. “He’s always been very driven, Theresa. I’m not surprised at all that he’s successful.”

“Are you dating him again?”

I shift from foot to foot. This is exactly the question I was just asking myself. Now that Theresa is asking, I’m suddenly sure of the answer.

“Yes. I am.”

She tuts. “Aren’t you the same woman who has said over and over that you don’t have time for relationships? That you’re fine with casual hook ups because they’re fun, but you don’t want to get into anything serious? If you’ll recall, I’ve been hoping you’d find someone you could settle down with, but this guy? He’s already broken your heart once, Ava. What’s stopping him from doing it again? And the work connection is simply dangerous.”

I want to argue with her that the original breakup had been a misunderstanding brought on by grief and us being too young to really know better. Or that he would never do anything to jeopardize my job. But Theresa will simply argue back. In the years I’ve known her, I don’t remember a single time when she’s changed her mind on something.

“I’ll be careful, Theresa. I’ve got to go to bed. I work in the morning.”

“Right. Just remember what I said. If things go bad, he could tell your boss to fire you.”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

She lifts her eyebrows in an expression of disbelief. I don’t say anymore. Inside, I say goodnight to Lacey and toss and turn all night, thinking about Derek and Theresa and what each of them had said.

The next day, I’m practically a zombie while Lacey and I eat breakfast. I apologize to her because it seems like she wants to talk about something.

“Can we talk tonight after work?” I ask her. “I didn’t sleep well and my head’s not all here.”

“Sure,” she says with a smile. “Tonight is fine.”

Before I leave, I text Bethany and ask if she can meet me later at the Starbucks by English Bay, one block up from Blue Vista. She agrees and when I’m finished work, my back aching from scrubbing toilets and vacuuming, my head pounding from the lack of sleep, I sit across from her with a venti caramel brulée latte.

“What’s going on, Ava?” she asks, sipping her own peppermint mocha.

“Derek and I talked last night,” I say. “It turns out, he remembers our breakup a little differently than I do.”

I explain how the only reason he’d left was because I’d told him to.

“Why did you tell him to leave?” Bethany asks.

“Because I thought he was going to, anyway. I guess I just didn’t think he’d want to stick around and help me raise Lacey. She’s my responsibility, not his.”

“That’s stupid.”

I scowl, then sigh. “I was nineteen. I honestly don’t remember a lot of what happened during that time in my life. My parents had died. I was struggling to understand all my new responsibilities. Everything was a mess. Now, he wants to try again.”

“Is that what you want?”

Is it? I think of the way he’s helped me these last few weeks, how he’s made me smile and feel like the most precious thing in his life.

“Yes.”

“What’s the problem then?” Bethany asks slowly.

“What if it doesn’t work out? What if he leaves? I’ll be crushed.”

Bethany drops her hands to the table with a thwack. “What if it does work out? It sounds like he only left because you told him to. Stands to reason, if he’s loved you all this time and you don’t tell him to leave, he’ll stick around.”

“I didn’t say he loved me the whole time.”

She rolls her eyes. “How many times did you see him before you started sleeping with him again?”

“I don’t know. There was the first wedding. Then the second. Christmas pictures at Blue Vista and the game night.” I stop counting. “If you include those last ones as two separate times, four. But they happened on the same day.”

She spreads her hands as though to say, you see? “You fell into bed with him almost immediately after running into him.”

“That’s me, though. I never really got over him.”

“Ava. He also fell into bed with you. And he started this whole getting you to love Christmas thing. He shovelled your fucking driveway. Are these the actions of a man who isn’t in love?”

Before I can respond, my phone rings. “Hello?” I answer.

“Ava. This is Carter. I found you a car. It’s a Honda Civic, good little vehicle. Low mileage for the price, no accidents. Do you want to test drive it before you make a final decision?”

My eyes shoot to Bethany.

“It’s reliable? And it’s in my budget?”

“Yes. The car is in your budget,” he says. “Though it’s right at the top.”

“That’s okay. It’ll be tight, but I can manage it. If you’re sure about it, I don’t really need a test drive. When can I pick it up?”

“Tomorrow, if that’s all right.”

“Tomorrow is fine. I’ll see you then.” I hang up and sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Finally, something breaking my way. I can’t believe how quickly he found a car. With my budget what it was, I didn’t think he’d be able to find anything.”

Bethany takes a drink.

“What?” I ask.

“I could hear him,” she says. “Something about the way he said the car is in your budget. Like there was something about it that wasn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

She waves her hand. “It’s probably nothing. Why did you want to meet at this particular Starbucks, anyway? Was there a condo around here you were cleaning today?”

“No. I’m picking Derek up after work. He still has another hour, then he wanted to go back to my house for something.”

She lifts her eyebrow at me. “Right. So you’re his girlfriend now.”

I drink my coffee without answering.

We finish our drinks, chatting about Christmas and plan for the new year, then I go over to Blue Vista, finding Derek in his office.

I knock on the frame, since his door is wide open. He looks up, confused for a second, and grins when he sees it’s me. “The one and only Ava Calligan. How’s it going, sweetheart? Also, if the door is open, you don’t need to knock.”

“Going good. I got some news,” I say, taking one of the chairs across from him. “Your friend Carter found me a car. I can pick it up tomorrow.”

“That’s great,” he says. But the smile he gives me isn’t his usual one. It looks more forced than it should. “We can go after you’re done work. I’ll be ready by then.”

His tone makes me remember what Bethany said about Carter’s weird phrasing.

“Why are you going to come with me?” I ask.

“Because you have my car,” he says slowly. “We’ll make the switch at the shop.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Listen, I need a few more minutes. I have two calls to make and an email to send, and you are rather distracting. All I want to do is kiss you. Do you mind waiting in the lounge? You could also see if Lis has any food if you’re hungry.”

“I’ll wait in the lounge.” I stand, about to leave, when he stands as well.

“Ava.” He catches my hand and pulls me into him. “I’m really happy for you. I’m glad this got sorted.”

Then he kisses me, soft and sweet. One of his hands drifts along my back, finding the hem of my shirt, and dipping underneath so he’s touching my skin. The feeling of his fingers on me has me pressing closer to him, until he sets me away, breaking the kiss.

“Get out of here before I do something my friends won’t like, but you and I will.”

I laugh and press a quick kiss to his lips before retreating to the lounge. Adalie is there and asks if I want a coffee or tea.

“No, thanks. I just had one.”

“You guys hanging out again tonight?” she asks.

“Yeah. He’s coming over to my place for something. He won’t tell me what.”

“Derek likes surprises. Though I guess you know that already.”

She sits at the table with a steaming mug of tea. I sit across from her. “I do. May I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“You and Derek have been friends a long time?”

She nods. “Since business school. All four of us.”

“And you never dated him? Or Vic?”

She laughs. “I never dated him or Vic. Vic never dated him either.”

“I didn’t mean—”

She waves a hand. “I know what you meant. No. None of us have ever dated each other. Not even Spencer and Vic. They’ve been friends since they were like five. Friendship goals, right there. But to answer your real question, Derek hasn’t dated anyone in the entire time I’ve known him. He’s—” She breaks off. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“What he did before we were together is not going to change our relationship status now.”

“Okay. Well. He would have one-night stands. That’s as far as he ever went. He’s never introduced us to any of the women he’s been with.”

“At all?”

She shakes her head. “How many relationships have you had since you broke up?”

I swallow and look away. “Um. None.” Like Derek, I’ve had one-night stands, even a few guys I’ve had available for casual hook ups if I wanted. No other relationships. Not that I have any intention of telling Adalie this.

She seems to know, anyway.

“Hm. You don’t say. Well, I’ll see you later, Ava.”

She gets up with her mug and leaves the lounge. Derek comes in a few minutes after she’s gone.

“Ready to go?” he asks, leaning against the entrance.

“Yeah.”

I stand and he stalks toward me, the predatory look in his eyes making me step away, my back pressing into the counter as he cages me in.

“Hi,” he says.

“Hi,” I reply, breathless.

“Have you wanted me today as much as I’ve wanted you?”

His eyes are dark with desire.

I nod, swallowing, my heart racing in my chest where it’s pressed against his.

“I guess we don’t really have time to go to my place before we go to yours, do we?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “What are we doing?”

He grins before dipping his head and claiming my lips. I kiss him back desperately, wanting him. Needing him.

Then I hear a mock gasp and Spencer says, “Don’t look. They’re trying to eat each other.” We part to see Spencer with Lis, covering her eyes. He pins us with a glare. “Get a room.”

Lis laughs as Spencer guides her into the lounge, keeping his hand over her eyes.

“How many times have I caught you two making out?” Derek asks. “Better yet, how many times have you fucked in the building?”

Lis holds up a finger. “Never when other people are around. I am a professional.”

Spencer leans down and whispers in her ear. Her face flushes and her breathing turns shallow.

“Maybe we should go home, Spencer,” she says, her voice husky.

“You heard the woman,” Spencer says. “We’re leaving. Have fun tonight, you two.”

He still hasn’t let go of her eyes, leading her out of the lounge and into the lobby, letting go only when they get outside. Derek grabs my hand and we follow behind them to the parking garage, waving as they continue on.

When we get to the car, Derek drives, even though he has to adjust the seat and I’ll have to adjust it back. He gives me his phone for music selection and I consider for a moment before selecting his Christmas playlist, shuffling it. It starts with “Calling to Say” by Serena Ryder.

“Derek?”

“Hm?”

“About yesterday. You said you want to try again.”

He glances at me before returning his attention to the road.

“I do.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“I heard what you were talking to Adalie about. The lounge is right across from my office.” He takes a breath. “I’ve never been in a relationship with anyone but you.” He stops at a red light and looks at me. “I want us to be together. I’m yours. You’re mine. No one else.”

“Boyfriend and girlfriend?” I ask.

“Those titles feel a little too small for what I want. But I guess for now, they’re all we have.”

I take one of his hands, squeezing it, wishing we weren’t driving so I could kiss him properly. I kiss the back of his hand instead.

“I think they’re perfect.”