Now that I think about it, how did Derek know he could find me here? I can count the people who know on one hand. I certainly haven’t made any announcements.
All the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
“Come on, Sienna.” His words all run together. “You’ve barely spoken to me since you broke up with Cal. You can’t pos… possibly hold what he did against me.”
Now that I look more carefully, his eyes are bloodshot and he’s starting to sway.
“Go home, Derek. You’re drunk.” I glance down the yard and notice his car is half-parked on the sidewalk. Headlights down the street have me hoping that’s Maggie. “Don’t drive if you’re wasted. Hold on, and I’ll call you an Uber.”
I’m not his biggest fan, but that doesn’t mean I want him to die on the road or have an accident.
I turn to grab my phone when I get shoved and land hard on my hands and knees. My eyes sting, and I’m about to ask what the fuck is wrong with him when he slams the door shut and rolls me over.
But before I can yell at him, he winds his hand painfully into my hair and throws me on the couch where he yanks me in for a disgusting, wet kiss.
For a terrifying second, I’m paralyzed.
But then all of the self-defense training Melvin gave me suddenly kicks in, and I knee this asshole in his balls as hard as I can. He screams and lets me go, but before he gets far, I shoot out my sneakered foot toward his knee and connect with a crack. He goes down in a heap.
“You bitch! What the hell d’you do to my knee?”
When I stand, I stagger and try to catch my breath.
I’m shaking when I see the destruction in the living room. All of my books are everywhere. The coffee table is in pieces since that’s where Derek landed. My knees and elbows are scratched and bleeding.
The front door flies open, and Ben storms in. He looks me over, and I realize that my tank is torn and hanging off my shoulder. Turning to Derek, Ben’s face is murderous.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” He picks Derek off the floor only to knock him down with a right hook.
“I’m okay!” I grab Ben before he kills this idiot. “He’s not worth it.”
Derek tries to get up, but Ben shoves him to the floor. “You’re the one who ransacked her room. Weren’t you?”
Derek moans as he grabs his knee. “It wasn’t like that. I love her. I’ve always loved her.” He hiccups. “Cal didn’t appreciate her. I do. I was gonna prove to her I was the right man for her.”
After a pause, he continues with his confession. “Cal was supposed to talk her into a three-way, and I thought that would be my chance, but he blew it.” He rubs his eyes. “And I only took her bracelet.”
“What the hell, you psycho!” I shiver. “That’s not how you show someone you love them! You don’t trash someone’s house and steal their stuff! Where’s my passport?”
“Oh, yeah. The passport,” he mumbles. He must’ve found it and talked it over with Janelle that night.
Ben growls. “And you show your affection for her by attacking her? What the fuck, Fowler? How did you even know she lived here?”
Derek wipes the blood off his mouth. “Asked one of the cheerleaders to ask Amelia. Figured she’d know ’cause you and Olly are tight.”
Freaking Amelia.
Derek shifts, and Ben shoves him down again. “Don’t even think about getting up.”
A moment later, strong arms wrap around me, and I burrow my face against Ben’s chest. It’s not until I’m in his arms that I realize how hard I’m shaking.
Ben came. When I needed him most, he somehow knew.
Blowing out a breath, I rest my head against him and close my eyes. Wrapped in his arms, I’ve never felt safer.
58
SIENNA
After I assure Ben I’m not hurt, he pulls out his phone and calls the cops. I should probably call my dad, but he’ll lose his marbles when he hears what happened.
Now that this whole fiasco is over, I’m mostly pissed this asshole wrecked Maggie’s living room.
After the police come, I explain what happened, and they haul Derek away.
Then I call my father and listen to him yell at me.
Ben must be able to hear the tirade, because he frowns and asks for the phone. Hesitantly, I place it in his hand.
“Excuse me, sir, with all due respect, Sienna deserves your praise and not a reprimand. By the time I got here, she’d subdued her attacker in two moves. Now, I’m no expert, but for all intents and purposes, she took care of business. Sienna’s the most capable woman I know. I’m sure that had something to do with your influence, but maybe instead of criticizing her, you should consider her strengths, which are considerable.”
Then he clears his throat and says, “I’m her boyfriend Ben.” He winks at me, and I smile back, my heart fluttering at the look in his eyes.
I don’t know how my father responds, but Ben’s forehead smooths, and he nods. “Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to tell her. Good night.”
When he hangs up, I laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone handle my father like that. What did he say?”
“He said I was right, and he was sorry. And that he’ll apologize to you tomorrow over breakfast. He said something about waffles.”
Guess my dad is getting that breakfast after all, but I’m still too caught up on how Ben came to my defense to be irritated. Plus, there’s that whole boyfriend thing.
“So does this mean you want us to get back together?” I ask, my heart hammering.
He places his hands on my shoulders. “I’m a dumbass, Sienna. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love you to the moon and back. You’re my sunshine. Nothing, nothing is worth losing you.”
Fat tears well in my eyes. “I love you too, Ben. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Don’t cry, sunshine.” He kisses me. Once. Twice. “Can you forgive me for not hauling you into my arms the other night after practice and begging you to come home with me? I was just so overwhelmed.” As I nod, he gently wipes my face with his thumbs.
“If you can forgive me for moving. Because we promised we wouldn’t freeze each other out and that’s exactly what I did.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, baby. If I had been in your shoes, I would’ve lost it too.”
“What about that fight with Cal during training camp? Did it have something to do with me? I feel like you’ve been so distant since then.”
Sighing, Ben shakes his head. “He said some rude shit that got in my head, but I’m over it. I swear. And I’m sorry if I took it out on you. I don’t always know how to process things, but I promise to try harder.”
“No more apocalypse-style freezeouts, okay? Because that’s what we both did in our own ways.” I hold up my pinkie, which he hooks with his.
“No more freezeouts. Just sunny days with my sweet mamacita.”
I giggle while he presses kisses to my neck and jaw, but by the time he stands and lifts me into his arms, I’m done laughing.
“Where’s your room?” he asks in between kisses.