OUR MOON HAS STRINGS

Valery kept herself busy at work, moving from one patient to another and closely monitoring the hospital chart. Minimal time for lunch breaks, rest and certainly zero tolerance for distractions. And that's what some of the doctors at Klimov Hospital wanted to be, an unwanted distraction. Her shift ended at four in the afternoon. From there, she headed home to shower and fall on the couch. On most days, Valery did not have the strength to cook, so she ordered takeout from her favourite restaurant. There were days Jennifer came to her rescue, but she chose to burden her sister once in a blue moon. After the serenity came another beeping text from Derrick. Benson threw her neck at the armrest of the long couch, biting on her bottom lip as she read it. Nearly a week had passed, and she was still adamant about replying to Derrick's text. Years ago, she promised not to get too close to him or be trapped by his nature. It was an emotional affair, and sincerely, she was not ready to drown

Present day... It was the smell of strong coffee that stirred her awake. When her brown orbs were half-lidded, a mug was hanging in the air... No, there was a hand holding onto it. It took a few more blinks to open her eyes, but she nearly bolted out of her skin when she realized that this was not her room. "Slow down; you're at my place." Derrick chuckled at how she took that hot mug, peering around as if she had been kidnapped. He sat on the bed and pushed the tray he brought along closer. "I didn't know what you would like, so I made your old favourite. Omelettes with two slices of bread, fried chicken franks and a chocolate bar in case you want dessert." "Thanks." Valery did not know what to say; the situation was weird. 'Hold on, am I naked?' Her thoughts went wild when she suddenly looked down at her chest. "Do you not remember what happened last night?" Derrick tilted his head to the side, searching for her lost gaze. Valery was not going to pretend that she did not re

Present Day... They had dinner, but they barely finished it. This meeting was more about talking, not eating. Derrick avoided difficult questions, his go-to method of preventing Valery from shutting herself out completely. He saved his feelings for her for a later time when she would reciprocate them wholeheartedly. "Look, I think I should clear the air about this." When the conversation veered off track, Valery took a deep breath and looked Derrick in the eye. "I am a wreck from what happened years ago. I have been in four or five relationships after high school, and it's always been complicated because I made them so." She did not want to beat about the bush anymore. "That makes the two of us. It's been hell trying to replace you." Derrick didn't have to say I love you to get her to understand that. "Derrick..." "No, let me finish." Derrick was ready to be upfront like she expected of him. "I get it if you want to take things slow. I will understand if you want to stay frie

It was odd. The hours moved sluggishly while they were glued to each other. Derrick was sweaty, yet the air conditioner was on full blast. Nursing a boner to a woman he simply found divine was torture. He wanted to take her badly, but Valery was the one to bring him peace and steer him away from his old habits. It would be wrong to ruin that. He was a man; this was the best way to prove it. A hand hooked around her neck, Derrick controls Valery's tongue but not how hard her privates grind against his crotch. It was an amusing factor of how much they had grown. The Violet from before would crawl into the ground at the thought of being intimate. But this version was okay. A little kinky but sweet. "Is this what you truly want, Violet?" Derrick could die from those steamy gusts. "You're stalling," Valery said. "I want to be careful with you," Derrick responded, hands never leaving her cushioned skin. "I won't break if you bend me over," Valery said with an innocent face. It made

High School... The alarm went off at six-thirty. A digital rooster was screaming in Derrrick's ears tirelessly. "Tsk!" He swung his entire arm, searching for the phone. After a few sweeps over the bed, he finds nothing. "God damn it!" Derrick gritted his teeth as he lifted his head. It was easier to locate the small light breaching through the pillowcase. His fingers crawl underneath, and he has it. *Kuk! Kuk!* Derrick did not hear the timid knocks. When the door squeaked open, and the rays from outside peeked into his perfectly dark room, he turned. "What is it now?!" Derrick yelled at the intruder. The maid flinched. "You will be late for school, sir." The servant had learned to thread softly in this mansion over the years. "So?" Derrick grunted. He would get out of bed at the time he deemed fit. "Your father is waiting for you to come down," said the maid. That changed everything. "I'll come down soon," Derrick responded with a sigh. It took him thirty minutes to go down