ANMELDENChapter 31
Derek’s POV
“Does this look okay on me?” Mom asked, twirling slowly in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom.
The white dress hugged her curves perfectly, the fabric catching the morning light streaming through the window.
She looked beautiful, truly happy, the kind of glow I hadn’t seen on her face in years.
My chest tightened as I stood in the doorway, hands shoved deep in my pockets.
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Chapter 32Derek’s POVThe first morning after the wedding felt strange, like the world had shifted under my feet.Sunlight filtered through the curtains as I lay in bed, my body still aching in the best and worst ways from the quick, filthy encounter we had snuck in the bathroom during the reception.I could still feel the ghost of Marcus inside me, his cum dried on my thigh under my suit pants the entire night.“Coffee’s ready,” Mom called from the kitchen, her voice bright and full of energy. “Come join us, honey. Marcus made pancakes.”I pulled on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, my heart already beating faster as I walked down the hall.The kitchen smelled of fresh coffee and buttery pancakes.Mom stood at the counter in her robe, looking radiant and happy. Marcus was at the stove in just sweatpants, his broad back muscles flexing as he flipped another pancake
Chapter 31Derek’s POV“Does this look okay on me?” Mom asked, twirling slowly in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom.The white dress hugged her curves perfectly, the fabric catching the morning light streaming through the window.She looked beautiful, truly happy, the kind of glow I hadn’t seen on her face in years.My chest tightened as I stood in the doorway, hands shoved deep in my pockets.“You look amazing, Mom,” I said, forcing the words out steady. “Marcus is going to lose his mind when he sees you.”She laughed, that light, carefree sound that used to fill our apartment before everything changed. “I hope so. After all these years, I finally got my second chance. And you get a stepdad who actually cares.”She walked over and hugged me tight, her perfume wrapping around me like a familiar blanket. “Thank you for being he
Chapter 30Derek’s POVThe wedding stress had reached a fever pitch in the apartment.The dining table was buried under a mountain of brochures, sample flower arrangements that filled the air with sweet, cloying scents, printed contracts, and half-finished seating charts.Mom moved through the chaos with radiant energy, humming softly as she reviewed the guest list one more time, her pen tapping rhythmically against the paper.“This is really happening,” she said with a bright, genuine smile, reaching for Marcus’s hand across the table. “Our family is starting fresh. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”Marcus squeezed her hand, the picture of calm support, his thumb stroking the back of her hand gently.But his dark eyes flicked to me across the table, holding that heated, possessive look that always made my stomach tighten and my skin prickle with awareness.Every
Chapter 29Derek’s POVThe library meeting room felt claustrophobic, the air thick with the musty scent of old books and the faint, comforting aroma of coffee drifting in from the café down the hall.The fluorescent lights hummed softly overhead, casting a sterile glow over the scratched wooden table.Alex sat across from me, his laptop screen casting a soft blue glow on his face.For the past twenty minutes, he had been watching me, the restless tapping of my fingers on the table, the way my eyes kept darting to my phone, the tension in my shoulders that I couldn’t hide no matter how hard I tried.Finally, he closed his laptop with a quiet click.“Derek,” he said gently, leaning forward, elbows on the table. “You’ve changed. You’re exhausted all the time, you zone out mid-sentence, and you look like you’re carrying something heavy. If it’s the situation wi
Chapter 28Derek’s POVThe venue visit had dragged on for what felt like an eternity.Mom was in full wedding-planner mode, dragging us from location to location, discussing lighting options, seating arrangements, photo backdrops, and floral installations in exhaustive detail.The air in each venue smelled of fresh flowers and polished wood, but all I could focus on was Marcus, the heat of his body whenever he stood close, the low timbre of his voice, the way his hand would brush against mine when Mom wasn’t looking.By the time we finally headed home in the late afternoon, the sexual tension between us had reached a dangerous boiling point.Every accidental touch during the day had left my skin buzzing.Mom pulled into a grocery store parking lot. “I need a few things for dinner,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll be quick. You two wait here.”The moment her figure disappear
Chapter 27Derek’s POVThe afternoon sun warmed the campus quad as Lena and Mark finally cornered me near the library steps.I had been dodging them for days, but today there was no escape. Lena planted herself directly in front of me, arms crossed, her sharp eyes locked on my face with that familiar mix of concern and suspicion.“Okay, spill it, Derek,” she said without any warm-up. “You’ve been acting strange for weeks now.You barely respond in the group chat, you look exhausted every single time I see you, and you practically jump out of your skin whenever anyone mentions the wedding or Marcus.What’s really going on? Don’t give us the ‘it’s just stress’ line again.”Mark stood beside her, nodding seriously. “We’re your friends, man. If the family situation with the wedding and Marcus moving in is stressing you out this badly, talk to u







