All Chapters of BAD REPUTATION : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Derek didn't say anything afterwards. His profile was a mask of cold granite as the traffic light bled from red to a sharp, mocking green. He didn't glance her way again, his knuckles white against the leather of the steering wheel as he navigated the road and to the blocks to her apartment.When the tires finally crunched onto the gravel of her driveway, the engine cut out, leaving a ringing quiet in its wake. Olivia didn’t wait for the engine to cool or for Derek to play the part of the gentleman. Her blood was simmering, a volatile mix of indignation and hurt.“Goodnight, Derek,” she snapped, the words clipped and brittle.She yanked the door handle herself—a jagged defiance of their usual routine—and swung out of the car. The night air was still very cold, but it did nothing to simmer the heat in her cheeks as she marched toward the building, her heels clicking a rhythmic, angry staccato against the pavement.Thud.The heavy thud of his car door echoed behind her. Then came the st

“Good,” he choked out, his body trembling as he ground his weight against her, the heavy denim of his jeans a cruel barrier to the relief he craved. He wanted to lose himself in her until the rest of the world—the ex, the hurt, the distance—simply ceased to exist. “Maybe you’ll hate me enough to end this,” he hissed against her skin, his grip tightening. “To rid me of this goddamn torture of wanting you. Of not being able to fucking breathe without thinking of you. Of hating myself for being stupid enough to ever let you walk away.”He turned back to her face, his eyes dark and wild, intent on devouring her mouth again. But as he leaned in, the salt-sting of a tear hit his lip, and the heat in the room didn't just fade; it evaporated.Derek froze, his chest heaving as he looked down at her. Olivia’s eyes were shimmering, her face traced with the silver tracks of silent weeping. The sight acted like a bucket of ice water over his rage. The "predator" in him vanished, replaced by a crus

"Let her be, Izzy," she said, her voice flat and brittle. "If she found someone who actually knows how to show up, she should go. Good for her." She shifted in her seat, smoothing the fabric of her jeans with a robotic precision. "I, for one, have a very detailed itinerary. I plan on fighting the crowds for groceries, cooking myself a nice meal, and sitting all day in my living room."She leaned her head back, a dark, cynical shadow crossing her face. "I'll be eating, drinking a very expensive bottle of wine, and spending the day cataloging every spectacularly bad decision I’ve made this year. It’s a full schedule. Very busy."Isabella’s playful expression faltered. She looked at Olivia, seeing the dark circles under her eyes that no amount of concealer could truly hide. The "bad decisions" were a clear reference to a certain dark-haired man with a granite profile—her brother, but Olivia’s tone made it clear that the topic was a closed borders policy."Liv..." Isabella started, her vo

Derek finally folded the empty paper bags with obsessive neatness, but his boots stayed rooted to the floor. The exit was right there, but the gravitational pull of the woman three feet away was too strong to break.He leaned back against the counter, his large frame suddenly making the kitchen feel intimate instead of crowded. He waited until Olivia could no longer pretend to be fascinated by the bread, until she finally looked up, her eyes wide and shimmering with a mix of apprehension and something that he couldn't place.“How are you, Liv?” he asked with a terrifyingly gentle sincerity that made her heart skip. “I’m fine,” Olivia replied. The words were a soft shield, brittle and translucent. She watched him with the wary intensity of someone tracking a storm on the horizon, watching him closely, as if trying to guess or figure out his next move.Derek gave a slow, jagged nod. He didn't miss the skepticism in her eyes; he’d planted the seeds for it himself, and now he was forced

Isabella grinned, recognizing the truth in that. “She is. And that’s exactly why you’re the one who has to face her. Right now, she needs a man who’s brave enough to stand in that storm.” She reached over and patted the box on his knee, refusing to take it. “Go over there, Derek. If she slams the door in your face, at least you’ll know you tried. But don't you dare send me to do your heavy lifting.”—-----------The drive to Olivia’s building had been the longest fifteen minutes of Derek’s life. The wrapped gift had sat on the passenger seat like a live grenade, and his eyes had darted to it every sixty seconds as if he expected it to vanish—or explode.He killed the engine but stayed in the driver's seat for a long moment, his hands gripping the steering wheel until the leather groaned. He'd taken Isabella's advice, and now here he was. He had no idea what would happen when he knocked and Olivia opened the door to see him, but right now, he was just a guy with a peace offering and a