Perfect Fit (Derek Hale Fanfiction Book #1)

Chapter Forty: Bombshell

            Despite Derek’s constant pleas for me to leave the house with him, get some fresh air and maybe a change of scenery, I stayed curled up in bed for the rest of the day. My brain was like a numb, blank slate; I couldn’t think of anything besides the persistent guilt battering my mind. It wasn’t like I’d never experienced death before – my uncle had passed away when I was ten. But there was a huge difference in dealing with the death of a loved one and dealing with the realization that somebody else out in the world is experiencing the loss of a family member because of you. Because of me. That man is dead because of me. Whenever the remorse became too much for me, I’d put on my earphones and blast angry punk music as loudly as possible until I had a raging headache. And then I’d continue until I thought my head was going to explode…and then finally I’d stop when my ears were ringing and felt like they were going to start bleeding.

“Chris? Can we talk?” Somebody’s voice at the door had me turning over to glare from underneath my tangled nest of red hair. I’d just been staring silently at the wall, tears dripping down my face, and I didn’t make a move to wipe them away. Surprisingly it turned out to be Boyd who strode into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Erica had barely left my side any more than Derek had in the past twenty hours, and even Isaac had come in once to share his views on death with me (considering his father had been murdered by Matt/Jackson not two months ago), but I honestly hadn’t expected Boyd to venture up here.

“Sure,” I mumbled, readjusting so I was propped up against the pillows and facing Boyd. He looked nervous, and really, really worried, the lines on his dark mahogany forehead crinkling together. He clasped his hands together, looking down at them as if for inspiration on how to start talking.

“Well…okay, I’m not gonna sit here and give you the ‘I know what you’re going through’ speech, cause we both know that’s just total crap.  But honestly, Chris, enough is enough. I understand that you’re grieving and you’re feeling guilty about killing someone, but that’s no excuse to just fall apart like this. Do you have any idea how preoccupied Derek is? He can barely think straight, let alone figure out how to defeat the Argents or prevent them from coming back. And how do you think your Great Depression is affecting your baby? You need to eat, you need to sleep, and you need to take care of yourself, Chris, because now you’re caring for two; you can’t afford to just shut down like this.” Boyd took a deep breath, getting to his feet now that he’d said his piece. I sat there, stunned as I let his words sink in; in a way, it had a greater effect on me because it was Boyd, and I’d never even heard him get angry with anybody before, least of all me. But something in me clicked, and I found myself taking his outstretched hand and following him to the bathroom.

“Now shower, put on some fresh clothes, and then come downstairs, okay?” he instructed, and as I turned up the volume on my bathroom iPod dock, I nodded and offered Boyd a hesitant smile. Once I was alone, I decided what I really needed was hyped up, energetic, sexy music so I scrolled down my music list until I found the perfect song. Then I stripped out of my grimy underwear and stepped under the scalding hot water, the fingers of warmth caressing my sensitive shoulders as the bathroom filled up with Victoria’s-Secret-scented steam.  

“Sexy girl, all around the world, just shake your hips, and put that ass to work,” LMFAO chanted in time to the beat as I Shakira-danced underneath the showerhead. While I shampooed, I found myself singing along with “Put That A$$ To Work,” as though my life depended on it, and dancing around carelessly. Without warning, the shower curtain was yanked back and I found myself face-to-face with Derek, whose expression was one of immense shock and delight that I was out of bed and acting more like myself again.

“What’re you doing?” I gasped, instinctively covering my chest with my hands before my brain processed the fact that Derek had seen me naked countless times. He stepped forward until his face was getting sprinkled with the heated water from the shower and pressed his lips firmly against mine, his hands caressing the back of my head.