Only you | Derek Morgan

Friends...

D E R E K ' S P O V

I liked this bar before a couple weeks ago. I love it now.

Walking inside, the place is packed with people and the music is so loud I can barely hear myself think. Barely. I think the memory of fucking Layla over the bathroom countertop is too vivid to ever be silenced.

The girls all push their way through the crowd in search of a booth while Spencer and I head to the bar to order drinks.

"We'll take two whiskeys, a vodka soda, one of the fruitiest cocktails you have with a little umbrella and..." Spencer turns to me, a crease in his brows. "Do you know what Layla drinks?"

I nod at the bartender. "A vodka cranberry."

He slides the tray full of drinks over to us and I scan the crowd, spotting the girls in the back. I nod at Spencer in the right direction and we miraculously make it to the table without spilling any drinks.

Penelope and Averie are seated on one side of the booth and Spencer slides in beside his wife and I slip in beside Layla. I slide her drink over to her with a wink.

Her lips circle around the straw when she mumbles, "You remembered."

I flash her my brightest grin. "I'd never forget."

"Derek?"

"Hm?" I hum, reluctantly tearing my gaze away from the blush now creeping up on Layla's cheeks. I look across the table between them all because I can't even tell which one of them said my name. "What was that?"

Spencer blinks at me. "I asked how the renovations are coming along at your house."

"Good," I smile. "I'll have everyone over when I'm finished."

Practically all my free time is spent on renovating my house. Everyone that's seen it has said it's beautiful, perfect even, but I feel like I'm never satisfied with it. For some reason I always feel like there's something to fix or add, almost like something is missing but I can't put my finger on it yet.

"I'm getting shots," Layla says, slipping out of the booth. She grins at us. "Everyone like Tequila?"

When she walks over to the bar, I sink into my seat, wondering how the hell I can somehow convince her that we need to do body shots. There is no way I'm passing up an opportunity to lick the salt off her neck and take that lime wedge from her perfect plump lips. Or her doing it to me. I'm not picky.

"Oo," Penelope gasps, catching my attention. "Look at that guy Layla is talking too."

My head snaps up and my eyes find her immediately at the bar, and rage fills my body when I see the guy beside her, so clearly shooting his shoot. Im not naïve, of course she's going to get attention. She's the hottest person here but it doesn't mean that I have to like it.

"He's cute," Averie says, grinning. "Good for her."

He's not cute, he looks stupid and I hate him.

It's like a car crash happening in front of my eyes. I want to look away but I can't. He leans in to say something to her and Layla laughs and places her hand on his chest.

My eyes zero in on his hand when it lands on her hip and he dips his head to whisper something in her ear.

He's touching her.

Layla.

My girl.

This weird feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, swirling up and sending anger shooting throughout my whole body.