Page 48 of Cruel Bratva King
“That is because you have a lot of people doing things for you now. You are living the life of a queen.”
I detected her sarcasm and smacked her arm. “Ow!”
“Are you calling me lazy?”
“Yes, I am.”
I smacked her arm again, and she laughed. “Okay, okay. Fine. You are not lazy. You are just faineant.”
I raised my hand to playfully swat her arm again, but she ducked and accidentally bumped into someone.
The man rubbed his arm gently and turned around to stare at us. My heart dropped to my stomach when his eyes bored into mine.
The look of surprise in them was not hidden when he said, “Lilianna?”
Eva looked between us and bit down on her lip. “You know what? I’ll start filling some of the boxes out for you, okay? I’ll be right over there if you need me,” she said and scurried to a corner.
I suddenly wished she hadn’t left. “Hi, Derrick. It’s funny seeing you again after all this time.”
He stepped forward and eliminated the gap between us. My breath hitched as his scent tickled my nostrils.
Nothing about him had changed. His messy dark hair and crystal-clear blue eyes remained the same. The boyishness and simplicity that attracted me to him in the beginning was intact, and a tiny part of me revisited the memories of the past we made.
“I can’t believe you are standing right in front of me,” he said with a small smile and brushed my fingers lightly with his.
I flinched, and bile rose to my throat. But I didn’t pull away.
I gritted my teeth. “I guess you came here because of her, didn’t you? I bet she’s in one of those rooms right now.”
His eyes darkened, and he looked pained. “Lily, come on… let’s not bring that up.”
I scoffed but still remained rooted on the spot. “Let's not bring that up? Derrick, that’s why we’re here in the first place. That is why we didn’t work. And here you are saying,let’s not bring it upso casually, like it didn’t mean anything.”
“Of course, it meant something, Lily. I know I hurt you after I did what I did. I know it broke you, and I apologized a million times.”
“Sure,” I chuckled dryly. “And a million apologies changed everything. It changed the fact that you cheated on me and got her pregnant. Oh, yes! It changed the fact that you used up our rent money for your business. Your million apologies turned the hands of time and made everything right, Derrick. Is that what you want to hear?”
“You don’t have to be so dramatic, Lilianna. I get the point.”
I shook my head and placed a finger on his chest. “You, Derrick, are an asshole.”
He shut his eyes and exhaled. “Hey, I’m sorry, alright. And I know that fixes absolutely nothing, but it should mean something that I did want to make things right by you. I still do. Fancy seeing you here, right? I don’t know why, but I am not complaining. Not when it gives me an opportunity I never thought I’d have again to stand this close to you and share the same air that you breathe.”
He leaned closer and covered my hands with his. I couldn’t utter a word or move. Not even when he said, “I have an idea. After we're done here, we could go someplace quiet and talk over dinner. Sounds good, right? It’s on me. What do you say?”
Chapter 21 - Lilianna
I said no.
Derrick couldn’t believe it, and neither could I. I held my chin up defiantly and uttered a bold “No, thank you. Now, if you would please, get out of my way.”
Nothing could be compared with the satisfaction that welled up in my chest as I watched the smug smile fall off his face after I declined his offer. I quickly joined Eva by the corner, filled out the forms, grabbed her hand after we finished, and marched out of the clinic.
Eva and I had to part ways again after that. It was hard, but I did promise to try and reach out to her again the second an opportunity presented itself. We walked back to Trina's café and bade our proper farewells there.
On the drive back to Sergey's house, I mused over the events of my day and laughed again at the image of Derrick's disappointment written all over his face. My heart swelled with pride, and contentment filled me.
Our car pulled up at the grand entrance of Sergey's residence, and I wound up the tinted glass window before stepping out of the vehicle.