Chapter 109 Just One Meeting
Derek woke to the soft light of the bedroom, his gaze drifting toward Rebecca before his mind could gather itself. She lay curled on her side, hair falling loosely across her pillow, her breathing even and calm. For a moment, he allowed himself to study her.
There was a gentle certainty in her presence, a warmth he had once believed lost.
He slid a hand along the edge of the blanket, brushing her arm softly. She stirred, turning her face toward him with a sleepy smile.
“Morning,” she whispered.
“Morning love,” he replied, his voice low. He forced a smile, one that was steady and practiced, though the edges of it felt fragile to him.
He watched her stretch, then gather the blanket around her shoulders. He wanted to speak, to fill the quiet with reassurance, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he kissed her temple lightly and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
On the nightstand, his phone blinked softly with a message notification. He froze, the name not appearing. It was from an “Unknown.” number.
Curiosity prickled and slowly, he unlocked the phone and instantly, he regretted ever checking. It was her. Celia had sent him a text.
Instinctively, he glanced toward Rebecca and when he saw that her attention was not on him, he decided to check whatever Celia had sent and get rid of it, Incase it was something that could cause problems for him.
Celia:
Derek. There’s something you’ve never known about why I left. I didn’t walk away because I wanted to. I can’t tell you here. Call me if you want to know the truth. It’s your choice.
His chest tightened. That single message, short and carefully worded, sent a pulse of unease through him.
He placed the phone back on the nightstand without replying, taking a deep breath.
He wasn't going to call nor see her. He'd just treat her like she never appeared. He told himself as he went to join the staff in making breakfast for Rebecca.
He needed to do something for her to at least have himself feel like everything was okay.
Soon, it was breakfast tome. But breakfast was quiet. Rebecca hummed softly as she made coffee, moving with a casual ease that made Derek’s chest tighten.
He kept his mind focused on the present and on her, trying to remind himself that nothing from yesterday could touch this.
Still, as he poured his coffee, he found his thoughts drifting. Why now? Why after all these years? Her words replayed in his mind: I didn’t leave because I wanted to. That one line was enough to stir memories he had meticulously shelved away.
Rebecca walked over with a cup of coffee in hand. “Here,” she said, pressing it into his hands. Her eyes softened as they met his.
“Thanks,” he murmured, taking a sip. He wanted to hold her hand, to touch her, to reassure both of them that this morning was theirs. And he did. He reached across the table, brushing her fingers lightly.
She looked at him, a question in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asked. Something in her expression told him she felt the faint tremor beneath his calm exterior.
“It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “Just… thinking of work.”
Rebecca nodded slowly, but the faint crease between her brows didn’t entirely smooth. She accepted his explanation without pressing, though he could feel her observation like a gentle weight on his chest.
He forced his mind back to the table but even as he had breakfast, her words whispered again: I didn’t leave because I wanted to.
He didn't want to think about it but somehow, he just found himself thinking about it and wanting to know why she left if it hadn't been willingly.
Even as he dressed for work, tying his tie with deliberate care, the words looped in his mind. He watched himself in the mirror, adjusting his cufflinks, forcing a composed expression. He caught Rebecca watching him from the bedroom doorway.
“You look sharp,” she said, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
“Thanks,” he said, turning toward her. He stepped forward and brushed his lips against her hair, careful to make it look casual, affectionate, the kind of morning ritual they had begun to build together.
Rebecca smiled, a small light in her eyes, but Derek could feel her noticing something he wasn’t showing. Her intuition was sharper than he wanted to admit.
“You’re thinking about something,” she said softly, tilting her head.
“I’m… just focused on the day,” he said, his tone calm. He kissed her cheek quickly, not wanting to linger in her gaze, not wanting her to see the unrest he tried to bury.
“Okay,” she said, though her voice carried a hint of hesitation.
He looked at her thoughtfully, thinking of something that could ease the tension when he was with her.
“Let’s have dinner out tonight. I'll ask the driver to bring you,” he said, looking at her.
Rebecca smiled before she shook her head. “Are you sure? We don't have to——”
“Don’t worry your head about anything. Just prepare and I'll have him pick you up by six,” he said, pressing his lips to her forehead.
Rebecca smiled, glad that he was still.makijg an effort to make her feel loved. “Alright. I'll be waiting.”
He left the house with a polite smile, keeping his expression neutral as he slid into the car. The hum of the engine filled the empty space beside him, but it did nothing to quiet the thoughts storming behind his eyes.
He glanced at his phone again. Celia’s number. Her words replayed in his mind. You deserve to know why I left. I didn’t walk away willingly.
It doesn’t matter, he repeated to himself, gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly.
Just one meeting. That’s all. One chance to hear the truth. Nothing more.
Even as he drove, the memory of yesterday’s kiss flashed across his mind. He had frozen. That one second of instinctive reaction hadn’t meant desire. Not love. Just shock, just the weight of history pressing down suddenly, without permission.
He couldn’t explain why it unsettled him so much, only that it did.
By the time he reached the office, the decision was made. He needed to speak with Ryan first. Someone had to hear it aloud before he did anything else.
Ryan answered on the third ring, and Derek wasted no time. “She’s back,” he said, his voice quiet but steady.
Ryan exhaled sharply. “Celia?”
“Yes.”
“And what does she want? Why's she back? Why now?” Ryan asked just the same question Derek had been wanting answers to.
“She says she wants to tell me what really happened back then. That she didn’t leave willingly.”
There was a long pause on the other end. “And you’re going to see her?”
“I need to know,” Derek said, almost angrily at his own hesitation. “It’s not love, Ryan. Not anymore. But I… I can’t leave it unresolved. I’ve carried that story in my head for too long.”
“You really think knowing will change anything?” Ryan asked bluntly.
“No,” Derek admitted. “It won’t. But I need the truth. That’s all. It’s… closure. If I want to fully focus on Rebecca, I need to get closure from Celia.”
Ryan’s voice softened. “Just remember w
ho you have now. Don’t let curiosity take you where it doesn’t belong.”
“I won’t,” Derek said firmly, even as doubt crept into the corners of his mind.