Page 16 of Mommy

“It’s already half past seven?!” I yelp.

His eyebrows raise.

“It’s half past nine, Sweetheart.” Derek answers my question, throwing his head back in laughter as my mouth falls open in terror.

I missed breakfast.

Who fed Viv?!

Apparently my panic and desperation are very much on display on my face, because Derek’s lips pull into a smirk.

“So… are you gonna finish breakfast?”

Chapter ten

Derek

Ivory inhales the omelet I made her for breakfast in record time.

42 grams of protein right there.

At 9:50am she’s already waiting at the front door, looking at me with impatient eyes.

“You took forever to get ready,” she exclaims and doesn’t even give me a second to respond to that before she whirls around, and speed walks across the lawn to my waiting car.

I guess I’ll leave the motorcycle in the driveway for now and put it in the garage later, because she is in a hurry.

All I did was take a quick shower and make sure I’m shaved before I brushed my teeth and got dressed. I didn’t even pack my gym bag yet.

Using the keys to unlock the car from where I’m still at the door, I hear her open one door and let it fall shut behind her. The lock doesn’t click, a string of cute curses follows, and then an actual door slam.

Eyebrows raised in disbelief, I lock the front door before I slowly stroll down the path to my garage.

From the car I can see Ivory motion something with her hands.

The sun reflects off the windshield, but from what I can make out, it looks like she’s trying to make me hurry up. Directly followed by a raised middle finger when that doesn’t make me launch into a sprint.

“You’re insufferable,” she murmurs as I take my seat on the drivers side.

Starting the engine, I grin.

“Insufferable?What are we? A fantasy romance with the enemies to lovers trope?”

She doesn’t reply, but I can see her fold her lips between her teeth as I use last night’s mock against her.

I drop her off before the shelter opens, the clock in the dashboard—she keeps eying like it’s her worst enemy— standing at 9:58am.

“See? Right on time.” I say, turning to face her.

She stares at me with wide eyes, all the accusations already written on her face before she speaks.

“I’m almost two hours late, Derek. This is not funny.”

Whoops.

“Well…” I lean back to reach for something in the back of the car. “At least, you won’t leave with nothing.”

“What is this?” She questions, eyeing the glass box in my hand.