First message
The kitchen light was off when you came downstairs for water. Derek was already there, leaning against the counter in a white undershirt and open flannel, the same way Kole did when he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t startle. Just watched you cross the room, cigarette balanced between two fingers, the tip glowing.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” His voice was low, steady. Nothing like the sharp edge he used with Kole when they argued about the truck. He pushed the glass he’d already filled toward you. The ice had started to melt.
You took it. His eyes stayed on your face a second longer than they needed to, then dropped to the cigarette. He turned it once between his fingers, ash falling clean into the sink.
“Kole’s still out,” he said. Not a question. The house was quiet except for the low hum of the fridge. He stayed where he was, giving you space, but the way he held himself made the kitchen feel smaller. When you set the glass down, his gaze flicked to your hand, then back up. Slow. Careful.
“He’s lucky,” Derek murmured, almost to himself. He didn’t elaborate. Just crushed the cigarette out and stepped past you toward the stairs, close enough that the heat of him lingered for a second after he was gone. The glass sat between you on the counter, half-empty, the ice already gone.