Back to You

Chapter 22

-xx-

For the past few years, Derek made the trip back to Chicago to not only visit with his family for the holidays, but to catch up with friends from college. There was an unofficial Northwestern reunion on the night of Boxing Day. Several friends that they hung out with during their college days ventured to Champions Bar and Grille for a get together.

No one ever knew who was really going to show up; some years, Derek had gotten called back to Quantico for a case that needed immediate attention. Breezy had made it back a time or two, but subsequently when Derek was not able to attend the reunion.

Derek turned his attention from the change on the bar top in front of him to take in the room as a whole. It had become bigger than their first few years. Spouses joined in on the reunion as well as graduates from other years.

The black man smirked when he caught site of Breezy standing at a high top with two bubbly blondes. Taylor James and Melody Hastings; also known as her two roommates from college. Their fourth roomie never made it to these events and had slowly stepped away from the quad.

He knew Breezy felt his careful gaze as she stood straighter and not bothering to fix the cream colored sweater dress that clung to her body in all the right spots. He was not going to interrupt the three women; it had been a while since Breezy was back in Chicago she had told him over dinner the night before. She had spoken with Taylor and Mel often via text and Facebook, but it had been quite some time since the three were in the same room.

Mel's boisterous laugh caused a few people to turn in their direction. Derek only shook his head. When those three got together, trouble usually followed. He could not count the number of times they showed up to the football stadium and caused a ruckus in the stands.

He was going to keep his distance. It was hard enough to meet up with their friends the first time he came back to Chicago for Christmas. All night people asked where Bree was and it killed him to mention they were no longer together. And he had no idea where she ended up.

That was until he stood next to her at the Gala just a few weeks ago. And then things went in to overdrive from that night. He could not get Breanna Carmichael out of his mind if he tried. The night before only proved that he was not the only one interested. Breezy kissing him flipped his thoughts on a dime.

"Derek Morgan," he heard from the spot next to him. He turned just in time to see a teammate from football step up next to him. "It's been a while, man," Evan offered as he held out a hand for Derek to shake.

Derek transferred his beer to the other hand and shook his friend's hand. "Good to see you, Ev," he offered softly before slipping his hand in to the pocket of his jeans. "How's life?"

A shrug from the shaggy blonde caused them both to laugh. "Busy," he answered before taking a sip from the beer bottle in his hand. "Ex-wife is on my ass on the time, and the kiddo keeps us busy." Derek nodded as he bit the inside of his lip. That was what he was constantly hearing at these types of events. "What about you? I didn't see anyone here with you."

Derek smirked. "Solo," he answered suavely. "I'm married to the job." Short and to the point; Evan only nodded.

"Did you see Breanna Carmichael is here?" he asked. Derek knew better than to try to play nonchalant about it. Of course people were going to say something about the two of them being in the same room for the first time since college. Evan ran a hand over his mouth and sighed. "She's only gotten better looking since graduation."

In his pocket, Derek could feel his fingers itch to make a fist but they were restricted due to the fabric. "She's always been beautiful," he answered, his voice just a little harsher than he meant to. A brow lifted in his friend's direction as he watched Evan purse his lips. "Sorry man," Derek offered. "This is the first time I've seen her since," he left the words to linger between them.

"Right," Evan answered with a nod, causing his blonde locks to wave behind his head. "Gotcha. Bet that rock on her hand doesn't help either." He reached across to pat the black man on his bicep, letting his words hang in the air. "It's good to see you."

Derek nodded and watched as Evan ducked his head and darted away from him. He started back towards the table where several guys he played football with were seated. One last look in Breezy's direction was all he allowed himself.

-xx-

"Derek Morgan is a looker," Taylor stated as she poured herself a refill from the pitcher of beer on their table. She adjusted herself on the seat before taking a hearty sip. "How did you ever walk away from that, Bree?"

The lone brunette pulled her lip between her teeth as she peeked cautiously over her shoulder to where Derek sat. In the group he was in, he seemed to fit in perfectly. Those bright white teeth shone boldly with every laugh that escaped his lips. The same chocolate brown orbs that watched her so intently under the dim light of her mother's front porch twinkled as stories became more animated.

But never once did he look in her direction.

Breezy reached down to adjust the brown knee high boots she wore with her sweater dress and sighed. He had not even flashed a single look in her direction. "Must be weird," Melody chimed in as she ran a finger around the rim of her cosmopolitan. "Being in the same room as him. After what? Fifteen years."

A shrug lifted and dropped with Breezy's shoulder as she gripped her beer glass a little tighter. It was not her drink of choice, but when Taylor started towards the table with a pitcher, she knew she could force herself to enjoy a glass or two. "It's good to see him," she offered, trying her best to play along. "It's been a long time, though."

Taylor nodded, her blonde curls bouncing with every word. She had the tighter curls that accented her personality perfectly. "We've seen him a few times over the years," she let slip. Tay reached across the table and placed her hand on top of her friend's. "He always asks about you."

The sincerity dripping from her soft blue eyes caused Breezy to smile. Breezy knew this reunion of sorts happened with or without her, and her girlfriends were always quick to send her updates via text on these nights. There was something about being in the same barroom as the rest of their friends that made her wish she could go back fifteen years.

Where would they be today if she took the leap to join him as soon as she graduated? If she didn't sit back and twiddle her thumbs and wait for him to reach out. If I had a fucking backbone, she thought to herself.

She could feel her lips tingle from all of the laughing and smiling she had done tonight. They had taken way too many pictures in the hour since she arrived at the bar, and proceeded to walk in minutes after Derek did. Her girlfriends were quick to ooh and ahh over the engagement ring that sat on her finger. She knew if it was not seen in pictures, Eddie would lose his mind over it.

Instead, the platinum band felt like it was burning her skin as she felt a pair of eyes on her back. Derek had gotten up and walked to the bar in the time she spent talking with her friends. She did not have to turn around; Melody's eyes followed the black man across the room as she tucked her platinum blonde locks behind her ear.

"Evan Scott," Melody sighed the three syllables. "Speaking of handsome."

A roll of hazel eyes caused Taylor to laugh. "You're swooning," Breezy offered, thankful that the spotlight had been removed from her momentarily. "How long has it been, Mel?"

Melody lifted her brow in her friend's direction, only to receive a pointed look. "Six months," she answered, her normally loud voice was above a whisper. "He thought we should be seeing other people."

Bree shook her head before taking a sip of her beer. She fought the scowl that nibbled at her lips at the drink in her hand. "You're obviously not over it, no matter how many times you tell us that you are."

"Lying via text is just wrong," Taylor added. "We're not there to call you on your bullshit."

Bree nodded in agreement. Melody sighed as she realized they were both right. "Evan and I have been talking recently," she informed her friends. "We'll see where it goes. The ex-Mrs. Scott was having a bitch fit about us dating."

Breezy offered a tight lipped smile to her friend. "Let us know." It sounded like a suggestion, but she knew her two former roommates wanted all of the details as soon as they happened. A nod confirmed that she would.

"Don't look now," Taylor said in a soft sing-song voice before taking a sip of her beer. Her eyes twinkled as she watched a figure step towards their table. Bree could feel Derek behind her before she even turned around.

The bar was starting to fill up; it was almost impossible to see the table where Derek had come from just minutes before. "Ladies." Bree found herself catching her breath at the deep baritone.

"Derek," Taylor greeted for the table. Her simple smile lit up her face. "So good to see you."

Derek nodded in response. Out of sight of the two blondes across the table from them, Derek placed a hand to the small of Bree's back. She fought to not let her breath hitch her in throat; it was not the first time in recent memory that Derek's hands had been on her body, but where she was not letting any one know they had seen quite a bit of each other lately, it was more of playing the part.

Her tongue darted from her mouth to moisten her suddenly dry lips. "Hi Derek," she offered softly. She turned her head just enough to take in the man next to her; a man no one knew she had been in contact with for the last three weeks. "Fancy running in to you here."

A laugh escaped his lips and was quickly followed by the two blondes. "First time I've seen you here, Breezy." The blush growing in her cheeks was true; there was no mask that could cover them. It happened the first time he said her nickname weeks ago.

"I don't get back here all that often," she answered. She slid her left hand against her hip and out of sight. Derek knew it was there; she could sense his hesitation when he caught sight of it before they left her mother's house. But she needed to keep up the image – for now. "Work and all that. It's a lot of travel."

"Where are you living now?" he asked as he placed his beer bottle on the table next to her glass. He smirked when he noticed she tightened her grip again.

Her lips pursed in to a smile. "Virginia." The meek answer caused Melody to gasp.

"How did we not put this together earlier?" she asked loudly before hitting Taylor's bicep to get her attention. "They live in the same state!" Breezy chuckled nervously as she watched the realization cross the two faces across from her. They did not know just how close they lived to each other.

Taylor shook her head and held up per forefinger. "Virginia is a big state," she stated. "What part are you living in Bree?"

"Stafford," she answered softly. With a shrug and knowing eyes, Bree turned to the man at her right. "What about you Derek? Last I heard you were in the FBI, right?"

Derek smirked; she was playing it up for her friends. He knew he could not say they lived about a mile away from each other. He wracked his brain thinking of where his other properties were. "I am," he answered proudly. "And I'm a little north in Garrisonville." Bree's lips peeled away to show a flawless smile at his answer. "Maybe we'll have to catch up some time."

She nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be really nice." She tried to ignore the feeling of his hand creeping up her back. He tried his best to keep his hands to himself but was finding it more and more difficult. "It was good to see you, Derek."

Derek offered a tense nod as he picked his bottle up and lifted it to his lips. "You too, Breezy," he said directly to the brunette. He glanced to the two blondes and smiled. "Ladies."

The two waved as he stepped away from the table. Breezy exhaled the breath she had been holding and shuffled her feet. The heeled boots were proving to not be the best idea for standing all night. Stupid her for picking a table with no chairs when most were now taken.

Her cell phone vibrated on the table top causing three sets of eyes to glance towards it. Breezy picked it up and directed it towards herself. You put on a good show, Breezy.

Her breath quickened as she read the text, but when she saw the looks on her friend's faces – waiting to find out what the message said – she shrugged. "It's nothing," she lied, trying to settle her heartbeat.

-xx-

a/n: apologies for the delay. Christmas with two kiddos is extremely busy. hope everyone has a great and safe new year. xoxo