"It means the old Derrick would fight for her, not just take it and lie down." That sentenced swirled round and round his brain, haunted him in his sleep since those words were uttered last night.

"Don't be like that, Der." Dylan scolded, rolling her eyes as the professional soccer player pouted and put his head under his pillows.

Dylan didn't understand what his problem really was. Nobody did, to be honest. Derrick had pinned for Massie for years, even after they graduated high school. They stopped speaking entirely in ninth grade, and the remaining three years at BOCD were calm and quiet on all fronts. The girls didn't interact with the boys, and vice versa. Still, Derrick looked out for her.

He broke Mason Dibb's nose when news of their random hook up after one of the lacrosse team's parties made way throughout the school, where Mason was also telling people how she was a screamer and called him Daddy. (Not true, Dylan confirmed they didn't even get to second base.)

Isabella Cavitch found her nudes spread throughout the senior class after attempting to embarrass Massie in front of everyone in the newly green farmers market-style cafeteria BOCD had added after its renovation back in freshman year. (Very true, Derrick was there.)

Him and Elijah Pavetti had a falling out after he spread a rumor saying that Massie had slept with Kemp, which led to her crying in the girls bathroom for a class period. (Very false, Kemp also took a beating on Pavetti after.)

Katherine Greenwood was run out of town after trying to tell everyone at their high school that Massie had an ongoing fling with their physics teacher's assistant, Mr. Mendoza. (Ridiculously untrue, Mr. Mendoza was a three at best.)

When Massie was absent for a week due to mono, Keegan Alonzo went around telling everyone at BOCD that she had found out she was pregnant. Derrick broke his jaw outside of A Slice Of Heaven after he found out the source of the rumor was Keegan. Massie didn't want to come back to school, out of sheer embarrassment. So, Derrick drove her to school for the first two weeks, claiming he also had his first period free when none of their other friends did so it just made sense they'd carpool. He missed two weeks of Econ, thank you very much.

The entire student body knew Derrick Harrington was protecting Massie Block at all costs.

Their friends all knew.

Massie never did.

Derrick always told himself that when the time was right, she'd find out.

Up until present, she still hasn't.

One day, he'd tell her. But when was that day supposed to come when they don't even speak at public events? Let alone texting, but when they're the only two people at a table, she'll either leave or pretend she doesn't see him. When was he supposed to talk to her?

Derrick Harrington never gave up his love for Massie Block. They were like Romeo and Juliet of Westchester, you know, minus the suicide and marriage and well, you know what I mean. Their love was constantly attacked, they were always being pushed away from each other, and they were both just too damn immature to be together that young. It was one of those situations where they both knew when they grew up, they'd find each other again. Instead, though, Massie became impatient and began looking elsewhere.

They both did some growing, though. Massie grew into a beautiful and sweet young woman, who knew how to take what she wanted, but politely instead of using her mean words and spiteful behaviors to do so. She did a lot of volunteer work throughout business school, working with underprivileged teens and educating as well as advocating for mental health awareness. This was what really helped her through her eating disorder bout in sophomore year.

Derrick was always seen as the immature adonis alpha of the soccer boys. And, well, two of those things are still true, but he isn't immature anymore. After graduation, he was thrown into boot camp to prepare for his budding soccer career. Even though soccer isn't that big in the U.S Professional Sports Division, it was a hell of an accomplishment. The fall was his off season, up through winter until spring began, so this was his transition period into CEO of his father's company.

Whenever he'd be drinking, his thumb would always find her on his phone. Her contact, her FaceBook (that one was bad), her Twitter, or just some old pictures of the two of them he still had in his camera roll.

One drunk and hazy night six months ago, he had actually Snapchatted her a selfie of him in one of those dog filters, but he was with Kemp too, so he knew she'd be more open minded to the picture seeing Kemp there.

She replied with herself in the heart-over-your-head filter, making Derrick officially swoon harder.

He hadn't tried to contact her since then. Before that, their last conversation was when they exchanged yearbooks. He wrote that he'd miss her banter, she wrote that he should go fuck himself.

So.

Was he wrong for thinking she should initiate things after that exchange?

Probably, because it seemed whenever it came to Massie, he was usually wrong.

He just didn't understand.

"Why go through with a marriage to a man you don't love?"

"I have a funny feeling it isn't really her choice right now."

"What do you mean?" Derrick asked, picking his head up from underneath his pillows to squint his eyes at the redhead, before looking around and surveying his penthouse apartment. He really did need to give it a good cleaning, the grey-toned wooden floors were looking a little dingy, his pristine white kitchen was littered with dirty pots and pans (yes, he does cook), but he didn't have it in him to clean just yet.

Dylan sighed. "William isn't giving her the company, he's giving it to Tristan."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, so Massie feels obligated to. The original deal was she'd get it all, now he doesn't think she's as fit because Tristan has been his right hand man since Massie and him started dating."

"But...he's going to give it to someone who treats her like that?"

The redhead ran a hand through her curly mess of hair, untangling a few curls as she did so and allowing her hair to frizz up a bit at the ends. "You don't know the half of it," Dylan mumbled, which in turn led to Derrick hounding her with questions she wasn't ready to answer.

After the sixth question she said she couldn't answer, he threw his hands up into the air in frustration and climbed out of his bed. Dylan was sitting on the armchair across from his bed, watching the boy as he began putting his fingers through his own hair now.

Derrick just didn't understand why Dylan was being so damn cryptic. What was the point in it when they both knew she was going to crack and tell him everything anyway? Dylan and Derrick had a different kind of relationship. They were very close, and told each other basically everything. Plovert sometimes was caught in their crossfire when they'd have their dumb tiffs and fights, but he didn't care too much because he knew it was all out of love.

"What can you tell me?"

"Derrick, it isn't that easy."

"Why not? Tell me why not, then."

"If I told you what I saw, you'd run right out of here. We can't be irrational about this, we need to be calculating, we need to be clever and we need to take it into our own hands.

"Why would I be irrational?"

Dylan knew if anyone, she needed to tell him. She hoped he'd have a clear head, he'd be able to help her because who would be more enraged than Derrick Harrington, self proclaimed protector of Massie Block? Dyl knew she needed them all on the same page, she needed all of their friends on the same page, but she didn't want to be the one going around telling everyone. She hoped that if Derrick and her could convince everyone else to be on board without giving them the private details, they had a fighting chance.

"Okay, so Mass and I were supposed to meet Kris in the city yesterday for lunch. I went to her house like we agreed on, Inez's daughter let me in. I was heading up to her room to say hi before hopping in the shower, and he was there."

"Yeah, doesn't he like live there now?"

"Not quite. William doesn't want him living with her until after the wedding."

"So he'd give him the company, but he can't sleep in the same bed as his fiancee. Makes sense."

"William is extremely irrational, but that's besides the point. ANYWAY," Dylan emphasized, shooting him a very pointed glare.

"Sorry, sorry!" He threw his hands up in mock apology, before picking up a few blankets and pillows and tossing them back on the couch.

"You know how rude I think interrupting people is!" The thing about Dylan and Derrick is that since their failed relationship attempt many years ago, they became best friends through it. They were always over each other's apartments, and usually family holidays were mixed between the Harrington's and the Marvil's. He was the closest thing she had to a brother.

"I apologized already! Can you keep it moving now?" Derrick asked, taking a towel to the floor and soaking up whatever sticky liquor was spilt on his cherry wood dining room table. Why did he agree to let Kemp and Josh pregame at his apartment before going to Kemp's?

Dylan huffed, climbing out of her chair and stalking to where he was. The spiteful redhead grabbed the towel out of his hand and threw it onto the floor, looking him straight in the eyes. "He hits her, Derrick. Massie said it's never happened before, but I don't know how much I believe that."

If he ever felt like his world had frozen, now was that time. It felt like not only had Hell frozen over because Lord knows Massie would not allow any kind of man to lay any kind of hand on her, but Heaven must also be falling because who the fuck hits a girl? Who the fuck hits his girl?

He promised himself that even though they weren't together anymore, he'd do everything he could to protect her. Derrick wasn't sure whether he should blame himself or Tristan, considering clearly he hasn't done his job in protecting her, but Tristan should know better.

"That disgraceful piece of shit," he snarled before looking around his apartment in hopes of finding an answer.

What was he supposed to do? He didn't own Massie, he didn't have a claim on her that was justified. But at the same time, it was Massie. Everyone knows it's his girl, regardless of what their circumstances are right now. How was he supposed to react? He felt woozy, like the walls of his penthouse apartment were closing in on him.

The silence that fell between Derrick and Dylan was unfamiliar territory for them both. Usually, one of them is talking, babbling, ranting, whatever you may have on that given day. But today, neither really knew what to say. Nothing she could say could make this situation better. Nothing he could tell Dyl would change what was happening.

He had such a hard time comprehending the fact that Massie would even allow it, would even stay with a man who would do this to her. A pit in his stomach formed, and it was like it ignited right away. Derrick felt flames in his stomach, in his heart, in his throat. All he wanted to do right now was pumble Tristan, make him all bruised and bloody, and get him sent far away from Massie, from Westchester, from them.

If he found out that William was the reason why Massie felt trapped, he'd sure as hell lose his mind. How could you take something that important away from your daughter? Her wedding day making her feel guilty, her lack of ownership in his company which was something Massie used to legitimately dream about owning. Hell, she even told Derrick for two hours her decorating plan for her new office when she re-does it, stating how William always had terrible taste in decor options.

"So, where do we start?" She asked softly, sparing a glance at Derrick and watching his eyes light up like flames.

"How much time do we have?" Derrick responded with his own question, his voice in a very deep and dark light. She hadn't heard him this angry in a long, long time, and couldn't tell if it would be good for them or good for Tristan.

Sometimes, Derrick got sloppy. Okay, he got sloppy when he was infuriated. A little mad was no problem, but the darkness the redhead saw looming over Derrick's head once she spilled the news to him was no joke, and was beginning to bring her stress levels up because she wasn't quite sure what lengths he would go to right this with. With her would be one thing, she just hoped he didn't try to follow the boy home and beat the shit out of him tonight. Without her, she should add, because she has a lot of hostility to get out and maybe taking them out on Tristan wouldn't be too bad.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Derrick's doorbell being rung. With a perplexed face, he went to his intercom and clicked on the camera. "Oh, Plov is here."

Dylan was surprised as well, considering Chris had been texting her all night and didn't mention he was coming to see Derrick. With a shrug, Derrick buzzed him in and Dylan went to get the door.

"I was hoping to surprise you," Chris began as he walked in carrying a two bags of Chinese takeout from O Mandarin. Dylan giggled, handing the bags to Derrick before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. The brunette rested his hands on her back and squeezed her in response, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "So, are we going to get real dirty for this one?"

"Did Dyl already tell you?"

"She called me in the car on the way back to her place, I just wasn't sure when she'd tell you." Plovert explained before going to get some of Derrick's plates and glasses out of the cabinets.

Dylan nodded in agreement. "So, this is what I think. The party is saturday. I think we should get everyone together and get us all on the same page, then after the party we can do whatever we have to do. I just don't want to embarrass Massie by doing it there, you know?" The boys nodded in agreement, before nodding to the table. "I think we all need a drink, and to start planning this out."

Dylan made a sound of agreement, going towards the table while Derrick went into the kitchen to grab some of his collection of liquor. He knew Dylan only drank clear liquors, so he brought out a bottle of Grey Goose and an unopened bottle of lemon lime seltzer he kept there for her, as well as two iced cold Sam Adams beers for him and Chris.

It was going to be a long night for all of them.

While Derrick was reconciling with Massie, Dylan was to round up their friends and explain the situation as lightly as possible. This was where Chris would come in, by helping smooth things over and keep everyone on track at the party. He needed to make sure no one spilled anything to Massie, no one asked her about it, nothing. Sometimes, the boys just didn't really understand how plans worked, so he hoped he could help keep them as in the dark as they could afford for now. The last thing any of them needed was everyone in Westchester finding out that he hits Massie, not yet, at least. That was stage four.

After three hours of scheming, two orders of chinese take out, and one well thought out text message, they were set.

To: Block(ed), M(e)

D.H: Hey, can we talk? I feel like since you're getting married and everything, we probably should put aside our differences and air out our issues. I mean, I'd like to make it through the party saturday without you pouring champagne over my head. Unless it's cristal brut, that I wouldn't object to.

Mass: Croton Park. Meet me at the spot.

D.H: Same time?

Mass: Yep.

D.H: Cool, I'll see you then.

Mass is typing….