Chances are good that Derek’s downward spiral started when he encountered the fallen-from-grace ex-star Nova Tate.Check out this videoto see how she corrupted him and tried to seduce him under the guise of being a river guide for her cousin’s company.
In happier news, Derek’s half-brother, Elliot Reid, has stepped into his role as King of Candora with a lot more grace and strength than Derek has been showing lately, and we can’t wait to see what the new king has in store for the world! His marriage to Queen Freya back in the spring has promised stronger connections between Candora and the United States, and Elliot’s family must be so proud of what he’s accomplishing out in the North Sea!
Sign up for updates so you can keep an eye on Elliot!
COMMENTS
mrsderekriley:HS you gone cray cray
moviegoob1642:“Cut yourself off from your support systems?” This coming from the website that has been trashing Derek’s friends for years? Get over yourself and find someone else to bother. Derek and his friends don’t deserve the hate.
derekrileyofficial:That video is sooooo fake. Even if it isn’t, that doesn’t look anything like Derek!
rileyrileyriley:Check your facts, Hot Scoop! Derek has been sharing behind the scenes pictures from filming Cerulean Cipher for weeks! Derek Riley would never back out of contracts!! I’m officially unsubscribing because lately you’ve been posting nothing but trash.
boredninjasocks420:Same. What a waste of time! *eye roll emoji*
therealderekriley:I think the story of Phaethon is more fitting than Icarus, but maybe Derek just decided what’s really important in life and is figuring out how to focus on that instead of being the best.
hrmkingofcandora:Phaethon? Interesting choice.
therealderekriley:I’ve been thinking about how that story would have gone if it had had a happier ending. If Cygnus had been able to help Phaethon find balance instead of being forced to rescue him from failure after Phaethon went at it alone. What kind of life could they have had together?
hrmkingofcandora:A good one.
therealderekriley:I think so too.
hrmkingofcandora:By the way, Hot Scoop, King Elliot has all the family he needs and isn’t looking for pride from anyone but his wife and his brother. You can stop trying so hard. *smirking emoji*
COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DISABLED FOR THIS POST
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Donovan
“Whydoesthatalwaystake so much longer than I think it will?” Spencer flops into his chair in the office, running a hand through his hair as he exhales.
I get it. Packing up all of the equipment to store for the winter is a beast of a project, and with most of the guides back to school or their regular jobs, the bulk of the work fell to the two of us. I’m exhausted and ready for a three-day nap. Settling on a stool, I rest my chin in my hand and smile at my cousin. “So? What’s the verdict on the season, boss?”
Spencer rolls his eyes. “Like you have to ask.”
He’s right, and considering we had enough last-minute bookings that we hired two people just to handle logistics, there’s no question that Red Earth River Tours had a record season. The problem is I haven’t figured out how people found us.Hot Scoopdidn’t post the footage of Derek andme together until a week ago, nor did they ever say where Derek spent his time while he was in Moab. Granted, there were way too many stories from that tabloid over the last few months for me to bother reading them all, but every time I got back into town after a river, I searched Red Earth on their website and came up blank.
“He saved us,” Spencer says, meeting my gaze with a heavy one of his own. “You know that, right?”
“Of course I do. But I don’t knowhow.” And it’s driving me nuts. I keep asking Derek what he did, but he just tells me to take the win and turns the conversation to my tours. It’s both frustrating and endearing. “Did he text me?”
“You’re so gone for him, Dono. For anactor. Of all the people to change your mind about dating…”
“I know,” I grumble and hold out my hand. “Give me my phone.”
Spencer unplugs my phone from where it’s been charging on the corner of the desk and hands it to me, rolling his eyes again when I grin at the single notification waiting for me. “Will you get out of here, already? I don’t think I can handle another minute of watching you go all doe-eyed. Have fun in California, or wherever you’re going.”
Blowing him a kiss, I slip out of the office and head for my apartment so I can pack. The early evening air is still warm, thick with the last remnants of summer, but every day gets a little shorter and brings me closer to reuniting with the man I still haven’t been able to get out of my head. Not that I’ve tried. Every text, every phone call, every video chat has kept him at the forefront of my mind and helped me see that the man who came out of Cataract Canyon with me hasn’t changed one bit. He’s exactly himself and always has been, and I love the man he is.
Pausing at the steps, I open the message Derek sent and instantly grin. It’s a picture with no caption, just a selfie of him lying shirtless in a hammock with the sun on his face and the shadows of trees specklinghis skin. Wherever he is, he looks entirely at peace, like his soul is finally settled instead of chasing perfection.
I love that he found stillness even in the middle of his crazy schedule. I love just as much his shirtless state, and I’m starting to understand why the young women on one of my Yampa trips were completely enamored by Derek in his latest movie. Somehow, I almost managed to forget how impressive his physique is.
