No one reacted for a moment, so I decided to make the first move. I smiled back and walked over to her, giving her a hug. She relaxed in my arms and squeezed me back.
“How have you been?” I asked. She giggled, tears shining in her eyes.
“Could be better.”
I motioned for her to join the rest of us and she did with uneasy eyes. We watched the line of people exiting and still no Derek. Just as I was about to ask, we saw wheels and then Derek in the seat, his legs back in full casts.
Everyone gasped and then when he saw us and glared, we erupted in laughter. He flipped us off as he wheeled over to us.
“Fuck off,” he grumbled.
“What happened?” Mark said, trying his hardest to stop laughing. Derek didn’t answer him, but instead forced himself past everyone.
“He fell. We were both drunk and fighting. I didn’t see the open window. I grabbed him and pulled him back in, but he shoved me away and then fell two stories. It was disgusting,” Adrian grimaced. Cleo let out a small scream.
“It was an honest accident. I saw the whole thing,” Dita defended Adrian. He chuckled as we turned to start following Derek.
“First thing that came out of his mouth after he screamed was ‘aw fuck’. You could see the bones coming out of both legs.”
We had dinner at our house that night with everyone. Once Derek stopped pouting, he assured us that he didn’t blame Adrian. If anything, he blamed Karma.
“I just got out of this chair. I just can’t believe they both broke. Again. F- my life man. I hate these casts,” he groaned. Eventually the jokes started in and everything seemed to go back to normal. As the evening got later someone asked Derek where he was staying tonight. He glanced at Dita, who had been quiet most of the evening. He cleared his throat.
“I just wanted to let everyone know that I am looking at houses, hopefully I pick up something soon. Also, after tonight, Dita will be joining us for things. I am making it official. We’ve been dating for awhile now, it’s time we stop hiding it.” There was a pause and we all clapped and congratulated him. If Adrian could be okay with it, so could we. We had to be.
“So where are you looking? Any particular neighborhoods?” Mark asked. Derek sipped his beer and smiled coyly.
“The realtor is showing me Emile Dahl’s house next week. It’s low-key on the market apparently. He doesn’t want people to know he’s selling it.”
“Is he staying in Louisiana with Cotton then?” Adrian asked.
“I have no idea. I was just told that he wants it to be kept under wraps. Maybe he’s thinking of going AWOL again,” he said, referring to the time where the biggest rockstar of this generation disappeared for about three years and just popped back up one day.
“Well, either way. I’m glad you’re back,” I said, genuinely meaning it. Derek lowered his eyes and after a moment softened.
“Thanks Renee. I’m sorry for being an ass. I think my secret was just really starting to get to me.”
After that, things went back to normal. Well, with one addition to the group- Dita. At first it was extremely awkward, and you could tell she didn’t want to be there, but after a few days she began to relax and turned back into the girl I had remembered from when she was dating Adrian. We invited her to our weekly lunches.
The first lunch we forced her to explain herself.
“How did it happen? When? Why did you keep it a secret for so long?” Cleo shot at her. Dita blushed and blew on her blonde bangs nervously.
“Um, the first time was shortly after your last tour. Derek made the first move, for the record. He kissed me and I didn’t stop it. We were both drunk, not that it makes it okay,” she was rambling. I ordered a mimosas for the two of us and she relaxed.
“After Adrian caught us and we broke up we didn’t see each other for a few weeks, but then he called and we went out on a date. It was weird. For a long time we didn’t want to pursue anything other than random hookups but after the car accident we decided to officially, secretly, date. I wanted to tell Adrian ages ago, but Derek was afraid it would break up the band.” She finished explaining and then gulped down her drink.
Cleo grew quiet.
“It almost did,” she said, her voice barely audible. After a long moment of silence Cleo lit back up and assured her that she was glad she was back in our lives.
“We missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Dita replied.
On Cleo’s 34th week of pregnancy Cleo called and said she couldn’t make it. She assured me that she was fine, but something came up. Just as I was about to call Dita, she too canceled. Frowning at my phone, I was just about to take the dogs out when Erin called me.
We had been in touch since the party. Not much, but her, Stacie, and I had gone to dinner once or twice. Her call was still unexpected. She asked if I’d come help with a set emergency.
