“Are you sure?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I’m trying to be.”
He stepped inside slowly, carefully, like he was afraid I’d change my mind. I closed the door behind him and locked it, my hands shaking.
“Do you want coffee?” I asked.
“Sure.”
We moved to the kitchen in silence. I poured two mugs and handed him one, then sat down at the table. Derek sat across from me, his hands wrapped around the mug, his eyes never leaving my face.
“I talked to Haizley,” I said quietly.
“Yeah?”
“She helped me see some things.” I took a sip of coffee, trying to steady my nerves. “About why I’ve been so afraid. About what I’m really protecting myself from.”
Derek waited, patient and still.
I looked down at my coffee. “I’ve been hurt before. Not just the men I trusted, but friends too. People who were supposed to protect me and Frankie. And I built walls to keep us safe. But those walls... they’re not just keeping danger out. They’re keeping everything out. Including you.”
Derek’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered. “I don’t know if I can trust you. Or trust myself. But I want to try.”
“What does that mean?” His voice was rough, careful.
“It means I want to keep seeing Haizley,” I said. “And maybe we can talk to her together. To figure out if we can make this work.”
Derek’s eyes widened. “You want to go to therapy together?”
“Yes.” I met his gaze. “If you’re willing.”
“I’m willing,” he said immediately. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Kat. Whatever you need.”
I nodded, my throat tight.
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling between us.
“Can I ask you something?” Derek said finally.
“Okay.”
“When we’re ready... when you’re ready, would you go on a date with me?”
I blinked at him. “A date?”
“Yeah.” A small, tentative smile tugged at his lips. “Dinner. Maybe a movie. Something normal.”
Despite everything, I felt myself smile. “That sounds nice.”
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe,” I said carefully. “Let’s see how therapy goes first.”
“I’ll take a maybe.” Derek’s smile widened slightly. “That’s more than I had yesterday.”
“Derek.” I reached across the table, my hand hovering over his. “I need you to understand something.”
