Chapter 210: Easy Things
Derek had not understood. He would not lie. At first when Emily had been talking about an auntie, and a visitor. He had really thought that either he was still asleep. Or she was the one who was talking in her sleep. But then when she had finally said exactly what she meant, he had freaked out. No lie, internally he had been running a mile a minute. Trying and failing to come up with something to say that would not be offensive. Not only that, despite knowing that periods were a normal monthly thing that most women went through.
Derek’s mind had somehow decided that Emily needed to be in the hospital for such a thing. That she needed urgent medical attention. In fact, he had even been readying himself to gather her up, and run outside with her in his arms so that he could drive her to the nearest medical facility.
Luckily, Emily had been able to bring back the voice of reason in him and he had not done that. Instead, he had stood aside with his eyes closed while she made her way to the bathroom. Being very careful not to stare and only looking up once he heard the bathroom door open and then close. Once alone in the room, Derek’s first instinct had been to run for the hills...to find some place else to be. It did not matter that the penthouse was his. He would have gladly walked out. But then on his way out, he had stopped.
His hand hovering over the bedroom doorknob.
He could not leave. Emily had not done anything wrong.
Just as Derek himself had no control over his erection, he looked down at his groin, she too had no control over her period. Luckily, with all that had been going on. His morning wood had flagged and he no longer had to walk around with a tent in his pants. But still, just like his erection was a normal thing, Emily’s menstrual cycle.
was also a normal thing. If he left and found some place else to be while she sorted herself out, it would be very difficult for them to recover from this. Even if Emily were to say that she understood, that a lot of guys were uncomfortable with the whole thing, Derek knew that it would put a strain on their relationship.
Afterall, just a few hours prior, Emily had been showing him support when it came to his own issue. It was only right that he also be there for her. He had to make sure that she knew that he was unbothered, that he was not going anywhere.
So rather than just leaving the bedroom Derek dropped his hand from the doorknob and turned back. The bed was as they had left it, unmade, waiting. Normally Derek would just pull the dirty sheets off the bed, and leave them for the cleaning staff to take care of. But this was personal.