Page 24 of Prudence (Balfe Family #1)

The ma?tre d’ escorted me to a table in the back, where it looked like most everyone had already arrived.

To my relief, there was no Derek, and some part of me hoped he wasn’t coming while another—very annoying part of me—wished for a glimpse of him.

I suspected that part was my teenage self who still held a sliver of affection for him.

I wasn’t sure it would ever go away, no matter how rudely he behaved towards me.

Nuala was the first to spot me as she stood and pulled me into a hug, followed by Charli and Rhys.

Next, I exchanged greetings with Aidan, Tristan and Theo, all of whom seemed delighted to see me.

I was touched by their warm welcome, especially since a certain someone had been so frosty, but I decided to focus on the positive.

I was spending an evening with old friends, and a server had just brought out a selection of amuse-bouche from the chef.

I devoured some kind of parcel filled with chicken, mushrooms and teriyaki sauce when my phone vibrated. Checking the screen, I saw it was Deirdre and stepped outside to take the call.

“Dee, is everything okay?”

“Hi, Mum. Everything’s fine. Gigi came over to watch a movie, and we want to rent out Mystic Pizza . Is it okay to charge it to your account?”

I smiled at her request, mainly because the movie was so old I was surprised either of them knew about it. “Sure. Where did you hear about Mystic Pizza ?”

“There’s a woman on TikTok who reviews old movies from the eighties and nineties. Actually, can we get Practical Magic , too? She highly recommended both.”

I chuckled. “Knock yourselves out. There are some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry.”

“Thanks, Mum. Enjoy your dinner.”

“I’ll be home by eleven,” I said then hung up just in time for a shadow to appear before me. I lifted my eyes and found Derek’s disgruntled gaze levelled on me. We stared each other down, and I didn’t want to be the one to break first. Nonetheless, I found myself blurting, “No Kayla tonight?”

He frowned, like my mentioning her was odd, which it was. “She’s gone back to Australia.”

“Ah, I see. You must be looking forward to when she moves over here permanently.”

What was wrong with me? I’d been struck with a case of verbal diarrhoea. Derek frowned faintly. “Why would I …” he trailed off, some kind of realisation dawning before the faintest flicker of satisfaction crossed his features. “Yes, actually. Can’t wait.”

Something in his tone had me pressing my lips together and grinding my teeth.

He moved to walk by me, and I took the opportunity to slip my phone back into my pocket.

I waited for him to go inside so as not to inconvenience him with my presence, but then he reached the door and pulled it open, looking back at me, “Are you coming in or what?”

I sighed. “Fine.” Stepping by him, I re-entered the restaurant.

The bustle of servers and chatter of patrons distracted me, and I made the mistake of turning to look at Derek, who stood directly behind me.

He was staring at the back of my head with such unbridled frustration it made me want to shout, “Bloody hell! Surely being around me isn’t that bad!

” But as soon as he saw me looking, he wiped his face clean, returning to blank disinterest.

“Gigi’s at my house with Deirdre, by the way. They’re watching movies.”

“I know where my daughter is,” he shot back, like my informing him was some kind of insult.

“Well, I was just letting you know. No need to bite my head off,” I muttered under my breath. I turned back around when suddenly a large, warm hand clamped around my upper arm. Derek’s grip managed to be both gentle and firm at the same time.

“What was that?”

My eyes narrowed into a glare. “Nothing.”

“No, it wasn’t. I heard you grumbling about me. What did you say?”

His persistence had me snapping. “I said there was no need for you to bite my head off since I was just letting you know where your daughter is. But clearly anything I say to you is offensive these days, so I think I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”

Something about my response seemed to surprise him. I wasn’t sure if it was my attitude or the defiant way I lifted my chin, but a hint of what looked like amusement passed over his features. Oh, he’d better not be finding this funny.

He exhaled heavily, his eyes tipping over my face in a way that had me tensing.

His gaze seemed to snag on my lips, remaining there for a beat too long.

I imagined he was pondering my statement about keeping my mouth shut.

Perhaps it even amused him to imagine taping it shut.

What I didn’t quite understand was the heat that sizzled under my skin while his eyes remained fixed there.

“Sounds like a good plan,” he said at last, looking away before he released me from his grip. He moved by me to join the others at the table, and I had to stand in place and take a moment to centre myself before I was finally calm enough to rejoin the group.

I wasn’t nearly as relaxed as I had been before Derek had arrived, and I couldn’t shake my awareness of his brooding presence.

He sat across the table next to Theo, the two of them talking quietly while Tristan told us all about the new Balfe Hotel that the family had opened in Cork just a couple of months ago.

I was trying to focus on lifting my wine glass without nervously shaking it and spilling droplets across the table. A soft hand came to rest on my wrist.

“Hey, are you okay?” Nuala asked gently.

I mustered a smile. “Of course.”

“You just seem a little subdued since Derek showed up,” she went on. “I saw he arrived while you were outside on the phone. Did he say something to upset you?”

“No, not at all. Well, I mean, he hasn’t exactly been a ray of sunshine. I think he just doesn’t want to interact with me, but we seem to keep running into each other unfortunately.”

Nuala seemed surprised by this. “You do?”

“Deirdre and Derek’s daughter, Gigi, have become friends at school. They’ve been hanging out a lot, and I think Derek’s annoyed that he has to see me all the time because of their friendship.”

Nuala shook her head. “God, he’s such a grouch.

I’m sorry. Would you like me to talk to him?

Get him to ease up? Like I said, he’s been an arse to everyone these last few months, but that’s so amazing Deirdre and Gigi have hit it off.

Gigi has been very down since her mam went on tour, so having a new friend could be good for her. ”

“Deirdre mentioned that. I actually heard them talking about it, and Gigi sounded upset.”

Nuala’s expression suddenly became overwrought, a sheen of emotion in her eyes as she rubbed at her neck.

“It’s been an awful few months. Ever since Paloma announced she was going away, Gigi’s been practically catatonic.

She even …” Her words trailed off as she waved away whatever she’d been about to say before continuing, “I know Derek’s been hugely stressed about her.

It’s one of the reasons he’s been such a dick to everyone.

I think he’s just feeling very lost and doesn’t know how to help her, so he’s taking it out on the rest of us. ”

Empathy thickened my throat, and my gaze flickered across the table to where Derek still sat talking with Theo, completely unaware that he was the topic of conversation between his sister and me.

I felt for him, even if he did seem to hate me now.

I couldn’t imagine how I’d be if Deirdre were suffering from depression.

“Has he tried sending her to talk to a professional?”

Nuala nodded. “She’s seeing a therapist, and it’s helped a little, but not as much as we’d all hoped for.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, taking a sip of wine. “She’s at my house tonight with Deirdre. They’re watching Mystic Pizza followed by Practical Magic .”

This got a little smile out of her. “I’m jealous. Those are movies I wish I could watch for the first time again.”

A server appeared with our main courses, and I was happy to distract myself with food, though my empathy for Derek and Gigi persisted.

I had no idea of the full story with her mother, but it just seemed like a tough situation for everyone involved.

Also, Nuala said Derek was an arsehole to everyone lately, but I had a feeling he was particularly disgruntled by me because of our history.

It was evident he’d never told his sister about proposing to me.

He’d declared his love for me that day on the beach, and though he’d only been twenty with little experience of the world, I had a suspicion the hurt he’d felt that day had stuck with him.

I knew being the one to reject him had stayed with me, especially since, if things were different and I didn’t feel such a loyalty to my aunt, I certainly would’ve said yes.

He’d captured my teenage heart, and there was very little I wouldn’t have agreed to at the time when it came to him.

The lemon and garlic risotto I’d ordered was delicious, but I couldn’t enjoy it fully because I was too caught up in past regret. It was a frustrating feeling because I wouldn’t want to change the present, but I also mourned for something that might’ve been.

Throughout the rest of the meal, I stayed true to my word and didn’t address Derek once even though our gazes clashed several times. Each time, my throat tightened with words I wished to say but probably never would.

When the meal ended, it was late, and the street outside was dark, lit only by dim streetlamps.

It was a short walk to my car, but I felt a presence, and as I approached my bright red Suzuki, I turned and spotted a tall figure standing outside the restaurant.

Derek watched as I climbed into my car and hit the locks, only walking away when I pulled out onto the road to drive home.

The idea of him standing there and making sure I made it to my car safely had more conflicting emotions warring within me.

He didn’t get to ignore me and then display concern for my safety at the same time.

It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t he just be a complete dick and then I could simply hate him, and that would be that?

Two days after the group dinner, I finally found time to attend the mindfulness class I’d been eyeing for weeks.

Back in London, I’d made it a priority to attend meditation because my work could be stressful, and I needed to stay on top of my mental health.

My life now wasn’t half as busy, but I still wanted to keep up my old routine.

I also figured I might make some new friends at the class, which was always a bonus.

Entering the community hall where the class was being held, I was greeted by the instructor, a pleasant woman named Roberta who wore a bright green necklace in the shape of a turtle.

She looked to be about fifty and was warm and welcoming as she ushered me inside and pointed me in the direction of a free mat to sit on.

As I made myself comfortable and prepared for the class to begin, I looked up just in time to see a tall, dark-haired, brooding figure stride into the room. Irritation had my cheeks heating.

Come on, how was this fair?

Our gazes clashed as Derek walked by me, his brows drawing together as he noted my presence without saying hello.

When he reached the back of the room, he lowered onto a mat while I internally debated leaving and finding a different class.

One that didn’t include sharing a space with the first boy I’d ever loved who was now deeply bothered by my very existence.