Story of Us

Chapter 12 part 2 Sawyer

I finish packing for tomorrow, making sure I have the black dress that fits me like a second skin and my favorite black heels with 5 straps and buckles lacing their way up my calf. Feeling satisfied with what I am bringing, I go bounding down the stairs to get a snack, I about face halfway down the stairs and go back up to get my earbuds to drown out the sounds of Brady and Jess going at in Brady's room.

I get everything I need for a grilled cheese sandwich out and start dancing along to the beat as I wait for the pan to heat up. Letting loose and putting on the show of my life, as one does cooking alone in a kitchen, I jump out of my skin when I feel a presence sneak up behind me and hands trace their way down my hips. I scream, grabbing the pan from the burner and turning around to assault my attacker. Derek grabs my wrist and stops my attack. "Derek" I shout over the music only I can hear. Derek says something I can't hear, pulling the pan from my hand, and grabbing my other wrist to pin them behind me with one hand. "Let me go" I shout fighting against him and unable to pull my earbuds out to hear what the hell he is saying. He presses himself against me and I am immobilized by the weight of him as he tries to bring his mouth to mine. "Get the hell off me, Derek. Stop" I scream, fighting against him. I get a hand free and reach on the counter connecting with the pan, I grab it and with all my might swing it and smash Derek in the shoulder, giving myself just enough space to haul my knee up and kick him away from me. Brady and Jess come running in as I take my earbuds out and Derek crumples to the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I scream as Brady comes over to check on me.

"What happened?" He shouts, helping Derek up off the floor, his forearms blistering from the heat of the pan when I dropped it. His shirt looks stuck to his skin, and he is groaning hunched over from where I connected with his groan.

"I was listening to music and making a sandwich and Brady came up behind me and startled me, then put my arms behind my back and tried to kiss me." I say in a panic.

"Shit, Brady, we are going to have to take him in, these burns are bad." Jess says trying to help Derek.

"Just call for an ambulance." Brady says coldly.

"No man, it's fine, just drive me." Derek says though clenched teeth,

"No man, I don't think you're fine, Jess call now." Brady barks. "Why are you restraining her hands behind her back and trying to kiss her?" Brady asks.

"I didn't know she had her earbuds in and I had been talking to her for almost a minute. I thought she was dancing for me, like an invitation to make a move, so I did." Derek confesses.

"And when she shouted to let her go?" Brady says seething. "And she screamed for you to stop?"

"Man, I thought she was just messing around at first, when I realized she wasn't into it it was too late and she attacked me." Derek defends, trying to walk around the island to get away from Brady.

"It's that, that right there.....She didn't attack you Derek, she defended herself." Brady says clenching and unclenching his fists. I am trembling with adrenaline and have no idea what to do.

One one hand, I get what Derek did, but I don't understand when I told him to let me go why he didn't. On the other, I was scared to death, and he has been getting a little more aggressive lately.

"Why are you here Derek? When I talked to you earlier you said you were going to meet us in Vegas. It's a 13 hour drive from LA to here, that means you would have already been on the road, and lied to me." Brady asks him.

"I wanted to surprise Sawyer, and be the first to wish her Happy Birthday." Derek says looking down at the ground.

"Ok, and I wouldn't have told her, but you sneaking up here and not even telling me you are coming up is suspicious. It is the middle of the night Derek, I don't think you were just innocently coming up to wish Sawyer Happy Birthday. Sawyer, have you been giving Derek the assumption that you are open to something happening between the two of you?"

"No....Not since Trevor and I started dating. I have been very clear that Derek and I are only friends." I stutter out.

"I don't think anyone would disagree when I say it is absolutely evident that Sawyer and Trevor are committed to each other right now. So why are you here, sneaking around behind my back Derek? How do I know that it wasn't your intention to force yourself on her, since you very clearly are not respecting her words, or boundaries."

"Jess take Sawyer and go wait for the ambulance. Sawyer don't call Trevor about this, we will talk to him after the fight, got it." Brady barks out. I nod and follow Jess out of the house.

"I don't understand why Brady is acting like this?" I say to Jess, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I get why he is mad at Derek, hell I'm mad at Derek, but why is he treating Derek like he is a home invader."

"Sawyer, it's after 12:00am. It's your birthday." She says like that answers the question. I just look at her dumb. "You come into your inheritance. Your parents did very well for themselves, and your Dad's portfolio and investment companies are continuing to prosper. And you were just violent with someone. I know we are all friends and it should just be easy peasy, but money drives some people to do things we wouldn't expect. I'm not sure what is going on exactly, but did you know that Derek has filed 3 lawsuits this year alone? That whispers that he is looking for a fast payout. It is part of the reason him and Amber are having issues, She is suspicious. Brady is just making sure that a paper trail shows that this was self-defense."

"How do you know all this?" I ask her.

"Brady and I talk, he shares things with me. These are the things that he stresses about, you, your welfare, your fortune. I mean he is already having a lawyer draft your pre-nupital agreement." She laughs.

A cop car pulls up first. The officer comes up to us and we lead him inside, another officer comes in and detains Derek outside until the ambulance shows up. We give our statements, and Brady is clear that he doesn't want to press charges at this time, but that he does want a formal copy of the police report. Derek is taken to the Emergency Department to be treated for 2nd and 3rd degree burns.

"I'm proud of you" Brady says as he walks me back into the house.

"Why?" I ask him, my eyes swollen from crying.

"For reacting and protecting yourself." He says and hugs me.

"What's Trevor going to do?" I ask Brady and Brady laughs.

"Trevor's going to be pissed, he might lose his shit a little bit, but Trevor can't actually fight anyone outside of a ring. Trained fighter's hands are literally considered lethal weapons, which means any charges they get are with a deadly weapon. So aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon." Brady says laughing. "But he will be proud of how you handled it too. I am not asking you to keep this from him, but since you are not in danger, and everything is going to be ok, it is best to tell him after his fight. He doesn't need the distraction. He is going to be pissed about this, but I'll talk to him with you and tell him I put the gag order in."

"Thank you Brady, I love you."

"I love you too, and Happy Birthday!"