Now, to figure out how in the hell I would get home. I could call Jase and he would pick me up, but that would leave Gabe with Tristan. I don’t want that. Standing in the middle of the still packed parking lot I looked up to the big night sky.

There is was. Derek’s star was twinkling right beside the moon. I always told Gabe that was Derek’s way of telling us hi and that he loved us.

“Annie, wait up!” Leigha called after me. Stopping I waited on my best friend. “Please tell me what I heard is a lie.”

Looking at her like she had three heads I asked, “Huh? What did you hear?”

Giving me her famous ‘cut the shit’ look, she put one of her hands on her hip and waved between me and the bar with her other. “That you told one very sexy Mr. Tucker no. Barker told me that owner man got all up in some guys Kool-Aid for messin’ with you then kicked him out. He also told me that owner man couldn’t take his eyes off of you and that your eyes seemed pretty distracted as well.”

“Barker is an idiot and needs to learn how to keep his damn mouth shut.”

Leigha squealed, jumping up and down. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Gage Tucker has the hots for my best friend.”

“Um no. He was drunk. He got me drunk. And now I have no idea how I’m getting home.”

“I’ll drive and crash at your house tonight.”

I handed Leigha my keys and sunk into the passenger seat. When my car started the song that always made me think of Derek filled the silence. So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. “Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if Derek hadn’t been killed?”

She held my hand and gave me a sad smile. “Sometimes. Especially when I see Gabe playing the guitar. He is a mini me of his dad.”

“I hate Tristan. It’s been six years and I still hate him. A little part of me hates Derek too. He knew what he was doing that night when he got in the car with Tristan. He knew the risk he was taking. He knew he was going to be a father.”

“Oh sweetie. Tristan hate’s himself too. You know he blames himself. We were all young and stupid. You got lucky and ended up pregnant. Derek was so proud he was going to be a dad.” Leigha looked out of my sunroof. “You know as well as I do that if he thought for one minute getting in that car with Tristan would take him away from you and Gabe he never would have went.”

She was right. Derek loved the idea that I was having his baby. I was only seventeen, he was eighteen, but we were in love. “I know. That doesn’t stop me from thinking ‘what if’. Would the boys have made it big and would we be sittin’ fat on our asses on some private island. Would the guys still be playing in the garage and we barely scraping to get by? Or maybe we would be comfortable having nine to five jobs with a couple of kids.”

Leigha shrugged. “Maybe. But we will never know. You can’t keep thinking ‘what if’. Eventually you have to let go and move on. Close that chapter in your life and start writing a new one.”

I didn’t want to move on. I didn’t want to forget Derek. He was the only chapter I knew. I feared change, despised it. Moving on meant starting something new which meant leaving Derek behind. I wasn’t ready for that and didn’t know if I ever would be. Gabe was the guy I snuggled with and loved. He was the spitting image of his daddy with his shaggy light brown hair and soft hazel eyes. His attitude dead on. Gabe did what he wanted and said what he thought. He was a good kid but I could already tell when he got older I would be put through hell.

Not wanting to talk about Derek anymore I lied. “I’ll try. Let’s go home and sleep. I’m so tired.”

“What in the hell?” I yanked my phone off the nightstand to look at the time. A little after nine. Who would be at my house this early? The only people that would need to be here this early have a key. One of those people was still asleep next to me.

“Will you go answer the damn door? It’s too early for me to get up.” Leigha mumbled.

Flinging the sheet off of me, I stomped into the living room and jerked the front door open. There was a younger guy standing in front me, looking me up and down.

“Can I help you?” I asked, irritated.

“Are you Annie Holland?” The boy looked familiar but no way would I know someone as young as him.

“Depends. Who wants to know?”

The boy surpried the shit outta me when he said, “I like you.”

Scrunching my face I asked, “Excuse me?”

Smiling, the boy said, “Nevermind”-shaking his head he added- “I have a delivery for you.”

“I didn’t order anything.”

Rolling his eyes, he said, “You know, people can order stuff for you. You know, like as a surprise.” Leaning over the boy grabbed a huge vase of lillies I hadn’t noticed. “I was told to tell you to make sure you read the card. Have a nice day.”

Taking the flowers I mumbled my thanks and kicked the door shut. Shuffling into the kitchen I sat the vase on the counter and opened the card.

Hope you’re not feeling too bad this morning. Tequila can be a bitch. Asprin and Coffee helps.

“Leigha! Leigha Cole get your ass in here now!” I shouted as loud as I could.

Rubbing her eyes Leigha walked into the kitchen. Even first thing in the morning she looked gorgeous. “You better be dying right now.” Gorgeous, yes…pleasant, no.

“I think I might be. Look at this shit.” I stepped to the side so she could see on the counter behind me.

Blinking a few time, her jaw dropped. “Are those from him?” She took a few steps toward the counter, leaning in to smell them.

“Yes. That fucker! I can’t accept these. I’m taking them to work and shoving them in his face.”

Leigha still had her face in the flowers but looked at me out the side of her eyes. “Why? He’s just trying to be nice.”

Snorting, I said, “More like trying to get in my panties.”