As the two walked briskly, Tom tried to push his thoughts aside and responded with short, indifferent answers.
But Derek wasn’t someone who could be fooled so easily.
"Well, well," Derek said, raising an eyebrow. "This silence… It means you're trying to suppress something."
Tom kept walking, not saying a word.
"Or maybe…" Derek continued with a sly grin. "You're in love?"
The moment those words hit, an indistinct tension flickered across Tom’s face.
"Don’t be stupid," he said, trying not to sound too defensive.
But his voice wasn’t convincing at all.
Derek’s grin widened. "That reaction tells me everything I need to know. Come on, spill it… Who’s the girl?"
Tom’s mind involuntarily flashed back to that scene in the hallway this morning. Scharline… in her robe…
He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t shake the thoughts. He let out a low, frustrated growl. As if he needed Derek’s questions to put those images in his head!
Derek noticed the change in Tom’s expression and seized the opportunity.
"What’s wrong, man?" he asked, smirking. "Is it something too special to tell me?"
Tom sighed. Fuck. He hadn’t meant to bring this up. But now that he had…
"I saw Scharline in the hallway this morning," he admitted, averting his gaze.
Derek’s eyebrows lifted slightly. That familiar, mischievous, and shameless glint flashed in his eyes.
"Was she in her robe?"
Tom hesitated for a second but eventually nodded.
Derek burst out laughing. "Oh, man. Looks like you’ve got a story to tell."
Tom clenched his teeth. "Fuck off, Derek."
"But why?" Derek asked with mock innocence. "Don’t tell me that moment hasn’t been stuck in your head all day?"
Tom spun around, glaring at him. "I told you to stop talking about Scharline like that."
Derek tilted his head, studying him, eyes glinting with cunning amusement. "I’m not talking, man. You’re the one bringing it up."
Tom shoved his hands into his pockets and walked faster, but Derek was relentless.
"So what happened? Was the robe open? Or is there another reason you’re so fixated on this?"
Tom’s jaw tightened. "Drop it, Derek."
But Derek only seemed to be enjoying himself more. "Oh, man… I wish I had been in your place. Do you even realize how lucky you are?"
Tom suddenly stopped, shooting Derek a sharp look. "One more word and I’ll break your damn jaw."
But Derek just grinned. "Relax, man. I’m just curious… What went through your head in that moment?"
Tom’s throat went dry. He struggled to clear his mind, but Derek’s words only made his own thoughts more chaotic.
And the worst part?
Derek might have been right.
As their pace slowed, Derek studied the tension on Tom’s face. He was playing a game, but at the same time, he was after the truth.
He knew Tom was trying to run from something.
But for someone like Derek, that only made it more fun to push.
"You know what, man?" Derek said, tilting his head slightly. "I think you're actually running from yourself. Because you're scared to admit what you're feeling."
Tom stopped abruptly. His brows knitted together as he shot Derek a sharp glare.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Derek, still smirking, slid his hands into his pockets. "Come on, man. I know you. If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t be this tense."
Tom ground his teeth together.
But Derek kept pushing. "The real issue is… Somewhere deep inside, you keep replaying that moment. Because something about it felt different, didn’t it?"
Tom swore under his breath. Why the hell was this guy so good at reading him?
And even worse… Derek was right.
Derek narrowed his eyes before letting out a knowing chuckle. "Oh, and there’s one more thing…"
Tom didn’t respond.
But Derek’s voice took on an even more provocative tone.
"Do you know who Scharline’s been hanging around with?"
Tom’s body tensed slightly. Derek caught it, and his smirk widened.
"Oh, I know," Derek said, laughing mockingly. "Braun."
Tom felt like he had taken a punch to the gut. His jaw tightened, but Derek only seemed more entertained by his reaction.
"Yeah, man. Braun. That bastard. That piece of shit."
Derek, watching Tom’s growing tension, decided to push even further. "And guess what? Scharline’s been having a great time with him."
Tom clenched his fists.
"And you? You’re doing nothing."
Derek let out a mocking laugh, patting Tom lightly on the shoulder. "Think about it… You’re the closest person to her. But you can’t even make a move. That’s pretty pathetic, isn’t it?"
Tom’s eyes locked onto Derek with a fiery intensity. Something was burning inside him—anger, frustration… jealousy.
Derek slowly nodded. "Admit it, man… This is driving you crazy."
Tom’s voice was low, raw, and edged with anger.
"Shut the fuck up, Derek."
But Derek just laughed. "Really? I think we need to talk about this. Because, man, you’re not even admitting it to yourself."
Tom’s face was cast in shadows. His legs tensed.
Something inside him was on the verge of snapping—whether it was the urge to punch Derek or to run away from this conversation altogether, he wasn’t sure.
But there was nowhere to run.
Because Derek was forcing him to confront what he didn’t want to say out loud.
Tom’s breathing had quickened. The frustration boiling inside him was no longer something he could suppress.
Derek’s smug voice, his taunting expression, every word felt like gasoline being poured onto a fire.
And finally, the fire exploded.
"Yes!" Tom shouted, his fists clenched. "Alright?! Yes, it pisses me off! Yes, seeing her with Braun is fucking killing me! And yes, I care about Scharline! Are you happy now?!"
For a moment, Derek was silent.
Then, he let out a satisfied laugh, shaking his head.
"There it is, man!" he said, grinning. "Took you long enough, but I’m glad you finally said it."
Tom gritted his teeth, shaking his head. A whirlwind of jealousy and helplessness spun inside him. His hands trembled—he didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do.
Finally, he looked up at Derek. "Fuck off, Derek. You’re having fun, but I don’t know what to do."
Derek shrugged, still as relaxed and amused as ever. "You don’t know what to do?" he repeated. "Good news: I do."
Tom eyed him warily. "What do you mean?"
Derek tilted his head slightly, a devilish smirk forming. "I can help you, man."
Tom frowned. "How?"
Derek sighed, spreading his arms as if the answer was obvious. "If you listen to me, I’ll show you how to get Braun out of the picture. And more importantly…" He locked eyes with Tom. "I’ll teach you how to make Scharline yours."
Tom’s throat went dry.
This was a line. A threshold.
Crossing it meant something.
But the jealousy burning inside him, the frustration, the thought of Scharline being with someone else…
It pushed him forward.
Finally, his voice was shaky, but firm.
"Tell me."
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