Agent Rogue: Renegade

Chapter 6

I lied awake for most of the night after the dream, staring at the ceiling and trying to will myself to fall asleep. It didn't work. The old paint lines engraved into the ceiling blurred so much they gave me a headache and, at five in the morning once the streetlights turned on in a stream of dull orange, I gave up. By the time Derek turned on the shower at half seven, I was already dressed for the day and onto my fifth cup of coffee.

The bedroom door opened and Derek came out, dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt, his hair still wet from the shower and hanging in front of his face. I chuckled, taking my eyes off the book I had been living in for the past two hours.

"Nice fringe."

He half-laughed and pushed the hair back. "You've been up for a while."

"Yeah," I said, closing the book. "I couldn't sleep."

"I guessed," he replied, sitting down next to me. "Any reason why?"

I bit my lip and placed the book on the coffee table. My mug sat beside it and I resisted the temptation to drink the rest of it -- I'd only use it as an excuse to not talk.

My words clumsily threaded themselves together. "Do you remember when you first told me about your dad?"

He scratched his head. "It was back in December wasn't it?"

"Well..." I snatched the coffee cup, needing something to hold on to. My palms pressed tightly against it, willing the warmth to seep through the porcelain but the coffee was lukewarm.  "I told you that my dad wasn't a ... good guy, didn't I?"

His face froze as though he was waiting for me to tell him something he already knew. Or at least was waiting to hear. Gingerly, he nodded and sat down beside me, subtly curling his fingers around mine. 

I pulled my hand away. "I never elaborated what he actually did... a-and I think that I should tell--"

Someone banged on the door. "Hi everyone!" A chirpy voice called. I clamped my mouth shut and looked down into the mug. Derek put a hand on my shoulder as he stood up.

"That would be Jade," he sighed. He leaned in for the handle of the door once he reached it and swung it open, the short and skinny brunette cheerful strolling in with a smile that mirrored Derek's. 

"Most people text before they go to someone's house," he said. Jade laughed at her stepbrother.

"No, 'hi little sister that I haven't seen in four months' or even a 'good morning'?" Her grin turned.

"Good morning. Now why are you here?" Asked Derek. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Dad's asked where you are. He wants the two of you to come over."

My eyes snapped up and immediately locked onto Derek. His jaw dropped, eyes widening. 

"What's that about?" I asked.

"N-Nothing!" 

I raised and eyebrow. "Derek."

He sighed. "Alright. My stepdad, Rick, asked for us to go to his this morning."

I slammed my mug on the coffee table a little harder than I intended and the cold liquid spilled over and onto my hands. I shook them dry. "And you failed to mention this because...?"

"It was organised last minute and with everything going on last night I just... I forgot."

Jade stepped forward. "I saw on the news. That's why dad wants to meet you both. He wants to check in on you, Derek. He misses you."