34. Derek’s Destiny

DEREK

When I was a kid, always stressing my folks out with all the fights, the suspensions, all the bullshit, my Grandfather used to come get me. He’d pull up, quiet, just him and that old Lincoln, and we’d head up to the lookout. That was our thing. Just us, a blunt, and oldies playing low from the car radio. It’s how I got my head straight when the weight of the world felt like it was crushing my chest, too tight to breathe. He understood me, in a way no one else did, and we’d sit there in silence, watching the town below, letting the smoke and the music do the talking.

Now here I was, in that same spot, leaning against Destiny’s Accord, lighting up a fat spliff, the thick smoke curling in the night air. The Temprees’ "Dedicated to the One I Love" poured out of the speakers, that old-school sound vibrating through the air, and I took a long pull, letting the smoke hit my lungs, feeling that familiar calm wash over me.

But tonight wasn’t like those nights with Pop-Pop. Nah, tonight was different. Darker.

I looked out over Juniper as the music played, and the city was on fire. Literal flames licking the sky, lighting up the night with an orange glow that reflected off the clouds like some apocalyptic shit. The sirens, the red and blue lights flashing, chaos. I watched it all, calm as hell, the blunt burning slow between my fingers.

I did this.

I brought hell to Juniper, just like I told Destiny I would.

The smoke trailed from my lips as I exhaled, the heat from the flames in the distance mixing with the cool breeze on my skin. It felt…right.

“Shit looks like a movie,” Hakeem’s voice cut through the night as he came up beside me, blowing out his own cloud of smoke. His eyes were wide, taking in the destruction.

I chuckled, low and dark, shaking my head as I stared at the wreckage. “Fuck it,” I muttered, that sinister grin creeping onto my face. “Juniper police needed something to do, right?”

I took another hit, the fire burning in the distance matching the heat building in my chest. This was personal. For Destiny, for everything she’d been through, for the pain she carried that nobody saw but me.

“Let it burn,” I said quietly, my eyes never leaving the flames.

When I told Destiny I had business to handle, I wasn’t just saying it to sound hard. I meant every single word. I left her at the suite, kissed her on the forehead, and made my way to the bay, heart steady, mind clear. Dorian had a yacht docked there, tucked away like he always did when he was moving quiet. The sun was dipping low, setting the sky on fire with streaks of orange and pink, but I wasn’t here for the view. I had work to do, and loose ends to cut.

Stepping onto the deck, it hit me—the weight of everything. That cold, heavy feeling in your gut when you know what you’re about to do might be the last domino that sends the whole thing crashing down. But I was ready for that. I’d been ready.

Dorian wasn’t the type to drag shit out with small talk, so the second I sat down, he got straight to it. No sugarcoating, no bullshit, just the raw truth. He laid it all out in front of me, every piece of the puzzle, every move that had been made behind the scenes. The shit he told me? It was bigger than I ever imagined.

I leaned back, letting the weight of his words settle in, my eyes scanning the darkening water around us.

“Arnold, is the one to watch between him and Johnathon,” Dorian’s voice was cold, smooth like a blade slicing through the tension in the room. He wasn’t giving opinions; these were cold, hard facts. “The money he’s trying to squeeze outta Destiny? Man’s drowning in debt—his strip club’s bleeding money. But it’s not the financial shit that makes him dangerous. It’s what’s going on behind the scenes at that club.”

I leaned in, jaw clenched, eyes narrowing. "Like what?"

Dorian didn’t even blink, didn’t flinch. "Prostitution. And not just the usual kinda hustle.”

I saw Keem shift in his seat, uncomfortable like the weight of what Dorian was saying was too much to sit with.

Dorian leaned in, his eyes colder than I’d ever seen them. “Arnold’s using that club to wash drug money. And he’s not just moving product—he’s getting the girls hooked. Keeps ‘em high as a kite so they’ll go along with whatever he needs them to do. Once they’re hooked, they’ll do anything. And I mean anything, to keep that next hit coming.”

Keem swallowed hard beside me, his discomfort clear as day. I could feel his nerves rattling, and I didn’t blame him. This wasn’t some petty scam. Arnold was a predator, plain and simple, ruining lives to save his own skin. And now he was threatening to use that same darkness, that same evil, against Destiny.

Dorian stood up, smirking like he was about to drop a bomb, walking over to the bar and pouring himself a drink. He took his time, savoring the moment like he knew what was coming next was gonna hit us hard. “And here’s the kicker—you’ll never guess whose drugs and money he’s washing through the club.”

Keem shifted again, rolling his shoulders like he was trying to brace for impact. “Man, I already know this about to be some bullshit.”

Dorian chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink before dropping the hammer. “Johnathon’s father.”

Me and Keem just stared at each other, both of us caught off guard.

“Not the pastor, the community leader?” Hakeem muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You gotta be kidding me.”

I shook my head, feeling the pieces start to click together. “Fake ass Preacher.”

Dorian nodded, taking another sip, calm as ever. “Yup, man’s been running a whole drug operation out of Juniper. Stash houses all over town. He’s got product moving in Westonberry, and other cities. And all that dirty money? Goes right through his church and Arnold’s strip club. The whole damn thing’s a front.”

I clenched my jaw, fury rolling through me as the picture started to form. “So that’s how Arnold and Johnathon know each other. It’s all connected.”

Dorian nodded, setting his glass down on the bar with a soft clink, his eyes steady and cold. "Exactly. Arnold’s been running his club like a front for the drug money, while Johnathon’s daddy hides behind the pulpit, preaching like he’s holier than thou. Meanwhile, they’re using Destiny’s trauma, weaponizing those pictures like it’s some kind of bargaining chip."

I sucked my teeth, leaning back in my chair, sinking deeper into the growing weight of the situation.

“It’s wild,” Dorian continued, “cause Johnathon ain’t even in his father’s drug mess. He’s clean—squeaky. But what dragged him into this whole situation is that broken heart over Destiny and that bruised ego you gave him, Derek. He put this in motion, dragged Arnold into it, because he knows he ain’t built for this life. Dude’s way in over his head, and he knows it. I saw it in the texts I hacked."

“Fuck him,” I snapped, my tone ice cold. “He put Destiny and Eden in the line of fire. I don’t give a damn about how he feels, how hard he’s hurting over Destiny. That don’t mean shit to me.”

Keem shifted beside me, trying to reason. “Come on, D. Johnathon ain’t no criminal mastermind. He probably didn’t even know how deep Arnold was into all this—”

“I’m not tryna hear it,” I cut him off, my voice sharp enough to slice through the room.

Keem shook his head, still processing everything, but I could see that look in his eyes—the one that said he was riding with me, no matter what. “Fuck it, man. You know I’m on what you on. These fools playin’ wit fire.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice low, lethal, like a storm building on the horizon. “And they’re about to get burned.”

Burning the Pastor’s stash houses—and his so-called church—wasn’t part of the original plan. Nah, I didn’t have to do it. But this wasn’t about what had to be done, this was about what I wanted to do. Call it personal enjoyment. Off the strength that I hated his son, sure, but there was something else, something about hypocrites that just rubbed me the wrong way. Pastor Lyman, my ass. Walking around pretending to be a man of God while he was out here pushing poison into the same community he claimed to be "saving"? Talking about "helping the youth" while he pushed to get my performance canceled? Fake ass Farrakhan.

And yeah, I could give him some props for leveling up from pushing dimebags back when I was a kid to running a whole operation now. But credit? Nah, fuck that too.

I stood at the lookout, leaning against Destiny’s car, watching the flames devour his empire. The glow from the blaze lit up Juniper like some kind of twisted nightmare. His stash houses? Gone. His fake-ass holy ground? Ashes. I was calm, almost peaceful as I watched it all burn.

"Found the pictures?" My voice was low, sharp, cutting through the night like the fire down below.

Hakeem took a slow pull from his spliff, still staring at the inferno we’d set off. "Tore through his office before we lit his club up. He didn’t have ‘em there."

Oh yea, Arnold’s club out in Westonberry, that had to go too.

I nodded, jaw tight. "What about his house?"

Keem smirked, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "It’s too hot right now. Literally. Police everywhere."

I clenched my teeth, feeling almost relived. "I’ll handle it myself." I didn’t need Keem—or anybody else—laying eyes on naked pictures of my woman. That was for me to take care of, nobody else.

Hakeem exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air, the smell of burning weed and burning buildings mixing together. "So, what’s next? We paying these fools a visit or what?"

I didn’t answer right away. Just kept watching the flames touch the sky, flickering in the windows of the city like it was some kind of living hell. My hell. That sinister smile crept up on my face again, satisfaction settling deep in my chest.

"Nah," I finally said, my voice calm but laced with something dark. "Let ‘em sweat for a bit. No rush."

I took a slow drag from the blunt, savoring the moment. The smoke curled around me like a protective cloak, while the fire burned below. This was my masterpiece, my chaos, and it felt... right. But I had business at home to tend to.

Destiny was waiting, and we were in a place I didn’t like. A place I put us in. Not because I morally gave a damn about her catching a body—I knew she did what she had to do. I was proud of her, maybe even a little turned on. Nah, that wasn’t what kept me up at night. It was the why. Why she had to do it, and all the shit that came with it.

I hadn’t been there. That was what gutted me. She’d been alone, scared, with no one to protect her to the point where she had to call my broher. And now? Arnold, that snake, was threatening to go to the cops, release those damn pictures he had no business taking in the first place. Johnathon out there making deals with the devil himself just to get his lick back. It was too much. Too much for any man to take in and not feel like the world was crumbling beneath his feet.

And yeah, I knew I was switching up. I did my best to stay calm, keep it together, but the truth was I was failing. I could feel it, feel myself acting different. Distant. And it was killing Destiny. I could see it in her eyes every time I looked at her. She was frustrated, confused, and I hated that. I hated the way we’d been arguing, that we were snapping at each other when we should’ve been holding on tight. That wasn’t us.

I knew, deep down, I had to get right. For her. For us. I had to fix this, had to find a way back to the man I used to be before all this madness took hold.

Destiny deserved that. Hell, we both deserved that peace, but I had to be the one to bring it. No more running, no more hiding behind smoke and fire. I had to face this. Face us. Because if I didn’t?

I’d lose her. And losing her? That wasn’t something I was willing to live with.

I took one last pull from the blunt, the smoke swirling around me like ghosts of all the shit I’d burned down tonight.

"This is dedicated to the one I love..."

The Temprees' voices floated on the night air, the lyrics hitting me like a reminder of why I did it, why I’d burn the whole damn world down if I had to. I wasn’t just out here causing chaos for the fun of it, though I couldn’t lie—it felt good. But this? This destruction, this hell I’d unleashed?

It was dedicated to her. Every move I made, every fire I lit, every life I was about to ruin was for Destiny.

“For the one I love,” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the music, but the weight of those words? They were heavy, like a promise.

And I wasn’t done yet.

When I dapped up security and stepped into the suite, the tension hit me like a right hook—sharp, unshakable. Destiny stood in front of those floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, her silhouette framed against the burning chaos in the distance. Right then, I was damn grateful we were here in Westonberry—close enough to handle business, far enough to keep her safe.

The fires danced on the horizon like something out of a war zone. They weren’t too close to home, but just close enough to remind me what I’d set in motion. My family was straight, Dorian had already handled Destiny’s people, made sure they were out of harm's way. Still, standing there, knowing I’d lit the match, that I’d been the spark behind all that destruction, there was a thrill running through my veins I couldn’t deny.

"Juniper is burning," she whispered, her voice soft, like it was a secret meant only for the fire and me. Her hands pressed flat against the glass, fingers spread wide, almost like she could reach out and grab hold of the flames. She didn’t turn around. Didn’t need to. She knew I was there.

I moved in closer, the heat of the flames outside nothing compared to the fire inside me, fueled by everything we’d been through. Everything I’d done. Watching that city burn, knowing I was the reason it was going up in smoke for her—there was something raw, something primal in that.

Dark? Yeah, sure. Twisted? Probably. But I’d made peace with the darkness in me a long time ago. Hell, it was that same darkness that kept me going, that pushed me to do what needed to be done. Every wrong that had been done to her, every tear she cried, every ounce of pain she carried... it fed that fire in me.

And tonight, I was burning it all down for her.

In the reflection of the glass, I saw it all. Her dark eyes were stormy, her jaw tight like she was grinding her teeth, lips pressed into a thin line like she was swallowing a scream. I knew her mind was running through every scar, every bruise, every betrayal. Every wound that had shaped her into the woman she was. And all that pain? It was going up in flames right in front of her.

“Did you hurt anybody?” she asked, her voice soft, barely above a whisper, but the weight of that question sliced through the room like a blade.

I didn’t flinch. “Not yet,” I said, my voice low, raw. No hesitation, no room for doubt. I wasn’t about to dress it up for her. I couldn’t. “But don’t ask me anything else about this, Princess. It’ll be too hard to lie to you, and I won’t do that. So don’t put me in that spot.”

She tensed, but I could feel her understanding settle in the silence between us.

“I came home to you,” I murmured, my voice carrying the weight of promises made and kept. “And I’ll always come home to you. That’s what you need to know. That’s what matters.”

I felt her breath hitch, the tension in her shoulders softening just a bit, but I wasn’t finished. I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a near growl. “The less you know, the better. Trust me on that.”

In the glass, I watched her eyes close, her eyelids squeezing shut like she could block out the truth of what I’d just said. But this was her reality now—our reality. I wasn’t going to pretend, wasn’t gonna make it pretty. This was what it was.

The TV behind us flickered, casting an eerie glow around the room as live footage from Juniper played out like something from the end of days. Flames turning the night into a hellscape. It looked like the apocalypse had touched down, and the cops were running around like ants trying to save their little hill, firefighters battling the blaze like it was personal. Reporters ducked and dodged, trying to keep themselves in the frame but out of harm’s way.

All of it—chaos, panic, desperation—it was their problem, not mine.

“When you said you’d bring Hell to Juniper, I didn’t think…” Her voice trailed off, the weight of what was happening sinking in.

I closed the space between us, my lips brushing her shoulder, planting soft kisses like they were promises carved in stone. One kiss, then another, then another, until I reached her neck, where I could feel her pulse pounding beneath her skin—fast, frantic, alive.

“If I gotta bring Hell to them to give you Heaven,” I whispered against her skin, my voice low, deadly, unapologetic, “then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

She let out a long, deep breath, her head falling back against my chest like the weight of the world was slipping off her shoulders, piece by piece. I could feel it—the tension, the burden she’d been carrying for too damn long. I hadn’t touched her like this in a minute, hadn’t been fully here with her, and I knew she needed it. Needed me. Especially now.

“I’m sorry for how I’ve been with you,” I whispered, my voice rough, low, like gravel underfoot.

Slowly, deliberately, I lifted the hem of her silk nightgown, my fingers slipping into the warmth of her panties. I felt her tense, just for a second, before she melted into me, her body giving in, like she’d been waiting for this moment as much as I had.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my fingers sliding inside her, deep and slow. My other hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer, anchoring her to me. “But I’m here now.” The words slipped out as I worked my fingers, each movement deliberate, slow, setting a rhythm that made her gasp. I didn’t rush it. I wanted her to feel every second, every touch, every damn thing I was giving her as we stood there, watching Juniper burn together.

“But Daddy had to handle some business,” I groaned at her warmness, my voice thick with intent, the words rolling out slow as I pulled her deeper into us, into this moment. Each stroke had her trembling, her breath shaky as her body surrendered to me, unraveling bit by bit. I could feel her letting go, the tension slipping away as I worked her closer to the edge.

“Derek,” she whispered, her voice trembling, like she was barely holding it together.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I murmured again, my lips brushing the shell of her ear, the heat between us simmering. I could feel her coming undone, that quiet storm brewing inside her, matching the chaos I’d left burning out there in Juniper.

“I need to feel all of you,” she breathed, her voice raw, pleading, desperation heavy in every word. “I miss you.”

My heart twisted up in my chest, knowing exactly what she meant. I’d been here, physically, but my mind? My focus? I wasn’t with her. I’d been drowning in all the other shit, acting like I was present when I knew damn well I wasn’t. And it hurt her. Hurt her in ways I didn’t even see until right now that I’d released some of my own hurt on someone else. That’s the part that burned me up inside—I never wanted to be the one who hurt my Destiny.

My breath caught as I freed myself, sliding her panties to the side with deliberate care. The second I entered her, deep and steady, a groan slipped from both of us—raw, real. That sound—her body taking mine—was like coming home. I could finally breathe again. She needed this as much as I did, and the way she gripped me, the way her breath hitched, told me this wasn’t just about the physical. It was everything we’d been holding back, all in the way we moved together.

“Don’t leave me again,” she whispered, her voice shaking, laced with that pain, that fear I knew I caused.

I could hear the weight of her words, the truth in them. She wasn’t just talking about now. She meant all the times I’d let the world pull me away from her, all the moments I drifted even when I was standing right beside her.

“I’m here, baby,” I rasped, my voice low but steady, a promise as solid as the ground beneath us. I pushed deeper, feeling her body mold to mine, like she was made for this, like we were crafted for each other. “I ain’t going nowhere. Not again. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I love you,” she cried, her voice breaking, desperate, like she needed me to know it just as bad as she needed me inside her.

“I love you too, Princess,” I growled, plunging slow and deep, each stroke driving her further into me. Her hands pressed against the glass, the fires of Juniper burning in the reflection, flickering against the window and her trembling body. “I love you so damn much.”

I could feel something burn in my chest, tears threatening to fall, but I pushed that down. No room for that right now. Instead, I gripped her tighter, my hands full of her ass. It wasn’t just about making love—it was about grounding us, putting us back together. This was more than physical; this was survival.

I could see her reflection in the glass, eyes squeezed shut, lips parted, her breath hitching with every move I made. I held her tighter, blocking out the chaos of the outside world with every slow, deliberate thrust. The flames could burn Juniper to the ground, for all I cared. I’d torch the whole damn world if it meant keeping her.

“I want the house,” she gasped, her voice shaking, but there was a determination behind it. “And I want to get married there.”

“That’s what you want, baby?” I asked, my fingers working slow, teasing her clit with just enough pressure to keep her teetering on the edge.

“Yes,” she cried out, her body trembling against mine.

“Then whatever my Princess wants, my Princess gets,” I whispered, possessive, my lips grazing her neck.

“And I don’t want to wait long to get married,” she breathed, her words barely holding together.

“Me either, baby. We’ll close on that house as soon as we can, set the date based on that. What else does my baby need?” I murmured, knowing there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t give her.

Her body responded to my words before her mouth could form an answer. Her hips bucked against me, her walls tightening around me. I grinned, dark and satisfied, knowing I was giving her everything she needed.

“I need you,” she gasped, her body shaking, holding on to the last thread of control.

“I’m right here, baby. Ain’t going nowhere,” I whispered, pushing deeper, gripping her tighter, needing her to feel how real this was. “You feel that? That’s me. Always me.”

Her cries filled the room, raw and untamed, merging with the sound of sirens from the TV as firefighters scrambled to save a city I’d already turned my back on. Juniper was burning, but right now? That was background noise. This moment was all that mattered.

"You see what I did for my Destiny?" I asked, my voice low, as we both watched the flames lick the skyline.

“Yes,” she breathed, her body trembling as she tightened around me.

“That’s for you, baby. I’ll do anything for you, Destiny. Anything,” I whispered, the words heavy with devotion and something darker. “There’s no limit. You understand that?” My voice hardened with the truth of it. I didn’t just mean the fires. I meant anything.

“Yes,” she whispered, the vulnerability in her voice cutting right through me.

I felt the urge to spank her, to mark this moment with something sharp and real, but I held back. Instead, I slowed my movements, pushing deeper, feeling her body tense around me as her eyes stayed locked on the flames outside. The reflection of the fire in her eyes was hypnotic, flickering in time with the chaos I’d created for her. For us.

"Look at it, baby," I whispered, my lips brushing against her ear, my voice low and dangerous. "Ain’t nobody ever gonna hurt you again. I’ll make sure of that.”

She damn near squealed, her body arching back into me as I picked up the pace, pushing her closer to the edge.

"That’s it," I growled, my grip tightening, the darkness rising in me as I watched her unravel. "Let it out. Watch it burn and let go."

With a final cry, her body shattered around me, her release dripping down my thigh as the fire outside blazed on. She was making a fucking mess as she laughed, "Maybe Keem was right," she said, her voice shaking through a tearful smile. "We’re both psycho."

I smirked, dark and raw. “Nah, baby. We’re just made for each other,” I explained, thrusting deeper, feeling her pull me closer, her body tightening around mine like she was trying to keep every bit of me inside her.

“Derek,” she whispered, her laugh now a sob.

I leaned down, lips brushing along the curve of her shoulder, my breath hot against her skin. “That’s it, baby. Take it all. It’s yours,” I whispered, feeling the weight of everything—her release, her need, her trust.

Her breath hitched, and I could feel her pulse quicken beneath my lips. “I need to see you,” she murmured, her voice soft but desperate, like she needed more than just my touch. She needed to look me in the eyes, to see me, to feel me.

I pulled out, my body aching from the loss of her, but not for long. I turned her around in one swift motion, picking her up, her legs wrapping tight around me as I re-entered her, pressing her back against the cool glass. Her body tensed, and she hissed as I filled her again, the sound sending a jolt of electricity through my spine.

My face was buried in the crook of her neck, her scent grounding me, calming the storm that had been brewing inside me for weeks. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, holding on like I was her lifeline. But when she spoke, it wasn’t just her usual moans or whispers. This was different.

“Thank you, baby,” she breathed, her voice carrying a weight I hadn’t heard before. It made me pause. Made me lift my head and look at her, really look at her. She held my face, her fingers tracing the lines of my jaw as I kept moving inside her, slow and deliberate. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and for a moment, everything around us—Juniper, the fires, the chaos—disappeared. It was just us. Just her.

She locked her gaze on mine, her voice barely a whisper, “I need you to look at me, see me.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I didn’t even realize until she wiped one away that I was crying too.

“Destiny,” I choked out, my voice breaking. I was fucking crying, but I couldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop plunging into her, couldn’t stop giving her what she needed, even though my heart was breaking with every thrust. Because in that moment, all I could see were the images burned into my mind—Destiny fighting Jake—images I tried to smoke away every day behind her back.

She held my face tighter, her touch gentle, her words soothing, taking me back to the present as she saw me slipping away. “I’m right here, Derek. Safe in your arms. You’re making me feel so good. I’m not scared. I’m right here. You’re all I need.”

Her words shattered me. The way she read me, knowing what I needed to hear, understanding the fear I had been carrying. I’d been terrified—terrified to touch her, terrified to hurt her again after everything she’d been through, after everything she told me.

It didn’t make sense; I knew that. She gave me permission to end her celibacy, to be with her fully, and we’d been having fun. Not once had she shown fear or hesitation with me. Not once had she said I pushed too far. That was all in my head—me, overthinking, overanalyzing, trapped in my own guilt.

But right now, she was telling me I was enough. That I wasn’t hurting her, that I was healing her. And that? That was everything. Her eyes, glossy with emotion, locked on mine, and she nodded, her hands holding my face like she was anchoring me. Like she was afraid if she let go, I’d slip away again.

“I won’t leave again, okay?” I pleaded, my voice raw, almost desperate. “I didn’t see it before. The way I was moving, trying to protect you…it was doing the opposite. I was so fucking wrong. I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”

“I need you, Derek,” she whispered, her voice cracking, full of pain and longing that cut through me like a blade. “I’ll always need you. Please, don’t shut me out again. Please…”

Her words, her plea—it broke something inside me. The weight of it, the way she was begging for me, tore through me in ways I hadn’t even let myself feel until that moment.

“Fuck!” I growled, my frustration at everything—the situation, the guilt, the love I had for her—all crashing down at once. I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand the thought of being the reason she was hurting, the reason she felt alone.

I couldn’t to be gentle anymore, afraid she’d break. I needed her—needed us to be connected in a way that left no space between us. With one swift motion, I walked us over to the couch, never pulling out, sinking deeper into her as I laid her down. The need to be further inside her, to be in her skin, consumed me. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop it. I needed to feel her in every way, needed to be one with her, like we could fuse together and nothing could tear us apart.

Her nails dug into my back, and the way she rasped into my neck, her voice thick with want and desperation, set me on fire.

“That’s it! There’s my Derek,” she gasped, her words a lifeline pulling me out of whatever darkness had gripped me for so long. “I can take it, Derek. I need all of you.”

With every hard stroke, with every deep thrust, I felt the wall I’d built around myself start to crumble. The harder I went, the louder she got, like we were tearing down everything that had come between us. This was us, raw and real, no barriers, no fear. Just us.

“Come back to me, Derek,” she begged, her voice trembling, breath hitching in her chest. Her words hit me like a lifeline, pulling me from the edge of the darkness I’d been drowning in for too long. “That’s it… Oh God!” she screamed, her body tightening around me, her nails digging into my back like she was trying to hold me together.

I gritted my teeth, the fire between us burning hotter than anything outside those windows.

“I’m right here, baby,” I finally rasped, my forehead pressed to hers, every thrust deliberate, like I was carving us into something new, something whole. “I’m not going anywhere. I swear to God, I’m not leaving you again.”

Her breath was ragged, her eyes wide and searching mine, like she needed to see the truth in them, like she needed that confirmation in every part of me.

“Promise me,” she whispered, her voice fragile but fierce at the same time. “Promise me you’ll always come back. No more shutting me out.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her words, the depth of her need.

“I promise, Destiny,” I said, my voice cracking with the intensity of it all. “I’ll never leave you again. Not in my mind, not in my heart. I’m yours. Always yours.”

She moaned, her body responding to every word, every motion, like she could feel the truth of what I was saying, like she could feel the way I was pouring every bit of myself into her.

“You’re my home,” she whispered, her hands sliding up to cup my face, her eyes locking onto mine. “I need you, Derek. I need all of you, not just pieces. Don’t leave me with pieces. I need you to stay.”

“I’m staying,” I whispered against her lips, kissing her slow and deep, the same way I was moving inside her. “I’m staying right here. Forever.”

And just like that, I felt her unravel beneath me, her body trembling, surrendering to every touch, every word. She wasn’t just coming undone—she was giving herself to me completely, and I was right there with her. My breath hitched, a deep, guttural sound tearing from my chest as my body jerked, the release so intense it felt like the air around us shifted. My arms wrapped around her tighter, holding her close like she was the only thing keeping me tethered to this world. And maybe she was.

I buried my face in her neck, breathing in her scent, her essence, feeling her pulse beneath my lips as I whispered her name. The heat between us wasn’t just physical—it was something primal, something that burned through everything we were, fusing us together in a way that made the chaos outside seem small, irrelevant. The fires raging in Juniper couldn’t compare to the blaze we’d ignited right here, in this moment.

I held her like I’d lose myself without her, like letting her go wasn’t an option. And it wasn’t. Not for me. Not ever.

The world outside? Didn’t mean shit. Not when the only thing that mattered was the heat between us, burning hotter, brighter than anything else.

I could feel her heartbeat against my chest, her breath shaky and ragged, matching mine as we came down from that high together. I kissed her shoulder, slow and deliberate.

"All that matters," I murmured against her skin, my voice raw, full of conviction, "is us."

Everything else—Juniper burning, the mess I’d made—it all faded into the background. Right here, right now, in this moment, it was just her and me. The fire outside had nothing on the flames burning between us, nothing on the way we were breaking and rebuilding each other with every breath, every touch.

And I knew, deep down, we were finding out way back. Back to each other. Back to where we were supposed to be.

Because this wasn’t just love. This was destiny.