The Missing Piece Book One

33. You've Got To Be Kidding Me

Derek had to leave Vanessa and Danesha at home with police officers watching them, he wanted to stay but Kevin was breathing down his neck about a project that was due a week ago. Derek rolled over to the corner of his cubicle in his chair to go over the design for the project, it was for a children's nursery but as Derek starred at the cute blue and red rounded letters he couldn't wrap his mind around any work, all he could think about was Matthew attacking Vanessa now that he wasn't home, I have to hear her he thought grabbing the phone and calling the house phone. After about five rings, no answer, her cellphone, no answer,

"Fuck" Derek cursed thinking the worse,

"I hope you're saying " fuck" about that nursery logo " Kevin's voice came from behind him, Derek turned to see him standing with two other files,

"I'm sorry just kinda spaced out there" he confessed

"Well how about a change of scenery Warren" Derek could tell he wasn't going to like what was coming next "Big project and I'm trusting you with it, big BIG project out of town" Kevin stressed handing him the file,

"I can't " Derek pushing the file away from him, causing Kevin to go into full boss mode,

"What do you mean you can't" aggression rising in his voice,

" I can't, someone is stalking me and my girlfriend I can't just leave her here alone"

"I'm not asking you I'm telling you-you're going to do this project and you will be leaving in the next few days"

"Do you have a heart? I'm being stalked why can't you get someone else to do the damn job" Derek was about to start cursing but he remembered this man was his superior even though he was being a complete cunt,

"Because the damn job was given to you specifically!"

Derek paused confused by what he was hearing

"What?" He asked

"Look Warren after the conference people been asking for you specifically for jobs, they want your work, you're the first person they ask for specifically so we have to deliver"

Derek started to consider the odds but nothing could convince him to leave Vanessa in this state.

"Look I understand but I can't-"

"You're doing the fucking job and that's final!" Kevin tossed the file on his desk and exited his cubicle.

Derek cursed him under his breath throwing the file in his bag and packed his stuff and was heading out the door for lunch.

He blasted his music as he drove back home, Vanessa had called a few times but he wanted to talk to her face to face, as he turned by the traffic lights he looked into the black car coming away from his home.

Matthew.

He grinned making eye contact with Derek enjoying the horror plastered across Derek's face since there were drops of what appeared to be blood on his face, he gave him a smug nod and pulled off, Derek check for a license plate but there was none. If he's coming from my home then... Derek thought the worse, speeding towards home. He drove right up to the door of the building jumped out and ran up the stairs, the door was open and all he could think was she was dead, he shoved open the door with enough force it almost hit the wall.

"OWWWW!" Vanessa screamed as he pinned her hand between the doorknob and the wall,

"You're okay!" He said to the sound of her voice

"What the fuck babe, of course, I'm okay well not anymore since you almost broke my wrist" Derek pulled her into his chest, taking in her usual scent, She's alive. She's alive. He played in his head holding her tightly stroking her hair, his chest burned as he thought he lost her, "What's wrong?" She asked surprised by the sudden appearance and affection.

"I saw him, just now coming from here with blood in his face I thought-" his voiced crack as he stared at her.

"I'm okay baby, I'm right here in front of you" Vanessa reassured him, Derek was being affected by the mind games Matthew was delivering. "I was just getting a package I found outside"

"A package?" Derek asked looking at the box tossed on the floor from her grabbing her hand

"Was just delivered here, and it was addressed to me so I was-"

"Don't open it " Derek interrupted pulling her away from the book as she was bending over to pick it up,

"Babe just relax it's from mum," she said pulling her arm out of his taking up the box and tore it open to show him it was okay.

"See," she said pointing into the box showing him some pictures her mother sent copies of for her.

Derek took a sheepish sigh of relief scratching the back of his neck as she stared at him with sass.

He could see the box was no harm now but he could only think about Matthew with those drops of "blood" across his face. Derek ate lunch trying to tell Vanessa about the trip but it never came up. He returned to work for the rest of the day and was on his way back home. He found Vanessa and Danesha chatting on the couch the most talking he heard them doing since she slept there last night.

Derek took a shower and was trying to figure out how to tell Vanessa he was leaving since the last time it exploded in his face, his hair was soaked and smelt like her shampoo, he liked how it smelled and couldn't help but use it. He could hear her and Danesha talking from the other room, this was the happiest he'd seen her in a while and it was great that she was finally back to his fiery girlfriend he loved but he couldn't take her happiness away.

He decided to call his old best friend to help him make the decision, he called Catherine and waited for an answer, she answered after a few rings and he thought They are always having sex damn.

"Hey, are you okay?" she answered with music blasting in the background

"Yea, I'm cool just needed help with something," Derek said strolling over to the window to climb out onto the fire escape,

"Fire away baby bro" he could hear the melody of the waves crashing on the shore and assumed she was outside,

"Okay, so I got this really big shitload of a project to do, and the client asked me specifically about the job but the problem is, I have to leave town I really don't want to leave Vanessa ya know with Matthew running around trying to kill us" He finally stopped waiting for her to tell him the solution or what he needed to hear

"And you want me to tell you what to do huh?" Catherine asked

"Well... I'm just wondering what I should do"

"Well if I were you and some crazy bastard was out trying to kill me and my girlfriend, I wouldn't be leaving I would have to lose my job but we both know I'm bad at this life bullshit" Derek was hoping for more but Catherine just got his hopes, he was still unsure what to do.

"Look I know you want me to tell you what to do but the best person you should talk to is Vanessa, she's YOUR girlfriend, not mine, talk to her and see how she feels okay?" Catherine said kind of distracted "I gotta go just tell me what she says" and she hung up leaving him high and dry, Well that was pointless he thought.

He sat there thinking wind blowing through his wet hair, he didn't want to have this conversation he really didn't but he had no choice. Vanessa noticed the open window when she went into their bedroom looking for him, he looked out to see him head down massaging his temples "I have to tell her, maybe tomorrow" he said to himself shaking his head, he took a deep breath when he looked up there she was wide-eyed with confusion forming many ideas before him.

"Tell me now"

Fuck.