This Town

Chapter 43

"What the hell is going on with him?" Braeden says and we look over to mine and Derek's bed.

Braeden has been staying with us since she got out of hospital and Derek is not a big fan of it.

"He's just cranky. He often acts cranky." I say sighing as I watch him. "He's not healing." She says and I nod. "I know." I say sighing.

"So how'd it happen?" She asks and I shrug. "It happened when Kate took us both to Mexico. It started with the aging but all the other things come alomg with it. His eyes, ability to heal, sense of smell." I say to Braeden and she looks over to him.

"You should teach him to shoot a gun or something." I say to her. "Really?" She adks and I nod.

"If he can't protect himself, he can't protect me and well I can't reallt protect myself. I don't wanna die either so I'd prefer it if he had some sort of defense." I say and she smiles.

"Well whenever he's up for it." She says and I smile. "I'll talk to him." I say and she nods. "Okay." She says and lies down on the sofa

"Are you sure you don't want the bed? We don't mind sleeping on the sofa." I say and she nods. "It's fine. There's two of you, one of me. Plus it's not like the sofa isn't comfy." She says and I chuckle. "Let us know if you change your mind." I say climbing into bed with Derek.

When I lie beside him and he doesn't hug me or turn to spoon me, I sigh.

"Derek." I say shaking him. I'm so selfish, I love it. "Derek." I repeat till he wakes up.

"What's wrong?" He asks running a hand over his face. "Can we spoon?" I whisper. He just nods and rolls over. I climb in beside him and hold his arm around my waist as he kisses my shoulder.

****

Braeden smacks a gun down on the table and I just sit on a chair looking at it. Trying to convince Derek to do this was so much harder than you'd think. It was only when Braeden brought me into it he agreed. He is so cute.

"This is a Sig Sauer P226 .9 mm." Braeden says and I look from the gun to her, stunned. "I don't like guns." Derek says and I roll my eyes. I wish he wouldn't be difficult right now.

"That's because you've never learnt to use one." Braeden says to Derek. "Or because I've been shot. Repeatedly." Derek says with annoyance and I laugh. "I'm not even gonna apologise." I say to him.

"You should like this one." Braeden says and I perk up as she takes the clip out of the gun.

"The legal clip size in California is ten. You always want to remember how many shots you fire. Running out of bullets can get you killed. It also makes you look stupid." She says before loading the gun and handing it to Derek.

I would love to learn how to shoot a gun, but I know Derek would be against it.

"Using a gun isn't about learning how to point and shoot." Braeden says. "Why's that?" Derek asks whilst examining thr gun. "An average person can move 21 feet in 1.5 seconds. If they have a knife, they can gut you before you can pull the fire. So with a gun, you need a distance." She says before stepping away from him.

"Go for it." She says and I snap my head in her direction as she says "Pull the gun on me."

Derek scoffs before aiming the gun at her. She quickly disarms him and I clap my hands excitedly.

"What?" I ask Derek's annoyed face. "This is good entertainment." I say and he rolls his eyes.

Braeden hands him back the gun for him to try again and the exact same thing happens.