Under My Skin by Rhonda Bowen

Author:Rhonda Bowen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: african american fiction, african american romance, christian contemporary fiction, christian contemporary romance, urban chick lit, urban fiction by african american authors
Publisher: Rhonda Bowen

Chapter 16

The world was blurry and unfocused when Derek opened his eyes to the jackhammer tearing up his bedroom wall. He turned over, grabbed the alarm clock and flung it against the wall. It fell in four pieces to the ground and the jackhammer stopped. He groaned and pulled the covers over his head, hoping to salvage a few more hours of sleep, although with the headache he was having he knew that even a day of sleep wouldn't do him much good. But he would take what he could get.

However, before he could drift off again, the click of heels banged at his consciousness.

"Go away."

Portia ignored him and snatched the pillow from over his head. "Get up."

"I feel like crap."

"Serves you right for drinking the way you did last night." She placed a glass of water on the thick wooden headboard. "What was with that anyway? I thought you swore off alcohol a year ago during your repentance phase."

Derek buried his face in the mattress. "It wasn't a phase."

"Really? Cause the drinking wasn't the only very bad decision you made last night, and both of them make me think that the new Derek you have been trying to sell to everyone was really just an act."

Derek sighed and rolled over onto his back realizing that this conversation with his sister was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not. When he opened his eyes again and her form came into view, he saw that she was holding out two tablets. He took the extra strength Advil, and swallowed them before chasing them down with the glass of water.

"Okay." He closed his eyes and lay back down. "Let me have it."

"You are a jerk, Derek. I can't believe you spoke to Morgan like that, and on top of that, you let her walk home by herself."

"She had her purse. She didn't walk."

Wrong answer. He felt a hand connect sharply with the side of his head, sending blinding pain through his head. He felt nauseous and wondered if he would have the embarrassment of throwing up on his sister. It would serve her right for what she just did.

"That hurt?" Portia snapped. "That's probably how she felt when you called her ugly."

"I never called her ugly." Derek groaned.

"I thought you were beautiful?" Portia placed her hands on her hips. "What do you think that was?"

"That came out wrong."

"It came out exactly right,” Portia said, her voice taking on an emotional quality. "Because that's exactly what you were thinking."

Derek wanted to answer, but his brain hurt too much to think at the moment. He wished Portia would give him twenty minutes, just enough time for the painkillers to really kick in.

"You know when you and Chantelle broke up last year, when you came and apologized to me for letting our relationship fall apart, when you started to go to church and get serious about Solid, I thought you had changed. When you told me that I deserved better than Barry

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