1
Kelsey Deaton had just gotten off the plane at LAX and was about hail a cab to head into Beacon Hills, a town she hadn't seen in years. The 22-year-old brainiac was surprising her family for summer after graduating from college as a business major and finishing her first year of grad school.
She made eye contact with a cab driver and was about to hop in when the door wouldn't close. "Are you serious? Why would you be driving a busted cab?" As she looked down to see if her seatbelt had gotten stuck, she was graced with the sight of distressed black jeans and black combat boots. She didn't know for sure, but she was thinking that whoever this person was, they were going to kill her.
Her heart rate sped rapidly, searching her memory for who this person could be. When her gaze fell upon the man's face, she realized it was someone she knew all too well. Someone she didn't think she'd see ever again. This man was her ex, the man she had spent far too many nights crying over. This man was Derek Hale.
Kelsey POV
I scoffed when I looked into Derek's eyes covered with black sunglasses. I had no words for him. Especially, after what he had put me through before we graduated all those years ago. I sat back in the cab, refusing to speak to him.
"Hey." He said.
I remained silent.
"I need your help, Kels." I gritted my teeth at the cute nickname he had given me in the fifth grade. He knew he wasn't going to get much out of me so he continued. "I need your help with a," he paused, "project I've been working on."
The taxi driver was getting impatient. "Hey, lover boy, could you wrap It up? I need to make some money, here. "
Derek ignored him and kept talking at me. "Just get out of the cab, Kels. I'll drive you home."
This peaked my interest. "You don't even know where I live."
"You've been living in the same house with your dad since freshman year."
I sat there, shaking my head, thinking of how to respond to his request.
I reached into my wallet, retrieved a ten dollar bill, and handed it to the driver. I couldn't believe I was actually getting in the car with him.
"Um, I know I kinda pushed you out of my life, and I wanted to apologize."
"Kinda? The night of our graduation party, you broke up with me and dumped my stuff on my front porch. Then, when I tried to call you to say goodbye, you had blocked my number. You gave me no explanation whatsoever. So, I left." His eyes never left the road and his jaw was clenched tightly.
"Well, then, do it."
"What?"
"Punch me."
"How did you-?"
"Your fists are balled up by your sides and you keep rolling your eyes every ten seconds."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Again. "And there it goes again," he said with a smirk. That was one of the things I loved to hate about him.
"You can't even see me!"
"I have insane peripherals in case you forgot."
"How could I forget that? Well I'm still not gonna do it."
"Why not?"
"Just forget about it."
"You know, you were always a predictable fighter, Kels. What makes you think I can't block it?"
"Maybe the fact that you're driving?" I changed the subject. "What's this 'project' you need my help with?"
"I created my own pack."
"Pack? As in of werewolves?"
"Yeah." He heaved a sigh as if he thought I wasn't going to approve.
I laughed in his face. "You're kidding, right? Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Do you think I care?"
"Of course not. So then why do you need my help?"
"I need you to ask your dad for some stuff that could keep us from harm."
"Us? Wow, this must be serious if you're using first-person plural pronouns."
"Ha, you're cute."
"I know."
"Will you talk to him for me?" I could sense a beg in his voice.
We pulled up to my house and I knew he meant he needed it as soon as possible. "No."
"Come on, Kelsey! For old time's sake?"
"Nope. Thanks for the ride, though." I lugged all three of my bags up the driveway and pulled out my keys.
"Kelsey," he was right behind me now, "please." He knew I hated when he plead with his eyes. I gave up.
"I'll call you tomorrow. We'll talk more about it when you pick me up and take me to get my car. And don't get any ideas."
"Fine."
This was going to be interesting.