Authors Note: Hey, it's me again. I've deleted my last story but I'm back again, this time with a story that I'm going to finish. I finally have my life under control and I'll be updating regularly. Please R&R.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder... and I can tell you from experience that it's true. Absence, while it does make the heart grow fonder it also changes people and creates problems that no one sees coming. I wish I would have seen this coming.
It all began around Christmas in 2014. I had come back to Virginia for two weeks. My boyfriend, Mark had went to his parents home in Manchester for the holidays. I was happy, Mark was a thoughtful guy and our relationship was nothing like the tumultuous ones from my past. It was all too predictable, our everyday average life together and I thought it was what I wanted. Until I saw Derek Morgan with his beautiful girlfriend, Savannah. The more I talked with Savannah, the more I hated her. She was absolutely perfect it seemed, and she had a heart of gold. She was everything Derek deserved, and it was clear that she loved him. It was about time that Derek had something positive happen in his life, and who was I to get it the way of that? I was the one who left for London. After Doyle nothing was the same, the friendships I valued were more cautious, but could I blame them? I faked my death only to come back like nothing had happened. I felt like I had ruined my one shot at being a part of a family, and so I left. I was in such a rush to leave that I stuffed my feelings in boxes and hoped I buried them deep enough. I didn't.
On Christmas morning Henry and Jack woke me up at seven. It didn't take long for the rest of the house to be up, as two very hyper children are easily heard even in a place as big as Rossi's mansion. Soon the whole gang was by the tree. Even the new agent Kate and her family came. We all exchanged gifts, and after Rossi made his famous pancakes. I helped volunteered to clean up, and so did Savannah, so we were the last two people in the large kitchen.
"So you're the famous Emily that everyone always talks about. It's nice to finally get to talk to you." Savannah smiled and I handed her another wet dish for her to dry.
"They still talk about me? I'm old news now. It is nice to finally get to talk to you too though." I lied straight through my teeth. No one had even told me this woman existed, and apparently Derek had been dating her for a year.
"Aunt Emmy, Uncle Spencer wants you to play chess with him" Henry called, saving me from the increasingly painful conversation.
Later that day Savannah insisted I stay with her and Derek, saying they had plenty of room and that it would be lovely. Derek continued saying his mother and sisters were coming and would love to see me. I couldn't tell them I didn't want to spend any more time than was necessary with the two of them and so I reluctantly agreed to come along.
The next day Savannah was making a Christmas dinner for Derek's mother and sisters. She had forgotten quite a few things on her list, and she sent Derek and I to retrieve them, saying that Derek would forget something and he needed a woman to remind him. I didn't want to talk to Derek but it was better than sitting alone with Savannah while she was freaking out about meeting Derek's mother for the first time.
The first five minutes in the car were horrible. Neither of us knew what to say. What can you really say to a person you don't know anymore? Did I know him anymore? How much could a person change in two years? Derek was the first to break the silence.
"How's London treating you, princess? I hear you've found your prince." He winked, and I knew in that moment that he was the same Derek I knew and loved.
"Where'd you hear that? I'm still a heartbreaker, London couldn't change me." I laughed, glad for the first sense of normalcy I had felt since I left London.
My time with Derek ended way too quickly, but the evening wasn't horrible. Fran, Sarah, Savannah, Desiree, and I stayed up late just talking. I found myself feeling guilty for disliking Savannah, because she truly was a good person. I tried to sleep on it hoping my feelings for Derek would have faded by morning and my dislike of Savannah would have disappeared.
Slowly but surely I started to warm up to Savannah, but my feelings for Derek remained the same. January 3rd rolled around quickly and I was looking forward to returning to the security of my life in London. Derek and Savannah planned to come to London over Easter, and I promised to keep in touch until then. I knew I had to work past my feelings for Derek, and I hoped keeping a friendship with Savannah would help.