Their bodies were touching willingly, not an altercation in sight. Casey took a deep breath and rested her chin against the silky hunter green fabric of Derek's shirt as they swayed gently to the first slow song played that evening. Their chests continued to rise quickly due to the accelerated song that had ended moments ago. In the far recesses of her mind, Casey remembered Jesse asking for the first dance from her earlier in the evening.
She recalled soft lips claiming her own moments before a pair of strong hands had abducted her. The moment she realized it was Derek, a heat began to rise inside of Casey.
A spark that lit the fire only Derek could ignite.
But then he simply danced with her. She was so suprised that the thought of Jesse quickly faded away and the only face she could see was Derek's. He was smiling, an expression meant exclusively for her. He even asked how her vacation had gone. When was the last time Derek had asked her an honest question without a hint of sarcasm to be seen?
And they continued to dance, laughter never leaving their faces. It was a rare moment that Casey yearned to hold onto. She would never express her desire to Derek, even if she had begged for a family-feel-good-moment several times in the past. The point in time had come and she would hold onto it a little while longer.
When the song ended, a wave of disappointment overcame her. But she was still excited to have gotten this moment that she had secretly longed for since the McDonald-Venturi's had become one.
The song ended abruptly, leaving them to catch their breath and laugh at the fun time they had just shared. It wasn't hard to notice Roxy from a near distance, making her way to Derek. His back was turned against the pretty tanned girl that had held his attention for the entire duration of their visit to her Grandmother's lodge. Casey took a few steps back to allow Roxy's claim. It was past time that she made her way to Jesse anyhow. But as she turned to leave, one hand came to rest on her right hip, turning her into a pair of strong arms that were unfamiliar to the touch.
The way Derek pressed his front into hers was entirely too intimate. A heat rose to her cheeks, reddening them with a deep blush. Casey glanced away and tried to pull back but was instantly pressed tighter against him. It was pointless to try and resist. She risked a glance at their surroundings. George and her mom were trying to dance with her protuding belly keeping them apart, yet they were completly lost in eachother's eyes. Lizzie was nowhere to be found and Marti had settled at the buffet table where fresh picked blueberries covered her mouth and hands. Edwin was talking to his new friends. Even Grandma had a man to dance with.
No one in their family was noticing the way Derek was holding her. Casey wasn't even sure if Derek was aware of his intimate grip on her person.
Casey didn't bother looking towards Jesse or Roxy. Despite their family's lack of observation, she knew that their summer flings were doing nothing but watching them.
That was when she leaned her chin against Derek, her hand going around his back until it rested on his shoulder next to her face. It was as if they were barely moving. If music wasn't wafting through the crowded lodge, she would simply mistake their embrace for a hug. Casey couldn't recall a time when Derek had ever been so gentle with her. He always flung her around harshly or squeezed her too tight, intending to cause some form of discomfort. But this tight embrace was anything but harsh. It was possessive and strong.
"So New York, huh?" The soft vibrations of Derek's voice lifted her from the small trance she had been in.
"Um, yeah. I'm so excited to spend an entire year doing what I love...on stage. Something I wasn't sure would ever happen."
They became quiet again. The song continued to play but Casey could barely hear the melody, let alone the lyrics. She breathed deep, inhaling the subtle scent of Derek's Curve cologne and only a unique smell that he possessed.
"I never expected a keener like you to waste an entire year based on a pair of two left feet when you could be studying to become some big money making lawyer. With that mouth, I'm pretty sure you'll do good."
"Well," she corrected his grammer. "Why should you care, anyway?" Casey asked a little louder than she had intended. He was once again lighting that fire. "You hate the fact that were both going to Queens. This way we won't be freshman at the same time. Of course, chances are you'll flunk and we'll both be in the same place we are now, a year from this moment."
He snickered. "You might be right, Case."
She expected something more. He had started the fight, she continued it...yet something felt wrong. This argument had no ending. He simply stopped it. But why?
"I just don't underst..."
"Shhhh. I'm not in the mood tonight, Spacey. It's been a great day, and as much as I enjoy our little fights, lets not ruin it."
Casey didn't realize that her mouth was gaping open. When had Derek ever given up an opportunity to pick a fight? Derek was looking down at Casey with his ever present smirk taunting her. One finger went below her chin, closing her mouth. But he wasn't done.
Derek took that same finger and ran it across her bottom lip increasingly slow, back and forth. A shiver ran up her spine, but she was too shocked to stop him. Where had this Derek come from? His touch was so light that she would have missed it if his dark eyes weren't disappearing into her own light blues. It left a strong tingle on her mouth, as if a feather was kissing her.
What if he had acted this way when they first met? The house would have been peaceful and no one's lives would have been disrupted. They made everyone miserable with their endless bickering and boistrous fights. But this...this was different.
This was dangerous.
Casey pulled away from Derek's ministrations, but continued to let him hold her as the music continued to play. It was the first time since it began that she wished the endless song would cease. Instead of letting her get the space she desperately desired, he pulled her even closer, making her gasp.
"Derek, we should..."
"Shut up for two seconds. Not everything has to be rational or have a purpose. It is what it is." He then leaned close, resting his silky lips against her left ear. "It's just a dance, Casey. You've always loved to dance."
She held her breath for several seconds, her brow furrowing. He lingered on the word dance, as if it had multiple meanings. And then Casey looked back into Derek's eyes and searched behind their dark depths. That's when she realized he was talking about the endless dance between them that never seemed to halt.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.
Derek chuckled. "We're not kids anymore, Case."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to comprehend his meaning. He was feeding her riddles and it was driving her insane. She wanted him to come right out and say it, but it scared her to retrieve the thoughts from his head.
"The way we are with one another," he began. "How do you feel now that it's going to be over...atleast for a little while?"
That had to be the most rediculous question anyone had ever asked her. How did she feel? The thought of being far away from Derek, to not fight endlessly, have the peace she's wanted for so long...
Casey stopped swaying and let her arms drop to her sides. Derek continued to keep one arm wrapped around her waist while his other hand brushed a stray hair from in front of her eye. His fingers trailed lightly down her face, making her heart beat excellerate and her stomach became tied in knots.
"I...I have to find Jesse." With a vigorous shove against his hard chest, she was able to break free from Derek's grasp and rush from the banquet hall. That's what she did. She ran, making a spectacle of herself. After having nearly knocked over an elderly gentleman, she muttered her apologies, but not before catching the eye of several people in the room.
The crisp air hit her heated skin in a dove-like caress. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. It had to be the over heated room that made her breathing shallow. She waited mere seconds before turning towards the docks. It had all happened so fast. How could four years of torture, endless fighting, harsh insults, and pure misery turn into anything more than what it simply was? Derek and Casey.
Because that's all it was...would ever be.
Casey stepped onto the dock, catching her balance as it swayed beneath the gentle waves. She kicked off her sandles and sat, skimming her toes against the cool water's surface. She wasn't completly blind. Emily had never ceased her endless praises of Derek. The way he looked, smelled, and simply smiled. He was handsome. Anyone with a pair of blurred eyes could see that.
But he was Derek.
The same Derek that took pride and pleasure in her misery. Unless she was really hurting. Casey snapped her head up and looked out into the dark horizon. Derek was ninty percent horrible, but not if she was in real pain. The corner of her mouth lifted in a small grin. He had gone to a lot of trouble to prove Scott's cheating, but the next day he pretended nothing had happened. He had threatened Truman and told him to never speak to Casey again after he kissed her cousin Vicky, but then he got them back together just so he could go to prom with Emily. And there was also the way he called her father after she cried, making Dennis promise to not tell Casey he was the one who had him come back to her.
Maybe in the far recesses of Derek's twisted mind, he cared. But Casey still couldn't understand the way he had held onto her so tight moments ago after refusing to simply give her an honest hug after so many years. Her brain was bound to explode if she continued to over analyze ever aspect of their clashing relationship.
A strong breeze lifted her hair, giving way to its kiss on the nap of her neck. And it was that breeze that lifted laughter to her ears. Casey turned her neck to the side and gazed at them.
Roxy was running towards the water, fastening a life jacket onto her small body; Derek working expert fingers into his dark curls as he made his way slowly behind her. They were still dressed in their evening attire but didn't seem to care as they both climbed onto the waiting jet ski tied loosely by the shore. Derek started the ingine, driving slowly past the shallow beach and then taking off at full speed, Roxy holding tightly to him.
Casey gave a heavy sigh and stood once they were out of sight, driving in the direction of Roxy's large home. She picked up her pink shoes with the tips of her fingers and stopped suddenly when Jesse was simply looking at her. His arms were crossed, clearly waiting for her to make her way towards him. It was evident that he was not going to give an inch.
Casey started his way, one foot in front of the other. He looked as if he had questions. So many questions were written on his features that they stopped her in her tracks. She couldn't...not tonight. The entire evening had been unfair to Jesse. She was wildly attracted to him, they shared more interests than she cared to count, and he seemed to genuinly care for her.
A tear slipped from Casey's eye. She reached up and quickly wiped away any trace that it had ever existed. Where in the hell had that come from? Now was not the the time to cry...or talk to Jesse. With one last glance behind her, no jet ski in sight, Casey turned to the right and made her way to the small room she shared with four other people.
Distance was what she needed. If she pretended to be sleeping, perhaps she could avoid any burning questions until the morning. Even the torrid answers she, herself, desperately sought.