Hey! Back for chapta numba four! Yup. Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews for chapter 3! I was worried about it all being Daseyness, but everyone seemed to like it a lot! So, thankies to all of you guys who reviewed! And all those who didn't... well, fooey on you. Review next time. As in this time. Review now. Reviewing es muy bueno. Si.

So, um, anyway, Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot.

So, enjoy the fic!

Summer Heat
Chapter 4: Dreams, Realizations, and Expectations

DDD

"Derek… oh, Derek…" Casey breathed as she lay beside me, stroking my hair.

"Casey…" I whispered back.

"I love you… Derek… Derek…"

"DEREK!"

My eyes flew open and I stared up at an angry looking Sam. Groaning, I turned over.

"I'm sleeping. Go away."

"It's time to go to breakfast," he said, annoyed.

I grunted. Yeah, I really wanted to see that again.

"Yeah, I really want to see that again," I told him, "Go without me."

"Gladly. You've been weird lately, Derek."

"Weird?" I questioned.

"Yeah, like you're fed up with me or something," he explained, actually looking kind of hurt.

"Sorry, man. It's just… nothing. I guess I was in a bad mood."

Sam smiled like he totally didn't believe me, but I didn't care.

"Okay, well, Casey's staying, too."

I nodded, lying back down as Sam walked away.

Casey…

I sat up quickly, a realization hitting me.

What the hell was with that dream?

CCC

I stood in the shower, rinsing my head absentmindedly. My mind was a little preoccupied thinking about Derek. Yes, that's right. Derek. I mean, before, I was feeling jealous of Sam and Emily, so I figured I wasn't over Sam. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to realize that that wasn't true. I was over Sam, I just wasn't really ready to see him full on with another girl; especially not my best friend. And the more I thought about being completely over Sam, the more I thought about liking Derek. And I don't mean in a step-sibling way. It would've seemed so impossible even just a month or two ago, but now… I don't know. It actually felt kind of… right.

Anyway, I was just looking forward to a good two hours of relaxation before they all came home from breakfast. I quickly washed the last of the shampoo out of my hair and turned off the water. Then I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around myself, and stepped out of the shower. After blow-drying my hair, I opened the bathroom door and walked out. Derek was standing in the middle of the living room with his back to me, changing. And I don't just mean he had no shirt on. I'm talking… the whole deal.

Oh my god… Oh my GOD!

I slapped my hands over my eyes and ran back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I had just seen Derek completely exposed. This was horrifying, absolutely horrifying.

And the most sickening part? Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard something say… he looked good.

DDD

After about 15 minutes of trying to convince myself that the dream did NOT mean I liked Casey, I decided I would get up and get dressed. I gathered some clothes and headed towards the bathroom. When I got there, I heard the hair dryer running. Casey was in there and I was not ready to face her yet. I walked back into the living room and put my clothes on the couch.

Well, she probably won't be out for a while…

I started to change my clothes. Suddenly I heard a door slam and looked up. There was nothing there.

Huh, probably nothing.

I kept changing. About two minutes later, realization settled in.

FUCK!

Casey. Saw. Me. Naked. She saw me fucking without clothes on! This was horrifying. This was beyond horrifying. First the dream, now this? What a fucking great day I was having. And it wasn't even ten in the morning.

CCC

"Damn it, what am I gonna do now?" I said to myself.

I was sitting with my back against the door, still in the bathroom.

"I can't go out there, I can't face him. But I can't stay in here either. He'll suspect something. If he doesn't already know, that is. Maybe if I go out now and pretend like nothing's wrong he won't suspect anything."

I stood and cautiously opened the door, peeking out the crack. I gasped in shock as Derek walked past, heading for the kitchen. He turned, staring at me.

"Uh, uh… you, um, scared m-me," I stumbled over the words as if they were huge logs in the road.

"Yeah…" Derek mumbled, continuing towards the kitchen.

That was weird, I thought, does he know…?

I walked in the opposite direction into the living room, grabbed jeans and a t-shirt, and went back into the bathroom to change. When I came out I stood outside the door, breathed in deep, preparing myself, then walked into the kitchen. Derek stood, looking into the open refrigerator.

"Derek?" I said meekly.

He didn't even look away from the fridge. I continued.

"Are you mad at me?"

He turned. "What?"

"You seem mad at me."

"Yeah, well, I think I have good reason," he said irritably.

Somehow just then my mouth decided it wanted to play innocent.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean you coming out of the bathroom while I was changing!" he practically yelled, walking closer to me.

"Huh?"

He stopped, but at that point he was already only about a foot away from me.

"You mean you didn't?"

"Come out? I don't think so… If I did, it must've gotten, like, wiped out of my mind." I said, backing up a little bit. Being so close was getting kind of uncomfortable.

He closed the gap I had made.

"Are you sure?" he asked, staring into my eyes.

I could feel myself getting less and less believable by the second.

"Yeah," I said lamely.

"Fine."

He suddenly walked past me, out of the kitchen.

"I'm going out," he called.

"Wait, Derek…"

"Yeah?"

I stood at the doorway to the kitchen. I didn't want him to leave. He was still angry at me and I didn't want him to be. I would never have cared before, but now… it troubled me. I couldn't help the feeling that was steadily rising in me. I felt like I was about to burst. I… I wanted Derek. And it definitely wasn't just raging teenage hormones. I didn't want Sam; I didn't want any other guy. I wanted Derek.

"N-never mind…"

I'd have to hold it in. I couldn't tell him. He didn't like me back and he never would. I was just the girl he was unfortunate enough to have to be step-sisters with.

I turned back into the kitchen and leaned my head on the wall, closing my eyes. I heard the door slam.

I'm pathetic…

All of a sudden, Derek rushed back into the kitchen. I gasped.

"I forgot my wallet," he said flatly, grabbing his wallet from the table.

Then he walked out once again.

I sighed deeply, sliding down against the wall until I was on the floor.

"God, I'm such an idiot. I actually thought for a second that maybe he had come back for me…"

Not my favorite chapter, but... I was too lazy to change it. If you guys didn't like it at all, tell me and I'll rewrite it. So, well, review! Like I said, reviewing es muy bueno. :3