Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is late. I have been so sick lately and just have been living in bed and on the couch. I haven't felt like writing at all. But I'm getting better! So here's the next chapter! Thank y'all for all the great reviews! You're amazing!

Chapter Seven

"Derek, I can't just stay," Casey protested, "My life is in New York. Phillip is in New York..."

"Phillip is passed out in the cabin asleep right now," Derek rolled his eyes, "Do what you want, Case. But I think you want to stay."

They continued on the scavenger hunt. After finding everything on the list, they returned back to camp. Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti had already completed it and had gotten their prize - popsicles. Casey couldn't help but think on what Derek had said. She couldn't possibly just stay here. She needed to go home. Her things were in New York. Her job was in New York. Phillip lived in New York. He'd never agree to move with her. She had left home and made her home somewhere else. Derek would just have to accept that. She would just have to accept that.

After the kids finished their popsicles, everyone decided to go swimming. When Casey and Derek got back to the cabin, Casey slipped behind the privacy curtain to check on Phillip. Derek had been right. He was passed out in their bed. Casey tried to wake him. It'd be nice if he could join them. She had wanted him to have a good time on this trip. She had actually been excited for him to meet her family. In her head, she had pictures of him kicking a soccer ball with Lizzie and making jokes with Edwin. This was not how she'd pictured this trip. Sighing, she shook his shoulder a little harder.

"Phillip, babe wake up. We're going swimming. Do you want to join us."

He batted at her hand and rolled over, facing away from her. Casey humphed. Fine, she'd just go and have a good time without him. She slipped into her bathing suit. After changing, she dug out her handheld mirror from her purse. She glanced at her reflection, frowning. She always hated the way she looked in a bathing suit. Phillip always told her if she wanted to look better in a bathing suit, she'd have to give up on fixing brownies every Friday night. But she loved fixing brownies. Casey sighed, turning the mirror every which way. As she was thinking about changing, the curtain lifted and Derek was standing behind her.

"What?" She asked, tossing the mirror aside, hoping he hadn't caught her.

"You look great, Case. As always. Now come on."

"But..."

"Stop," Derek rolled his eyes, "You look great. Really."

Casey beamed at the compliment. Derek never really just gave out compliments, so when he did, she always held on to them tightly and treasured them. She nodded and followed him out of the cabin. The kids were already in the lake, playing on inner tubes and pool noodles. Casey could hear them laughing all the way from their cabin. She really did miss them. Leaving would be so hard. At least she still had some time to enjoy with them. The kids were part-way out into the lake, so she and Derek headed to the dock to jump off and join them. When they got to the dock, Derek turned to Casey -

"Hey, Space Case?"

"Hmm?"

"You know one of the many things I missed about you?"

"What?"

"Having someone to do this two," Derek scooped her up in his arms as she shrieked.

"Derek don't you dare! Put me down right now!"

"Hey, look," Lizzie caught Edwin's attention, and motioned over to the dock.

"Derek, I swear to God if you throw me in this water, you will not live to see your twenty-seventh birthday."

"Hmm..." Derek paused for a moment, thinking it over. Casey relaxes slightly before he shouted, "Worth it!" And dumped her into the chilly water. She screamed and Derek laughed. When she emerged from the water, she was glaring at him as if looks could kill. Derek held up his hands in surrender, "Hey, you didn't really give me a choice in the matter, Princess. How could I resist?"

"You are so obnoxious," Casey sputtered, pushing soggy hair from her face, water drops dripping from her nose.

"Thank you."

She shook her head as stepped a few steps back. "Derek...don't."

"Watch me," he took a running start and shouted, "Cannon ball!" as he launched himself into the water, splashing everyone. Lizzie, Marti, and Edwin swam over, laughing. When Derek emerged, Casey good-naturedly pushed his head back under the water.

"You're impossible. Did you ever grow up?"

"Why? That's no fun," Derek pouted, shaking his head, spraying them with water from his shaggy hair.

"Who would ever want to grow up?" Marti asked, jumping onto Derek's back.

They continued to splash and have fun. Casey glanced back towards the cabin. She wished Phillip could have come swimming. She wanted him to bond with everyone and for them to all get to know him. She had been planning this trip for months with him. She had been so excited. Maybe tomorrow he'd feel better and they could all hang out. He needed to get to know her family. They suddenly were so important to her again.

"Hey, Ed," Derek nodded to his brother, "Doesn't Casey look beautiful?"

"She always looks beautiful," Edwin smiled at her. Casey blushed.

"See," Derek grinned, "Told you, Spacey. She doesn't believe me," he said to Edwin.

"Derek..." Casey was still blushing, looking at the water splashing around her.

"It's true," he swam over to her, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face, "You should listen to me more often. Believe it or not, I do know what I'm talking about sometimes. It's rare, but there's certain things I know a lot about - hockey, food, and you."

"I'm so glad I'm lumped in with such important priorities," Casey let out a small laugh.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you're the most important."

Casey blushed furiously. She pulled away from him, a tad uncomfortable with the things he was making her feel. She had thought she'd put all these feelings away - up high on a shelf somewhere where she couldn't reach them anymore. Yet, here they all were, crushing into her again. And again, she felt overwhelmed by it all. This was not how she expected this week to go at all. She had thought maybe she and Derek could patch things together to be civil. She never expected him to want her back, to be flirting with her. It was driving her crazy. Why did he always have to get under her skin.

"So, are you two going to get back together, or what?" Lizzie blurted out.

"Lizzie!" Casey snapped, "Why would you ever even ask such a thing?"

"That's the plan," Derek smirked, "If I can convince her to take me back."

"And you," Casey turned on Derek, pointing at him, "Don't encourage them."

"We think you should get back together," Edwin shrugged, "It was better when you two were together. Casey was actually around."

"I can be around regardless...Derek has nothing to do with that. Now, can we please change the subject?"

"Well, are you?" Lizzie asked again.

"Alright," Casey held up her hands, "Enough. I'm going to go change and see if Mom needs help with dinner."

"I'm coming with you!"

"Lizzie...no."

"Oooh, girl talk," Edwin nudged Derek, "You know they'll talk about you right?"

"Stop," Casey glared at her younger brother, "That's it. I'm going to go change. Lizzie, you can come if you promise not to talk about Derek."

"Sure thing," Lizzie grinned, following Casey to shore with her fingers crossed behind her back.

As they dried off on the towels draped over the lawn chairs, Lizzie asked, "So, what is it with you two anyway?"

"You promised," Casey rolled her eyes, "What is with you all?"

"Just wondering," Lizzie's face fell, "What happened between you all anyway?"

Casey sighed, feeling bad for snapping at her sister. Maybe some girl talk would be good for her. She couldn't even recall the last time she had a girl to genuinely open up to. "Fine," she gave in, "As you know, when Derek and I went off to college together, one thing led to another and we became a couple. And things were really good. We were happy."

"I remember," Lizzie nodded, wrapping herself up in the towel and following Casey. They headed over to the swingset behind their parents' cabin, "You all were really, really happy. We all were. Mom and Dad were always talking about how finally you two realized your feelings and how cute you were."

"Well, we weren't cute for long. In college, we had that little apartment, remember? Derek went out one night with the guys and didn't come home when he told me he would. When he did come home, it was the next day and he was still drunk. We got into a massive fight. He said some things and I said some things. To be honest, he wasn't in the best state. I'm sure if he'd had a sober mind, he wouldn't have said what he did to me that night; but the fact is that he didn't. He said some really hurtful things. He told me he wished I was never a part of his life. So I decided to just leave. He'd told me that for years - I wish I never met you, I wish you weren't in my life, I wish I could just erase you. So I finally decided to give him what he wanted. So while he was passed out asleep, I packed up all my things and I left. I went to New York and finished my degree, stayed with my old college roommate for awhile until I found a job and my own place."

"And you never came back," Lizzie frowned.

"You're right," Casey dug her feet into the sand below her to stop the swing, "I didn't come back. It was too painful. There were reminders of Derek everywhere. It was one stupid fight, but it ended whatever it was we'd had for those past six years together. Everything we had had since graduating high school, getting together, all of that was just gone after one fight. And I wish...I wish I could take it back. Derek made a stupid mistake by going out and drinking and not telling me how late he'd be out. And he made a stupid mistake in saying such mean things to me. But it was a drunken fight, and I overreacted. If I had just waited and let him sleep it off and then talked to him, we may still be together. I don't know. Who does know! But we both messed up that night."

"Do you miss him," Lizzie asked, twisted the chains of the swing around as she spun in a circle.

"Every day," Casey couldn't look her sister in the eye, "But...I'm with Phillip now."

"Oh, the guy who arrived with you whom we haven't seen much of since?"

"He's just sick," Casey defended half-heartedly.

"You are Derek had been together since you went off to college," Lizzie frowned again, "It's just weird that you two aren't together."

"People change."

"Not you and Derek," Lizzie smiled wistfully, "You should have seen yourselves. It was like no time had passed. It was like you were Casey and Derek again!"

"It is nice," Casey couldn't help but agree, "You know, he still can give me butterflies! I can't believe that. He makes me feel all these things I swore to myself I'd never feel again. And I can't be feeling those things. I just can't."

"It might not be my place to say, but...maybe you should just let yourself."