Chapter 7: Not Supposed to Notice
Addison, heading over to her stack of files and laptop once again, stops at the funny face Derek is making. He doesn't even seem to notice her staring at him.
"Derek is something wrong?"
He still doesn't notice her. Addison waves her hand slightly in front of his face. She looks to where his eyes are directed, not realizing just minutes ago that is where she had been standing.
"Honey..."Addison touches his shoulder lightly and he jumps a little.
"Derek, are you alright?"
Addison watches him stand over by some charts absently gazing at them, and then leaning on the side of the wall to stare at her. She walks over to him. What is wrong with him? Only minutes ago he was...he was acting like the Derek I met a long time ago.
"Derek, come on, what is it?"
"I thought we were doing the friends thing, don't you want to be buddies?"
Her teasing tone did nothing to sway his silent stare. When Derek finally spoke, he only made her feel more confused.
"You don't like him the same way he likes you."
"What?"
Addison was stunned by the words that came out of his mouth.
"Your head, you turned it to the side so he couldn't kiss you."
"Derek, what are you talking about," she wouldn't admit to turning her head away, it was none of his business.
"Addison, you didn't let him kiss you."
"How would you know? That is none of your business."
"Addie..."
She was angry now, he had no right.
"No Derek, don't do this. I already know what you're about to say."
"I thought you wanted to try the friends-thing."
"So did I," she says her tone gave away no emotion.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Weren't you the one who told me about the lovely new girl you've been dating? You're not supposed to notice the way I let people kiss me."
"Isn't it part of a friend's job to make sure their said friend knows what he or she is feeling? Am I not allowed to worry when it is a matter of protecting you from hurting yourself or someone else."
"That is the thing. You're not supposed to think about the way I feel about another person, Derek. "
"Addison, I'm not doing anything wrong."
"In the past two years you never noticed me this way, you didn't notice Mark and I, you didn't notice the people who try to flirt with me in New York when they knew things had gone bad between us, you didn't notice."
Derek eyes shined a little at the announcement that there had been others who had hit on Addison, and yet he was once again silent. At least say something!
"Why are you so tired this morning?"
"Derek, don't dodge the conversation."
"I'm just trying to be a friend."
"No, you're not. You can't even tell me the truth. Answer one question. If you had not seen me in the locker room last week would you have even bothered to come find me, say hi, anything?"
She looked at him intensely, her eyes searching his face. Of course he wouldn't. He never gave me a second thought after I left. He shifted uncomfortably under Addison's gaze, ignoring Addison's question.
"You and I both know that if you were to have ever spoken to me again it would have been professionally or if I had approached you."
Addison paused; hoping he would at least try to disagree, fight for whatever feeling she thought he might have left for her...nothing.
"Derek, I don't think I can be friends with you. Sharing any type of relationship with you is just too difficult."
A/N: I wanted to leave you hanging for a little bit, add some suspense ;) So, the next chapter is part 2. Give me some feedback & Review!
