chapter ten
"no. i wont." Derek grinned maliciously and placed his hands on my narrow waist. i shift at the unwanted touch,but his grip just tightens holding me prisoner in his arms.
"stop...please. i- i-i-i.....stop." i couldn't get the words out. i couldn't tell him what had really happened. i couldn't say a damned word and he was eating it up.
"what are you?" i hissed, in frustration.
"apparently im your nightmare." he said softly into my ear.
"that's accurate. what about hayle? wasn't she your play toy?" he tensed, and emotion aside from lust flickered into his face.
"she was a mistake. i-i-i was so stupid to think she actually cared what happened to me.i thought you had abandoned me and i guess she was the rebound..." he sighed and kissed my forehead contently.
"why would you think i left you?" i asked, suddenly fearful of the answer.
"i saw you with Simon. i Heard you with him. i was so hurt i couldn't even be angry...until after wards..." fear slid down my spine.
"did you hurt him?" i whispered, panicked. his eyes narrowed at my concern.
"no really. i hit him. once..nope twice. lost a tooth. no biggie. he broke my nose so....." he said
"so how was the talk with Cassey?" he asked suddenly. i tensed.
"shit. it was horrible. i don't think she'll ever talk to me again. i really do regret it so does Simon." i leaned against him relaxing into his touch. i loved him. i could never hate him, we had betrayed each other, but it didn't matter. right now we were together and he loved me too.
"they'll make up. we did." he assured me.
"you forget that Cassey is the most stubborn twenty year old in history. i cant believe we met 21 years ago and our life is still so screwed up." he chuckled, but he sounded nervous.
his hands went to rest on my shoulders and i saw something in his eyes that i couldn't place.
"Derek?" i asked just as his hands clamped around my neck tightening so i couldn't breathe.
"you cant go unpunished." he stated and tightened his hands.
"NOOOOOOO!" i screamed jerking upward in pain and fear. my breathing was ragged and hoarse, warm hands touched my arms in a touch meant to be reassuring but i cringed away falling out of the tall bed with a thud.
"Chloe?! are you okay? what happened?" Derek's urgent voice said coming over to me on the floor, concern etched into is face.
"bad...bad-bad-bad dream-dream bad-dream bad bad bad dream." i stuttered, unable to fight threw the fear.
"Chloe!? honey listen its okay it was just a dream...." Derek promised trying to stand me up, but i pulled away from him scooting into the corner for my safety.
"Chloe? its me Derek...your husband....Chloe?" i nodded finally realizing i wasn't in danger anymore. i knew what had happened now. it had been 15 years since i had that kind of dream.
so much had happened...Simon missing,Cassey's depression, now this? when would we get a break.
"im sorry i just forgot..i guess." i said wrapping my arms around his waist, hoping he wasn't upset.
"im guessing that you had a bad dream?" he asked. i nodded, frowning.
"what time is it?" i asked the shakes finally leaving my body.
"four in the morning.....I was up anyway...Cassey was crying in her room. i wasn't in there long, she threw her text book at me." he chuckled sadly.
"she should go back to school. we don't know how long he..will be gone." i whispered.
"try telling her that." i sighed and stood up.
"hungry." i mumbled and ran out the door, Derek following close behind me.
the phone gave a shrill ring, i stared at it confused about who would be calling in the middle of the night.
i was about to ask Derek to answer it when Cassey dashed in the room and yanked it off the hook.
"Where are you?" she demanded as soon as it was at her ear.
relief flooded into her face and she smiled.
"when are you coming home. you just left-...what?" i straightened up when Cassey's voice broke at the end.
"you what?" she asked in a soft, agony filled voice.
"oh OK. bye." she hung up and and started walking back to her room slowly.
"who was it Cassey?" Derek asked.
"Simon. he said he had to get away. that he didn't know when he'd be back. he's in California. he said an old friend found him a place to stay and that he'd check in every once in a while." the sound of her voice was so dead and ...lifeless that i flinched. i knew only too well what she was feeling.
"Oh Cassey...I'm so sorry." she nodded distractedly, and went to her room and closed the door.
"shit." I said and copied the number down from the caller id. i was going to have a talk with Simon later. Hadnt he promised me he wouldnt hurt her? Derek sat clueless, his arms wrapped protectively around me while i worried over Cassey. i had my happy ever after, but what about Cassey?