Author's Note: So have a I mentioned that I love you guys? Seriously, there are over 200 reviews for this story, do you know how amazing that is? I'm overwhelmed by the response this story has gotten, and I love you all for it.

This is the second half of dinner, Casey's half. I really hope its not confusing, I feel like some parts might be, but Casey is really confusing herself now. All that denial makes it hard to think clearly :-P, so I hope it flows ok. Enjoy!

Oh, and thank you to everyone who said they hoped i felt better soon. I am feeling better today, and the high has gone up to like 15 :-)

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Very sad. Maybe if I click my heels together three times….
Casey hated her instantly; one look at the impossibly well groomed Vanessa, standing in the spotless apartment she shared with Derek had been all it took. She didn't want to hate her, but she couldn't help it. Casey hated how the dinner was perfectly prepared, she hated how Vanessa's eyebrows arched at Lizzie and Edwin's story, and she hated the questions she'd asked. She hated the hand Vanessa rested on Derek's shoulder, and the way she talked easily to George and Gretchen. Casey's stomach lurched remembering Vanessa's attempt at apologizing for leaving her mother out of the announcement, if Lizzie hadn't been standing there, Casey might have made a really scathing comment, but she refrained. She didn't think it was wise to make her instant hatred obvious.

Desert had finished, and Casey was sitting sipping her wine slowly and watching Gretchen, Marti and Vanessa have a conversation. Marti had some days off school the next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Gretchen thought it would be a "wonderful idea" if Marti stayed with Derek and Vanessa for one of those nights. Vanessa thought it would be "delightful" to have Marti stay, after all she and Derek had such a "close bond". Marti smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow at Casey.

Casey thought she was going to be ill. She didn't think she could stand this night much longer. Maybe it had been a mistake to come. She hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to Derek. She stood up and made her way towards the stairs to splash some water on her face in the bathroom. She had made it to the bottom of the stairs when Derek stopped her.

"Hey." He said simply, grabbing onto her elbow.

"Hi," she said, hating herself for feeling so nervous.

"Having fun?" he asked

"Of course," she said, smiling faintly. There was an awkward pause for a minute, then Derek sighed and looking apprehensive asked,

"So, how mad were you when you saw the announcement?"

'Furious," She admitted.

"Yeah I thought so, I did want her included you know I-" he began.

"I was furious, but then I thought that overall, you have greater reason to be furious with me," Casey said, cutting him off, grateful no one was in earshot.

"Casey, you don't have to-" He began, but she cut him off again.

"No, it's just that you had every right to answer my note with an angry reminder that our not talking is mostly my fault, or to ignore it completely and you didn't, so that calmed my anger." She said.

"You have every right to be mad about your mom being left out." He said

"I know, but you didn't have to invite me to dinner, that surprised me, it was so nice and I-" she said

"Yeah, and once your were here Vanessa brought it up, and you were so polite about it, that surprised me." He said, cutting her off this time.

"Well it was the least I could do, I mean you inviting me was such a good gesture and I really-" She started, and he groaned, "what?" she asked, confused.

"Will you just shut up and let me apologize?" he asked.

"No! I'm trying to apologize to you, and thank you for inviting me," she said stubbornly.

"You've thanked me like four times already, you're welcome, and I am trying to apologize for something that happened a lot more recently, and thank you for being so understanding about it." He said.

"You've thanked me like four times already, you're welcome," she mocked throwing his words back at him, "And I am trying to apologize for something more damaging, and thank you for doing something healing." she said.

"Why can't you just accept my apology like a normal person?" he asked.

"The same reason you can't accept mine?" she said. At that he started to laugh.

"We're fighting" he said, between laughs, "about who has more of a right to be angry at who, who should be more grateful to who, this could only happen with us," he finished.

"Whom." she said now laughing with him.

"What?" he asked, still laughing.

"You said who, it should be whom." she said, laughing, "but you're right, only you and I could fight while apologizing."

"Some things never change," he said, laughing even harder now.

"I guess not." She said. Then they both stopped laughing, their eyes met, and for a long moment they just stared at each other. Casey had forgotten what it felt like to stare into his eyes, how it made her feel like never moving again and how he seemed to see right through her. She had forgotten how quickly he could make her angry, and how hard he could made her laugh.

"Casey I-" He began, running a hand through his hair and breaking the moment. She cut him off again.

"You know I was just about to go use your bathroom, I'm going to head up now, I'll be back in a few minutes." she said speaking so fast her words ran together. Then, with out waiting for him to respond she turned and dashed up the stairs.

She ran into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror for a long minute. Her head was spinning. What was wrong with her? She had to pull herself together, she had a boyfriend and Derek was engaged. This was ridiculous. She splashed water on her face and then reached into her pocket and fished out her lipstick. She finished fixing it and sighed, leaving the bathroom. She was about to go back downstairs when she heard a giggle coming from a room at the end of the hall. Curious, she crept down the hall and peeked in through the slightly open door. Casey had to keep herself from gasping aloud at what she saw.

Lizzie and Edwin were in the den style room. They were leaning against a wall; Edwin had his arms around Lizzie, and was running kisses down her neck. She had her hands around his neck, and she giggled in feeble protest.

"Edwin! Someone could come up and find us! We'll get caught!" She said. Casey knew she shouldn't watch them, but she was fascinated.

"Let them find us." he said, moving up to kiss her lips. She smiled

"That would be cheating, it would ruin our whole bet," she said, running a hand through his hair.

"You're just nervous that after tonight I'm going to win," he said, kissing her again.

"Please. I know my sister. She'll break up with Lucas any day now. Tonight did go really well though," Lizzie said, returning his kiss.

"Did you see Vanessa's reaction?" Edwin asked, grinning, "Priceless," he said, playing with a strand of her hair.

"She has her suspicions now I'm sure but she won't break up with Derek," Lizzie said.

"Of course not," Edwin said, "She'll confront him, and then he'll realize he still loves Casey and break up with her, thus I'm going to win." he grinned.

"Everything is so simple in your world isn't it?" Lizzie asked teasingly, "She's not just going to confront him, women don't work like that." she shook her head, "no, Casey is going to leave here tonight and realize that she still loves Derek, and break up with Lucas, thus I'm going to win," Lizzie finished.

"You wish," Edwin said.

"I know," Lizzie countered. The kissed again, longer this time, and when they broke apart Edwin grinned,

"So when I win, and we surprise them all with the news, should we tell them individually or all together?" he said.

"You mean when I win and we break it to them slowly?" Lizzie asked playfully, "All together I think, this is kind of a big deal." He leaned into to kiss her again, and Casey turned away, shocked. Lizzie and Edwin were together. Not only that, but they had known about her and Derek all along, and had some sort of bet going about them. They had told that story at dinner on purpose, and now they were making out in the den, and plotting her and Derek's break-ups from their respective significant others.

Her head spun again. This night had been too much. She had to get out, she had to go home. She ran down the stairs. Shouting a quick goodbye and an excuse about a sudden headache to Marti, George, Gretchen, Derek and Vanessa, she threw on her coat and ran out the door before anyone could question her. She ran down the drive way to her car, still thinking about the conversation she'd overheard between Lizzie and Edwin. She didn't still love Derek, she thought angrily, just because she hated Vanessa did not mean she loved Derek. That was ridiculous, she told herself it was a just natural reaction to seeing your ex's new girlfriend. It meant nothing. Besides, Derek clearly didn't still love her. He was engaged.

She reached her car and put her hand in her purse to get her keys, pausing when she came across a small sheet of paper. Her hand froze and her breath hitched as she felt the small square with the sticky strip across the back. With shaking hands she pulled the post-it from her purse. She decided she had better sit down before reading it, she wasn't sure she could handle whatever it said if she was standing outside in the cold. She opened her car, and sat down, closing the door and taking a deep breath before turning the note over. There in Derek's familiar handwriting, were five words that shook her so much she thought she might pass out.

"I've really missed you Casey."

End Chapter. I finally let the Lizwin go from implied to real. It only took ten chapters :-P I hope you guys liked it.