Finally another chapter up. Thank god it´s Friday! =)

Hope you like it!

Casey was close to panic.

"Where is it?" she had already searched in her room and in the bathroom.

Now she was hurrying through the living room trying to find her ring.

It´s not possible I lost it! She got down on her knees to maybe find it under the couch.

"Casey, it´s nearly 9.40 am and what the heck are you doing there?" Derek asked and his step-sister got up from the floor. "Nothing." she answered innocently.

Maybe I already lost it at Smelly Nelly´s…I need to check that later on!

It´s not like she did it on purpose. The ring was just a bit too large for her and it didn´t really fit right.

"Casey, let´s go!"

The sun was shining bright and made the water sparkle. They had at least 90 F and the atmosphere was definitely better than yesterday. Everyone was laughing and having fun.

"Casey?" Max suddenly asked. "Yeah?" she turned to him. "Where´s my ring?"

Oh no! she froze.

"I…I left it at home because I didn´t wanted to risk losing it!"

Great lie Casey, you already lost it!

"You´re right. My totally smart girlfriend!" he smiled and Casey tried to smile back.

They spent some time in the pool and now they were at the waterslide.

"Oh Casey this is really cool!" Emily said as they reached the top. "They have a stopwatch down there that shows you how long it took you!" she smiled at her best friend. "We decided to do a contest. Always two people together."

That´s quite a nice idea! Casey thought. "So it´s you and me?" she asked but Emily put on an apologizing look. "We always do a boy and a girl together, otherwise it would be unfair." Casey shrugged her shoulders. "Then I´ll do it with Max."

Again an apologizing look.

"What?"

"Max is down there. He writes down the results ´cause the winners gets ice cream for free!" Casey sighed.

"And with who am I going to do it then?" she asked.

"I guess that would be me." Someone said and Casey turned around.

"Derek?!"

Ugh. Not Derek! That meant he needed to touch her!

Is it really that bad when he touches me? Definitely yes! But she didn´t wanted to ruin the atmosphere and the fun. "Sure." So Casey forced a smile.

I think I got pretty good at this since I´m doing it so often lately…

Then it was their turn.

Casey sat down and so did Derek behind her.

"Derek, you need to touch her or this is not going to work! It´s not like she´s toxic or something!" Emily said because of the distance Derek had brought between him and Casey.

"Y…yeah sure." He put his hands forward and folded them in front of her stomach.

His soft touch sent shivers up and down her spine.

Hell Casey! She closed her eyes to concentrate but this made it even worse. She felt his touch more intense.

Casey opened her eyes again quickly. "Ready?" he asked expecting an answer but Casey was just able to nod.

The light turned green and they started.

This waterslide was a special one. It had many curves and there was also a part where everything was totally dark and then some lights appeared which made it look like there were stars everywhere.

This ride was a bit too much for Casey. All the curves, especially in the dark part, well they didn´t really scared her but she didn´t liked them very much either.

In the next curve she couldn´t help but grabbing for Derek´s hands which were still folded in front of her stomach.

I´m so glad he can´t see me! Casey thought.

She was pretty sure her face looked very similar to her red bikini right now.

"Casey, I…" suddenly everything turned bright again, the ride was over.

"21 seconds Casey! Wow that´s fast, you´re the best so far!" Max gave her a big smile.

But Casey wasn´t paying attention. What did Derek want to say?

She didn´t get an answer, not even when both of them were lying on their towels beside the pool. Everyone else was in the water.

I´m so not going to ask him! Casey thought.

"What were you searching for this morning?" Derek suddenly asked. She looked at him, surprised. "My ring." Casey answered without really thinking. Oh Casey, can´t you just shut up for once? He´s sure not interested in it!

"Ring? You got one from Max?" she nodded. It was too late anyway. "Yeah but he was a bit too large and now…I guess I lost it." he kept quiet for a moment.

"Is it a silver one with three diamonds?" Casey straightened up. "Yes!" she said, looking at Derek. "Then I have it. I found it down the stairs yesterday when I went to bed, but I thought it was Nora´s so I put it on her bedside table." Her face lighted up and she reached out forward to hug Derek.

He was too surprised to react. She´s really happy that I found that ring…

Just a few seconds later Casey realized what she was doing.

She backed off and looked into another direction. Embarrassing situation…just keep cool. Or something like that.

"Thanks. Derek." Very cool Casey, really!

What was the matter with her? It was hard to explain something you could not even define.

"Yeah, no problem." He answered. Silence.

"Derek? What did you wanted to say to me at the waterslide?"

Are you crazy?

"Well…" he wasn´t sure whether to tell her or not.

"Ice cream!" suddenly someone said and both of them turned around.

Emily sat down next to them and handed them their prize for winning the contest.

As if they had arranged it before, Derek and Casey both put on a fake smile.

At 2 pm they all left the outdoor pool. Casey was going with Emily because Derek said he had to do something so he couldn´t take her.

"It´s not like it is his car! He could have at least asked me!" she told Emily. Her best friend just shrugged her shoulders. "Let it go Casey. Have you anything planned for the rest of the day?" she nodded. "Yeah Max is coming over tonight. I guess we just hang out."

"Well that´s a good thing, right?"

Sure it was, and Derek had found the ring…So there´s nothing I have to worry about.

Casey had entered the house and was now sitting on her parents' bed, watching the ring lying on the bedside table.

"Take it, it´s yours!" She said to herself but just kept staring at it.

I don´t wanna take it… But why not?

I´m scared of losing it again! Oh please, don´t try to fool yourself!

I´m not fooling myself, It´s the truth! No it´s not and you know it!

"But what is the truth?"

That was the question…

Derek was home now too and sat down on the couch.

He took out the little box in which he had the ring for Sally.

"I just hope she likes it…" he opened it and took out the silver jewelry which looked really beautiful.

The engraving fit perfectly with it.

Derek & Casey.

Derek and CASEY? "What the heck is that?" Derek looked at the engraving again but it was still the same.

Casey. Not Sally. Casey. Why was the name of her step-sister engraved in the ring he had bought for his girlfriend? He searched for the piece of paper the jeweler had given him.

To engrave:

Derek & Casey

It was right. He had really written this down yesterday.

"Derek, you´re home?" he turned around and saw Casey coming up the stairs from the basement.

"S…sure." He managed to say. As quick as possible he hid the ring behind his back.

She got closer.

"Listen Derek, I guess I just have to….well I need to or I…" Casey wasn´t even able to say one complete sentence.

"Yeah?" she was now so close that he could smell her perfume and look right into her beautiful eyes.

Casey couldn´t explain the feelings that she had. It felt like a million butterflies in her stomach that just waited to come out. Looking into his brown eyes just made her stutter even more.

"I…I can´t ex…explain it."

Derek knew exactly what this feeling was about. But he didn´t wanted to believe it.

No, this can´t be true! I´m not falling for my step-sister!

No Derek, you aren´t falling for her right now. You already did.

"Case…listen." He stroked her cheek with his hand.

Why is he doing this and why does it feel so right?

She had, once again, no idea.

Her heart beat faster and the butterflies were still there.

"W…what?" she asked.

"I…I can´t do this!" then he gave her a kiss on the forehead, turned around and stormed out of the house.

Leaning against the door, Derek put his hand in front of his mouth. His breath was going heavy.

It´s the right thing! He thought. I love Sally!

But when it was right, why did it hurt so much?

Casey was shaking and just made it towards the couch before her legs weren´t able to keep her up anymore.

Her eyes filled with tears.

This is absolutely insane Casey!

She grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

What now?

So, what do you think? I have two more chapters til the end, so be excited! =)
And review please!