Hiya guys! It was a quick update this time, huh? It's pretty long, too! Yep yep! Some of you I'm sure have been getting annoyed with the indecisiveness with Derek and Casey... I kept telling you to stick with me and hopefully you did cause I've got a feeling it's gonna pay off real soon... : P

Disclaimer: Don't own it, nope, nope!

Anyways, hope you enjoy chapter 11! Yaay!

Summer Heat
Chapter 11: Anger, Talks, and Home

CCC

The next morning I woke up angry. I had hardly slept the night before because I was thinking about the situation. With that thinking I realized I couldn't let Derek get away with it this time. I couldn't just avoid him and let him avoid me. I couldn't go on living in such confusion and instability. Well, I suppose it shouldn't really be confusing anymore. Derek made it quite clear the night before that he didn't like me. But somehow, in the way he did it, I saw more that just trickery; just trying to make me uncomfortable.

Anyway, what I decided was that I had to confront him about it. And I had to do it soon.

DDD

"Dereeeek, Dereeeek!"

I woke to the sight of Micah standing over me, calling my name.

"What the hell do you want?" I growled, staring daggers at him as if it would make him disappear.

"We're going to breakfast. You coming?" he asked, way too cheerfully.

"Is Casey going?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so," he said.

"Then no."

I turned over and closed my eyes again, leaving him to go about his disgustingly happy morning-person business.

CCC

I thought maybe I'd go out to eat with everyone this morning as I hadn't been going out much lately. When we got to the restaurant, we got a table and ordered, then started talking.

"Too bad Derek didn't come. We only have two days left; we should really have a meal with everyone together before we leave," Maureen suggested.

"Yeah, I don't know why he didn't come," Sam said.

"Probably just cause he isn't a morning person," I mused.

"Well, actually, when I asked him, the first thing he did was ask if you were going," Micah commented.

I paused for a second, nervous that he knew what was going on, but when he didn't continue I calmed down.

"Did something happen between you two?" Emily asked.

"Uh," I said suddenly, thinking on my feet, "Um, he's just mad because… I… refused to give him the couch for the second week."

"Oh," Emily said, smiling, "That's so like him."

"Yeah."

"Now that we're on that topic though, you two seem to be getting pretty close on this trip, don't you?" Emily said.

"Yeah," Chase continued, "Like how Derek looked for you when you were missing."

"Oh and how you ran to look for Derek when he went out drinking," Sam added.

"Um," I started nervously, "Yeah, we kind of, um, talked about things and yeah, um, yeah."

I knew I sounded like an idiot and totally suspicious, but what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, yeah, I actually fell madly in love with the kid over the vacation.' Um, no, don't think so. Thankfully, though, the food came and everybody forgot the topic of Derek and me.

DDD

When I woke up for the second time, I got up and ate whatever breakfast I could find in the cabinets (stale cereal and an apple). Then I changed into my swimsuit and headed out to the beach so I wouldn't be there when everyone got back.

After a while of swimming, I came out and just lay on the beach. After I while, I guess I fell asleep, because the next thing I knew I was being woken up for the second time that day. This time, however, it wasn't by Micah's voice.

"Derek! Derek!"

I opened my eyes to Casey standing over me, her brown eyes glowing with anger.

"Get up! You and I have to talk. Big time."

Damn it.

I sat up and she sat down across from me.

"What?" I asked her, looking into her eyes.

"You know very well 'what'," she said fiercely, "What the hell were you thinking doing what you did?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing the innocent card, though I knew it wouldn't work.

"Ugh, Derek! Stop with the stupid act! It's not funny and it's not cute!"

"Is it infuriating?"

"Yes!" she practically screamed.

"Good."

"Derek! You always have to turn everything into your own little joke! Just- just stop!"

She paused, looking down at the towel we were sitting on, then continued in a much calmer voice.

"Derek, you…"

I stood up suddenly and she stopped, looking up at me.

"I gotta go," I said, "See ya."

I turned and walked away. I couldn't do it. The only way I could hold back was to make jokes and act cruel and I didn't want to do that to Casey. My only other option was to not talk to her at all. Before I had left the beach, however, I felt her hand grab my arm.

"No," she said, "You can't walk away. You can't do this to me anymore."

She paused, waiting for me to say something. I pulled my arm out of her grip and, without even turning back to look at her, continued off of the beach.

CCC

He did it again. He just walked away. But I swear- next time I won't let him. I won't. I'll force him to tell me. And I think tonight might be the perfect chance. Other nights there was no problem since we were both avoiding each other, but tonight… tonight will be a different story.

CCC

When Derek came in, I was all ready for bed, sitting on the couch. He ignored me, just grabbing his own pajamas and leaving the living room to change. When he came back in, I couldn't help but admire his t-shirt-and-boxer-ed form. I soon snapped out of it, though, and just soon enough as he began to lift the blanket on the floor to get under it. I grabbed his hand and stopped him. He looked up at me with a 'what now?' look.

"I think you know what I want," I said.

He pulled his hand away from mine and continued getting under the blanket without saying a word. Once he was under it I just pulled it right off of him.

"Who's being immature now?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows, "Can I just go to sleep?"

"No," I ordered, "We need to talk."

"What's there to talk about? I thought we talked the other night. I said what I had to say."

"Yeah, but the way you did it didn't exactly agree with what you were saying, Derek."

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Casey, not now…"

"Then when, Derek?" I asked him, "If not now, it's gonna be never."

"That's what I was hoping…" he muttered, but stood up and sat next to me on the couch, "So, what is it?"

"Look, I… Well, things have been happening… weird things. And though I know you said you didn't like me, well…"

"Well what, Casey? I said I didn't like you, didn't I? Well, that's it."

"Derek!" I stood up and faced him, looming over him, "Can you stop it with this 'I don't care' attitude and just talk seriously for a second?"

He pushed himself off of the couch and stood to full height, now looming over me.

"I am being serious, Casey! And I was being serious the other night!"

I looked down, then lifted my head up and stared into his eyes.

"With your answer or your actions?"

He paused, obviously not expecting the question.

"I…"

Before I knew what I was doing, I moved towards him and my lips met his. I lifted my arms and wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers tense. After a moment, I felt his weight in the kiss and before long his hands met my waist.

"Derek…" I sighed, relaxing finally, leaning in against him.

"Mm…" he mumbled.

"Can I take this as a yes…?"

His arms wrapped tighter around my hips and I smiled against his lips as we both finally confessed.

CCC

I woke the next morning on the floor and for a moment wondered why I was there. Then I looked over to see Derek's sleeping form next to me. I smiled and leaned my head on his chest, taking comfort in his easy, rhythmic breathing. Then I heard something stir in the hallway and was frightened back to reality. I jumped up suddenly and looked down the hallway to see that nothing was there. Derek mumbled and opened his eyes, woken by my movement. He looked around and realized that the two of us had both been sleeping on the floor, then smiled.

"Regret it already?" he asked me, amused.

"Not a bit," I smiled back at him, "just… I didn't want anyone to see us like this."

He pushed himself up and sat, his arms supporting his laid back frame.

"Why not? You're not ashamed are you?" he mused.

I kneeled next to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Then I leaned in and kissed his lips softly.

"How could I not be ashamed of someone like you?"

He chuckled lightly at my attempt to get him back.

"Good one," he said, "But I'm afraid that's going to cost you!"

He grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, tickling my stomach until I was crying for mercy.

"Well," a voice interrupted us, "Looks like you two made up."

We both sat straight up and stared at Emily, who had just walked in.

"Um, no, not really," I said, feigning anger, "Derek here decided he was going to tickle me until I gave up the couch," I turned to him and sneered, "Which is, by the way, not going to happen."

"Oh," Emily didn't look convinced, but didn't pry either, "Well, anyway, I was just up and heard something in here, so I came to check it out. What time is it, anyway?"

She turned and wandered out of the room, looking for a clock to check. I turned back to Derek and he grinned.

"Nice save," he whispered.

I smirked.

Yeah, now I come up with the good lines.

DDD

The next two days flew by in a buzz of good spirits. Hanging out with friends with no worries; occasionally getting an alone moment to smooch with Casey. Before we knew it, the two weeks were done and it was time to go back home.

We had one last trip to the beach, then packed up all of our luggage and stuffed it all in the car. When everyone else was inside doing a once-over to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything, I leaned against the car and looked out at the beautiful vacation spot.

"Well condo, beach," I said, "Thanks for a wonderful trip. Started out rough, but in the end it was all worth it, wasn't it?"

The waves of the ocean roared in the slight distance and I heard the door to the condo slam. I smiled, taking one last long breath of fresh beach air, then turned and got into the driver's seat of the car.

"Hurry up guys!" I yelled, "We'll hit rush hour traffic if we don't leave soon!"

CCC

As we rolled up to the house after dropping everyone off, reality finally settled in. We were back home. Away from the vacation atmosphere, things seemed a lot more serious; almost scary. I gripped Derek's hand from the passenger's seat and looked over at him, giving him a meaningful look before opening my door. We stepped out and headed towards the front door.

"Well," I said hesitantly, "Here goes nothing."

Hope you liked it! I'm not sure if it was all that good, but oh well. I'm too lazy to change it anyway. : P review please - you know you wanna: 3