So I've been super busy with work lately. As excited as I was to get this chapter out earlier, I didn't have it in me after working 13 hour shifts. It was terrible. I think life has gone back to normal now, though!

Liz, Tori and Simon walked ahead of us happily chatting away, the two girls with linked arms and Simon beside them. Derek and I dropped back, feeling a little less enthused than the trio ahead. I had only ever been to a bar once before and it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience for me - I was more of a 'stay home and write movie scripts' kind of gal.

"You know, if we just turned around and headed back they'd never notice." Derek grumbled. "They're in their own little bubble." He was making it very clear that the bar was the last place he wanted to be on a Saturday night, but it wasn't like we were given much of a choice by the others.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad..." I trailed off as I pulled my jacket in closer, blocking out the cold that nipped at my skin.

"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than you're trying to convince me." He said, sounding amused.

"Do you think if I do a few shots of tequila the night will be more tolerable?" I joked.

"Go for it. Just know that I won't be carrying you home."

"Taxis exist for a reason." I teased before skipping ahead and linking my arm in Liz's, leaving Derek a few feet behind.

The bar was dark with minimal lighting and the heavy smell of cigarette smoke lingered, burning my nostrils. It was a little more hipster than what I anticipated and was buzzing with tipsy adults having their drunken fun. The mix of loud music and chatter made it hard for us to hear each other as we searched for a place to sit. Liz spotted a group of four people leaving a booth and quickly ushered us over to it where we took our seats; Liz, Tori and myself on one side and the boys on the other. We each ordered our drinks before Liz spotted the pool table and made us promise that we'd play a game later.

After a couple of beers on my end I was sufficiently buzzed - not what I intended to do. Being five foot nothing and weighing a hundred pounds at my heaviest, alcohol was definitely not something I could go overboard on so I began to order lemonade instead. I had just handed my cash to the bartender, telling her to keep the change, when I felt eyes burn into my back. An uneasy feeling brewed in the pit of my stomach and I turned around, finding the source of my discomfort. A familiar pair of feverish eyes met my own, deep blue and predatory.

Liam.

I squashed the feeling and narrowed my eyes in a glare. He simply nodded but the presence of his smirk told me that it wasn't a friendly nod. I could have thrown up right then and there with the way he was staring at me, the look of hunger twinkling in his eyes.

Derek joined me up at the bar while I waited for my drink, flagging down the bartender to order his own.

"You okay?" He asked, sensing my discomfort as I shifted.

"Y-yeah." I glanced over towards Liam where he continued to stare.

His eyes followed mine, finally landing on the tall blonde man who I had the displeasure of having known as my ex. Something like a growl rumbled deep in his chest and he stepped in front of me, shielding me from Liam's gaze. "Do you want to go?" He asked.

"N-no. We're not leaving because of that loser." I stated firmly. Liam had already controlled me for enough of my life, there was no way that I'd let him intimidate me out of a public place. My lemonade appeared on the counter and I made a grab for it before heading back to the tables. Derek gently took my arm in his hand before I went too far and leaned down to my ear, the smell of his aftershave filling my nostrils with his close proximity - he smelled like pine, a refreshing break from the cigarette scent.

"If he gives you any trouble, you let me know." He told me. I nodded, feeling a sense of flattery that Derek seemed to care.

I joined the others back at the table and Derek followed soon after with another beer in hand. We chatted away until Liz noticed one of the pool tables had freed up and excitedly jumped up, pulling on Tori's arm towards it. Simon followed suit and looked back at us expectantly.

"You go." Derek said. "I'll keep dibs on the booth."

I looked at him with a pang of guilt forming in my stomach. It didn't seem fair to leave him on his own in the middle of a crowded bar. However, something in his eyes told me that it really didn't bother him. I'd probably be back in no time anyway. I was rubbish at pool.

The others led the way and we decided on teams. It ended up as Tori and Liz versus Simon and myself.

"Sorry in advance." I warned him. "I have the hand-eye coordination of a duck."

"It's okay, I'll pick up your fails." He beamed.

I jabbed him with the cue playfully and we began. Maybe I was wrong in thinking I was bad at pool, or maybe Liz and Tori were too drunk to keep up because Simon and I ended up winning - mostly due to me.

"I can't believe this." Tori whined, making it crystal clear that she wasn't a graceful loser. Liz tried to perk her up out of her funk while Simon teased her and I giggled, probably not at all helping the situation. The girls eventually headed back over to the table after Tori finally, but begrudgingly, muttered a "Well done" to me, leaving me with Simon.

"Not sure where you picked up your skills, Saunders, but you're pretty good." He grinned. "I'm glad we were on the same team, if I lost with Tori I wouldn't hear the end of it."

I grinned back at him, wondering if mine was as infectious as his own. He chalked the pool cue and hung it back up on the rack, making it obvious he was done for the night and moved back to the table. I followed suit but instead of sitting back down asked Derek if he wanted a game. He looked across the table at the others and quickly nodded, almost too eagerly.

"They all seem to be getting along well." I mentioned as I broke the neatly arranged triangle of balls, a red one rolling into one of the holes.

"Simon's just using his typical charm. Showing off." He said as he watched.

"Showing off to Liz? You think he likes her?"

"No, showing off to you."

I sputtered as I tapped the white ball with the cue, sending it into a blue one that this time missed the hole. "Why would he show off to me?"

"I thought-" Derek stopped himself. "You know what, never mind." He said as he took his turn, rolling two of the balls clean into one of the holes. My thoughts of Simon diminished as he took his next shot, this time missing.

I celebrated as I took my own, bending down over the table to line the cue up with a green ball. It was an easy straight shot, but as I pulled my arm back to shoot I felt a cold hand touch my hip where my shirt twisted up and exposed my skin. I jumped, causing the white ball to fly towards the green one but missed, instead bouncing off the sides of the table. With the mysterious hand still on my hip, I spun around ready to give Derek an earful for distracting me but I was instead met with the twinkling deep blue eyes that brought up the same uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach from before.

"Gross." I muttered as I swatted his hand away forcefully, a lump rising in my throat.

"What are you doing here with him, Chlo?" Liam asked. The way my name rolled off his tongue left the acidic taste of disgust in my mouth.

"Finger painting. Now fuck off." Derek interjected, gently pulling me aside and out of my ex's reach. His hand rested on the small of my back, his touch gentle and comforting. Nothing like Liam's cold and unwelcome touch.

"I knew it." Liam snarled. "You'd jump straight onto tall dark and gruesome here once you moved in."

"Last I remember, fidelity didn't mean all that much to you anyway." I spat at him, using as much venom in my voice as I could muster. Liam was a hard person to stand up to. He knew exactly how to push your buttons and make you feel worthless enough that you had to beg for forgiveness even when you did nothing wrong - a master manipulator. That was what he was doing.

He swallowed his words as Derek stepped between us. "You should go."

Derek had at least half a head of height on Liam and a much more intimidating glare. I had never been more thankful for Derek. They squared up, Liam hurling insults at Derek and Derek taking it with a smirk plastered on his face. I knew that the smirk was fueling his rage, and I think he knew that too which amused me to no end.

Liam shoved Derek with both hands, causing him to stumble back against me. He caught himself just in time and straightened himself, probably thankful that he was going easy on the booze. I tugged at his jacket, begging him to let it go and come back over to the table with our friends. Simon, Liz and Tori turned their heads towards us, finally being clued in to what was going on. Simon stood from his seat, ready to come over but I held a hand up to him as if to say it was taken care of. I wasn't so sure of that, though.

"Got a few of them at your beck and call, huh Chlo? That's a surprise; most guys wouldn't even give you a second glance when we were together. These guys must feel sorry for ya."

"Leave. Now." Derek demanded, his voice bordering on threatening. "And you won't so much as look at Chloe from now on. Got it?"

There was a look that flashed in Liam's eyes, one that made me think he was second guessing himself, until a smirk of his own spread across his face. "We'll see about that, buddy." He shouldered past us, giving me one last look of hunger before disappearing into the crowd.

Derek placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me back to the table. I tried to keep myself from shaking but I knew that Derek could feel it.

"Should we get going?" Simon asked, slurring his words. Noticing that Tori and Liz were also way passed their buzzed stage, I nodded my head.

It was Derek's idea to put the other three in the cab when he noticed that the girls were stumbling around like mad and Simon wasn't much better either. He was intent on having me go with them, but I stayed behind to walk with him. The walk wasn't long, but it was cold and I needed the fresh air.

"I'm sorry." I broke the silence.

He stared at me, confused. "What for?"

"Liam."

A scoff. "You're not responsible for that idiot."

"But if I had just left when he first saw me-"

Derek held up a hand to silence me. "You shouldn't have to leave a public place because your ex is a-"

"Raging asshole? I know, but we just could have avoided the whole situation." I said as I hugged my jacket closer, grasping for warmth.

We walked in silence back to the apartment where we were met with even more silence. Derek and I weren't even sure if the others made it back until we heard a loud snore erupt from his bedroom.

"Simon." He pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing he had nowhere to sleep.

I checked my own bedroom, cracking the door open as quietly as possible. Sure enough Liz and Tori were fast asleep on my bed, sprawled out across the blankets. I closed the door behind me and pursed my lips, realizing that I was in the same dilemma as Derek.

"I'll take the floor." He said as he walked over to the linen closet, throwing a spare blanket and a pillow at me. "You take the couch. I'm not ballsy enough to go in and wake Simon and I don't doubt it's the same for you and Tori."

After chewing on my lip and debating whether or not I wanted to risk it I settled down on the couch with the scratchy blanket and Derek next to me on the floor. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable but the couch just wasn't the same as the comforting warmth of my own bed.

"Go to sleep." He grunted in a hushed tone, causing me to startle.

"Isn't it funny that we're the ones who live here yet we've both been kicked out of our bedrooms?" I complained.

"Hilarious." He replied sarcastically, but I sensed a trace of humor in his voice.

Before tonight I had never felt so protected by anybody. Sure, Liam was protective but it wasn't for my benefit. Controlling was a better word for it. I missed out on seeing friends, family, anywhere another man might be because he was 'protecting' me. With Derek it was different. His was a genuine effort to keep me safe from a guy I wasted four years of my life with.

"I know I said I was sorry about earlier but-"

"You don't need to apologize again."

"-but, I didn't say thank you." I finished.

"You also don't need to thank me."

"I do."

"It was nothing. I was doing what any decent person would do."

"But-"

"Goodnight, Chloe." He said, making it clear that he was closing the conversation.

"Goodnight, Derek."

I was so thrilled with how many reviews I got in the last chapter. I'm so happy you guys are enjoying it! Please leave some reviews, I love them! xxx