I hate writers block! There was a few days where I couldn't get to a computer and when I was finally able to sit down nothing came to mind. I hope I didn't screw this chapter up.
CASEY
It was the day before Christmas Eve and Edwin had been acting strange, at first he seemed to distance himself when Derek arrived but after Derek had dragged him out of the house something was different. He told her more jokes and was always touching her in some way.
After dinner the kids had decided to play a game at the table, there needed to be teams; George, Nora and Marti on one, Derek and Lizzie on the other, and Edwin and Casey.
Casey was about to pick Derek for her partner when Edwin piped up and said that because it was a game of knowledge the smartest people should team up, naturally.
With every right answer Edwin would clamp his hand on her shoulder or rub her back. Casey would shoot Derek apologetic looks. Derek pretended not to notice, but Casey would see him clench his fists anytime Edwin so much as grazed her arm.
Casey will be the first to admit that the last few months had been very confusing for her, she had pushed Derek away when they needed each other the most and was for some reason letting Edwin be the one to comfort her. She sort of latched on to him.
She by no means had she any feelings for Edwin, it was nice to be around someone who cared, and honestly, she would be lying if she didn't enjoy the attention.
She knew she wasn't being fair to Edwin, hanging out in his room late at night, letting him hold her while they watched a movie or talked. But at the time she felt like if she wouldn't allow herself to have Derek then she would settle for Edwin.
Edwin had been there and didn't push her to feel better, he was simply Ed. He would let her talk, cry and be there with a joke if she got too sad, she needed him in some small way.
She was constantly worried about what Derek would think if he ever found out- She knew she didn't have feelings for Edwin, she mostly thought of him as a brother- She knew he would be angry that Casey had pushed him away and then let his brother take care of her. She wished that she could go back and slap herself for making him leave.
"Yes!" Edwin hollered pulling Casey back to the present, he had answered something correctly and won the game. Casey tried to smile but she was sure it looked more like a grimace, Edwin was bouncing in his seat and reached over and put his hand on her knee. Casey's eyes shot over to Edwin and then to Derek.
If looks could kill Edwin would be a mutilated piece of meat on the floor, Casey stood up quickly and excused herself from the table. She ran out the front door and sat on the porch, gulping in the cold December air. The door opened and Derek came out with her jacket.
"Want to go for a walk?" He asked helping her on with her coat. Casey nodded her head and they walked silently down the road.
"Derek," Casey started but her voice shook, Derek grabbed her hand and waited for her to continue.
Casey stopped walking, Derek turned to face Casey. Her cheeks were burning red and she looked on the verge of tears.
"I haven't been fair to either of you," Casey said looking away from him. "I made you leave and then I let someone else in when it should have been you."
"Why did it have to Ed, Casey?" He asked, the pain evident in his voice.
"It's not like that Derek; I thought you hated me, so I pushed you away. I lost the baby and I thought I had lost you too." She uttered. "I had started talking to Edwin one night and it was like you were there, I pretended you were there. It hurt so much to see that it was Edwin in front of me and not you, and part of me was angry that you left. I know I told you to leave but what I really needed was for you to stay and fight with me." Casey was rambling, she shook her head violently to call her mind.
"I needed you, but I told you to leave; and you did. And I was angry." Derek's face softened he reached out and wiped a tear off her cheek, Casey leaned in to his touch.
"I knew Edwin was starting to feel things for me but I couldn't let him go. He has become so much like you it was easy to forget that he was Edwin. I have been selfish with his feelings and I am so sorry. Derek, please believe me, I do not have feelings for Edwin, and I never have." Casey whimpered.
Derek stood there for a moment and then brought her into a hug. "I'm sorry too, I know I should have stayed, but I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving. I'm sorry that you have been feeling guilty about being around Edwin. It should have been me."
"Derek?" Casey asked her face still buried in his jacket.
"Hmm?"
"Do you still love me?" Casey muttered. It was a simple question but it made Derek's heart break.
He squeezed her tighter, "Absolutely," Casey brought herself out of his jacket and reached up and kissed him.
"I love you," she whispered against his lips.
DEREK
After Edwin had told Derek that he had feelings for Casey and he wasn't going to back down he began to watch Edwin intently whenever Casey was in the room. He knew that Casey had been in a weird place after he left and he hopped that whatever this thing Edwin was doing was one sided.
He was comforted by the looks she would give him whenever Edwin got too close, and those talks that Marti told him about seemed to have stopped.
But Edwin was not very subtle, how their parents didn't notice what was going on in front of them was beyond Derek. Edwin had to touch her all the time. It made Derek want to bash him over the head with a chair, Derek had never really wanted to hurt Edwin. Until whatever this was started.
And until Casey had told him was what going on he realized just how tense he had become. When Casey told him that she didn't like Edwin and in fact by some miracle still loved him he felt like he could breathe again.
Derek told her that she needed to talk to Edwin and explain things. It was best that Edwin got the hint now and backed off.
When Edwin came down the stairs after Casey looking like she had just ran over his dog he knew Casey had talked to him. Casey gave Derek a soft smile and went into the kitchen, Derek was about to follow her when Edwin grabbed his arm.
"Look, I know this is messed up. But I just want you to know if you do anything to hurt her or screw this up, I will hurt you." Edwin said looking at Derek sternly. Derek could only nod his head, Edwin deflated and let go of his brother's arm.
"I know Ed," Derek said putting his hand on his shoulder. Edwin really did love Casey, he didn't have to say it. He knew.
"And if you break her heart, I promise to wait a respectful amount of time before I move in on her." Edwin said with a pained smiled.
When Christmas morning rolled around Derek realized that he hadn't gotten anyone presents. He was so focused on coming home to Casey and then watching Edwin that he completely forgot to buy anything.
He sat on his bed wracking his brain for what to do, he and Casey just got back together he couldn't not get her something. He got up and began to frantically search his drawers, there had to be something he could give her. He pulled his desk drawer open and heard a clank when something from the back flew forward, He took a moment to look at the small black box that he had thrown in here so long ago.
He sat in his chair and put the box on the desk, He stared at it until Marti grew impatient and started banging on his door that it was time to open presents. He gingerly picked up the small box and put it in his pocket.
Everyone was down stairs and waiting for him to start. Marti had already divided the presents into piles and as soon as she seen him coming down the stairs she began to tear into a package.
He watched his family open all of their gifts, he had gotten a few things but what he planned on having at the end of the day was more important than some signed hockey jersey.
Casey was enjoying herself, she didn't even notice that Derek hadn't gotten her anything. Opening her last gift she sat back and watched the rest of the family, Marti was chasing Lizzie with a fake snake. Edwin sat brooding in the corner writing in a notebook.
Derek took a deep breath and kissed Casey, surprised she smiled at him. Shaking nervously Derek knelt in front of her and pulled out the box. Casey's eyes went between the small box in Derek's hand and his face, realization dawned on her face and she started to cry.
The rest of the family had seen what was going on and grew quiet and watched.
Derek let out a shaky breath and took Casey's left hand. "Casey, I know things started out weirdly with us. I was mean to you and pranked you without mercy, I was a scared 15 year old kid who thought happiness meant dating a lot of girls. And then you showed up and challenged all of that, I knew as soon as you stepped foot in this house that everything I thought was right was wrong." Derek kissed her hand.
"Casey, I don't want to spend another day without knowing I'll have you for the rest of my life, will you marry me?"
Casey leapt at him and knocked him to the ground and began kissing him all over his face. "Yes, yes, yes!"
Derek sat them up on the floor and put the ring on her finger. Casey's eyes beamed. "It's beautiful Derek," She whispered. Derek kissed her forehead. "Just like you."
Casey tenderly kissed him. "Merry Christmas, Derek." Derek wiped the remaining tears from her face and kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Princess."
CASEY
After spending the morning talking to her mom and Lizzie about wedding stuff and hiding in dark corners of the house kissing Derek, Casey needed a nap.
"I'm going to go lay down," Casey said kissing Derek. "See you up there?" Casey said winking at him. Derek gave her a devilish grin and looked around to make sure no one heard. "Give me 5 minutes," He says kissing her forehead. Casey smiled at him and walks up the stairs. Seeing Edwin come out of his room Casey tried to quickly enter her room.
"Casey, wait." He called out to her. Casey paused and turned around. "What do you want, Ed?" she asks trying not to sound annoyed. She had to break his heart the other day and she had been trying to avoid him.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks taking her left hand and inspecting her ring, Casey slowly pulls her hand away from him. "Of course I do, I love him Edwin."
"I can't promise I'll be here if he leaves you again." He says looking at her with sorrow, Casey stands up straighter. "He left because I made him. And I'm sorry that you got your feelings hurt, Ed, I really am. I feel terrible for leading you on, but you have to know that nothing can ever happen between us." Edwin stood there for a moment looking into her eyes, then he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek and went back to his room.
Casey stood there for a moment, she felt an arm snake across her waist. "Everything ok?" Derek asked kissing her temple. Casey turned around and put her hands on his shoulders. "You tell me, I'm sure you heard everything." She said kissing him.
"Now come on," She said tugging his arm and pulling him to her bed room.
"It's time to celebrate,"
I was REALLY really tempted to keep the Edwin/Casey thing going and draw that out for a bit, but I quickly lost focus on the story. This is going to be the last chapter because I have really lost some steam writing it, I want to end it before I turn it into something terrible..er. Anyway, I should be able to get an epilogue up in the next day or so!