Hi Guys. Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm on vacation and had a free moment, so I thought I'd post an update and not keep you all waiting until I return next week. Thank you so much for reading and for reviewing. They are wonderful feedbacks and all are greatly appreciated.

Regret.

That was what Meredith felt shortly after Derek stormed out of her apartment all those months ago and that was what she felt when he left to return to his dinner companion, leaving her feeling bereft and with a guilty conscience the size of Mt. Everest.

A part of her wanted to chase after him, much like she had wanted to do back then, but her stubborn pride wouldn't let her and instead kept her rooted to the spot.

…..

"Shit!" Meredith hissed under her breath when the heel of her Jimmy Choos caught on the carpet and she stumbled inside the elevator, nearly falling before a pair of strong hands reached out to steady her.

The grateful smile died on her lips when she looked up and gasped in shocked horror. The dark circles that framed his eyes were new, but the deep blue depths were unmistakable and she quickly moved away as if burnt by the heat of his hands on her bare arms.

"Th-thank you." She mumbled under her breath before she averted her eyes to the panel and pressed the button to her floor.

Silence filled the small confining space and her mind went off in a myriad of directions, wondering what he was doing in her apartment building.

"What are you doing here?" She asked suddenly and without thought.

"I'm meeting a realtor."

"I didn't know you were looking to move." She replied casually, trying to quell the disappointment that began to unfurl in the pit of her stomach at his answer.

"I'm not."

"But you said—"

"The apartment is for a very close friend of mine."

"Oh." Meredith didn't miss the smile that flashed across his face and couldn't help but wonder if this "very close friend" was female and the reason for why he had gone missing for two weeks. The burgeoning need to know had her opening her mouth to ask, but the recollection of what she had said to him about "having no obligation to each other" left her question to die on her lips as she quickly looked away.

Silence.

The air in the elevator became heavy and thick with tension, and the goosebumps that sprouted all over her body made it difficult to forget that he was standing but a few feet behind her. She clenched and unclenched her fists in an attempt to ease the urge to turn around and reach for him. It had been over a week since the fiasco in her apartment and while she had, on several occasions, picked up the phone to call him, she had never actually followed through with any of those attempts.

"I miss you." The words came spilling out of her mouth before her mind could process the enormity of her confession. Embarrassment kept her from turning around to face him and disappointment from his lack of response made her close her eyes in shame.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! She silently berated herself as the silence continued to stretch between them, and she prayed the elevator floor would open up and swallow her whole. Anything would be better than to be stuck in an elevator with him and the mother of all confessions hanging over their heads. She needed to salvage this and fast.

"I didn't mean what I said the other night. I don't want to…" Her voice trailed, her thoughts long forgotten when she felt him come up behind her. Their bodies were close, but not yet touching and a shudder ran down her spine when he leaned in and inhaled deeply. All the muscles in her body became taut, every nerve ending stood poised in eager anticipation for his next move.

"Are you still seeing him, Meredith?" His question was barely above a whisper and she didn't have to turn her head to feel him but a hair's breadth from her.

"I…" She struggled to think, to form a coherent thought. Should she lie? Should she tell him the truth? Or should she do what she's been aching to do and kiss him until everyone and everything else faded into nothingness?

Derek didn't have to see her face to know she was conflicted and he needn't hear her answer to know what it was. With his facial expression schooled, he slowly backed away.

"I crossed the line the other day." His stated bluntly, his admission struck her and she turned to look at him. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"You didn't—"

"I did…and I'm sorry." His eyes moved to the faint yellow-green mark on her wrist and he knew he'd bruised her badly. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret hurting you the way I did."

"Derek, this thing is…complicated."

"Nothing is complicated unless you want it to be." Derek replied before reaching for his briefcase when the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival on his floor. "You're a grown woman, fully capable of making your own decisions. You don't need your father, or Finn, and most certainly not me trying to assert our opinions where it doesn't belong. Trust your instincts and go with it."

"Will I see you again?"

Derek was tempted to say yes. Hell, he was tempted to step back inside the elevator, press the stop button and kiss her senseless. But he couldn't do that knowing she was still dating Finn.

"I can't."

…..

"Are you okay?"

"Hmmm…what?"

"You were daydreaming."

"Was I?"

"Ever since you returned, you seem distant. Is something bothering you?"

"I… Headache. I have a slight headache coming on." She lied.

"Do you want to leave?"

Meredith looked up just in time to catch Derek escorting the brunette out of the restaurant with his hand on the small of her back. She cringed at the pleasing smile the brunette flashed his way and suddenly the room seemed small and she felt like she was suffocating.

"Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's go home. I'll have James drop us off and come back for your parents."

"Okay."