Derek knocked on the door, mind going half a mile per second. He wonders what her reaction would be. Of course, being surprised is a given. But past that…
It's been a couple of months since they last saw each other and ever since she left Seattle, his life just went downhill… or at least, that was the beginning his mind could think of.
He fell into this dark, destructive state and he unnecessarily hurt a lot of people. Inside his irrational mind, his anger was not misplaced and everything he was doing was rational.
Looking back, he burned a lot of bridges, and even when they didn't seem to hold a grudge… he felt guilty and embarrassed.
He only remembers feeling trapped in the unending cycle of hatred and self-loathing. When he decided to let go and not try to control his actions anymore, the plane took off and his mind finally saw the clarity he had been looking for.
Within the almost three hours flight to Los Angeles, he thought he was slowly seeing the light in the long, suffocating tunnel he had been staying in for the past months. He was going to a place where there were no dead people haunting him in every corner.
And this was it. This door was the end of the tunnel.
"Derek? What happened—what are you doing here?" He stared at the deep-set eyes he used to search in galleries back during internship years and residency just to calm his nerves. His gaze shifted at the wine glass she was holding, and he unconsciously smiled with its familiarity. His heart warmed and it's been a long time since he felt that.
"Hi, Addison."