Casey doesn't do anything so dramatic as catching the next flight back to New York—though she does wistfully daydream about the possibility while she rides in an Uber back to her hotel room. But her smile fades as she realizes just how unrealistic her daydream is…especially since it involves Derek appearing on the runway to chase her down.
"Miss? This is your stop, right?"
She starts, the daydream slipping away from her. "Oh," she says, flustered. "Yes, thank you." She hurriedly steps out, tripping over the curb as she stumbles her way into the hotel.
Her dad had chosen the hotel, and it was accordingly quite expensive. Her feet sink into the plush carpet as she waits impatiently for the elevator. She looks listlessly around the lobby, but every TV screen seems to be broadcasting the red carpet from the film festival. She immediately averts her eyes, pretending to be interested in picking the lint off her coat.
When she finally gets to her room, she heads straight for the bathroom to take a hot shower. She stays in there for far longer than necessary, until the steam is so thick that she can't even see the fingers she waves in front of her face. And she most certainly does not cry or think of...anything. When her skin has become too wrinkled, she reluctantly shuts off the water and steps out, wrapping herself in the complimentary silk bathrobe.
She wanders back into her room, picking up the room service menu and perusing it halfheartedly. She knows her dad would happily pay whatever extra costs will keep her in Toronto instead of a flight back home. She reflects on the fact that this thought doesn't hurt as much as it used to.
At that moment there's a loud knock at the door. "Room service!"
Casey grumbles to herself as she pulls open the door. "You've got the wrong room, I've only just —"
The server looks up from a cart, which is most decidedly not carrying her food. She gapes, for once completely stunned. "Derek?"
He turns to gesture to somebody she can't see, and another server comes into view, holding Derek's leather jacket. "Thanks, man," Derek says, handing over the cart. He takes off the hat and—if she's not mistaken—hands the guy a $100 bill. Then he shrugs out of the crisp white jacket and exchanges it for his own.
Casey isn't aware that she's stepped back and let him enter her room until he shuts the door behind him. "You—" she sputters, "How did—"
Derek is ignoring her, per usual. He whistles as he looks around her room, "Fancy digs."
"Yeah," she examines her nails irately, "Thank god I didn't spend my own money coming all the way out here."
Pain flashes across his expression, "Casey—"
She looks up when he doesn't continue, and is surprised to see that he looks…messed up. His hair is sticking out in all directions, and she notices for the first time that he's thrown his leather jacket over his very disheveled looking suit.
"What…happened to you?"
"I didn't know you were coming," he blurts out, taking a jerky step towards her. His arm spasms at his side, but he doesn't come closer. "I saw them—the family—before the show, and he—Edwin, he told me you—and…"
Casey looks at him in mild alarm. "Derek?"
He closes his eyes and rests his head against the door. He seems to find it easier to talk if he isn't looking at her. "Edwin told me you had been there…that you heard what I said. And that you had left." When he opens his eyes again, he looks anguished. "I'm sorry, I didn't know—" He breaks off and swallows. "You have to know I didn't mean it."
She chews on her lower lip anxiously, hating the gnawing feeling that's rising like bile in her throat. Don't cry, she tells herself sternly. Don't. But then her eyes spark with tears and she crosses her arms, letting her nails dig into her forearms.
She feels like she's holding herself together, trying not to break. Because that's what he does to her. And then she hears Emily's voice in her head, telling her that's what love is—and maybe it is, and maybe she doesn't want it after all.
"Case," Derek's voice is hoarse, and she realizes that he's finally moved towards her. He's reaching for her now and she lets him pull her into his embrace, though she stubbornly doesn't uncross her arms. "I'm sorry," he says again and she drops her arms to her sides so that she's against his chest, and she hates even more that she feels safe in his arms, like he would never hurt her—even though he's the only one who so easily can.
He has one hand on her head and the other wrapped around her lower back. She can hear his heart hammering in his chest. It's fast, she thinks dully. He's nervous. She doesn't pull back, but turns her head a little so that her voice won't be muffled against his chest. "Is the rest of the family downstairs?"
"No," Derek says after a moment, "They're still at…there. They're still there."
Casey pulls away abruptly. "At the festival? It's not over?"
He looks down at her warily. "No."
She hears her voice rising with hysteria, "And you just…left?"
Derek doesn't say anything.
"But—you can't!" Casey nearly screeches, "You can't just leave! They'll be looking for you! And—what were you thinking!?"
His expression is more serious than she's ever seen it. "I was thinking that you were hurt," he says quietly, "I was thinking about how you came all this way to surprise me and that you had to see me with her, saying those things." He looks away, swallowing. "And I was thinking that I just wanted to see you to explain. To make it better."
The speech is so un-Derek-like that she can only stare.
"Aimee and my lawyer weren't exactly thrilled that I came to see you in New York," he mutters suddenly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Only because the press got wind of it. I really had to play up the step-sister aspect, but even then…so I had to make up some BS about promoting the movie in the States." He grimaces, "I didn't think I would be asked about it tonight. It caught me off guard, and Aimee was next to me and she had already been pissed about the whole thing…I only said what I did to get the attention off you. You know that, right?"
"She was really selling it," Casey says instead of answering his question, because yes of course she knows why he did it. It wasn't like it made it hurt any less, though. "The whole being in love with you thing," she adds, in case it wasn't clear.
Derek narrows his eyes at her, "She's a good actress."
Casey nods, studying him. "Isn't everyone going to be pissed when they realize you skipped out on the rest of the premiere to come…here?
"Screw them," he snaps, "I'm not losing you because of what some damn contract says." He reaches out to grasp her forearms, his gaze intense. "You mean everything to me, okay? We wasted all those years, and I can't do that again. I won't."
She feels her heart twist at his words and the ache in her chest ebbs away. "I spoke to Emily," she says, "After you left New York that day. She told me…everything." Because Derek's hands are still on her arms, she can feel him tense. "I never realized how…how we were," she goes on unsteadily, "To others."
Derek doesn't say anything, but when she looks up at him, his eyes are dark.
"She said I was the center of your world," she whispers, "And that you were mine." She swallows, "And then she said that's what love is. To be so wrapped up in each other that you don't realize it."
"That's Emily," his voice is hard, "Ever the romantic."
"So you don't…don't agree?"
He looks taken aback, "Hell, I don't know." Then he looks at her more closely, "I know what I felt like when you weren't there. I know what I feel for you now."
Casey considers his words and then smiles slightly, "Are you going to write me a song about it?"
Derek's shoulders relax and he tosses her a mock fearful look. "You wouldn't dare."
"No," she steps closer to him, "I wouldn't." Then she tips her head back to regard him thoughtfully. "Emily told me about Sally coming to Queens for that semester."
He looks like he's trying not to roll his eyes. "Is there anything you girls didn't talk about?"
"Mom brought it up, too."
At that, Derek stiffens, "What? When?"
"Earlier tonight," Casey answers simply. "When she saw Aimee on your arm. Edwin and Lizzie made some comment about your taste in blondes. I guess it must have triggered Mom's memory."
He frowns, "Okay, I'm pretty sure Edwin knows who the hell my type is these days." Then he shoves his hands into his pockets, and Casey can tell he's aiming for fake casual. "What did Nora say?"
Casey wonders what he means by that, but doesn't press the issue. "Something along the lines of how she thought you two would end up together, especially after Sally came to Queens."
Derek steps out of her grasp, avoiding her gaze. "We tried. Hell, I tried, I really did. I wanted it to work out. I had…" He hesitates, looking at her quickly. "I loved her, back then. She…she reminded me of you, in a way. She had all these goals and plans, and she didn't take shit from anybody. But she was her own person too, you know? And she got along so well with Marti and the 'rents…and you." He meets her gaze then, "I really saw her becoming a part of the family."
Casey smiles at his admission, because she knows it rings true. It's probably one of the most honest things he's ever said about Sally. "Maybe you should've put that in your song."
He chuckles, "Yeah, teenage Derek wasn't quite the wordsmith, was he?"
"No," she agrees, "He wasn't."
He leans forward, nudging her shoulder. "Good thing I had you to watch my back."
She's quiet for a second. "I always liked Sally for you."
"I know." Derek straightens, "But all those things I loved about her, it wasn't the same when she came back." Then he frowns, "I mean it was the same, but it…it reminded me too much of you. Or a version of you, anyway." He runs a hand through his already messy hair and heaves a sigh. "I don't know, Case. It just didn't feel right anymore to be with her."
"Oh." She tries to think of anything else to say, but can't. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."
The corner of his mouth lifts in a half grin, "I told you before that Emily wasn't the first or last girl to dump me because of you."
Casey's eyes widen. "Sally dumped you? But I thought…"
He shrugs again, "It was kind of a repeat of the Emily break up. I was numb to it, at that point."
"Derek—"
"It's fine," he interrupts, "Really. She said I was hung up on you, which was true. Then she said no one would ever be as important to me as you were." He glances at her, "Also true."
Casey sighs, squinting up at him. "Did everyone know? I mean…except us?"
Derek wraps his arms around her, pulling her close until their faces are inches apart. "Everyone who knew us in high school, they kind of seem to know, yeah." They stand like that for a few moments, and Casey feels her pulse quicken with anticipation. When Derek speaks again, his voice is strained. "Am I forgiven for being a jerk?"
In response, Casey tilts her head back and kisses him softly. And then she melts as he instantly tightens his grip around her, deepening the kiss. When they fall into bed, she isn't sure who is leading who. All she knows is that the silk of the bathrobe is thin and flimsy, and when she wraps her legs around Derek's waist, she can feel every single inch of him. She lets out a sound that may have been a cross between a whimper and a moan, and Derek groans into her neck.
They both still, becoming aware of what exactly is happening.
Derek moves off her, and she hurriedly straightens the robe around herself, feeling her cheeks heat as he looks her over. "I'm going to shower," he says abruptly, yanking off his tie and tossing his suit carelessly onto the ground.
"A cold one?" Casey calls teasingly to his retreating back, to which he flips her off without turning around. She laughs, sliding back into the bed. For a hotel bed, it's astonishingly comfortable. Her eyelids flutter closed as it suddenly hits her how utterly exhausted she is, between the flight and the...emotional events of the evening.
She's dosing off when she hears him return and she starts awake. "Sorry," he whispers, and the scent of clean soap wafts across the room. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"What are you doing?" she mumbles when she feels him get under the covers next to her. "Don't you have to get back?"
He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her to his chest. She instantly feels at home and lets herself relax further, feeling the sleep drag her under. "Not tonight," he murmurs, "We haven't been together since I was in New York. Let's just…"
"Pretend?" she offers sleepily, entwining her fingers with the hand he has across her hip. "We can pretend for tonight." She feels Derek brush a kiss across her cheek and her lips curve into a smile as she falls asleep.
Derek watches her for a few minutes before he feels his own eyelids start to close. Before he successfully enters dreamland, however, his phone begins beeping obnoxiously. "Ugh, what," he grumbles under his breath, reaching behind him to grab the phone lying on the nightstand. There are 6 missed texts and 3 missed calls. His stomach twists as he suddenly becomes wide awake.
AIMEE: where the hell are you? everyone's looking for you!
AIMEE: god Derek, I told everyone you weren't feeling well and had to leave. You fucking owe me.
DAD: we're headed home. Your fiancée told us you left early. For your sake, you better have apologized to Casey.
EDWIN: dude Dad and Nora are giving me the 3rd degree. Dunno how long I can hold them off.
LIZZIE: me and Edwin will take care of the 'rents. You better apologize to my sister.
AIMEE: the fucking press is all over this Casey shit. You went to her hotel? What the fuck were you thinking?
He feels his blood run cold. There's a link she's included in the text and he clicks on it with trembling fingers. It leads to a trash gossip site which he knows almost nobody reads. But yes, there it is—a blurry photo of him entering Casey's hotel. There's no way they would be allowed in, and thankfully there doesn't seem to be a picture of her…but still, how the hell had they known she was staying here?
"Derek?" Casey shifts towards him suddenly, perhaps feeling the loss of the arm he'd had over her waist. She frowns at the phone in his hand, "What's going on?" She looks disoriented even though she's only been asleep for about ten minutes, and he realizes how tired she must be. "Derek?" she prods when he doesn't answer, her voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong?"
He wants to tell her everything is fine, but finds that he can't. "We…we might have a problem."
A/N: loved reading all your reviews last chapter, especially after what Derek did. hope his apology makes it up to you guys ;) and I enjoyed reading your theories about what's going to go down at xmas! keep reading and reviewing xoxo
