Okay, guys. Here is chapter 8. I tried to add more than just dialogue because I know how unauthentic it can feel reading nothing but straight talking.

Hope you enjoy!

…

"I can't believe we did that."

Derek handed Addison her sweater and said, "well, to be fair, we were interrupted this morning."

"Still, it's embarrassing, Derek."

"I blame the mimosas. Besides, Savvy and Mark were asking for it."

Addison managed a laugh and said, "that's fair."

Derek began buttoning his shirt and turned towards her, "so, um did you think Sav was acting weird?"

"Derek, why do you keep asking me that?"

He shrugged and said, "because she's acting weird."

"I mean, I guess it's weird that Weiss didn't want to come, but he has to work. Something you should understand."

Derek felt that blow hard and said, "maybe we shouldn't discuss this."

"Because I'm being honest?"

"Addison," Derek warned.

"Derek, I'm not trying to fight. I'm just saying."

"You're always trying to fight, Addison."

Addison rolled her eyes and said, "nothing I said is untrue. You of all people understand exactly what it's like to work overtime. Weiss has a lot going on at work. It happens."

Derek started walking towards the door and he began doing what Addison liked to call his "condescending laugh."

"Oh, no. You don't get to do that, Derek."

Keeping his back to her, he said, "what Addison? What do I not get to do?"

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"Addison, I'm laughing."

"No, you're not, Derek."

He turned to face her and said, "I just find it funny that Weiss working overtime is perfectly acceptable in your eyes, but when I have patients in need, I'm the bad guy."

"There's a difference Derek," Addison yelled.

"No there isn't."

"Oh, please. There's a big difference and you know it."

Derek turned back towards the door and laughed yet again. "You love making up the rules as you go, don't you?"

"The difference is that Weiss isn't a bad husband."

Addison regretted the words the second they left her lips.

Derek stood, with his hand on the door knob, silent.

"Derek, I-" Addison started.

"No," he interrupted. "That's exactly how you feel, and you've made it clear."

Addison stepped towards him and put her hand on the back of his shoulder.

He immediately shrugged it off. "No," he said quietly.

"Derek, will you please look at me."

"We should get downstairs," he said.

"Derek," she called, but he was already walking down the hall.

...

Addison sat on the bed, hearing the hurt in Derek's voice.

"That's exactly how you feel, and you've made it clear."

But did Addison actually feel that way? Sure, Derek had been distant lately, but he wasn't a bad husband. He missed dinner a few nights, made a couple of promises he didn't keep, and he worked ungodly hours. But did that make him a bad husband?

Addison pushed her hair out of her face and let out an exhausted sigh. This wasn't how the weekend was supposed to go. His sisters and mom were supposed to be causing her stress, not him. They were supposed to be a happy couple this weekend, and after only a few hours, Addison had ruined it.

Just go downstairs Addison. That's all you can do.

Now Bizzy's voice rang in her ears "a Montgomery never shows their feelings on their face."

...

"Well, well, well. Back so soon?"

"What," Derek asked.

"You were only gone for like 5 minutes," Mark teased.

"Oh please, Mark," Savvy groaned.

"Hey, earth to Derek! I'm making fun of you and you're not listening," Mark added, waiving his hands in the air.

Snapping back to reality, Derek shook his head and said, "I'm immune to your constant jabbing, Mark."

"I think we all are," Addison added, walking into the room.

"There she is," Mark practically yelled. "So, how was it?"

Without thinking Derek mumbled, "I've had better."

Everyone was silent. It was impossible to miss the resentment in his voice, and the look on his face showed that he didn't care. Savvy and Mark gave each other a look, begging the other to break the silence, but neither of them had the courage.

"More drinks anyone," Addison asked.

"I think I'm good actually," Savvy forced out. "Maybe we should start party planning."

Addison gave her a grin and said, "I'm perfectly capable of doing that while drinking."

Derek watched her walk towards the fridge as she started making two more drinks. Her shoulders were square, and she was smiling, but he knew all of it was put on. This was typical angry Addison. She was going to do her absolute best not to show how she was really feeling because to her, showing that anger somehow meant she was losing. They could both thank Bizzy and the Captain for that wonderful, misguided trait.

"Well, I will leave you to it then," Mark said, walking towards the back door of the kitchen. "I'll be sitting on the patio."

Derek was staring at Addison, daring her to look in his direction.

"Here, Savvy," Addison chimed, walking around Derek to hand Savvy a glass.

Savvy sipped it and looked back and forth from Derek to Addison.

Mark poked his head back in the door and said, "Derek, are you coming or are you staying to party plan?"

"Do you need me," Derek asked, glancing at Addison, refusing to let her ignore him. After all, he was the one that should be angry, not her.

Addison quickly replied "nope," and kept her eyes away from him.

Derek eyed her for a moment as she busied herself with her phone.

"What if we have that little Italian place cater," Addison asked, looking over at Savvy.

"That would be good," Derek responded, even though he knew damn well she was not asking him.

As expected, Addison ignored Derek, and silently waited for Savvy to reply.

"I agree with Derek," Savvy said.

Derek couldn't help but feel grateful. Savvy seemed to realize that they were currently having one of their silent passive aggressive fights, and she was less than thrilled to be caught in the middle.

"Nancy likes that place," Addison added, now keeping her body turned away from Derek so he couldn't even see her face.

Derek let out a loud sigh and began walking towards the door. This Addison, the passive aggressive Addison, boiled his blood like no other.

"Well, seems like you don't need or want me in the conversation, so I'll go sit outside with Mark."

Savvy sat her glass on the table and said in the sweetest voice she could muster, "no. I will be going outside, and the two of you are staying in here to work through whatever this is." She walked towards the door silently but stopped to say, "I mean it. There will be talking. No more of this silence," and her eyes darted towards Addison.

Derek felt his cheeks tingling as he watched Savvy walk out the back door.

When the door closed behind her, the room filled with tension. Derek and Addison stood silently for a moment. Unsure of where to look, Derek found solace in the floor and tried to regain control of the blood rushing to his cheeks. He could still feel the burn from Savvy reprimanding them as if they were children.

Just say something, Derek. Anything. Tell her you're sorry for walking off and for bringing Savvy into it. She wants to move forward just as much as you.

"Yes, I'd like to place an order for a catered event tomorrow," Addison said.

Derek's head shot up and he saw her holding her cellphone. Unbelievable.

"5:00 p.m. would be perfect. Yes. Enough for 10 people should be fine. What? Oh, sure I can pay now. Let me get my card."

Derek looked at her purse, which was on the counter right next to him. She began crossing the room to get it, but before she could get there, Derek (instinctively) started digging through her purse, looking for the card. This was something he had done a thousand times. Addison was notorious for calling to order dinner and not brining the card with her. She would always look at Derek panicked and flail her hands around. That was his signal to fetch her wallet or give her his card.

He pulled her wallet out and found the card with ease. It was always in the same spot and turned the exact same way.

"I can do it," she snapped, taking the card from his hand. "Okay, I'm ready."

Derek watched as she called out the numbers and then fumbled through putting the card back with one hand.

"Was it worth it," Derek asked, when she hung up.

She looked at him silently with a blank stare. That was her way of asking what he meant without having to speak to him. He of course knew that, which is why he refused to respond.

After several seconds of silence, she tilted her head to the side, once again daring him to speak.

"Oh, for god sakes, Addison. Stop being ridiculous."

"I'm being ridiculous? You're the one that stormed off, Derek. Not me!"

"First of all, I did not storm off. I walked out of the room and now you won't speak to me."

"Funny isn't it," Addison asked rhetorically. "I wanted to talk upstairs, but you stormed off. Now you're the one that wants to talk."

"Once again, I did not storm off, and you know it."

"I was trying to talk to you, Derek. I wanted to talk, and you left without letting me. That is exactly what storming off means."

Derek aggressively pulled one of the barstools out so he could sit down, and he began what would be yet another failed attempt at massaging the Addison stress from his temples.

"You didn't want to talk," she continued "I wanted to talk, and now..."

"And now we're standing in the kitchen, red faced from being reprimanded by Savvy, and arguing about arguing," he finished.

"Well, that isn't what I was going to say."

Derek laughed and said, "of course it isn't because I can't ever be right."

"See, that's the problem, Derek. You don't think you're ever wrong, and if I dare to disagree then you act like I'm the bad guy."

"No, Addison. The problem is that you use the term disagreeing to justify things like what happened earlier."

"Derek, what are you even talking about?"

"See, yet another problem. You say hurtful things so often that you don't even remember them."

Addison suddenly felt her anger leave. He was talking about the bad husband comment from earlier. The comment that she said without thinking. The comment she didn't mean to say. Or least didn't mean to say out loud.

"Derek, I'm sorry I said that."

He glanced up at her, a little taken back by how quickly she apologized. "While I appreciate that, it's less about you saying it and more about you actually meaning it."

"I didn't mean it."

Derek ran both of his hands through his hair and sighed.

Addison walked over to where he was sitting and stood behind him so she could place her hands on his shoulders. "You're not a bad husband, Derek."

He straightened his back and leaned his head back against her shoulder, "then why did you say it, Addison?"

"I don't know, honey," she mumbled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Things have been difficult," Derek replied.

"Things have been difficult," she agreed, "but we are working on it."

"We are working on it," he repeated.

"Hey," Addison whispered in his ear, "on the bright side we still have a weekend with your family."

Derek couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yes, that is definitely the bright side."

Addison stood there with her arms around his neck and the side of her face against his. She could smell the cologne on him that was mixed with a hint her of perfume, probably because of their trip upstairs earlier. His hair was also a little messier than usual, which could be blamed on the same thing, but she didn't mind. She loved his hair like that.

The door creaked behind them and they both turned to see Mark grinning.

"Savvy said to stay outside, but I heard you guys laughing so I figured it was okay," he mumbled.

"We're fine," Addison responded, "just working through some things," and she pressed her lips against the side of Derek's temple.

"Well, I need another drink," Mark said, pushing past them both.

"Speaking of needing another drink, I wonder when your mom will be here," Addison asked.

"Hey, I will not have you talking about Mrs. Carolyn like that," Mark said, in a slightly elevated voice that they all knew was put on.

Addison held both of her hands up in defense and said, "hey, just asking."

"If it doesn't offend me, then it shouldn't offend you," Derek said.

"Mostly because her impending arrival also makes you want to drink," Addison joked, and gave him a playful kiss on the cheek.

"Hmmm," Derek said with a nod.

"I should probably call the girls and figure out a schedule. I also need to figure out what I'm going to say to Nancy."

"Addie, if anyone can pull off surprising Nancy, it's you," Derek said.

Mark raised his glass in agreeance and said, "just tell me where to be and make sure there's alcohol. I'll be outside pressuring Sav into drinking more."

...

I feel like I've said this at the end of every chapter, but some good plot twists are coming, and by that, I mean in the next chapter. I've been planning what to do for a while and I was conflicted, so it has taken longer. BUT next chapter will have some serious drama, and I'm super excited to finally write it, so you should expect it soon.

Hope you enjoyed. As always, please leave a review. xxx