Author's Note: Wow, I really appreciate all the feedback! You guys are all great and I dedicate this next chapter to the few of you that keep giving me such great feedback! It makes me want to keep writing :-) This chapter is back to Casey's POV.

I love the beach and everything about it. So when Mom and George told us that we were going in a week, I immediately went up to my bedroom to write out a To Do List.

The only thing wrong with the beach trip was going to be Derek. It was over a two hour drive to the coast, and I was going to be stuck with him in such a confined space. However, I figured if I just brought my iPod, I could ignore him.

I ran downstairs and called Emily. "Guess what," I grinned to myself. I was much more excited about this trip than one would have imagined. I haven't been to the beach in so long… it would be nice to relax in the sun, listening to the waves in the background, feeling the warm sand—

"What?" Emily's voice broke me out of my daydream.

"I need the phone," I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and looked at Derek, who was standing against the wall, arms crossed.

"Why don't you use your cell phone?" I asked him, my eyes narrowing.

"Can't," he said simply.

"Why not?" I challenged. I could hear Emily ask what was going on.

"Went way over my minutes. Dad freaked. Cell's gone. End of story. Give me the phone," he held out his hand, like I was actually going to give up the phone to him.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed, "you can wait." I put the phone back to my ear.

"So, anyways, Em, next week we're going to the be—" I was cut off. I whipped my head around and saw Derek standing with his hand over the phone cradle, smirking. He had taken out the cord.

"Derek!" I screamed and pounced on him. We fought over the cord, the two of us grabbing for it and swatting each other away. I slipped on the rug and flew right into Derek's chest. He lost his balance, and the two of us toppled to the floor. There we still continued fighting.

"Casey, if you wanted to be on top of me, you could have just asked," Derek smirked, winking suggestively as he hid the cord under his back.

I growled in frustration. "Shut up, Derek and give me the cord!"

"Hit a soft spot there, Case?" he asked as I grabbed for the cord. I don't give up so easily.

I didn't answer, concentrating on getting that cord. He laughed at me in his condescending Derek-way.

I was flipped over by Derek, being much lighter than he is, and he pinned me down to the floor. He still had the cord in his hand. I could have easily grabbed for it again, but something stopped me.

Blue locked with brown as we stared into each other's eyes.

The atmosphere changed. I don't know what it was, but something became really different about the air around us. His hard dark eyes seemed to soften… for what reason, I don't know.

My pulse quickened but my breath slowed. I stopped struggling all together. He lightened his grip on me. No words were said. We just stared.

"Casey, Derek, what are you two doing!" Mom loomed overhead suddenly, hands on her hips as she frowned down at us.

Quickly, Derek jumped off of me, and I stood up, brushing my clothes off.

"Honestly, you two, you have to stop this fighting," Mom went on, looking pointedly at me.

I just nodded, still slightly dazed about what it was that just happened. I looked over at Derek. His eyes met mine and he brushed past me, pushing the cord into my hand as he left.

My eyes followed him as he walked out of the room, wondering what he was thinking in that warped Derek brain of his.

I looked down at the cord and wondered what I was thinking in my own head.