Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, my surgery did not go quite as well as I had hoped. For a more in-depth story, you can go to my live journal if you want. I'll contain myself from rambling on here, lol. So here's the next chapter! Oh, and by the way, I'm seriously considering making my one-shot fic "Mistletoe" a two-shoter for those of you who are interested... ;-) Well, later everyone, and hope you all enjoy:-)
I woke up when the car suddenly came to a stop and the kids piled out of the van. I sat up quickly when I realized I was resting my head on Derek, who had fallen asleep as well. Quickly I crept out of the car and went up to my bedroom.
I stood in the empty room, in front of the large mirror, and took out my hairbrush. My hair was a mess again. As I combed out the tangles, I heard the door creak open.
I knew who it was.
"What do you want, Derek?" I sighed, continuing to brush my dark locks.
He didn't answer, so I turned to look at him. He was just standing at the opened door, an expression of confusion across his unexpectedly extraordinarily un-Derek-like face.
"What, not going out to see Barbie?" I placed my hands on my hips accusingly.
He still did not say a word. Then, he moved in closer to me.
I stepped back. "No, Derek," I positioned my hands in front of me in a "halt; don't come any closer" pose. "We're not doing this again. I won't let it happen again."
He took another step forward, and I took another step back.
"Derek," I abruptly felt tears stinging my eyes. I didn't even know where they were coming from. "Derek, no. I can't do this to Sam. I can't do this to myself. I don't deserve to be used by my stepbrother. You can't always get what you want, Derek." Tears were falling down my cheeks now. "I'm a good person. I deserve more than this. I deserve somebody who loves me." I was full out crying now, my whole body shaking.
I saw a pained look in Derek's eyes. He reached out and in a completely un-Derek-like move, brushed away my tears. He looked young and vulnerable, as if Derek had become a completely different person. His eyes moved down to the floor, as if he was hiding something from me.
After a moment, he looked back up into my eyes. And I saw it.
I saw it in his eyes. Something that took me so aback that I gasped out loud.
His mouth twitched.
He's going to say it, I thought to myself, completely astonished. He's actually going to say it. Adrenaline pumped through me as my heart began racing.
And in a moment of complete honesty and naked emotion, Derek murmured almost inaudibly, "I do love you, Case."