Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone! You all make me smile :-) Before giving you the next chapter, I just wanted to say that we really need our own Life With Derek section. Please help if you can in this way:

How do I suggest a new category?

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Request procedure:

Send an email to with all the necessary details to newcategory-at-fanfiction-dot-net. (Important: change the "At" and the "Dot" to the actual symbols and take away the hyphens!)

Thanks and happy holidays everyone if I don't update before then:-)

I avoided Casey all through dinner. I had this new emotion coming over me that I hated—embarrassment. I was embarrassed by what I had said. I had never actually been embarrassed about anything before.

Frankly, it sucked.

After dinner, Nora and my Dad set up some blankets for us kids to watch the fireworks on. Marti climbed on Nora's lap, snuggling under a warm blanket, and Lizzie and Edwin both sat by her side. Casey sat off to the side, wrapped up in her sweatshirt. I sat as far away from her as possible.

As soon as the fireworks began, I was bored. I got up and left without anybody noticing.

Or so I thought.

I was almost back at the beach house before I saw Casey chasing after me. I stopped, wondering just what she was doing.

"What?" I gave her an attitude as soon as she caught up to me.

She bit her lip, clearly not prepared to say anything of any importance. I waited a few seconds and rolled my eyes, turning my back to her and heading to the front door.

"Wait!" she shouted. I sighed heavily, but paused in my tracks, not bothering to turn around. She ran over to me again, stopping just inches in front of me.

I was about to make some annoyed comment, when she did something that I last expected her to do. She stood on the tiptoes of her bare feet and grabbed the collar of my sweatshirt. Pulling me towards her, Casey pressed her lips against mine.

I didn't have time to think; I just felt my body respond. I wrapped my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss, letting my feelings all of my feelings out. It was different than any other kiss I had experienced—and believe me; I have done a lot of kissing in my day.

This kiss wasn't hungry or full of lust. It was unusual. Slow. Unrushed. Careful. My mind wasn't focused on my next move or how to get to second base with her. In fact, my mind seemed pretty blank. It was just her I could see. Just Casey.

After the noteworthy kiss, Casey did something else she had never done before. She hugged me tightly.

"I love you too, Derek," she whispered into my ear.