Author's Note: I'm glad you all are enjoying this! Please keep up with the feedback and let me know how I am doing because I'm a little nervous about this chapter... I hope I conveyed their emotions correctly! Yes, to show you how much I appreciate all the great reviews I've been getting, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
Casey ran over to Kylie's apartment a blubbering mess. Kylie, half-asleep because it was so late, couldn't understand a word through Casey's sobs and ushered her into her apartment.
"Casey, you've got to calm down," Kylie took Casey's hand and helped her sit down on a wooden chair.
Wiping away her tears, Casey nodded, trying to get control of herself.
"Derek…h-he f-found out about Br-Brianna," her lower lip trembled as she spoke. She shook her head, raising her hands to cover her face. "I c-can't believe I was such an idiot…"
Kylie hugged her friend tightly to her. "Shh… it's okay, Casey. It can't be that bad—"
"He HATES me!" Casey exclaimed, her red, swollen eyes meeting Kylie's. "He hates me and he'll never forgive me and it's all my fault." She buried her face in her hands again. "I shouldn't have hid Brianna from him."
Kylie sighed. "Casey, you did what you thought was best. You were young and scared. Believe me; I've been there."
"Yeah, well, at least you didn't runaway and hide Matthew from his father."
"Like his father cares about him," Kylie snorted bitterly. "But, I mean, if Derek seemed so upset about you hiding Brianna from him, it seems like he actually does care."
"What do you mean?" Casey sniffled, taking her hands away from her face again.
"I mean that my ex… he would have loved if I never told him about Matthew and didn't demand child support or anything like that. But Derek…. he's actually mad that you hid Brianna from him," she shrugged. "It just… seems like he cares about you a lot more than my ex ever did."
Casey was starting to understand what her closest friend was saying. "But… that still doesn't mean that what I did was right. Or that Derek will ever forgive me."
"If he loves you as much as I think he does, he will," Kylie gave a small smile.
Casey bit her lip. Did Derek really love her? Did he want Brianna? Either way, she owed him a big apology. If he would ever actually speak to her again.
"I've got to go find him," Casey said, standing up on wobbly legs. "Will you watch Brianna?"
"Of course," Kylie nodded, shooing Casey along. "Now go."
Casey gave her a quick hug before running off in determination. She grabbed her cell phone and a denim jacket from her apartment before hurrying out into the parking lot, dialling the number of a cab company on her way. She would search the whole city if she had to.
She didn't think Derek had gone too far, but she almost dropped her cell phone in surprise when she found that he was right there in the parking lot, sitting on the hood of his car and staring up at the stars.
"Derek…" she ran over to him, and he looked over at her with his eyes cold.
"I don't have anything to say to you," he told her angrily, sliding off of the hood and making his way back to the driver's seat.
"Wait!" Casey grabbed his hand, stopping him.
The two of them both looked down at her shaking fingers encasing his wrist.
"Please," Casey looked deep into Derek's tawny brown eyes pleadingly.
Derek had all intentions of ignoring her and getting into his car and driving as far away as possible from her and this whole messed up situation. But his feet remained planted on the asphalt of the parking lot. Setting his jaw, he glared at Casey and demanded, "What do you want from me, Casey? You hid my own daughter away from me for over two years. I haven't even seen you in three."
"I know, and I'm so—"
"What do you tell her when she asks about her daddy, Case?" he suddenly interrupted, his eyes still glaring. "Tell her that he's actually her uncle? That she was just a teenaged mistake?"
Casey's hand came up then and she slapped him harshly across the face. "Brianna. Is. Not. A. Mistake," she said through gritted teeth.
Derek just glared right back at her, unmoving as his cheek turned an angry red. "If you really want to know," Casey continued, her blue eyes dead-set on his. "I tell her that her daddy loves her but can't be with her. I tell her about how much I loved her daddy."
Derek tried not to let the surprise show on his face at this declaration.
"You and I both know that what we did that night wasn't a mistake," Casey's voice was now softer.
"It—it wasn't," Derek's voice came out gruffly, confirming her words. He looked deep into Casey's sad blue eyes and could feel himself melting. His tone was softer as he said, "I just… wish you had told me, Case."
"I know," a tear slid down Casey's cheek. "I'm so sorry, Derek. So, so sorry. And I'll understand if you can never forgive me, but I just—"
"It wasn't right what you did, Casey," Derek interrupted her. "But that doesn't mean I can't forgive you. It might take some time…" Derek gently brushed a tear off of Casey's face. "But I do love you, Case. I always have."
Casey's eyes widened at this.
"I've thought about you every day since you left," Derek told her softly, reaching out and stroking her soft chestnut hair.
"But Amy…"
Derek shook his head at the name. "No. It's always been you." He lifted her face and slowly brushed his lips against hers.
Casey felt like all of the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders as Derek's lips pressed against hers. He finally knew about Brianna. And he still loved her.
He loved her.
"I love you too, Derek," she whispered against his lips. She always had.
He gave her a gentle smile. "So… do I get to officially meet my daughter now?"
Casey smiled back at him, nodding quickly. "I think we can wake her up for something like this." She slid her hand in Derek's and he squeezed her hand tightly. As they walked back to the apartment, she felt his hand becoming clammy against hers. Looking at him, she saw that he was gnawing on his lower lip and his eyes were sort of jumpy.
He was nervous.
"What if she doesn't like me?" Derek asked suddenly as they stopped in front of Casey's door. "What if I'm… not what she expected?"
Casey let out a laugh at Derek's fears. He was so endearing. "Derek, she's two. You don't have to worry about impressing her."
Derek still didn't look any less edgy.
Casey opened the door to her apartment to find Kylie rocking a sleeping Matthew in her arms on the couch and Brianna on the floor, intently drawing a picture.
Kylie's eyes immediately looked Derek up and down. She was interested to finally see the infamous Derek Venturi in the flesh.
But Derek's eyes weren't on Kylie. They were glued to the little girl pumping her small legs into the air as she concentrated on scribbling with her crayons.
His daughter. His own little girl.
He gulped nervously. Am I really ready for this?
