Life With Derek: The Secret
o16o
Derek stared at the bare space beside him; he could still smell the faint scent of vanilla. It was on the sheets, on the pillow, the blanket, and even on him. His hand curled, balling the sheet into his fist. He never wanted to say goodbye; he hadn't wanted to let her leave. There was no stopping Casey when she had her mind set on something though, and she was sure that no matter how much they loved each other, nothing could come of it. Whether it be from her fear of their parents not approving, or because she just couldn't forgive him for his past, he didn't know. In the end, they were over and that's all that caused the pain in his chest.
Suffering from a broken heart was a common ailment amongst teenagers, but he was sure that no one before him had felt this bad. Sure, they had thought they loved, they thought it hurt not to have their girlfriend around. But they weren't Derek, and sooner or later they would move on and fall for someone else, Derek would not. He wanted Casey and only her. He didn't want to go back and start dating random girls; holding them for a day, kissing them for a moment, closing his eyes and pretending it was her. He didn't want to hold their hands and act like he cared what they were talking about. He didn't want to see Casey every day and know that there was absolutely no hope for them.
He had slept much later than he intended, likely because he had worked his body to exhaustion earlier that morning after only an hour or so of sleep. Rolling off the bed, he stared at the red glowing numbers on his alarm clock; 6:00 pm. Dressing quickly, he decided not to take a shower. He didn't want to wash away her faint scent and he couldn't stand being in the house any longer. Grabbing his wallet, he checked inside to see what his cash situation was. Hurrying down the stairs, he ignored his dad calling out to him. Taking his leather jacket, he semi-slammed the door behind him and managed to catch the bus right before it left.
Walking to the very back, he ignored the interested looks a couple giggling girls were giving him near the front. In a sour and obviously stressed mood, he plopped down by the window and raised the hood of his army green sweater over his head. He probably didn't need to wear both a jacket and a hoodie, but he felt exposed slightly. It was more of his emotional state than his physical, but he cared not for analogies at the moment. Leaning his forehead against the cold glass window, he watched the scenery fly by outside.
Spring was in the air, as cruel as it was. It seemed God was out to spite him, since the sidewalk seemed to be lined with happy couples. It was as if a parade of girls and guys, happily in love, walked out in the warm breeze just to rub it in his face. Glaring at them, Derek turned his eyes away and stared down at his hands. Sighing, he wondered if his unhappy state was ever going to fade away. Deciding it wasn't going to happen, he leaned his head back and glowered at the roof of the bus.
Crossing his arms, he frowned when he felt something in his pocket. Slipping his hand inside his leather coat, he extracted the unknown item. Sighing, he cursed Fate and the cruel nature of whoever loved to see him going through so much torture. The folded picture happened to be one of him and Casey, he never had the heart to throw it away and seemingly forgot it in his coat. Taken the night at the hockey game, one of his teammates girlfriends had caught them when he was holding her in the center of the rink and leaning in for a kiss. Giant, adoring smiles covered their faces, a note of laughter creased Casey's happy expression. Smiling at the picture softly, he then swallowed the irritating sting of emotion stuck in his throat.
Hearing someone sigh, he looked up to see the two girls from earlier staring at him with flirtatious smiles. They had moved to the back to get his attention, apparently. Inwardly groaning with annoyance and trying his best to suppress rolling his eyes, he gave them a small smile and proceeded to put the picture back inside his coat pocket. They weren't letting up though, he's not that lucky.
"Hey, my name's Tara," the blonde, and possibly better looking, girl said, grinning.
She had bright blue eyes, long hair, and a pert nose. It was obvious she was very used to flirting with guys and getting a lot of attention. Since she epitomized exactly what he was avoiding, he prayed she would disappear completely. He did not need to look into the face of past and see the type of girl he likely would've dated for a day or afternoon.
Nodding, he decided not to speak, hoping they would get the point.
"Uh, Hi, I'm Lindsey," the brunette said, smiling with a hint of nervousness.
It was plain for anyone to see that she was the one guys noticed less, if at all. When out with a friend, most girls try to hang out with those less attractive. Of course, when there are two, one of them must be oblivious to this. She was cute in her own way; a little quirky looking, with a not so in-style fashion sense. Long light brown hair, with a slight wave, and dark brown eyes that held a small sparkle. Her head was adorned with a bright beanie, a small hint at the personality she kept hidden. She faintly reminded him of a less beautiful Casey.
Finding a sense of pity for the less attractive girl, he held his hand out to her, she shook it. "Hey," he said, politely. "I like your hat," he complimented.
Her hand reached up to it unconsciously, but before she reply her blonde friend interrupted.
The blonde seemed to scoff quietly, surprised that he would turn his attention to Lindsey instead of her. "She wears it all the time!" she told him, rolling her eyes. "I keep trying to get her to throw it out, but she's been wearing it for years and refuses to!"
Derek smiled briefly, Lindsey reminded him of Sam. "Stick with it, I think it's cool."
Blushing, Lindsey smiled. "Thanks," she said, quietly.
Staring at them in shock, the blonde needed to take his attention once more so she turned her look of surprise to one of flirtation. "Where are you headed?"
He really didn't like the blonde, maybe because she was so much like the girl he had cheated on Casey with, or because she was annoying and rather rude. "Likely the same place you are," he said, sighing.
She seemed to take this as him hitting on her, which he definitely was not. Everybody goes to the Diner on Sundays, it's just the place kids his age go.
Turning to Lindsey, he blinked rapidly when he saw Casey's blue eyes instead of the real girls dark ones. Clearing his throat, he glanced away. "You're going to the Diner, right?" he asked, Lindsey.
Nodding, she smiled. "Yeah, we're meeting a couple friends there."
She seemed to be warming up to him slightly, likely because he was being so outwardly friendly. It was really his style, given he usually had to act incredibly cool, but he felt bad for her and thought she seemed like a nice person.
"Cool," Derek said, simply.
"Are you meeting anyone there?" the blonde asked, her name had completely slipped his mind and he didn't care enough to ask her for it again. She smiled a syrupy grin at him, that only made his stomach turn.
Shrugging, Derek shook his head. "All my friends will be there," he told them, vaguely.
"You must be popular," Lindsey said. It was more of an observation rather than an excited interest like most girls.
He didn't really want to get into it about his status; all it would take, was the use of his name and they'd know who he was. He didn't feel like being Derek Venturi, he just wanted to go to the Diner and wallow in self pity, alone and depressed. Besides, telling them who he was, would probably cause the blonde girl to become even more interested and he could hardly stand her as it was.
"Sure," he replied.
"Well, you either are or you aren't," the blonde said, an attempt at being funny he guessed.
"I am," he said, glancing at her. "Are you?"
He already knew she was, or at least she tried her best to be. She was the type of girl who dated guys like him, to get their rank higher in the popularity chain. The kind of girl who had no qualms doing anything to make them more known. The nature of a girl he'd met many times over, without a care about them and knowing they could care less about him.
"I could be," she said, smiling and tipping her head to one side. Her fingers played with the end of her hair, trying to look cute.
Frowning, he turned back to Lindsey. "I bet you're popular," he lied, sounding sincere. Leaning forward, he stared at her. "Yeah, a cute girl like you. I bet you have all the guys trailing behind you, hoping you'll give 'em a chance."
He was trying to make her feel better, without completely hitting on her. He wasn't interested in the least, but she reminded him of the lost and lonely Casey he had been introduced to after she moved in with him. When she arrived at his public school, she was fairly unnerved at how kids interacted and felt out of place for the longest time.
Blushing profusely, Lindsey gave him a shy smile. "N-No, not me," she said, inhaling sharply.
Winking at her, he glanced back out the window.
Seemingly bored that her friend was getting all the attention, the blonde sighing with irritation. "She's not popular," she told him. "And she's meeting with a guy, so she's not free."
Smiling, he turned back to her. "See," he said to the brunette. "I knew you had guys falling over themselves for ya."
Snorting in a very unfeminine way, the blonde shook her head. "Our friend set her up with her brother," she told him, rather rudely. "I'm only going so I get the chance to meet his best friend. Her date is on the hockey team, and his friend is the Captain," she said, with excitement. "What was his name again?" she asked, turning to the brunette.
"Derek Venturi," Lindsey said. "I don't know why you're interested, everybody knows he's still in love with his ex-girlfriend."
"You're going on a date with Sam?" Derek asked, ignoring their conversation about him for a moment.
"Yeah," Lindsey said, smiling. "Do you know him?"
Smiling, slowly, he nodded. "He's a great guy. You two'll hit it off, I'm sure."
Ignoring their interaction, the blonde stared at Lindsay. "He and his girlfriend have been over for like... ever! I'm sure when he meets me, he'll completely get over that Cassy girl."
"Casey," Lindsay corrected. "She's a good friend of Chelsea's, I don't know why you're so rude!" Flushing slightly at her small outburst, she swallowed and shrugged. "I mean, I think it's rather romantic, in a sad tragedy type way."
"Romantic?" the blonde repeated. "Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah," Lindsey said, sighing wistfully. "Girl meets guy, girl changes guy, girl and guy fall madly in love, and well, then hearts are broken."
Snorting, the blonde rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that broken heart junk happened when he cheated on her." Crossing her arms, she cocked an eyebrow. "I bet she wasn't putting out. If he were with me, he'd never stray."
"I really don't think he's interested in dating right now," Lindsey told her, frowning. "I mean, he loved her so much..." she sighed.
Derek decided he liked Lindsey, possibly because she was for his relationship with Casey, or just because she was shy and rather quirky. He thought she'd be a great date for Sam, and hoped they really hit it off. He wouldn't mind her hanging out with his best friend; she wasn't a status grubber like her friend. He'd never really heard anyone express how they thought the relationship between he and Casey looked like, but he rather liked that she saw it as a love story, even though it had a tragic ending.
"Still does," Derek said, quietly.
"So you know Derek?" Lindsay asked, brightening.
Seeing the Diner up ahead, he pulled the wire and stood up. "I am Derek," he said. Glancing down at her, he smiled, noticing her look of pure shock. "Good luck with Sam, Lindsey." Waving, he walked off the bus and jogged over to the Diner, leaving the stunned girls alone as they just managed to scramble off the bus.
Walking inside, he smiled as the familiar bell rang above his head. Waving to his friends all milling around the jukebox, he walked to his booth and slid in. They were used to seeing him there on Sundays and knew not to bother him. This was the night that he was just Derek, the guy who loved a girl and lost her. He wasn't the guy they looked up to, or the guy girls hit on constantly. It was a known fact at the Diner that Sundays, Derek sat at his booth. This booth was off limits to everyone, along with his and Casey's song on the jukebox. People didn't challenge this, because the consequences were certainly enough to scare everyone off.
The one time a guy decided he was going to play the game and try and sit in Derek's booth, just to test his reaction, hadn't turned out to good for him. Derek freely kicked the crap out of the guy, after warning him twice that he didn't want to do what he was doing. When all that was returned was a smirk and a cocky comeback, Derek was pretty happy to wipe his smug look right off his face.
When a shadow fell over the table, Derek looked up to see Emily and Michael, holding hands. Emily smiled at him softly. "Hey," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "No Casey?" she asked, hopefully.
Derek shook his head, glancing at Michael. "Sorry I threatened to rip you apart," he said, shrugging. "I can be a little aggressive."
"It's no problem," Michael replied, holding his hand out for Derek to shake.
Taking it, Derek nodded. "Emily's a great girl," he told him. "Take care of her."
"I will," Michael replied, smiling at her.
Chuckling, Emily waved to him. "See ya, Derek," she said to him, a pitying smile on her face.
They walked away and Derek welcomed the alone time. Of course, he couldn't be lucky enough to just sit alone like people usually let him. No, it seemed all of his friends, or Casey's, had to come by and give their condolences at the dead relationship.
Sam walked over and smiled down at him, slightly uncomfortable. "I'm guessing Casey's not showing up anytime soon," he said, sadly.
"Not that I know of," Derek replied, grabbing a menu.
"You already know what you're going to order," Sam told him, shaking his head. Inhaling deeply, he let it out slowly. "I really thought you guys were going to figure things out."
Shrugging as if he didn't care, Derek kept his eyes on the menu. He didn't feel like talking about it right now, it was still too fresh. Hearing the bell at the door, he glanced up at his best friend. "Your date's here," he told him. "Her name's Lindsey, she's nice. Watch out for her friend, the blonde. She's a bitch," he said, honestly.
Looking up at the door, Sam's face slowly melted into a surprised and happy smile. "See ya later," he said, before sliding out of the booth and walking to the door.
Sighing with aggravation, Derek put the menu back in its place and glanced over at the counter, searching for Mac. Seeing the older man come out from the back, he waved and nodded.
Mac tipped his head in acknowledgment and turned to the cook. "Derek's back," he called.
"Deluxe and a chocolate milkshake, coming right up," the cook called back, a hint of laughter in his voice.
Running his hands through his hair, he leaned his elbows on the table and closed his eyes. One mistake had cost him everything. Now he was doomed to live out his Sundays all alone in a Diner, where everybody knew he was wallowing in his lost relationship. Students from different schools knew his story, his friends knew what happened now, and the good man who believed he and Casey were destined to be together, had his lifelong theory of knowing who was going to wind up with who dashed.
There was no way to truly apologize and get his meaning across. He couldn't give her insight to his thoughts, his soul. He could only promise her, top to bottom, that he would never, ever make such a stupid mistake again. He wouldn't even look at another girl, if only she'd take him back. If only she'd accept him into her heart once more and forgive him.
Clenching his jaw, he exhaled loudly. He was so tired of all this; all these emotions running a muck with his usually clear mind. In the past, he never had to deal with this kind of thing. He only had two things to worry about; hockey and who he felt like making out with any given day. And even then, the latter wasn't really a worry, so much as a question.
The bell dinged again in the background and Derek vaguely heard a lot of whispering in the background; shocked and interested in whoever had entered. The song playing in the background ended, and a familiar tune picked up. Derek frowned, nobody played that song but him; even a new person to the regular Sunday night Diner crowd would have been warned not to play that song. Lifting his head, he was about ready to tear someone's head off.
I had no choice but to hear you, You stated your case time and again, I thought about it
Just as he was about to slide out of the booth and rip someone a new one, he saw her. His face cleared of all possible emotion and his pulse quickened. Swallowing, he simply stared at her. Suddenly all of the surprised whispers made sense; it was only right for his peers to take notice of his ex-girlfriend making an appearance at the infamous Diner while he was there.
Her deep blue eyes locked on his as she slid into the booth across from him, turning to her side she waved at Mac.
"One banana shake," he said, winking. "Coming right up."
Looking back at him, she let out a shaky breath.
Staring at her in confusion, he leaned back in the booth. "Why are you here?" he asked, quietly.
It wasn't that he wanted her to leave, but rather, he didn't think she'd come back. He figured after the morning, things would go back to how they were before. His spiteful words wouldn't hold what they used to towards her; in fact, he'd probably drop the charade entirely. He didn't expect her to come back to him though; especially not there at the Diner.
"I wanted to talk to you," she told him, looking down at the table.
"I thought you said all you needed to say," he stated. "Your last goodbye was pretty obvious."
Closing her eyes, she wiped at her face, ridding her cheeks of the tears that began to fall. "I- I told my mom, about us," she said, softly.
Running his hands over his face, he chuckled slightly. "That's alright, I told my dad last night." Leaning forward, he crossed his arms and put them on the table. "Is that all you came to say? A small warning so I don't walk in to find her yelling at me for no apparent reason?"
You treat me like I'm a princess, I'm not used to liking that, You ask how my day was
Shaking her head slowly, she looked down at her hands. "No," she told him, her voice quivering. Swallowing, she looked back up at him. "I want to trust you," she told him. "I want to believe that you would never do it again. That you'd never hurt me again." Her voice broke, and she closed her eyes to try and collect herself.
Staring at her, he had to stop himself from reaching out. He knew she'd just pull away and he'd feel even worse. "I can't make you believe me," he said, honestly. "I can't show you that I'll never do it again." Looking up, he stared into her eyes seriously. "I can only tell you that seeing how much it hurt you, broke my heart. And that I don't ever want to see you in that kind of pain again."
Her lips quivered uncontrollably and her hands shook on the tabletop.
Unable to stop himself, Derek let go and covered her hands with his. "Hey," he called softly, causing her eyes to come up to his. "We had a good time together," he told her.
Inhaling deeply, she nodded, tears spilled over from the sharp movement. "A great time," she agreed.
Their five dates, save for the moment he lost her, happened to be the most fun he'd ever had with someone. Sometimes, he wondered if it were all just a dream; wishful thinking on his part. As if he could possibly have a relationship with her; the beautiful, intelligent, and perfect Casey. In his dreams, she loves him. But in reality, she hates him. He knew this wasn't the case; his dreams and his life had merged together, not entirely nicely though. While he had her, real and true, he lost her. He wouldn't lose the memories they shared though; even if they seemed like some fanciful dream. He'd hold tightly to them, keeping them close to his heart and cherishing them for all they were worth.
Smiling lightly, Derek nodded. "I'll never forget that," he said, honestly. "I could never forget what I had with you."
Inhaling sharply, she let it out in a gasp-like sound. "I don't want to lose you," she said, staring at him searchingly.
"You'll never lose me," he said, squeezing her hands. "I'll always be right there in the room next door."
Frowning, Casey shook her head. "What about when you move out? Go to college and become a millionaire!" she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, then you'll just have to move into the guest room of my mansion, obviously," he said, smirking.
Cocking an eyebrow, she sniffled, smiling through her sadness. "Which one? The one in France or the one hidden in a secluded part of Ontario?"
Rubbing his thumb over her skin, he smiled lightly. "Wherever you want," he said, quietly. "As long as you're there."
Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole, You're so much braver than I gave you credit for, That's not lip service
Letting go of his hands, she lifted hers to wipe at her tears but he beat her to it. His hands cupped her cheeks as he brushed away the warm beads, full of sadness, regret, and likely wishes for the future. Running his hand down her face, he pressed his thumb against her bottom lip. "I wish we could stay like this," he whispered.
Looking up, hoping to stop the tears teetering on the end of her lashes, she sighed. "But I must look awful," she mumbled, sniffling.
She couldn't look awful if she tried; he'd seen her sick, seen her when she had just woken up with her hair a mess and her eyes half closed. Still, no matter what happened to her, he'd always see her as stunning. She could never look less than gorgeous in his eyes and nothing would change that view.
"You're always beautiful," he told her, smiling. "Even with red, puffy eyes and a runny nose."
Chuckling, she shook her head.
Clasping his hands together over the table, he licked his lips. There was a question that had been nagging at his mind for far too long, and he needed to know her answer. "Do you think we'd still be together if I hadn't... royally messed up?" he wondered, keeping his eyes on his hands.
Nodding slowly, she sighed. "Yeah," she told him. "I think we could've made it."
Swallowing, he glanced up at her. "How far?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she queried, lifting a curious eyebrow.
"How far do think we could've made it?" he wondered, biting his lip for a moment. "Where did you see us going?"
Sighing, Casey tipped her head to one side. Smiling in a wistful manner, she shook her head. "I guess I thought one day we'd get married and have kids." Chuckling slightly, she shrugged. "You'd run your business and I'd become a writer or something. After college of course," she said, simply.
"School comes first," he muttered, smirking. Becoming somber, he looked up at her. "You don't think that anymore though?" he asked. "You don't... think we could ever get back together?" He tried to steady his voice and keep it void of the high hopes he possessed still; as sad as they were. "That we could still have that future?"
You are the bearer of unconditional things, You held your breath and the door for me, Thanks for your patience
Looking up at him, she tried to catch his eye but he was too nervous to look at her. Reaching out, she covered his hands with hers. "I'll always want that," she told him, quietly. "But the reality of it all, is that it's unlikely it will happen for us."
Inhaling deeply, Derek nodded almost imperceptibly. Finally raising his gaze to hers, he stared at her. "Why?"
Sighing, Casey shook her head. "I'd always have doubts. I'd always wonder if you were having those worries; that you weren't good enough and that was reason for you to go to someone else."
"But I won't," he told her, sternly. "I know I'm not good enough for you," he told her, honestly.
"Yes you are, Derek," she said, shaking her head. "You are incredible, I don't know why you can't see that. Just because you don't get the best grades in school doesn't mean you're stupid; I know you're not. You're going to go to college and start your own business. I know it," she said, nodding. "You just have to find something that interests you."
Squeezing his hand, she sighed. "And you're so much fun; but only when you need to be. That was part of the reason I enjoyed being with you. You knew when to be funny and when not to be. You could be there when I really needed to talk, or make me laugh when I was upset."
Reaching out, she brushed his bangs off his forehead. "And you're so handsome," she told him, smiling softly. "Even if you're sometimes a bit too absorbed in loving yourself," she joked. "You really have reason to be, because if I could, I'd never stop staring into your eyes and running my hands through your hair." Swallowing, she shook her head. "But it's not just how you look on the outside, because you're such a sweet guy. With Marti and even people you don't know; you can be so nice and adoring."
He was blown over by her faith for him, he had no idea that she really believed in him. He never really thought of them that way, he thought he came off as that superior jerk most of the time. Rather cocky, not so smart, and a bit of a narcissist. But she really saw good in him, which may have also brought up why he enjoyed being with her, because she didn't just see his outward self.
Even though she was still saying all of this, her doubts hadn't been squashed. Lifting her hand a bit, he held it tightly. "I know I did the stupidest thing possible," he said, staring at her, "but I also know that I won't ever do it again."
"You may think that now, but I'm sure you didn't go to the party believing you were going to cheat," she said, tiredly.
"You're right," he told her, shaking his head. "I didn't see it coming at all; I honestly thought that there was nobody else I would ever want more than you."
Looking up at him, her brow furrowed.
"And when I messed up, I realized that there wasn't. There is nobody that I will ever want more than you. There is nobody who could compare to you," he told her, seriously. "You can walk away from me, from what we had, but I don't want you to walk away thinking that I loved you any less." Tangling his fingers with hers, he kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Derek-" she started.
You're the best listener that I've ever met, You're my best friend, Best friend with benefits, What took me so long
"No," he said, squeezing her hand to stop her. "I was stupid," he said, honestly. "I let you go and I shouldn't have. I broke you heart, when all I wanted was to hold on to it forever. I made you cry and I wasn't there to wipe your tears." Sighing, he inhaled a breath of courage. "Losing you was the worst thing that could happen to me. Knowing I hurt you, was the hardest thing to comprehend."
Clenching his jaw, he swallowed. "When I met you, you were the most incredible girl I'd ever had the chance to speak to. I was instantly drawn to you, and I think you felt that too." Running his thumb over the bottom of her palm, he watched her blue eyes and noticed tears coming up. "For a week, I knew what perfection was. I knew what love was, and I couldn't have been happier."
Closing his eyes, he willed the burning sensation to go away. Opening them, he bit his lip and hoped she didn't see his chin as it shook. "There is no one out there, that will ever love you like I do. There is nobody that I could possibly love like I do you."
Looking away for a moment, he gathered up what was left of his shattered heart and turned back. "If I could erase everything I did and go on forever, being with you, I would." Gulping, he licked his lips and clenched his jaw for a moment. "If I could show you that I will truly never make that mistake again, I would." His heart was beating somewhat erratically and he tried to calm down but found he couldn't. "If you let me love you forever, I will."
You've already won me over in spite of me, And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet, Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are, I couldn't help it, It's all your fault
Casey let her tears freely fall now, ignoring them and the watching eyes. Staring at him, she saw nothing but complete honesty. His dark eyes held nothing but a promise of true love and a sense of worry that he'd be rejected once more.
Derek had made a mistake, a big one mind you, but he apologized and she truly believed he meant it. He wasn't just saying it, because if that were the case, he likely wouldn't have bothered. He had put himself through enough pain and Casey was finally ready to let go of hers. She never let go of her dreams of being with him, nor did she let go of the love she possessed for him. She was just waiting for the moment that she would have him back; the moment she knew he was back for good and wouldn't be leaving her, not ever.
Inhaling deeply, she smiled lightly. "Yes," she murmured.
His eyes seemed to widen for a moment and then his brow fused together. "Yes?" he asked, shaking his head slightly.
Nodding very slowly, she felt her tears stop. "I'll let you love me forever," she told him, quietly.
Swallowing, Derek shook his head in disbelief. "Really?" he asked, almost inaudibly.
"Really," she confirmed.
He was out of his seat and leaning across the table before she could smile. His lips pressed against hers in a burst of happiness and surprise. His fingers thread into her hair, holding her neck and pulling her closely. Casey wrapped her arms around his neck, running her hands in his red-brown hair and enjoying the perfection his mouth supplied.
Cheering rang out in the background, but it went unnoticed by the two.
The sound of someone clearing his throat, caused them to part and look to the side though.
Mac stared down at them knowingly and slid their food onto the table. "While you two eat, I'm going to go carve something into the wall," he told them, grinning.
Chuckling, Casey and Derek smiled at each other, adoringly.
Reaching across the table, Derek threaded their hands together. Playing with her fingers unconsciously, he sipped on his milkshake and stared at her. Picking up his burger, he held it out to her. "Take a bite," he told her, nodding.
Sighing, Casey rolled her eyes. "I'm not hungry," she said.
Smiling, he waved it in front of her. "And not a small one either," he told her, cocking an eyebrow.
Laughing, she leaned in and bit off a nice size chunk. Covering her mouth and chuckling through her food, her eyes sparkled with happiness.
Matching her bite, Derek shook his head. Leaning in, he kissed her chastely. "I ruv woo," he said, through a full mouth.
Nodding, she rolled her eyes. "That was incredibly romantic," she muttered.
Swallowing, he licked his lips and grinned. Picking up her hand, he pressed his mouth against her palm and ran her fingertips over his lips, kissing each one. "I love you," he said, softly.
Cupping his cheek, she smiled. "I know you do," she said, chuckling.
Throwing a fry at her, he laughed.
Grabbing a few fries off his plate, she tossed them at him, chuckling.
Smiling lightly, she sipped some of her shake and watched him eat with a small smile tugging at his mouth. "I love you too," she said, sincerely.
"Who doesn't?" he stated, smirking. Glancing down at his food, he looked back up. "What about Nora and my dad?"
Shrugging, Casey sighed. "Whatever they decide," she started, holding his hand tightly, "won't effect us."
Nodding, Derek looked down into his shake and then back up at her. "So, when do we get to make up?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Laughing, Casey shook her head and stole a fry, this time to eat instead of throw. "Shut up and eat your food, it's getting cold."
Hours later, after chatting with friends, Mac, and dancing to a few songs from the jukebox, they finally took a bus home. And this time, Derek had no problem looking out the window at the couples still walking the streets, holding onto each other for dear life. He had Casey, and that was all that mattered. Tightening his arm around her shoulders, he glanced down at her face as it snuggled against his neck. The bus stopped right across from their house, some time near ten at night.
Taking her hand, he looked at her appreciatively.
Squeezing his hand, she smiled at him. "We stand firm," she told him, nodding.
Crossing the street, they walked up to the door and opened it, ready to face the music and not caring what their parents had to say. In the end, he knew that Casey wasn't going anywhere. Whether their parents agreed or not, whether they forbid them to date or allowed them with a set of firm rules, he didn't care.
Derek's secret was out; he loved Casey before their parents got together, and he loved her still. Nothing was going to change that; not their parents, and not anything that happened in the future. Because he knew, somewhere deep in his heart, that one day he would be standing at an alter and she would be across from him, dressed in white and ready to marry him. There were no doubts; no worries that they wouldn't get their happy ending. It was inevitable; it was Fate. Casey and Derek were meant to be, because Mac is never wrong.
A/N Epilogue still to come; which I'm sure you'll all enjoy! Please review. I hope you liked how this turned out and I know that you all really wanted it to keep going, but it had to have an ending sometime. Thank you all for so many wonderful reviews! Please do so again, it would be great to reach 300, you know, not that I'm hinting or anything. -winks-
