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I pulled back and looked down at him.

Quickly, we stood and went in to check on Bella. I picked her up and motioned to Derek to get her bottle. I laid her down on the changing table and changed her diaper. Derek came back a moment later with a bottle. When I held her in my arms to feed her she wouldn't take it.

"When did you feed her last?" I asked him.

"I tried to right after you left and just before you came back but she wouldn't eat."

"Oh god. She's warming up." I pressed my hand to her skin. "Get a wet cloth." I told him and he hurried off. I could see the worry in his eyes and I was sure my eyes mirrored them. Bella started whimpering. I laid her down on the bed and Derek came back in with the washcloth. I pressed it to her forehead. "I think there's a thermometer in the kitchen drawer." He went out to grab it and came back in not a moment later. I put the thermometer under her arm held it there. Finally, it beeped. 101.5, it read.

"I'm gonna call her doctor." He ran out of the room and grabbed his cell phone. He came back in not a second later. "Hello. Dr. Aden? This is Derek Venturi. Isabella Venturi's dad." he paused and listened. "She's got a temperature of 101.5." he paused again. Fear totally engulfed me and I reached out to take his hand. He laced our fingers together and tried to reassure me by kissing my knuckle. "We put a wet towel on her forehead." I looked down at my sick baby and felt a tear come to my eye. "Mhm." He lifted his hand still holding mine and gently wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Okay. Thanks. Bye." He hung up and held my hand tighter. "He told me to make sure she gets lots of fluids and keep her cool. He also suggested a bath."

"Okay. Uh…I should go draw a bath." I was pulling away but he didn't let go of my hand.

"Casey." I looked back at him. "Everything's going to be just fine." He stepped forward and kissed my forehead before walking into the bathroom and started the water. I stood there for a moment just staring at the floor before walking back over to Bella.

After her bath, I put her in a clean tee shirt and she seemed a little more comfortable. I put the washcloth back on her head and placed her in the crib. Derek came in the room and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Come on. You need some sleep. It's late."

I sighed and covered his arms with mine. I leaned back against him and rested my head back on his shoulder. We stood there for a moment before he slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to my exposed neck. My stomach jumped into my throat and my muscles tensed. I gasped and pulled out of his arms.

"I h-have to take care of Bella." I busied myself with folding some of her clothes. Derek put his hands over my shaking ones and stopped their movements.

"Go to bed. I'll take care of her." he said softly and took the clothes from me. I looked at him for a moment then nodded and walked over to the bed and laid down. Derek laid across from me so we faced each other.

I reached out and took his hand. We moved just a little bit closer until there was only half a foot between our faces. He reached out and stroked my cheek. I looked into his beautifully soft chocolate eyes. 'Hm.' I mused in my failing conciousness. 'Caleb was right. He does seem like he's in love.' I let my eyes slip closed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day I woke up alone. Disappointment filled me and I begged the Lord for it not to have been a dream. When I got up to get Bella her crib was empty I walked into the living room to see Derek on the couch flipping through the channels with Bella on his lap.

"Hey." I greeted. I went into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee.

"Hey." He said and Bella squeaked seeming to feel much better. "Good morning. Good day. Bonjour."

I smiled and sat down next to him. I pulled my legs up underneath me and leaned on his side resting my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around my shoulder. Bella raised her arms to me. I smiled and leaned forward nuzzling her nose.

"Casey, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

I looked up at him. He didn't look back at me. "What?"

"You know I'm turning eighteen soon and I'll be able to move out of our parents house."

"And you're going to move away." I concluded and a spike shot through my chest. I guess I'd always known it would happen eventually. Just hoped later rather then sooner.

"No. I was wondering if I could move in with you and Bella." He said glancing down at me.

I was a little shocked. "Derek, you still have your senior year of high school and college to go through."

"There's a great school a couple miles away from here. And the community college offers a course in law. By the time I get out of high school you'll be back at work again and I'll be able to afford the classes."

He'd really thought this through. "Well I'd love to have you move in with us. But what about Mom and George?"

"I haven't told them where you are. Just that you're doing well."

"You told me you wouldn't tell them anything!" I said furiously. "What did my mom say about Bella? Oh god she hates me doesn't she?"

"I didn't tell them anything about her."

"You-you didn't?" I asked in shock. Then lunged at him tackling him in a hug careful not to hurt Bell. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now can I move in?" that aura of cockiness surrounded him again.

"I guess." I chirped and released him from the hug. A giddy smile settled over my lips and the brightest smile I'd ever seen settled over his.

"Okay. I'll move in next week."

Caleb and I worked everything out. He eventually dropped the 'Derek' subject. Six months went by and we were still together. Caleb had decided to take me out to a fancier place then our norm. During dessert, Caleb looked at me.

"Casey, we've known each other for a little while now. I know this is soon and we're young but—," he stood then knelt down in front of me. Shock consumed me and I raised my hand to my mouth, which had fallen open. "Will you marry me?" he held up a beautiful ring. Three diamonds. I couldn't speak for a couple minutes. He was starting to look a little worried.

Finally, I choked out "Yes." He smiled and stood up enveloping me in a hug. When he pulled back, he delicately slipped the ring on my finger.

We headed back to his place to make love before I would go home. We'd started having sex almost every week. Caleb once said that he wanted me to bare his children. For some reason that really got to me. I started the pill to keep from getting pregnant by Caleb (and continued even after we'd been wed). Later that night I walked into my apartment. Derek was in the living room pacing around.

"Where's Bella?" I asked and set my purse on the coffee table.

"I put her to bed." He said and stopped pacing. "Casey I have to tel-," he started before his eyes settled on the ring. "Wh-what's that?"

I glanced down at my hand then back up at Derek. "Caleb proposed. We're getting married." I said but it sounded hollow. I've heard the feeling described a hundred times. When your boyfriend proposes to you, you're supposed to feel happy, light, whole.

When those words slipped past my lips I felt lost, confused, and a part of my heart was still untouched.

Derek stared at me for a second before grabbing his coat and heading out the door. "I'm going out." He grunted and left. I closed my eyes and sat down on the couch. That was not the way I wanted him to react.

But how did I want him to react? 'Oh wow Casey! Good for you! I guess this means I don't have to hang around this old ump anymore.'

After I'd cleaned, fed, and changed Bella I put her back in her crib and crawled into bed. Derek and I had taken to sleeping in the same bed. It was never in a sexual way. I told myself it was just because the bed was more comfortable than the couch.

The bed felt empty. It felt vast. It felt lonely. I wanted so badly for Derek to walk through that door and lay down beside me. But he never did. Finally I drifted off to sleep.

"You worthless piece of shit." The man yelled and slapped me across the face. "You never do anything right!" I knelt before him and took the abuse.

"Daddy stop!" I pleaded but he kicked me in the stomach.

"Don't you 'daddy stop' me. You deserve it. You deserve to be beaten every day of your life. You and that bastard child of yours!"

"Daddy," I sobbed and suddenly Derek's voice cut through everything.

"Casey! Casey wake up. Please wake up."

My eyes snapped open. Sweat was dripping down my face and body. The sheets were tangled around me. My clothes clung in the most uncomfortable way possible. The overhead light was on and Derek leaned over me. His hands were on my shoulders.

"Casey, tell me right now what that nightmare is about." He demanded. I lunged forward and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around my body and I sobbed into his chest.

"There's always this man. H-he stands in front of me and y-yells at me. He hits m-me and chokes me. I-I can never see h-is face but I think he's…my father." I started hiccupping and buried my face in Derek's chest.

"Shh…" he soothed. "It's okay. It's just a dream." He gently rubbed my back. We stayed like that for a couple minutes before Derek silently laid us back on the bed. He pulled the sheets over us and snuggled as close as he could to me. I draped my arm across his stomach and rested my head on his chest. I was more comfortable already. My eyes started to drop and I felt Derek reached up to turn the light off.

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