Chapter Ten

It's True, I Can't Go On Without You

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After Casey had left, Laine had continued her pattern. She just sat. Her hand soaked the coarse skin of Derek's.

She had never felt more alone that when Casey MacDonald had been in that room with them, because she knew that Casey was who Derek had been with before her.

There was a hint of jealousy on her behalf. Jealous because she knew that Casey had had him first.

It was silly for her to be jealous. After all, who had he chose? Who was he with now? Who had he been with longer? The thing that bothered Laine was just that. With Derek girlfriends came and went, and so would she. But Casey would be around forever, because not only were they lovers, but they were also brother and sister, and family bonds lasted forever, even if they were a merged family.

She buried her head, holding Derek's hand next to her cheek, kissing it gently. Now was not the time to be doubting herself and her's and Derek's relationship. She was being neurotic and reading too much into the situation.

Casey's visits had been nothing more than a concerned family member stepping in to see how her ill brother was doing.

George stopped by every day, and Nora twice a day, always bringing a kid with her. Except Marti. She was too young. And when they came to visit she was polite. She would give Derek's hand a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead, meeting his warm skin with her tender lips, and walked out the door. And then she would sit. Just sit in the hallway until they left.

It was never long, maybe forty-five minutes to an hour a day. There wasn't much that they could do for him. She thought that they came more because it was expected out of them, rather than them needing to. The real trip for Laine was when Edwin had come. Edwin had come into the room, not even giving Laine the slightest glance before sitting down in the leather upholstered chair. Laine left the room, but not before seeing Edwin pull our a hockey puck. She wasn't sure, but she must of sat in that hallway, on the cold tile floor that was unnaturally white for the greater part of the day. At least five hours. She was out there for so long, that she had actually fallen asleep. She never would of even known that the twelve-year-old had left, if she had not heard the heavy wooden door slam from behind her.

Laine closed her eyes slightly. Hope was with her. She was sure that Derek was going to wake up, but not before he was ready too. His body had lost a lot of blood, and it needed to replenish itself before opening those bedroom eyes to greet her once again.

She missed him so much. She missed his touch. She stood up, looking at his face, smoothing down his bangs. She grabbed a scrap of blanket as she pulled herself into his bed, placing his arm around her. She kissed his cheek, and closed her eyes. She could feel the love on his body, even if her wasn't there to show it. But he would be. One day.

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Casey had made it all the way up to her bedroom before slamming her door shut and collapsing onto the floor in a fit of compulsive sobs. Terrible was the only word that she could use to describe it. It was been terrible sitting with that girl, and it had been terrible sitting at the hospital. She stopped crying because she knew. The most terrible thing of all was relising that she was still in love with Derek.

She was just a girl who was in love with a boy who was in love with someone else. And Casey hated it. She tucked a tear soaked strand of hair behind her ear. She had promised herself that she would never fall for anyone that couldn't fall for her right back.

And what had she done?

She had probably picked the most terrible person to fall in love with.

For starters, Derek was her brother. Her brother for gods sake. What the hell had she been thinking? And not only that, but he was a player, too. He never stayed with one girl for too long. She knew this, but had still gone head over heels for him.

She hated him. She knew in her heart that she could never be with him again, for what he had done to her, and she hated him for it. What kind of person did that to another person? Who made someone fall for them, seduce them, make out with them in their car, all to hook up with another girl.

God, she hated him.

But then she would think of his smile. That goofy as hell smile, and that heartsick look he would get when he played too much Babe Raider. It would be these thoughts that would bring her back again.

But Derek had changed her, and she knew this. He would never be the same, and he would never be with her. That's when she started to cry again.

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His eyes flickered open, but immediately snapped shut. The light was blinding; absolutely and painfully blinding. But at the same time, it was beautiful, like the moonlight, and that caused him to open his eyes again. He felt eerily groggy, like he had been sleeping for a very long time.

The room was dark, except for that light that had stirred him from his slumber. He was unaware of his surroundings for a moment, and began to regain feeling in his limbs. The memories hit him in a powerful wave.

He looked at his wrists, his suspicions confirmed. His wrists were not bandaged or stitched, and the only sign of his attempted suicide were two scarred and jagged slits just above his wrist bone.

Suddenly, a chill went through his body.

Laine.

Where was she? Was she alright? How could he of been so selfish?

HE tried to get up, but became aware of a dead weight against his body. He looked and saw the only thing that he at the moment, had craved. He ran his hand through her blonde hair as she stirred. He was trying to be careful not to wake her, but he had not yet gotten acclimated to his body, and she arose.

Her eyes opened, meeting his. She looked at him unbelievingly. "It must be a dream-" She whispered.

"It's no dream-" Derek said as he stroked her hand with his thumb.

She broke down, just then in a fit of tears. "I was so scared-" She sobbed, barely audible, "So scared that you were never going to-"

"Shhhh-" Derek whispered to her, as he kissed her forehead. Eyes closed, promising himself never to forger this moment. "Everything's alright, baby." At that moment he was so crazy and happy and euphoric at the same time. He didn't know how he had ever left her. "I'll never do that again-" was all he said. "I'll never leave you again-"

And that was enough.

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Hey.

I think that I only have, like two or three chapters left before I am done with this.

Casey is comming back, and I hope that you like.

I am a little stuck on the ending though.

Aiden