Chapter Six.

When Casey was riding with Emily to school, Emily kept trying to ask why the sudden ride to school, but Casey just pretended to be sleeping hoping she wouldn't ask anymore. When they got to school, Emily pulled on Casey's arm as they got to their locker looking angry.

"Okay Case, spill now. You call up suddenly asking for a ride to school, not explaining why you need a ride. I know it's about Derek. It's always about Derek, so why don't you just tell me" Emily said quickly as she put some books in her locker. Casey looked at her and then fell back against the locker next to theirs and slid onto the floor.

"I don't know just a lot happened yesterday night, and I don't know how to explain it. I don't know what's happening and it's his fault!" She yelled out.

"Case, tell me. I'm your best friend. I can't help you if you don't exactly tell me what's up."

"Okay, I'll tell, but please don't be mad at me. I don't want you to hate me." Casey said as she looked at her best friend.

"I promise. Okay now go." Emily said.

"I think I may have feelings for Derek." Casey said as she waited to Emily to throw a tantrum and call her a bitch. But Emily just smiled at looked at her.

"That's it? Sorry Case, but I already knew you felt something for him for so long. You both show your guys feelings. You both are just really blind." Emily said laughing.

"Are you serious? Am I that obvious? And I think Derek may like me."

"May...? No, 'May' is an understatement. He does like you. You don't see the way he looks at you. I know for a fact, that he likes you. After all the girls he's gone for, he has never acted this way towards anyone, besides you." Emily said as she closed her locker and sat next to Casey on the floor. Casey had her head in her hands. "And besides, it me you're talking to. I basically know Derek's relationship with anyone."

"Well, he somewhat told me about how he felt." Casey said rubbing her eyes.

"What? What happened!" Emily squealed making Casey smile for the first time that morning.

"We were awake early in the morning and we first were laughing and joking around, then he started tickling me leading to an awkward position. Anyways-"

"Nu uh… what do you mean awkward position?" Emily asked starting to grin. Casey just rolled her eyes.

"He was straddling me on the couch. Anyways, we ended up getting in an argument again. And I ended up asking what he wanted from me, and his answer was something I can't have… what the hell does that mean?" Casey asked aggravated and confused.

"Are you serious?" Emily almost yelled out. "You seriously are that blind? Can't you see? He's into you. He has feelings that he's never had for anyone before. He wants you. And he can't have you because he thinks you hate him." Casey's mouth just dropped.

"What do I do though? Sam told me I should tell him, but I don't want him to reject me. And what will our family and everyone else think about it? They'll look at it as incest, disgusting, and wouldn't want to talk to us. They'll disown us." Casey said as she started to walk away.

"Case, when you're with him, how do you feel?" Casey took a moment to think about what to say before replying. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to see Derek and Sam near their lockers talking. Emily saw her gazing their way and then heard her finally answer.

"I feel excited. It's nothing I've ever felt. He's inconsiderate, a pig, a player, and jerk. Yet he's sweet, and nice, and there for you when you need you. He's reliable, and oh my gosh I'm falling for him." She said out loud as she started hitting her head.

"Case, don't worry about it, it'll come out right in the end. I know it." Emily said. "Tell him how you feel. It'll get easier afterwards. And don't trip about your feelings about him and what others may think. It's not incest, because you've known each other for what a year? And you guys aren't blood related. Are you really going to let a reputation take over your life?" Emily asked. Casey shook her head.

At Derek's locker, Sam was trying to comprehend exactly what yesterday and this morning.

"So let me get this straight; you straddled her, pinned her against the wall, and then almost kissed her?" Sam asked incredulous.

"Yup, and I told her I basically want her but can't have her." Derek replied back as he leaned against his locker looking over towards Emily and Casey's locker where Casey was banging her head and Emily, trying to console her.

"So what did she do when you told her?"

"I walked away, before she could say anything." Derek said as he lowered his head.

"When are you going to tell her exactly what you really feel?"

"Come on Sam, she would never care about a guy… like me." He said looking down at himself. He felt a smack on the back of his head and looked up angry and confused.

"The hell was that for Sam?"

"Cause you're an idiot. You have her. She doesn't want anyone else. Her and me ended our relationship for you and her to happen. She dumped Max for you. And you stopped dating other girls, cause of her. You are seriously in denial right now, and it's pissing the shit out of me." Sam said aggravated with Derek. Derek sighed annoyed with himself.

"Alright, alright, so what do you want me to do?"

"Go over there, and do what you got to do, because I'm tired of seeing you both try to hide your guys feelings, whenever EVERYONE sees what you both don't see," Sam explained as he started walking over towards Casey and Emily.

"What now?" Derek yelled out.

"No, next year, of course right now." Sam shot back as he started shoving Derek towards Casey and Emily.

As they got closer to Casey and Emily, and Derek started to turn around. Sam caught him before he could speed walk away, "No, you tell her now that you want to talk later." Derek looked down and sighed and then nodded.

Emily was still convincing Casey to tell Derek how he feels. Casey saw Derek and Sam approaching and pinched Emily.

"Ow what was that for?!" She yelled glaring. Casey looked at the boys, which Emily followed and immediately shut up. Casey tried to walk away, but Emily held onto her arm.

Derek walked towards her very slowly, and Sam got annoyed at his action that he shoved him, and he it was a little too hard making Derek fly and shove Casey against the wall with him. He looked down at her and their eyes locked. They stayed like that for a while till Derek turned towards Sam and glared at him. He only received a smirk from his best friend. Not to self, kill Sam, he thought to himself. He moved back away from Casey and then began to speak.

"Um, hey Case, can I talk to you later at home?"

"About what?" she asked nervously.

"Just, can we talk later?" He asked, running his hand through his hair.

"Uh, sure whatever." She replied and walked away with Emily to class.

"See was that to hard?" Sam joked. Derek shoved him.

"Shut up man. You better be right about this," he threatened with his angered eyes. Sam just shook his head and began walking away.

"You'll thank me later… both of you will."

Later after school, both Casey and Derek were both nervous to speak to each other. Wait a minute, why am I being all nervous, Casey thought as she got home. No one was home yet, since Derek had to talk to one of his teachers, then the little ones weren't going to be home for a while. She walked upstairs and into her room and put on music, and then fell on her bed.

About half an hour later Derek came home. Okay here we go, he thought as he went into the kitchen to look for Casey. She wasn't in there so he went upstairs and into her room to find her sleepy peacefully. He smiled to himself as he walked over to her and lightly pushed her.

"Case wake up," she stirred and then he saw he blue eyes.

"Huh? What do you want Derek," Casey asked, wanting to fall back asleep.

"I need to talk to you, now. I need to get this off my chest, before I won't be able to say it later on," he explained as sat on her bed next to her when she sat up.

"Alright, speak," she said as she started to fix her hair and put it up in a messy bun, thought it looked really good in Derek's mind.

"Right, right," Derek said as they sat there in silence.

About a couple of minutes later, "Well that was a great talk Derek, love to do it again," Casey said sarcastically as she stood up from her bed and began walking out of her room, but Derek's voice stopped her.

"Okay, wait. I just don't know how to say this" Casey made a fake shocked face.

"You, Derek Venturi out of words? I find that hard to believe," Casey said as she turned back around and sat back on her bed obviously annoyed.

"Yeah, mock me here," Derek said glaring at her.

"Alright, whatever. What does it have to do with?" Casey asked, trying to help him out. Derek sat there and wouldn't answer. Casey inhaled and exhaled sharply getting really annoyed now. "If you aren't going to talk then why the hell are you here for?"

"I'm here to talk to you."

"Then talk." Casey yelled out getting mad. Again he just sat there. "Gosh you're so damn frustrating!"

"Well you're not fantastic either," Derek said as he stood from the bed.

"Whatever jerk. Get out, you're wasting my time," she spat out. Derek glared at her and threw a pillow at her.

"I'll get out when I want to."

"What the hell is your damn problem? First your all asshole like, then all nice like. Be one damn person!" Casey yelled out.

"You want to know what my problem is?" Derek yelled back standing up making Casey stand up also.

"Well obviously if I asked you then I would want to know," Casey replied rolling her eyes.

"My fucking problem is you!" Derek yelled out, face turning red.

"What the hell did I do to you? If anyone should have a problem with anyone it should be me having a problem with you! Ever since I came here you've been a jerk to me. You were always nice to Lizzie, but you me, you treated me like dirt. Not even dirt. You treat me like crap. Why do you have to be a damn jerk" she said getting in his face.

"Because it's just who I am," he replied getting more in her face. "And I act like that because I can't have you!" Derek yelled out giving away his secret even more.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

"What does that mean? It means I hate the way you're my stepsister. I hate the way I'm stuck being an asshole towards you because it's what keeps me going. And you know what I especially hate?!" Derek yelled on the top of his lungs. "I fucking hate the way I have to act like I don't fucking love you, when I do every single day!"

Casey gasped when he finished that sentence. She stood there, eyes widened, getting all teary. "What?"

Derek slouched, and fell on her bed. "I fell in love with you Case. I don't know why, but I did. I was supposed to hate you, I was supposed to stay in the phase where we just argued and hated each other. But you get all cute when you'd get mad at me, and you're beautiful. And it's not just because of your beauty… no, it was because of you compassion and your love for others. I mean you despise me, and you helped me though a lot. You always help Lizzie, and you're there for Marti and Nora. Then all my negative feelings turned into warm and fuzzy kinds," Derek said and looked up Casey who was just standing there staring at him. He took a breath and then continued his confession.

"Sam got it out of me a couple of weeks about to finally admit to him my feelings for you. I started liking you about a month after you moved in, if you wanted to know. He told me everyone could see it, except both of us, but I didn't want to admit to myself my feelings for you. When you thought those things you did annoyed me, believe me, I wanted it to be annoying, but it ended up making me feel more interested in you. You made me feel like I was alive in out fights. You make me want to be a better guy. I want to be that better guy for you." Derek said as he let everything out. He looked up to see her in tears. "I'm sorry to make you cry."

Casey sat beside him and looked at her hands. She sighed before she spoke.

"You were always the inconsiderate one to me. In my eyes you're selfish, a jerk, the devil, my enemy, and I could go on. But despite everything, I also had feelings for you for a while. So many times I tried to ignore it, but it never went away. Lizzie figured it out, as well as Emily. Sam and I broke up because he knew I wasn't really in it like he was. He saw that my feelings were for you. And I tried to deny it so many times, yet he got it out of me. So many times I tried to hate you and to deny my feelings for you, yet the fights, and the arguments we had made me like you more. I hate the way you have an affect on me. I'm always defensive around you, because I'm afraid that you'd look in my eyes and see the things I was really feelings; the desire, the attraction and passion." Casey said still looking down at her hands. She took a long sigh and then looked up at Derek. He had a look in his eyes that she's never seen before. She bit her lip then continued,

"I… I fell in love with you. And I'm terrified. Terrified that it happened, and that as much as I deny it, it always will be true. The more I think about it, the more I know it's true. You make me feel all sorts of new things. It was supposed to be only loath, hatred, self-disgust, but I still was attracted to you. I finally was able to say to myself that you are attractive. Falling in love with you has got to be the stupidest things I've ever down, but I don't regret it one bit. It may be impossible and immoral. I never wanted to tell you, because I felt like you'd think I'm some sick gross girl you'll have to be living with." Casey was in tears by the end of her speech. Derek smiled at her and reached for her hand and entwined it.

"Case, I'll never hate you, or think your sick or gross. As much as I try, I'll never feel like that towards you," he said smiling a real genuine smile. Casey smiled and Derek reached over and moved his lips towards hers. He felt her smile in the kiss as he pulled on her hips and pulled her on his lap. When they broke off, their foreheads were touching, with them breathing hard. Derek gave a peck on her lips.

"I love you Case."

"I love you too.

"And Case?" Derek said out of breath.

"Yeah?"

"Remind me to thank Sam later on," and with that smashed his lips to hers, both finally getting to show their feelings for each other.