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Aftermath
Chapter 13: End of the Road
Oh my god… They're still married! How! Meredith's mind raced as she struggled to pull air into her lungs. He was still married…. Still married to his first wife… This can't be happening, this is all a big nightmare… I'll wake up and I'll be in bed and I'll laugh it all off… She told herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she re-opened them, she'd be at home, in bed. She opened them a minute later. No luck. She gulped in deep breaths, torn between running to the other end of the boat and staying where she was. Really, there wasn't any doubt as to what she was going to do. No way was she going to miss this conversation.
"It feels like yesterday." He said, the papers now in front of them, the pen resting on the table.
"What?" She asked, turning to meet his gaze. He smiled softly, leaning back in his chair.
"The day we met. I remember it like it was yesterday." He responded, his eyes taking in the scenery around him.
"Funny you should mention that. I heard a story about that day." She told him, bringing his attention back to the present.
"What did you hear?" He asked, his voice lower, his eyes suspicious.
"I'm guessing you have an idea as to what I'm talking about, based on your expression." She guessed, an eyebrow raised at his expression.
He swallowed words in his mouth. He knew when to talk, and he most definitely knew when to listen.
"I bumped into Mark at the airport. He told me the truth about that day. You knew who I was." She said matter of factly. He was silent for several long moments.
"I did. Mark always talked about you, how great you were, how gorgeous you were. He wanted me to see you and I was curious about you. So I came up and there you were. You were everything Mark said, and more. He was supposed to make a move, but he didn't, so I did." Derek told her, twisting one of the chopsticks around in his hands.
"You could have told me." She said at last, breaking the momentary silence.
"Would it have made a difference?" He returned, meeting her gaze.
"Who knows? You know that's why he went after Addison." She told him, waiting to see
his response to that.
"I figured as much. He wanted to get back at me any way he could. So he went after her. I guess he didn't plan on falling for her. That's why he's here, right? To take her back." Derek said, his voice void of all emotion.
"That doesn't bother you?" She asked, surprised at his lack of emotion.
"I've seen her cell phone bills. They've been talking for months." He admitted, his voice low.
"You've been spying on her?" Erica asked, surprised at the revelation.
"I could do worse than spy on her." He retorted, leaning back and crossing her arms.
"You already have." A voice came. Both Derek and Erica looked up at the third party.
"Meredith." Derek breathed.
"You've done so much worse than she has Derek. She cheated and that was wrong. But you, you neglected your first wife, married Addison because you were lonely and missed Erica. Then you left Addison, came here, slept with me, started dating me, and didn't tell me anything about your past relationships. Then Erica shows up, you find out you're still married and decide to keep it a secret. I should've known. I had the right to know. So did Addison. And you kept it to yourself. So the way I see it, you either didn't trust me enough or care enough. So which is it?" Meredith asked, her voice getting louder and louder with each word she spoke.
"Answer her Derek." Erica commanded quietly. She knew Meredith had painted him into a corner, and now, he needed to step up. But he couldn't. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't move.
"Shit or get off the pot." Erica hissed softly. He needed to come up with something and fast.
"Forget it. Your lack of a response is answer enough. Just leave me alone Derek. I'm done. This... Whatever this is….. I'm out, I'm done, it's over." Meredith said angrily as she strode to the end of the boat.
It was at that moment that Erica realized what exactly was going on. She may never stop loving her first husband, and he may never stop loving her, but it wasn't the same kind of love Meredith and Derek shared. The opposite of love isn't hate. Hate is an emotion, it means you still feel something for the other person. No, the opposite of love is indifference. When you stop feeling, that's when it's time to pack it in.
"Sign. Sign now. RIGHT NOW. Or so help me God Derek, I will throw you overboard and tell your wife exactly who her husband is really married to." Erica threatened, her voice low.
He silently picked up the pen to sign. "What's the point in even trying anymore? She doesn't want me near her." He said as he flipped to the back page.
"She does. If she didn't, she'd never have said anything Derek. Sign them and then you need to figure out how to fix this." She told him.
He took one last hard look at the woman across the table from him. She'd always pushed him to the brink, always pushed him past the point of no return. He sighed and put pen to paper.
Once he was done, he slid them across the table to her. She quickly scrawled her name on the signature line, hoping the faster she signed, the less she'd think about it.
OK, so there it is. Thoughts?