Part nine

Running. She was running. She didn't know exactly where she was but that didn't matter. Right now all she wanted to do was run and get lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere. She looked around. She was no longer in town. She was in one of those small vineyards that surrounded it. She suddenly came to a stop trying to catch her breath. For the second time this morning she unsuccessfully tried to fight away the tears. Falling down to the ground she rested her back against a large tree as she just let them fall down, making uneven patterns on the dry ground.

How could she have been so stupid? He was every girl's dream. He could have anyone he wanted. Of course he had someone. He had a very perfect someone. An Isabella freaking Rossellini. And they were getting married. Happily ever after – married.

She'd known better than to get her hopes up, to expect last night to actually mean something. But in the end it hurt just the same. She knew Addison had probably been right. He was getting back at her. He'd been using her to get back at his girlfriend. Of course he would.

She sighed as she stared up into the sky. She should've known.

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He'd gone everywhere in town he could think of. He'd even tracked Liam down, but he hadn't seen her. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was definitely how to avoid him. He eventually parked his car in the outskirts of town and got out. He kicked the tire of his car in frustration. He was so stupid. He should've told his mother that he'd broken up with Addie. He should've known she wouldn't back off that easily. And he shouldn't have slept with his baby sister's best friend.

She was young, beautiful and carefree. He shouldn't have got her tangled up in his mess. He should've let her be. He'd been selfish. Taken what he wanted. The problem was just that it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He needed more. He needed her next to him. The smell of her. The sound of her giggle. The feel of her pressed up against him as she slept. The look in her eyes as he pushed her over the edge.

He looked at his watch. He'd been away for a while. But he couldn't go home. Not yet. He started to walk south, towards the Dandridge vineyard, trying desperately to calm his nerves.

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"You know I could get you arrested for trespassing."

She didn't bother to even look up. She just continued to stare at the ground in front of her. "Be my guest."

The man chuckled slightly and came to sit down next to her. "You're not okay." He said quietly.

She looked up at him. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. Not piercing blue like Derek, but light blue. And he seemed kind. "No, I'm not," she admitted.

Usually she'd insist upon being absolutely fine. But she was too tired, too emotionally exhausted to argue with this stranger who'd just intruded her personal space. He was right. She wasn't okay.

He reached out his hand and draped it over her shoulder, pulling her to him. She thought about fighting it. But instead she gave in. She rested her on his shoulder. Usually when life's disappointments intruded her life she'd deal with it alone. Allie had been there, when they weren't thousands of miles apart. And now there was a strange man here. Someone who didn't ask. Someone who'd just let her rest her head on his shoulder. It felt nice.

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Derek continued to walk feeling dry sun burning his skin. He didn't care where he was going, or how long it'd been. He just kept on walking, guilt and frustration cursing through him. He couldn't even make sense of it. He barely knew her, he'd only met her a few of weeks ago. And it wasn't as if they'd spent long hours together. But there was that need. It was absurd, he knew that much. But it didn't change the fact that he needed her. It was almost primal. And yet it wasn't just lust, though it may have seemed that way.

He continued to walk amongst the plants of the old vineyard. He couldn't go home yet. He couldn't face Addie yet. He just needed to figure this out.

As he walked towards the old oak tree near the edge of the land he noticed two figures sitting on the ground beneath it. He recognized the boy as Finn Dandridge, Mr. Dandridge's youngest son. He didn't really know him, but he knew of him. He was a good kid. From Derek's angle he couldn't really see the other person but assumed it was his girlfriend judging from the way he held her. Derek smiled to himself. At least some people found what they were looking for, he thought.

He was about to turn around and walk away when he noticed something. The indigo blue of the girl's dress. So he stopped and took a closer look. He looked at the long legs that came from underneath the dress. Recognizing those legs he walked a little closer, all the while making sure they wouldn't see him. Then he saw the honey-blonde hair. He felt his breath hitch in his throat. It was her. Meredith. She lay ther comfortably with her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping, and he held her close.

Turning around quickly he tried to catch his breath, fighting the tears that threatened to escape from his tear ducts. How could he have been so stupid? She didn't care. He was just like any other boy to her. Like Liam had been last night. Like Finn was now. She didn't care. She'd really been playing. It had just been a game all along. And boy had she played with him. What started as shock and hurt soon developed into anger as he began to run. Run away from her. From what she'd done to him. He didn't stop until he reached his car, jumping in he drove as fast as his conscience would let him back home.