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Instead, he just looked at Aurora as if she had lost her mind.

"What? No! I just didn't want you to be upset that I got so protective." Derek said.

Aurora felt her whole body relax.

"You tend to do that, ya know?" Derek teased. "And I didn't want you to think I just assumed that you were my girlfriend. Cause I haven't properly asked you to be mine."

"Be yours?" Aurora asked.

"Sorry. That's just how I operate. I want you to be mine, Aurora. And as you can tell, I'm possessive and extremely protective." Derek said. "Yes, I'm admitting to being both of those things." He spat when Aurora raised her eyebrows in a 'You don't say' manner. "That's the only reason I haven't asked you to be my girl. I know that it bothers you that I'm like that."

"It doesn't so much bother me as I'm not used to it." Aurora told him. "I've had one boyfriend in my entire life…"

Derek grumbled.

"And he was definitely not the kind of guy to care if I was around other guys or to be protective. As it turns out, I should have been the one concerned considering the fucking bitch cheated on me." Aurora said bitterly.

"That dumbass mother fucker cheated on you?" Derek fumed.

"It's okay Mountain Man. I'm better off without him. We weren't that serious. And he definitely wasn't the guy for me. Plus, if I was still with that loser I won't be standing here with you." Aurora smiled.

Derek returned the smile but still looked agitated.

"Speaking of the seriousness of a relationship, you and I are more serious after a couple of days of getting to know each other than Dylan and I were in five months. So, I really don't know how to handle…" Aurora paused searching for the words to explain her situation without being rude.

"You don't know how to handle me being extremely jealous and you think we might be moving too fast." Derek stated. "You can be honest Aurora. I know I'm…"

"Territorial?" Aurora offered.

Derek nodded letting out a deep breath. "I'm not trying to push you. And I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I just…I really enjoy being around you. And I really want to be your boyfriend."

"You haven't been that bad, honestly. I actually got sick pleasure out of making Dylan angry." Aurora admitted "You're first reaction to Ethan aggravated me however."

"You didn't tell me he was gay." Derek argued.

"Why should I have?" Aurora challenged.

Derek's nostrils flared in anger but he said, "You have a point."

"Like I said, I'm just not used to it." Aurora continued. "I think it's kind of cute that you care that much though."

"Really?" Derek smiled.

"I said kind of. In a creepy sort of way." Aurora giggled.

"Sorry…" He said letting out a sigh. "I've just never felt this way about someone before. And this might come as a shocker…" Derek continued his tone turning completely sarcastic, "but I haven't dated much…"

Aurora giggled.

"Oh Mountain Man. You mean to tell me the ladies aren't lining up down the block to go on cross-country hikes and trample through the forest in the middle of winter?" She mocked.

Derek huffed.

"I'm just joking. I actually find it extremely hard to believe that you don't have girls trying to bust down your door every two seconds." Aurora told him being completely serious.

"Well, it turns out not many girls dig guys who...How do you put it? Creep around in the woods." Derek said poking fun at Aurora.

"Really? Well that's their loss. Cause that's totally my type." Aurora teased. "And you should definitely ask me to be your girlfriend." She said smiling wide.

"I can't promise I won't be possessive and…territorial, as you put it." Derek told her.

"And I can't promise not to be defiant and roll my eyes at you when you freak out that another guy breathes the same air that I do." Aurora replied.

"Trust me when I tell you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you weren't your sassy little self. I can't lie…it's a pretty big turn on." Derek confessed with a smirk.

Aurora nearly died. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as her cheeks went a violent shade of red.

"Well since we are confessing our feelings...and even though I probably need all kinds of therapy for thinking this…It's pretty hot when you are all…territorial." She muttered.

Derek grabbed Aurora's hips and kissed her furiously. Aurora didn't have time to think; she just automatically threaded her fingers through Derek's hair and kissed him back. She pressed her body against Derek's, massaging her tongue against his. The kiss was hot and heavy, a complete one eighty from the first little kiss they shared. Aurora almost forgot to breathe until Derek broke the kiss to let her do just that, his chest heaving as well. Aurora wrapped her arms around Derek's neck, biting his bottom lip playfully as they struggled to regulate their breathing.

"Aurora, will you be my girlfriend?" Derek asked pressing his forehead against her's.

"Absolutely." Aurora agreed giving him an Eskimo kiss.

Derek smiled and pressed his lips to hers again. This kiss however, was cut short by the sound of Aurora's phone ringing. Aurora fumbled for her phone, still flustered from Derek's kiss. When she finally got it out of her pocket she looked at the caller id to see her brother was calling her.

"Hey baby brother. What's going on?" Aurora answered trying not to sound winded.

"How much do you love me, my lovely big sister?" Nathaniel asked her sweetly.

Aurora narrowed her eyes as Derek chuckled. He had obviously used his crazy super hearing and could tell that Aurora's little brother was buttering her up for something.

"Get on with it, brat." Aurora said impatiently.

"Can you take Ben and me to get some pizza?" Nathaniel asked hopefully. "Ben's mom is helping his little brother with homework and his dad went to bed early because he's not feeling well…And Ben and I don't want to eat meatloaf." He added in a rush.

"No problem punk. I will be there in a bit." Aurora chuckled.

"Thanks Sis!" Nathaniel said cheerfully.

"You're welcome bro. I love you." Aurora said.

"Love you too!" Nathaniel replied.

When Aurora hung up the phone she looked up to see a huge smile on Derek's face.

"He seems like a good kid." Derek said.

"He really is." Aurora told him. "I better get going, before Ben and Nathaniel gnaw their own arms off." She joked.

"Do you want to have lunch with my sister and me tomorrow at my house?" Derek asked.

"Yes!" Aurora shouted excitedly.

"Meet you here at 12:30?" Derek asked with a chuckle.

"Here? I could just meet you at your house?" Aurora offered.

"It's pretty difficult to get to my house if you don't know exactly where you are going." Derek told her. "I'll just meet you here after my morning run and you can drive us back. That way I can show you how to get to my house for future reference." He continued smiling fondly.

"Sounds good." Aurora said reaching up her right hand to run her thumb across Derek's lower lip.

He pulled her in for one last kiss before they said goodbye.

"See you tomorrow afternoon after you're ridiculously long super exerciser run through the woods." Aurora joked opening her door.

"Have fun with your brother Aurora. I'll see you tomorrow." Derek told.

Aurora's brain was on hyper drive as she made her way to Ben's house, which was right across the street from her own. She was trying with all her might not to freak out with joy over what had just transpired between her and Derek. When she pulled up to Ben's, Nathaniel and he were playing basketball in the drive way. Ben's house had a large security light on the garage which was shining bright so the boys could see. It was 8 p.m. and Maricopa being the small county that it is was silent and dark.

"Let's go guys!" Aurora yelled rolling down her passenger's side window.

Ben stored the basketball they were using on his porch while Nathaniel called shotgun running over to jump in Aurora's car. When Ben was settled in the backseat, Aurora rolled up Nathaniel's window and set off to Sardella's.

"Why were you out of breath earlier when I called?" Nathaniel asked innocently.

Aurora nearly choked.

"Elizabeth and I were racing." Was the only horribly lame excuse Aurora could come up with but it was still better than telling her little brother the real reason she was winded.

"Racing? You know Elizabeth is faster than you. Did you just feel like losing?" Nathaniel laughed.

"Shut up, brat. Or I'll let you starve." Aurora joked extremely relieved that Nathaniel believed her stupid story.

"I still get to eat, right?" Ben asked poking fun at Nathaniel.

"Of course Ben. You aren't the annoying little pest making fun of my lack of cardio skills." Aurora assured him.

"You're so mean to me!" Nathaniel teased.

"Cry me a river. You are so mistreated." Aurora taunted giving her brother a playful punch to the arm after she parked in front of the pizza place.

XXXX

When they were done eating, Aurora let the boys play the video game located in the Sardella's lobby before heading home. Ben and Nathaniel wanted to stay longer but the restaurant was closing. It was almost ten before Aurora and the boys got home. Aurora parked in her normal spot in front of her house and walked the boys back over to Ben's.

"Thank you Aurora!" Ben said giving her a big hug.

"No problem kid." Aurora told him returning his embrace.

"Yeah, you are the best sister ever." Nathaniel said hugging her after Ben let go.

"Aw! Thanks munchkin. You're not too bad yourself." Aurora teased squeezing her brother tight.

When the boys said their good nights and were safely inside, Aurora headed back over to her house. She crossed the street quickly and headed up the cement path that lead to her porch steps. It was then that she noticed something strange. A chill washed over Aurora when she realized that her front door was standing wide open. She hadn't noticed it earlier because she had been distracted with Ben and Nathaniel when she first got home. Her heart pounding as she tried to remember if she had shut the door when she left for Ethan's house earlier that afternoon. She and Elizabeth had been talking but she distinctly recalled closing the door. As a matter of fact, she was sure she had shut and locked the door because Elizabeth had reminded her to do so. Aurora looked closely at the frame to see if there were any signs of splinters or cracked wooded but nothing seemed out of place as far as she could tell. Deciding that standing there gawking at the door was not the best course of action, Aurora turned tail and ran as fast as she could back to Ben's. She knocked furiously until Ben's mother, Mrs. Carter opened the door.

"Aurora, what's wrong darling, you looked terrified." Mrs. Carter asked her voice full of concern as she motioned for her to come inside.

"I think someone broke into our house." Aurora said half to Mrs. Carter half to her brother who was sitting on the couch next to Ben. The boys had been playing a video game when Aurora showed up.

"What?!" Nathaniel said jumping up to hug his sister. "Are you okay? Did you see anyone?"

"I'm fine. Just startled. And no, I didn't see anyone but our door is standing wide open and I know for a fact I shut it before I left this afternoon." Aurora told everyone in the living room.

"We should call Ryan." Mrs. Carter said referring to the sheriff and Elizabeth's dad, Mr. Walker. Aurora let Nathaniel lead her over to the couch as Mrs. Carter grabbed the phone on the table next to her chair that she had been sitting in. It looked as though she had been reading while the boys played their game.

Mrs. Carter dialed what Aurora assumed was Mr. Walker's home number considering it was almost ten fifteen at night and waited patiently. It only took two rings before the sheriff answered.

"Hello, Ryan? It's Juliana Carter. I'm sorry to call so late but Aurora Montgomery is here and she believes someone has broken into her house." Mrs. Carter explained.

There was a short pause followed by Mrs. Carter saying, "Okay, we will see you soon."

It took Mr. Walker less than fifteen minutes to arrive, his house only a couple blocks up the road.

"Are you all right Aurora?" Mr. Walker asked examining her from head to toe.

Aurora and Elizabeth had been inseparable since they were five and in a lot of ways, Mr. Walker was like a second dad to her.

"I'm fine." Aurora said with a small smile. "Just a little weirded out."

"I've got two of my guys checking out the house right now. They should be over here with a report any minute." Mr. Walker told her giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "You're mom and dad are still on their business trip, right?"

"Yeah. They won't be back till Monday night." Ben chimed in.

Suddenly there was a hard knock at the Carter's front door that made Aurora jump. Mrs. Carter looked through the peep hole before letting in two men dressed in jeans and old t-shirts into her living room.

"No one on the premises, sir." Said the shorter of the two men.

"Did anything appear to be taken?" Mr. Walker inquired.

"Not that we could tell, sir. Perhaps we could accompany Miss Montgomery back over there so she can assess the damage?" Asked the taller one.

"Aurora, would you be comfortable doing that? We need to make sure nothing was taken." Mr. Walker told her.

"Yeah, I can do that." Aurora said.

"Are you staying at the Carter's, Nathaniel?" Mr. Walker asked turning his attention to Aurora's brother.

"Yes sir." Nathaniel said.

"Good. Is it all right if he stays until James and Katherine get back from their trip?" Mr. Walker asked Mrs. Carter.

"Of course!" Mrs. Carter exclaimed.

"Thank you. Aurora can stay at my house. I'm sure my daughter will be thrilled." Mr. Walker said with a chuckle.

"Sleep over just like old times, right Mr. Walker?" Aurora said with a smile.

"Well, not exactly like old times. If you two play loud music or break a lamp because you decide to have pillow fight like you did when you were kids, I'll ground you both. And trust me when I say I have the authority to do so." The sheriff said with a chuckle.

"Yes sir!" Aurora agreed.

Aurora gave Nathaniel one last hug before she headed back over to her house with the sheriff and the two other officers. The men who had searched the house previously had left the living room light on so Aurora only had to flip on the light in the hall after she made her way upstairs. The first room they checked belonged to her parents. Aurora went immediately to her mother jewelry box that was sitting on top of a dresser placed against the far left wall of the room, adjacent to her parent's bed. Looking through it thoroughly, she wasn't able to find anything out of place. Next was Nathaniel's room. All of his video games seemed to be untouched scattered messily, the way he keep them, next to his Wii. Finally, Aurora entered her room, looking automatically toward her laptop which she kept on the desk in the far right corner. It didn't look disturbed. Nothing looked out of place and none of her DVDs, cds, or books had been stolen.

"That's so strange." The sheriff said when Aurora told him that as far as she could tell nothing had been taken. "Maybe something startled them?" He mused.

It was then when Aurora by luck notice something astray.

"It looks like someone went through my hamper." Aurora said walking over to pick up the dirty clothes that were thrown all over her floor. "I don't leave my clothes on my floor like this. And I know these jeans were in my hamper because I put them there this morning." She said putting the jeans she had worn on her date with Derek the night before back in the wicker basket.

"Somebody went through your dirty clothes?" Mr. Walker asked in a puzzled voice.

Aurora shrugged.

"Maybe they thought there would be cash?" She speculated.

"Maybe." Mr. Walker agreed but he didn't sound convinced. "Alright, well why don't you gather what you need and we will deal with this in the morning. I'll call your parents tomorrow before I file an official report."

Aurora did as she was told, grabbing some pajamas and an outfit to wear for Sunday and Monday. She made a quick stop to her bathroom at the end of the hall to get her tooth brush and comb before heading downstairs with the sheriff. Aurora turned off the lights and locked the house before getting into the passenger's seat of Mr. Walker's truck. The other officers headed back home as well. The car ride to Mr. Walker's house was silent due mostly to the fact that Aurora was trying to make sense of what had happened and was lost in her own head. Mr. Walker parked in the garage and they entered the house through the laundry room door which connected to the kitchen.

"Liz should be in her room. I told her what happened before I left so she is probably worried sick." Mr. Walker told Aurora as he walked over to the refrigerator to grab three bottles of water. He handed two to Aurora and opened the third for himself.

"Thank you for everything Mr. Walker." Aurora said with a smile.

"No problem Aurora, you're family. And don't worry. We will figure this out." He reassured her.

Taking the two bottles of water, Aurora exited the kitchen and made her way to the stairs in the living room. She climbed them as fast as she could with her large overnight bag slung over her right shoulder. When she reached Elizabeth's room she knocked lightly with her free hand and entered.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!" Elizabeth asked launching herself at Aurora. Putting her bag on the ground and tossing the two water bottles on Elizabeth's nearby bed, Aurora was able to return her friend's hug.

"I'm completely fine. No physical harm just frazzled nervous." Aurora said. "Lizzie, you remember me locking the front door this afternoon, don't you?"

"Yeah! I reminded you to and you gave me attitude and said 'yes mom' like the smartass bitch you are." Elizabeth teased.

Aurora laughed.

"I knew I did. It's so crazy though; there are no signs of forced entry. And absolutely nothing missing that I can tell. So that means some creep picked the lock on my front door just to go through my hamper." Aurora said disgusted as she and Elizabeth went over to sit on the bed.

"Whoa! What?! Some creep went through you dirty clothes? That is fucking weird!" Elizabeth cringed.

"Tell me about it." Aurora said picking up one of the bottles of water to take a drink.

"It's official. New subject. We will deal with this crap in the morning. For now, let's get in our pajamas and watch The Hangover." Elizabeth said trying to cheer up her best friend.

"Best plan EVER!" Aurora smiled bouncing off the bed to grab her bag.

When they were both changed and settled back in bed, Aurora set her phone alarm for ten in the morning.

"Why are you setting an alarm?" Elizabeth asked noticing her friend's action.

"I'm going to have lunch at Derek's tomorrow. He wants me to meet his sister." Aurora told her.

"Oh really?" Elizabeth asked slyly.

"Really. And…He asked me to be his girlfriend!" Aurora said excitedly.

"Ah! Congratulations!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Thanks bestie! He's not so bad after all, right?" Aurora asked.

"Nah. He's pretty cool. I still think the whole possessive thing is a little weird but if you are happy then I'm happy." Elizabeth beamed.

"I'm so glad you are my best friend Lizzie." Aurora said giving Elizabeth an awkward side hug because of the way they were laying on the bed.

"Right back at you!" Elizabeth replied.

When they both got comfortable, Elizabeth pushed play. It didn't take long before Aurora's eyes started to feel heavy. Before they were even twenty minutes into the movie Aurora had dozed off.