Chapter 19

Derek and I have been in the studio for hours. He is trying to teach me our dance for the Rumba. I am picking up some of the steps but he thinks I am not giving enough emotion. I have never shown emotion in my life I was trained not to. I don't have acting abilities so I cant just turn it on and off. I can tell he is getting frustrated with me and I am getting upset with myself. This is totally new for me and it freaks me out.

" Babe, why don't we take a break."

" Okay I am going to go sit on the roof top and think about things. I will be back in a minute." I say hoping he will follow me but he doesn't make a move while I am walking to the door. I guess he thinks I want to be alone and I guess most people do so they can think properly. I walk up to the roof and lay down on the ground looking up at the sky. It's a beautiful day and I want to have a pretty view while I think. I remember having the same problems when I had to do the dance last time. I would much rather have a fun and up beat song than a slow and romantic one. I have always been the kind of person to be smiling and laughing rather than complaining and talking about my feelings with people. That's why I think I will have a easier time hiding my relationship with Derek because I don't let many people in my personal life. I feel like I have been laying here for hours and decide to head back to practice. When I get up and turn around I see Derek standing there staring back at me.

" I didn't hear you come up."

" Yeah I have been here for a little while."

" Are you stalking me?" I ask laughing

" No I just didn't know what to say."

" Oh, I just needed some time to think about the dance and showing emotion and stuff. I was getting frustrated with myself."

" I was getting upset too but not at you. I was getting upset with myself because I am not showing you how to show your emotion I am letting you get frustrated which isn't the way to do it."

" Don't get upset with yourself. Its my fault I just have been trained not to show my emotions so I choose not to now."

" But you do with me. Even the first week I new you when you got attacked by that crazy guy. You talked to me and cried in front of me."

" Yes because I have known every since I met you that I can trust you."

" Then trust me enough in this dance to show emotion. I mean we are dating so you shouldn't have to fake the chemistry." He says laughing

" I agree. And I don't have to fake the romantic stuff. I don't show it very well but I am deep down a big romantic."

" Shawn I can see all of this. I just wish you would let other people see it."

" I will try just for you." I say reaching up and giving him a hug

" Good, that's all I can ask of you is too try." He reaches down and gives me a kiss on my cheek.

" Lets go practice some more." I grab his hand and we walk back down the steps toward the studio.

" Your ass looks really good in those yoga Capri pants." He says smirking at me

" Thank you" I say blushing

We practice the dance a little bit more and I pick up the moves better. I guess it does help when you talk out your feelings with other people. I try to show as much emotion as I can but I know its not going to cut it with the judges.

" Well I think we are done for today."

" Okay."

" It was a pretty good practice. You did better since we have talked."

" I thought I did too. Thank you." I say smiling sweetly up at him

" Do you have plans tonight." He asks

" Yes I do actually. I am meeting Shannon for dinner."

" Do you want to hang out afterwards?"

" Yes, my place or yours?" I ask him

" Since we always go to your house we can hang out at mine this time."

" Okay I will text you when dinner is over."

" Alright."

I reach up and put my arms around his neck. He leans down a little bit so our foreheads are laying on top of each others.

" Your eyes look beautiful today." He whispers to me. I can feel his breath on my face and it send shivers up my body.

" Thank you. Are they gold looking?"

" Yes they look really unique."

I push my lips on top of his. His tongue is tracing my bottom lip asking for entrance. I open my mouth to let him in. We are in a heated make out session and I forget about everything except for me and him. Before I know it I am jumping in the air and he catches me. I wrap my legs around his hips with my arms around his neck. He is holding me tightly around my waist. We are as close as we could be our bodies mashed together. He turns around and has my back pushed up against the wall. His lips leave mine and travel down to my neck. He kisses my neck sliding his tongue around. He then slowly makes his way back to my mouth trailing kisses on my jaw and then my chin and finally to my mouth. Our lips meet again and this time there is more pressure. Its like all of today's frustration in one kiss. It has so much passion and I don't want to stop. I am so caught up in our kiss I barley notice that Derek has stopped kissing me.

" Sorry I got a little carried away." He says smiling shyly

" Its okay, I was enjoying it."

" I was too. I just don't want to take it too far to soon."

" Yeah me too. I just feel like I have no control when we start kissing."

" I feel the same way."

He sets me back down on the floor. When I am back on the ground he leans down and kisses my lips once more.

" Well I guess I should go now."

" I will see you tonight."

I reach up and kiss him one more time. I am excited about seeing Shannon but I absolutely cannot wait to see Derek again tonight. I walk over to the steps and get my bag. I get to the door and turn around once more to see Derek looking back at me. I smile and walk out of the room.

I have been home for a while and its finally time to meet Shannon. I get a shower and get dressed and leave my apartment. I get to the restaurant and park and notice Shannon's car in the parking lot. I walk into the building and see her sitting at the table on her phone. I walk over to her.

She stands up and gives me a hug. " Hey" She says

" Hey, how are you?"

" Pretty good"

" Are you liking LA?"

" I love it. Way better than being in Alabama we don't have much to do there."

" Yeah I bet. It's the same way in Iowa."

" So how have you been?" She asks me

" I have been great. I don't think life could get any better." I say smiling from ear to ear

" I'm happy for you. You deserve it after all you went thru with gymnastics."

" I didn't ever think I would truly be happy again. After retiring and Ryan and I separating my life was hell. I knew my body couldn't do gymnastics anymore but I didn't know what to do with my life. Its all I've known since I was 3. Then with Ryan cheating on me just made it worse. I think I have truly gotten over him. Then thank goodness DWTS called and asked me to join the cast."

" I'm so happy for you. You deserve it more than anybody I know. Have you seen Ryan?"

" Unfortunately yes. He has came to a couple of the shows and I have run into him while I was out."

" I bet that is awkward. I cant believe he has came to the shows."

" I know. It shocked me. He told me like last week that he still loved me and wanted us to get back together."

" What did you say?"

" Nothing. I didn't reply to the message. A couple weeks ago I ran into him while I was at a café ordering food. We sat down and talked and I was pretty close to getting back together with him."

" I cant believe it."

" Yeah I didn't really tell a lot of people. Especially my parents they don't like him very much."

" I wouldn't either after the way he did you."

" Yeah but lets change the subject. Kind of putting a damper on my mood." I say chuckling

We have been at the restaurant for two hours. We both finished our food.

" Well I think I am going to head back to the hotel." Shannon says

" If you get tired of staying in your hotel you can come stay with me until you leave."

" You wouldn't mind?"

" No, not at all. I just wont be there a lot with practice and the show."

" That would be okay. Thank you for offering. I will think about."

" You welcome. Just let me know what you decide."

" Okay I will."

We stand up and walk to the doors. We hug each other.

" I have missed you." I say

" Same here. Its always nice to get out of town. I enjoy just talking to you like old time."

" Me too."

We release each other and I head to my car. When I get in I text Derek and he gives me his address and directions on how to get to his house. It doesn't take me long to drive there. Thankfully I didn't get lost. I am at his door and all of sudden I get butterflies in my stomach. I knock and I know my cheeks are flustered.

" Hey" he says opening the door.

" Hey" I say. He opens the door all the way open and I walk in. He shuts the door and turns around towards me. He leans down and hugs me. I get on my tiptoes so he don't have to lean down so far.

" I missed you." he whispers in my ear

" I missed you too." I whisper back

I move my head off his shoulder. I reach back up on my tiptoes and kiss him on the mouth.

" I guess you did really miss me." he says while grabbing my hand and leading me over to the couch.

" I did" I say smiling shyly

" Did you have a good time at dinner?"

" Yeah it was good seeing her and catching up."

" I figured ya'll ate so I didn't cook anything to eat. If you get hungry I have food in the pantry."

" Okay I'm pretty full right now."

" I have us some movies picked out to watch."

" Good, what movies?"

" The Titanic, I figured if we watched the movie you could get into character."

" I love that movie so much. I could literally watch it everyday."

" I like it too. The actors do a great job in it."

" Yes especially Leonardo DiCaprio. He is dreamy looking in the movie."

" Is that why you love it so much. To watch him?" he asks laughing

" No, I love the love story between Jack and Rose. They have true love and I think it's the greatest things. I am a real romantic deep down."

" I can see that. Underneath all those muscles." He says laughing

" Hey don't mess with me. I can beat you up."

" I think I could handle you."

Before I can respond he has picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder. " Derek! Put me down!" I yell at him " I will in a minute." he reply smoothly

I can tell his is enjoying this. " No now!" I slap his butt playfully. Why does he have to have a big house. He turn towards the stairs and still hasn't put me down.

" Did you just slap my ass?"

" Maybe"

He carried me all the way to his bedroom and gently throws me on the bed. He doesn't waist any time before he jumps on the bed beside me. He grabs my arms and pulls me over toward him and starts tickling me.

" Please stop." I say barley being able to breath. I cant stop laughing my stomach is hurting.

" I though you could handle me."

I push against him with as much power as I can. I have pushed so hard somehow I fell in the floor. I use this to my advantage and start crying. I am really not crying but thankfully I have tears still on my face from laughing. I see Derek get off the bed and he has a look of pain and sadness in his eyes. He kneels down beside me.

" Shawn oh my goodness. Are you okay?"

" When I fell off the couch I hit my knee hard on the floor."

" Oh my god. I am so sorry. It was my fault. Dammit."

He puts his face in the palm of his hand. I hate that he feels so bad but this is what he gets for tickling me.

" HA! Gotcha!" I say getting up and running out of the bedroom down the steps. I run to the couch and get behind it. I hear Derek running down the steps. I rise up from the floor so now I am standing behind the couch.

" That was not funny. You had me scared to death!"

" I couldn't help it. Tickling me was not funny either."

" Fine, truce I wont tickle you anymore."

I walk around the couch to shake his out stretched hand.

" Truce." I say smiling

" Just kidding." he says bending down and picking me up. He lays me down on the couch and he puts one knee beside me. With one hand he grabs both of my hands and holds them above my head. With his other hand he tickles me. I fight as much as I can to get my hands lose but I cant. He has a good grip on them.

" De…re..k pl..ea..see. . " I barley get out. I can barley breathe.

" Okay. I will stop for right now."

" Thank you. I give up. Scouts honor."

" Your welcome. I will quit as long as you don't start fake crying again." he says laughing

" I promise."

He lets go of my hands and I sit up. He gets up and sits on the coffee table in front of the couch. I get up off the couch and go sit on his leg. When I sit down he kisses me on the cheek. I turn my head to look at him and put both my hands on his face and kiss him. Hard. We kiss until we have to stop for air. I am panting and embarrassed. I get up from his lap.

" What is it?" he asks me

" Do you have anything to drink?"

" Yes I got some coke in cans. I will get you one."

He walks in the kitchen to get it and while he's gone I look the mirror hanging up. My hair has fallen from running around. I pull it back up just when he walks in the room. He hands me the coke. I open it and it spews all over me. My shirt is soaking wet.

" Shit" I yell

" Holy crap." he says biting his lip to keep from laughing

" Did you shake it up?"

" No, I swear I didn't. I don't know why it exploded."

" Now I am going to have to go home and get a shirt."

" You can wear one of mine."

" Are you sure?"

" Yeah come up to my room and I'll get you one."

We walk into his bedroom and he goes over to a dresser and pulls out a t shirt.

" Here you go. It might be big on you."

" It will be fine. I like big t shirts."

" There is a bathroom down the hall and to the left."

" I will just change right here." I say

I take off my soaking wet shirt. I'm glad I am wearing my push up bra and its very pretty. I slips his t shirt on and it falls to my knees. I raise my head up to look at Derek and he is staring at me blushing.

" What is it?"

" Nothing."

" Oh come on Derek, you have seen me in less. I had more clothing on then I did when we danced the Mambo."

" I guess you right but this time you were standing in my bedroom."

" Yeah I could wear this as a dress." I say trying to change the subject

" You could. I told you it would be a little big."

" I like it. It smells like you."

" Does it?"

" Yeah it smells good."

" Good. Do you want to watch the movie?"

" Sure. Where are we going to watch it?"

" In here. I don't have a dvd player in the living room."

" Okay."

I walk over to his bed and lay down. He walks around the room and grabs the movie and puts it in. He walks back over the bed and lays down beside me. He scoots closer and wraps his arm around my shoulder. I snuggle up to him and put my head on his chest. He presses play and I can tell the rest of the night will be great.

Hope you like this chapter. Sorry if there are any mistakes I didn't have time to proofread it. - Mallory