Chapter 26

I roll over in the bed Thursday morning and look at the clock. Its 11:00 and I guess I should get out of bed. I got no sleep at all last night and all I could think about was Derek. I haven't talked to him since yesterday. I've been wanting to text him but I don't know if he wants to talk to me. I check my phone and I have a message from Mark. It says " Derek wanted me to text you and tell you that we have practice today at 12:30."

I guess that answers my question that Derek doesn't want to talk to me. I hit reply " Thanks for letting me know. I'll be there." I hit send and get out of bed to take a shower. All I did last night was cry until I had no more tears. I feel like I'm missing something, like I have a hole in my body. I could care less how good I look for practice. I don't put on any make up. I brush my hair and then pull it up in a loose pony tail. I walk into the kitchen and grab my bag and then head to the studio. It takes me maybe 20 minutes to get there. There aren't a lot of cars there but I do spot Derek's and Mark's. I'm actually surprised Derek even showed up. I figured he would just teach Mark the dance and not even come. A little bit of me is happy that he's here and then another side of me is not happy. Since he's here it means I'm going to have to act like nothing has happened. I'm so confused about my feelings. I for sure want to be with Derek and no part of me wants anything to do with Ryan but then there is the difficulty in us having a relationship. We have to hide it, I haven't even told my parents and I don't think he has told anyone. I'm also not going to just give up. That's not how I do things, if its worth fighting for then I will fight. I walk into our practice room and Mark and Derek are sitting on the steps talking. Derek has an ice pack on his neck and Mark's just sitting there beside him. I walk up to the steps and set my bag down. I look over at Derek and we make eye contact for a second and then he looks away.

" You look like hell." Mark says

" Thanks, its nice to see you too."

" No, I'm for real. Do you feel okay?"

" I'm alright. I just didn't get much sleep last night."

" Yeah, I can tell. Your eyes are red as a beet. Have you been crying."

" No." I say looking away from him.

" Okay. I'm here if you want to talk about it. I know your upset and have been crying. You forget that we have been friends for years and I know you really well."

" Mark, I cant forget how long we have been friends. I'm fine."

I walk over to the mirror and start doing my stretches. When I'm done I walk over to the steps.

" Are you ready?" I ask Mark

" Yeah if you are."

We walk out onto the middle of the floor and get in our starting position for the dance. We go over the steps we learned yesterday. We do those and I only have a few mess ups. Derek stands up and walks over to us. He starts explaining some of the new steps.

" Oh my goodness, he speaks." I mumble under my breath

" What was that?" Derek asks

" Oh, nothing."

He rolls his eyes and then goes back to explaining some of the dance. Mark and I dance some of the new moves he taught us. After 30 or so minutes have passed I have learned over half of the dance. We keep going over the moves we learned yesterday and today. I keep messing up.

" Shit." I yell

" It's okay. Just calm down." Marks says

" I can't, I know these moves and I'm doing all of them wrong."

" Let's just take a break." he says

" No, lets just keep going."

" Okay." he says reluctantly

We practice for about 20 more minutes and I'm still messing up. I don't know why I cant do this dance right. I know how to do it, its just like my head isn't working with my body. Derek is still standing in front of us. Mark pulls me close to him and wraps me in a hug.

" Just breathe, you aren't doing as bad as you think."

" The hell I'm not. I cant do anything right these days. In my life and while dancing." I say while walking away from him.

" I'll be back later." I say to them.

I walk out of the room and go to the rooftop. I'm glad I found the place, I really love coming up here to think. I walk over to the edge and sit down and let my feet dangle over the edge. I start singing a song that my mom used to sing to me when I was younger. I didn't know anyone is behind me until I hear them talking.

" You have a great voice. I didn't know you could sing." Derek says

I turn around and look at him. He walks over to me and sits down. He throws his legs over the edge like mine.

" Oh my goodness? Is this real life? Is Derek Hough actually talking to me. Hold me back I might fall of this roof." I say sarcastically

" Real funny, I guess I could go back to not talking to you." he says while getting up.

I grab his leg and pull him back over to me.

" I'd rather you not leave. I'm glad your talking to me."

" I wanted to talk to you but I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me."

" Same here. Did you get much sleep last night?"

" Yes, slept like a baby."

" Must've been nice."

" I'm kidding. I didn't sleep at all and all I could think about was you. I kept replaying our fight over and over in my head."

" You were all I could think about too. This was our first big fight and I don't like fighting with you."

" I don't like it either. I have never had this problem with girls. I mean I have dated some pretty girls but I didn't have to deal with other guys flirting with them and ex boyfriends just randomly showing up."

" I don't have much experience in this department either. Ryan, one other guy, and you are the only relationships I've had."

" I was so lost yesterday. I was pissed off at Mark for flirting with you, and then at you when I found Ryan at your apartment. I didn't know what to do. I have never been that upset in my life."

" I understand the Mark thing, but with Ryan I didn't know he was going to show up. I didn't know you were coming there either. He just randomly popped up and wanted to talk. I was only going to give him 5 minutes and then make him leave. You didn't give me time to explain that yesterday."

" That was my mistake. I should have let you explain, but I just jumped to conclusions. I have been cheated on before, so when I found your ex boyfriend in your apartment I thought the worst."

" I understand that too. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even let him come in and we wouldn't have argued. We wouldn't be miserable right now."

" It's your choice of what to do with your life. If you would have made him leave you might have been thinking what if I would have let him come in."

" Derek you should know me enough that I live life to the fullest. I don't have regrets and I live in the moment."

" I know and that's the thing I love about you."

" Oh, love?"

" Yes, Shawn Johnson, I love you."

" Good, because I love you too."

He scoots over closer to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. He then kisses me on the head and I wrap my arm around the back of his waist. I snuggle my head into his shoulder.

" Even though it has not even been 24 hours. I have missed being in your arms. I don't think I have cried or been more miserable in my life. That was the worst pain ever. I think the thing that hurt me the most was I went to kiss you and you turned away. I thought we were done when you did that."

" I don't know why I did that. I was just so pissed off I couldn't even think and then I was about to kiss Ryan's ass."

" He deserved it, I just didn't want ya'll fighting in my apartment."

" I had to stick up for my woman and show him who was boss. That I was the boyfriend and he doesn't stand a chance."

" That sound so romantic but yet very violent." I say giggling

" I love hearing you laughing. That's so much better than watching you cry. I thought I was going to loose it when I seen Mark out there comforting you while your cried. The whole time I was thinking that's my Shawn and I should be out there holding her."

" To be honest with you. I don't think I have any more tears to cry. I cried all night until couldn't cry anymore."

" I'm so sorry."

" I am too."

I reach up and kiss him. It's a quick kiss but at least we are kissing again. Dang I have missed this man and its not even been a full day.

" We should probably go back down." I say

" I know, but I don't want to."

" Me either."

We sit up there for an hour or so. We talk a little bit, kiss some, and most of the time just sit and stare at each other. All I can think about while we are up there is how much I don't want to loose him. I don't know what I would do without him. After this time up here I think he thinks the same.

" Well we should probably go back down." Derek says

He stands up and offers his hand down to me. I take it and he pulls me up against him. He puts one hand around my waist holding me tighter. The other he puts on my cheek. He rubs his thumb up and down. I wrap my arms around his waist.

" This is what I have been waiting to do."

He leans in closer and his lips capture mine. His tongue is skimming my bottom lip asking for entrance. I of course allow it and open my mouth. I feel his tongue in my mouth and our tongues start moving in a rhythm together. I jump up and he catches me. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. I'm careful not to pull on his neck. He has his arms up under my butt holding me up higher. When we pull away for air he starts spinning around in circles.

" I'm so happy to have you back. Its like we're on cloud 9." Derek says

" Me too. I love you." I say laughing

" I love you too."

I jump back down on the ground and Derek takes my hand. We walk back to the practice room. We walk in together but are not holding hands anymore. Mark is sitting on the steps playing on his phone.

" Okay, I think I'm ready to do this dance again." I say

" You know you could have just told me." Mark says

" What are you talking about?" I ask

" You and you, together?" he says

" Your talking crazy talk bro." Derek says

" I seen it for my own eyes. I'm not going crazy." Mark replies

" Maybe we should just tell him." I whisper to Derek

" Okay." he replies to me

" Fine, we are dating." I say

" I knew it. It makes perfect sense why you both were upset yesterday and this morning. I mean you didn't even speak to each other when you got to practice."

" Yeah, we had a pretty big fight yesterday." Derek says

" I heard ya'll talking about it earlier up on the rooftop."

" Are you spying on us?" I ask

" No, of course not. You said yesterday you went up on the rooftop when you needed to think. Well Derek had left and I didn't know where he went. I knew you would be up there and I was just sitting in here all by myself. I went up there and I seen ya'll sitting there talking to each other. I could hear your conversation and I stayed and listened. I heard all of it and then seen ya'll kiss and then came back down here."

" So you heard all of it?" Derek asks

" Yes and if you felt that way you should have just told me. I admit I used to like Shawn but I don't anymore. I have a girlfriend and I was just playing around with her. Shawn your like my little sister and I know you think of me as a big brother. Derek you are my brother so you should have just told me straight up."

" Well we at first we didn't want anybody to know and then Sabrina found out. Then we decided what the hell we didn't care if people found out. Then I decided a couple of days ago that I didn't want people to find out because I didn't want them to think we were together to get votes. I also didn't want you to be uncomfortable while you were in here." I say

" I'm fine with it. I'm happy for you and its about time you found a good guy, Shawn." Mark says

" Yeah, I think he's pretty great." I reply

" Aww thanks babe." Derek says

He leans down and kisses me.

" Hey, hey now. None of that while I'm here. Let me get used to it. My best friend and my brother dating? It might take me a while." he says laughing

" Fine." Derek and I say at the same time

Mark and I practice the dance and I don't mess. We all decide to call it a day and have practice early in the morning to learn the rest of the dance. Mark has some music thing to go do, so its just Derek and I in the studio. He is sitting on the top step and I'm sitting on the step below that one. I'm sitting between his legs with my elbows resting on his arms. Our fingers our intertwined together.

" So, Miss Johnson, do you have plans tonight?"

" No, Mr. Hough I do not."

" Would you care to accompany me to dinner tonight?"

" Let me think about it."

I get up from where I was sitting and then sit down on his leg. I sit on his thigh and throw my legs over his other leg. He is holding me like a baby.

" Okay, done thinking. Of course I would."

" Good."

I lean up and kiss him on the lips. When we are done kissing we both stand up and he takes my hand. I grab my bag and then we walk out of the studio together.

" Where are we going tonight?" I ask

" It's a surprise." he says

" Okay, what should I wear?"

" Whatever you like."

" Your not giving anything away." I say

" Nope."

" I bet I could make you."

I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. I lean in close but don't make contact.

" Bring it." he says

" Don't try me." I whisper in his ear

I let go of him and walk away. When I get to my car I give him the most seductive look and then wink at him. I get in my car and drive off looking at him in my rearview mirror.

Hope you all like this chapter. I enjoyed writing it and I cannot wait to write about their date for next chapter. I already know what I want to do. Please review.- Mallory