Author's note: This is a really short chapter but I think it's kind of important haha, hope you guys like it anyway. I'm already working on chapter 5 :)

4

New York, 1988

"Fuck".

"You gotta tell him", Derek says as he analyzes the damage Mark just caused to Archer's car in the parking lot.

"Why? It's not that bad, he's not even going to notice it".

"Because it's the right thing to do".

"Man, do you know how expensive that car is?"

"At least talk to him. It can't be that bad".

"Yeah, did you tell him you and Addison are dating? It can't be that bad", he responds sarcastically.

"She said she would tell him tonight", Derek shrugs. He looks at Mark with a serious expression. "Talk to him".

"Fine. But if I have to stop buying food to save money for this shit I'm going to blame you".

They see Archer twice that day and Mark can't seem to find the words to tell him. By the third time Derek loses his patience, "For fuck's sake, he's trying to tell you that he accidentally hit you car at the parking lot".

"You did what?, Archer looks like he's going to punch him.

Mark looks at Derek like he's a traitor and then shrugs. "Derek's screwing your sister".

"What"?

Derek doesn't know what to say. "She was going to tell you tonight", it's all his brain can come up with.

Archer definitely looks like he wants to punch them both, but he manages to keep it cool.

"You", he points at Mark, still undeniably mad. "Come with me to the parking lot, I want to see the damage. And you", he points at Derek, "you better not do anything stupid. Did she mention she has trust issues?"

"Yes".

"Did she mention why?"

"Yes".

"Good, so you know if you hurt her she's going to kick your ass and I'm going to help her".

"Archer told me about the scene he made yesterday", she says when they're in her bed, enjoying their moments before her roommate arrives. "Sorry about that".

"It's okay, he's just trying to protect you". Being a big brother himself, he knows what it is like.

"You're not mad?"

"No". Then he smiles at her. "Maybe I'm a little bit upset but it will go away if we go back to the kissing thing".

So she smiles back at him and that's what they do.

New York, 2005

She can't sleep. It's 2 a.m. and Derek is sleeping next to her and she can't stop glancing at him every once in a while, a little paranoid that he will find out about her and Mark eventually. It would hurt him so badly if he found out. All those years scared of getting hurt and now she is the one who hurts people. She rolls around so she can't look at him anymore and tells herself he hurt her first, when he stopped loving her. But that doesn't make her feel much better.