2 years ago

"I'll just quit high school and follow you out to Vancouver. Problem solved," I say, refusing to give in to the inevitable.

"Derek…"

"In fact," I interrupt. "I'm not taking no for an answer, Sals. School's always been a passing fad for me anyway. You'll be doing me a favor by taking me out west."

"Derek, you can't come to Vancouver with me. You need to finish high school. I'll never forgive myself if you threw your life away for me."

"Hey," I say, going to stand directly in front of her, putting each hand around her waist. I draw her near, taking the time to gaze at her, waiting for those blue eyes to finally look up at me. When they do, I can feel the pit of my stomach dropping to the floor in anguish. I just wish she would stop fighting me on this. "This isn't over," I whisper. I curse the desperation in my voice.

This isn't Kendra. This isn't one of my old girlfriend's that I got tired of after three weeks. This was Sally, and the last thing I want is for her to walk away from me, and out of my life for good. What if I never saw her again? I'm not sure I can bear it.

When she remains silent, I suddenly feel myself losing the battle, and losing the only girl that I've ever given a damn about.

"Next year, then. I'll finish high school – for you," I sigh, trying one last time to get her to see how serious I am about being with her. "Next year, I'll apply to Vancouver. We can do the long-distance thing until then. The time will fly by, you'll see."

"You need to stay here and be with your family, Derek," Sally says, her eyes full of pity. I can't help the confused look on my face before cracking a grin at how absurd her statement is.

"Have you met my family?" I ask, unable to hold back the amusement in my voice. "Sure, I'll miss Marti. But Edwin will be relieved to get rid of me, Lizzie won't care, and my Dad and Nora will probably throw the biggest going away party after I've left."

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Sally asks, leaning against one of the tables at Smelly Nelly's, her head cocked as she waits for me to respond.

I count on my fingers. "Nope, that's about everyone."

"What about, Casey?"

"Huh?" I squeal. This time, I do laugh, unable to hold it back. "Casey? As in Klutzilla and keener extraordinaire? No, no, no, I didn't forget her. I just don't – ever – count her as part of the fam. Let alone someone I'll actually miss."

"Derek," she says my name once again, a serious and scolding look on her face. She's waiting for me to compose myself, and for her sake, I give it my best shot. I lick my lips in a feeble attempt, putting my hands on my hips as I straighten to my full height.

I'm trying to get a grip, but why in hell would she bring up Casey, like she's actually a reason that I should stay? If anything, Casey and I will end up at colleges on different stratospheres once we graduate.

"I'm sorry," I say, taking a deep breath. "You were saying?"

"All I'm say is…maybe you don't see it yet, but you and Casey might not hate each other as much as you might think."

Okay, I'm not liking where she's going with this, and I've had enough. The last thing I want to talk about is Casey when I'm trying to get my girlfriend to stay with me. "Can we drop the subject, Sals? I'll drive you home."

I walk past her towards the front door, throwing on my leather jacket and pulling my cars keys out of my pocket. I turn off the lights to Smelly Nelly's, waiting patiently for Sally to grab her things and follow me out. But there she is, still standing in the same spot that I left her, her gaze so serious that it's piercing a hole right through me.

"Derek, we need to talk – "

"No, we need to leave. If you're trying to tell me that you want to break up because of…because…"

"Of Casey?" she finishes for me, and I can feel the muscles in my jaw working overtime. I'm sure that my teeth will shatter into a million pieces at any moment.

"If you want to dump me because of distance, then that's fine," I start, my anger beginning to boil. "If you want to break up because you suddenly realized that I'm a piece of shit, then I accept that, because I totally am. But you will not end our relationship because of some messed up notion you have about my step-sister."

"I get that you're defensive about the whole thing Derek, but I can't compete with her, and you know it!" Sally says, exploding on me. I furrow my brow, surprised by her sudden outburst. My own anger dissolves somewhat, and it's hard for me concentrate on the absurd words flowing from her lips. "I see the way you look at her. Every time we're together, she always comes up in conversation. It usually has to do with some prank you pulled on her, or how annoying she is, or how she cried for hours when some guy that she was dating turned out to be scum. Can you honestly tell me that you're okay walking away from her and following me to Vancouver?"

I hold Sally's gaze for what seems like an eternity. I'm concentrating on my breathing. It's as if my mind has shut down completely. I'm willing myself to open my lips once again and tell her how insane she is being for ever suggestion that there is something more to Casey and I than utter distain. I can't stand my step-sister, and Sally knows it.

Then why is she breaking up with me over Casey?

Why aren't I continuing to argue with her about it?

I slowly feel my teeth unclench and my body sag in defeat…or is it the gnawing realization that Sally may be right?

No! Somewhere along the way, I'd given Sally the wrong impression. I know I talk about my step-sister way too much, but it's only because she's the one person in my life that I truly can't stomach to be around. I have to vent about her on occasion, or I'd lose my shit.

But then thoughts of Casey slowly start to flash through my thoughts. The pink bridesmaid dress at our parent's wedding that gently flowed down her body, hitting right at the knee, and the way she refused to link her arm through mine when we walked back up the isle. She pushed me so hard that my hip crashed into the church pew and I had a bruise for two weeks.

Or the way she throws things when she gets frustrated, or the way she shoves me down whenever she get mad at me; how proud she gets when something in her life actually goes right, or the way she dances around the house for absolutely no reason.

And every damn time she's tried to hug me. I've always ran like hell.

The tears…my God the tears. I can't stand when she cries. The nights I've heard her on the other side of the wall, crying herself to sleep. I've sat on the floor so many times, just listening to her sob. She was so damn sensitive, and it ate me alive.

No. No I can't leave Casey. Sally was right, and I slightly resented both women for it. It was so much easier to pretend like I didn't give a shit.

"Get your stuff," I say quietly, no longer gazing at the girl that I knew had slipped through my fingers in this very moment. Or maybe she's never been mine to begin with.

"I'll take you home."

Present day

I wait until I hear the front door slam shut before I spring into action. If quality time is what Derek wants, then quality time is what Derek's going to get.

I didn't get much sleep last night.

The wheels inside my head were turning harder than they have ever turned before, and I was trying desperately to come up with the best solution I could possibly think of to ensure that I win this bet. I won't be the one asking for an annulment. He will.

And then it dawned on me. What is the one thing that Derek refuses to share above all else? His sanctuary, the place he spends all of his "me time," the one place that he shuts himself away in each and every night after supper because he wants to "unwind."

Yup, you guessed it. His bedroom!

Back in our home in London, it was the same way, and nothing has changed one iota. If I was to invade his space, there is no way he won't yell at me, call me names, and put an end to this farce of a "marriage" once and for all.

I know that I don't have much time. Derek is out for his morning run, which is still the craziest thing to me. I've never seen him so disciplined about anything more than he was about keeping up with the Hockey team in regard to fitness. His diet was still terrible, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

I open my dresser drawers, trying my best to keep my perfectly folded clothes in order because I won't have time to make the switch and refold everything. With my arms overflowing, I open Derek's closed door with the tips of my fingers, immediately going to his own dresser and opening the top drawer. Inside are his socks and boxers; nothing I haven't seen before.

Of course, they are thrown in there without any system what-so-ever, and my inner self is dying to neatly fold everything. But as I stated, I don't have time for that. I push all of his things to one side before carefully placing my own underthings next to his on the right. Once satisfied, I begin to make more trips. I load Derek's closet with my skirts, jeans, and shirts. I take my dance and inspirational quote posters from my room, placing them on top of the scantly clad women that hang freely from Derek's walls like he doesn't care one bit who sees them. Okay, he doesn't care, but honestly…what real woman actually looks like that?

Can you say plastic surgery?

If I'm going to be staying in here, there is no way I'm looking at big chests and thongs while trying to sleep.

Taking a moment to catch my breath, I look around the room, not noticing anything completely out of the ordinary. It still looked like Derek's room, aside from my hidden clothing and newly placed posters on the wall. But something was missing. There was zero space for my computer or desk, and the room failed to scream Casey.

I move quickly from my spot, making my way back across the hall and glance around. What more can I possibly add that won't take up a ridiculous amount of space?

Glancing at the time, I notice Derek won't be gone much longer and I still need to take a quick shower, so I grab the girliest thing in my room, my arms stretched out wide to accommodate the large pink satin comforter off of my bed, lugging it into my new 'temporary' room, before quickly spreading it out on Derek's own blankets.

It's currently March and still biting cold. I doubt the extra coverage will be that uncomfortable.

Finally satisfied, I make my way to the shower and hop in, taking a moment to breathe. All that reorganizing took the wind out of me, not to mention my accelerated heart rate at the thought of Derek's reaction.

I laugh softly to myself, shaking my head at the thought. Can you image me and Derek sharing a bed? Because let me tell you, I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life.

One time, we were watching a movie and I got tired, so I laid my head down on the arm rest of the couch. Apparently, that was too close for comfort according to Derek, who was sitting in his beloved chair at the time. He grabbed a fist full of my hair, yanking my head up so fast that I screamed and got whip lash. It was one of the rare times that Derek actually got grounded for being mean to me.

It was so worth it.

If he couldn't stand having me nap next to him while the entire family was present, how is he going to react to sharing his precious bed alone – just the two of us? Just the two of us alone in bed together…

"Casey!" bang bang bang.

I gasp, momentarily caught off guard after having been lost in thought, and how I actually expected my plan to be funny, when in actuality, it may end up causing more problems than I'm ready to tackle. I bite my lip, trying to decide if I should ignore him or not.

When I fail to answer, he begins to pound on the door once more. "Casey!"

Hesitantly, and with a heavy sigh, I turn off the water and step from the tub, placing a towel around my body without drying off. I shiver, unsure if it's the cold air affecting me, or unwanted nerves. With every ounce of courage I have remaining in my body, I slowly open the door.