Casey was on her third date of the week with that Jimmy guy, and for Derek, three was not a charm.

Derek managed to get a date, himself, with a cheerleader from his bio class, but he canceled, blaming it on being too tired after hockey practice. In reality, he lost all interest in going on a date to play a game of what's your favorite color.

Derek was completely off his game - both in hockey and in dating, and he needed to get it together. College was supposed to be some of the best years of his life, and he was screwing it all up.

He was desperate for help, so he did what he never thought he would ever have to do.

Derek logged into Casey's laptop and made a special Skype call.

"Hello, Cas- Derek?" Paul nearly spit out his drink when he saw Derek on the other end of the screen.

"Happy to see me?" Derek smiled.

Casey kept in touch with Paul, similarly to how Derek kept up with his coaches back home.

"Surprised to see you. Where's Casey?"

"She's out right now. Listen, I needed a shrink to talk to if you're free," Derek stated.

"I'm a guidance counselor, Derek, but sure, I can free up my schedule if you need. What's going on?" Paul asked, concerned and intrigued to see where this conversation would be going.

"I'm having... problems."

That much was obvious to Paul.

"Problems?" Paul asked, egging Derek to go on.

"Let's say it's... drugs."

"Drugs? Derek I -"

Paul was not equipped to handle this.

"Just pretend it's drugs, Paul. So I've been slightly addicted to... this one drug when I'm used to having several. This drug, though, oof, it's potent. So damn potent, I can't think straight. How do I stop thinking about this one drug so I can go back to my mult-drug ways?"

"Derek, does this drug happen to be a girl?" Paul asked, resting a hand on his chin.

This was above Paul's pay grade. Wait... he wasn't getting paid at all!

It was true, though, that Casey was starting to become an unhealthy habit for Derek to think about. It was unnerving the way he wanted to be wrapped so tightly around her finger that any guy wanting to get close to her would have to see the mark he left upon her.

"How'd you know?" Derek wasn't the best when talking in code, apparently.

"A lucky guess," Paul smiled.

"Sorry. You know I'm not good when talking about my... feelings," he admitted, trying not to cringe at his own words.

"I hear you, Derek, but you've been committed before, haven't you? With Sally?" Paul wondered, trying to remember Derek's intense dating history.

"This is not the same. I'm not dating this girl, and yet I find myself committed when I don't have to be. When I shouldn't be. It's scaring me."

Derek was never one to scare easily, but vulnerability was the one exception.

"What's your biggest fear? Rejection? Or that this girl might change the way you view dating for good?

"Everything. I'm afraid she's changed me already, and I'm afraid I don't mind the changes," he said.

"Have you tried being honest with her?" Paul questioned Derek.

"Are you kidding? If I could be honest with her, I wouldn't be talking to you, Paul. I called you to get over her, not to be honest with her." This was a joke! He should've never called Paul!

"I'm just saying being honest could make you realize if this is the real deal or if you should move on."

"That's your advice?" Derek scoffed.

"It may not be the advice you want to hear, but it's the advice I'm giving."

"Alright. Thanks, Paul."

Thanks for nothing!

Be honest? Be honest!

Did Paul know Derek at all?

Yes, it was solid advice, but Derek was not ready to confess his feelings. He would never be ready.

Derek paused his video game when he saw those damn jeep headlights through the window once again. He flicked on the outside light and the indoor lamp. Knowing Casey, she would fall before she had a chance to say goodnight.

Once again, Casey didn't get a goodnight kiss from Jimmy. Irritated, she tossed her coat on the rack, but the coat missed its hook. The whole fiasco caught Derek's attention immediately.

"What? No romantic kiss to end the evening, Cinderella?" Derek puckered his lips teasingly at her.

Casey didn't want to face the embarrassment of telling Derek the truth. That yet again, she went without a kiss... for the third time in a row.

"Shouldn't you be on your date with... what's her name again?" Casey turned the conversation onto Derek, trying to change the subject from her own pitiful love life.

"Mercedes. I canceled the date," he answered shortly.

"Why?" That was the first date Derek had planned in the longest time. Casey couldn't think of a reason why he wouldn't have gone.

"Because I prefer porsches." Derek made light of the situation, brushing a hand through his brown hair nonchalantly.

"A real comedian. Edwin would be so proud."

"I take it you're avoiding my question because Slim Jim didn't kiss you." Dang, he was perceptive.

"He did." Casey was getting too good at lying. Thanks in part to living with Derek.

"Oh, really? Then how come you haven't gushed over it yet?"

"Let a girl walk through the door, Derek. The kiss was very magical, if you must know. Tonight was truly an enchanted evening," she fibbed.

"Enchanted, huh? As good as prom?"

"Why do you say that?"

"That's what you called prom. I just thought if the night was so good, it must have been up there with prom," he said.

Wow, he was more observant than he let on.

"It was close. I have to say, Jimmy knows how to kiss a girl; he could make any night special." Why did she keep lying? Once she started, she just couldn't stop.

"Pshh." Derek got up to follow Casey to her room, watching as she tossed her sneakers onto the rug and then stomped over to her desk.

"Why is my laptop open? Derek, did you use my stuff without asking?!"

"All the time. So I'm not buying this whole foot-popping, Jimmy-kissing story. Sorry, sis, but I think you're lying."

"It goes without saying that I don't want you to use my stuff. And no, I'm not lying! We did kiss! In his jeep. He turned the car off and planted one on me." Oh, that was believable. Not.

"That sounds boring," Derek muttered, pretending to yawn at her make-believe story.

"Oh, and you're such an expert on kissing girls."

Well, he kind of was, wasn't he? That was a stupid comment.

"Actually, I am."

Casey rolled her eyes.

Of course, Derek had no trouble reminding her.

"Jimmy said he planned on kissing me the moment he saw me tonight. How sweet is that?" Lies. Lies. Lies. Just keep digging your hole, Casey.

"Case, you can't plan the perfect kiss. You're always talking about romance, but what romance do you know that's planned and coordinated? I, for one, act on spontaneity."

"That's because thinking ahead is hard for you. Or thinking in general," Casey smirked.

Derek took a step forward, landing toe-to-toe with Casey.

"Spontaneity is best. Say, for instance, I took a girl home tonight. I planned to kiss her outside in the moonlight blah blah blah, but we were stopped by a sudden rainstorm. So, being the nice guy I am, I bring her inside to dry off. She looks so beautiful standing there, looking up at me with those big doe eyes, that I can't handle it any longer, and I push her up against the wall," Derek's hand gripped Casey's waist, pressing her against the bedroom door. Caught off guard by the impact and the touch of Derek's hand, Casey's breath hitched. "My hands reach for her face, and she's looking at me looking at her. The moment hits us both instantaneously, and then, bam, we kiss." Derek's mouth was too close to Casey's; she didn't dare speak for fear that the restraint she had would disappear right along with the little distance they shared. When she remained mute, Derek continued.

"Isn't it more romantic that way? To be passionately desired rather than kissed because a guy plans on it?" Intimacy colored Derek's voice, and yet Casey remained speechless.

Casey couldn't find her words. She was crushed against Derek, eyes locked with his as if being this close was the most normal thing in the world. His breath hit her rosy cheeks like several gusts of wind to her once-calm exterior, causing her hands to shake by her sides.

She hadn't been this nervous with anyone before. Not Sam. Not Max. Not Truman. Not Jimmy. No one.

The blood left her brain and drained to her wrists, pulsating so hard she could feel it against the wall. That same wall remained sturdy while her own walls started to crumble. What was desire before this moment? Had she ever known desire?

Why wasn't Derek moving? He hated affection, especially when the affection involved Casey. He should be disgusted!

Better yet, why wasn't Casey moving him away? She didn't want to be one of Derek's many girls. This was insane! You don't fall for a guy like Derek Venturi; you trip, and you never recover.

"Maybe. It's not only about timing, but how well a person kisses."

"That's never been a problem for me. However, I'm guessing your buddy Jimmy must be horrible. If he wasn't, he would've kissed you by now," Derek smirked, keeping their closeness but allowing his hand to drop from Casey's face.

"I told you, we kissed."

"And I told you, you're lying."

"Really?" She challenged Derek.

A challenge she would soon lose.

"Really. If you kissed Jimmy, that pretty lipgloss of yours would be smeared down to your neck, your lips would be swollen and rubbed raw, and your chest would've been flushed when you walked through the front door."

"Derek!"

If it were up to Derek, Casey wouldn't have a bit of lipgloss left on her lips. He imagined what it would be like to drag his mouth against her skin, down to her exposed neck and her chest and... no. God, he had to stop himself.

"What? I call it like I see it."

Casey pushed Derek away from her, opening the door to let him leave.

"Get out!" She shoved him.

"Is that your confession?" He smiled.

"Out!"

Casey shut the door and locked it, checking to see what time it was.

Surely, Paul would be available to chat with her, as this felt like an emergency.

"Hello, Der- Casey, hi."

"Hi, Paul. I hope I'm not disturbing you; I know it's late."

"I've got some free time. Let me guess: boy trouble?"

"How did you know?"

"Let's just say I'm perceptive. So what's wrong?"

"I'm having irrational thoughts about a boy who has never experienced responsibility or stability in a relationship. Does that mean I'm irresponsible, as well? For wanting something I shouldn't be wanting? Am I crazy?"

"You're not crazy; you're human. Love doesn't have to be reasonable, Casey," Paul explained.

"But does it have to be this scary?"

"I suppose that's why they call it love and war. It takes a lot of bravery to choose your feelings over your fears."

"Are you saying I should be brave and honest with this person? Even if he's a totally unromantic guy?" She pleaded for a straight answer.

"Honesty is always best, Casey. Who knows? He might surprise you."

"Thanks, Paul."

"I should go, but Casey?"

"Yes?"

"You know I don't do house calls for just anybody, right?" He chuckled.

Casey and Paul had formed a nice friendship over the years, starting on her first day at a new school, actually. She wouldn't have survived without him.

"I know. Goodnight, Paul."

"Goodnight."