Part 20
He was finally ready to talk to her.
He had put it off for days but he really needed to see her.
So Derek had taken the afternoon off and drove down to Deaton's house. He timed it so that she would be alone.
He got to the door then turned around, not confident he could go through with it.
Without warning, the door opened and he was caught off guard by the girl in question.
"Derek?" Ashley asked.
"Ash…"
"What are you doing here?"
"I…uh, was in the neighbourhood…and wanted to drop by."
"Come in." Ashley gestured for him to enter. "I thought I heard your vehicle."
"Can we actually stay out here?" Derek pointed to the bench outside.
"It's nice out and the fresh air would do us good." He commented.
"Ok." Ashley closed the door behind her and they sat side by side on the porch.
There was awkward quietness as Derek struggled to find the words.
Ashley waited patiently as she sensed him wrestling with something.
"I'm glad your back." He said finally.
"Me too." She smiled.
"I–It hurt losing you." He confessed. "It hurt letting you go. And I–I regretted not treasuring you."
Derek's voice started to crack as he allowed himself to be vulnerable.
Looking into Ashley's eyes, he continued, "I love you Ash."
Ashley's heart skipped a beat. How she waited all those years to hear him say those words.
"I love you." He repeated. "I didn't realize it until I lost you…and I regretted it so much…and now with Paige back, it's all very confusing. How can you love two people at the same time?"
At the thought of another Hale wolf, Ashley asked herself the same question.
"But you deserve better." He said firmly. "I realized it when I saw the way Peter looked at you. He really does love you. More than I ever have. He has always been there for you."
The thought of Peter filled her stomach with butterflies.
Derek reached for her hands and held it gently in his.
"I love you and I want what's best for you. And I think that's Peter." He conceded. "Though, some part of me though will always love you, Ashley Hale."
Then out of nowhere, Derek embraced her tightly. Surprised at first, she settled into his embrace.
It was a familiar touch. And she felt right at home in it.
They stayed like that for a while, oblivious to everything else.
Then they broke the hug and sat in comfortable silence.
xXx
Deaton returned home to a restless Ashley. She paced around the different rooms, sighing every now and then.
"Had a bad day?" He commented after observing her actions.
Ashley nodded and replied, "Peter and Derek came by today."
"I see." Deaton acknowledged. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ashley hesitated. What would she even say? She fell in love with one Hale wolf and after losing her memories, she fell in love with the other Hale wolf? How can she even love two men at once?
Noticing her struggle, he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it to comfort her.
Ashley appreciated the gesture and decided to open up to him.
Deaton listened as the girl confided the day's events to him. When she finished, she looked at him, silently pleading for his advice.
Seeing her lost made him falter. He had promised Peter to keep his secret but Ashley deserved to know the truth.
"Ashley…" He began softly. "Peter is dying."
"What do you mean?" She questioned him sharply.
"The spell that was used to bring you back had a cost and the cost is his lifeforce." He explained. "We've tried to look for a way around it but have not found anything. At this rate, he doesn't have long."
Ashley paled at his words.
"Peter…" She stammered. "…is dying?"
The words sounded so foreign on her tongue.
Peter who was a bad-assed wolf. Peter who survived a burning building and a coma. Peter who killed to become Alpha. The same Peter was dying. And was dying because of her.
"No." Ashley shook her head in disbelief and backed away from Deaton. As if the words he said were poison.
"No." She repeated as if to re-assure herself.
"I'm sorry Ashley." Deaton said soberly.
"No!" She exclaimed one last time before running out of the house and into the night.