𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 || 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

Derek Venturi x Casey McDonald [4]

I shouldn't have kissed him. I knew that, deep down. And I guess that's why I couldn't sleep tonight. I glanced over at my alarm clock and groaned when I saw the time: 3 AM. And I hadn't been to sleep yet. Putting my fingertips to my lips, I remembered the kiss I had shared with Derek. We were at a party that our parents had agreed to let us go to only if I accompanied him because they thought he was irresponsible.

Which he was, of course. But for once in my life, I was the irresponsible one. I saw Max flirting with another girl and I admit, I saw red. And I acted recklessly. With Max watching my every move, I walked over to Derek and kissed him. At the time, I did it impulsively and out of jealousy only.

But now, it was all I could think about. Not the look on Max's face or even the shocked gasps of the other party-goers but the feel of Derek's lips on mine - how soft and warm they were. What had shocked me the most though was how he kissed me back and how much I enjoyed it. I wasn't supposed to enjoy it - it was only to make Max mad. And now I wasn't even thinking about him or how he felt. Just Derek.

I caught a ride with Emily that night and she took me home. I couldn't bear to be in the same place with him after what had just transpired. I was afraid he'd mock me or tease me for it. So instead of facing him once I arrived home, I bolted up the stairs and locked myself in my bedroom. The family had just assumed I'd had a fight with Max. They could never be more wrong.

So as I lay in the dark, I tried to devise a plan so I wouldn't have to see Derek tomorrow at school - so I could just skip seeing him completely. As these thoughts filled my mind, a small knock at my door pulled me away from them. I sat upright in bed and looked to the door, wondering who it could be. Mom, perhaps? Maybe she'd heard my tossing and turning and come to check on me. Another knock sounded and my eyebrows furrowed.

Mom wouldn't bother to knock twice. She would have just come in already.

"Come in." I said quietly, trying not to wake anyone else up.

Slowly, the door swung open to reveal Derek. His hair was tousled, his pajamas rumpled, and he looked tired. As tired as I felt. Closing the door gently behind him, he walked over to me before stopping before my bed.

"Derek! What are you doing in here?! Get out!" I whisper-yelled to him.

He rolled his eyes and sunk down onto my bed beside me. I inched away from him slowly but he caught my wrist, making me stop.

"Casey...we need to talk..." he said softly and my blue eyes flickered to his brown ones.

I swallowed nervously and looked down at my hands, playing with the corner of my pink comforter.

"About what?" I asked innocently, wishing to drop the subject.

He looked at me pointedly, "You know what,"

"Derek, please...just don't," I said, trying to brush him off.

"No, Case, we need to talk about this. We need to talk about...the kiss..."

I looked up at him then and found him watching me tentatively. I suddenly realized that he was just nervous. The great Derek Venturi - nervous to talk to me. In any other situation, I would have gloated about it. But I was too nervous myself to tease him for it.

"Look, Derek...I...It was stupid of me, I know. I wanted to make Max jealous and I went about it the wrong way," I said, looking away from him.

He shook his head and sighed.

"I know that but..." he trailed off then and I glanced back up at him, "I can't forget that it happened. I can't forget the way it felt..."

My mouth opened slightly in shock before I quickly closed it. What was he saying?

"I can't forget how it made me feel..."

My eyes searched his then and I registered him slowly moving closer to me.

"Casey," he said, his voice gentle, "I like you..."

I looked down and nodded, "Yeah, I like you too, Derek,"

He put two fingers underneath my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes.

"No, Case, more than a stepbrother should like his stepsister..."

I gasped then and nearly lost myself in his chocolate-brown eyes as we gazed at each other.

"I know you may not feel the same way about me but-" he started.

I cut him off then by crashing my lips into his. My heart soared as my lips glided over those velvet-soft lips I had wanted so badly to kiss him again. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me against him. My hands wound their way into his red-brown hair and I lost myself in the kiss as he deepened it. A few seconds later, we both broke away, grinning. I dropped one of my hands to his shoulder and the other cupped his face, caressing it.

I rested my forehead against his and stared into his eyes once more.

"So what are we going to tell everyone now?" I asked hesitantly as he lifted up a hand and brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes.

"We're not gonna tell them anything." he smirked.