This one is for you

CHAPTER 35

Mark's POV.

After I left Derek's place I went over to the bar, where I was sure Meredith would be there, working and denying what had happened between her and Derek. And as soon as I walked in, I was welcomed by the sight of Meredith cleaning the counter like there was no tomorrow.

"Hey Mere." I said, sitting down in a stool close to her.

"If you're here for Derek, go away now before I kill you with the scotch bottles I have here, cuz I hate scotch now. If you want scotch, come back in a few hours, we're not open yet." She rambled out without even looking at me.

"I'm just here to see you, see how you're doing." I said, watching her. Her eyes used to shine like emerald when she was happy with Derek. Now they were empty, exhausted, and grey. They weren't even green anymore.

"How sweet of you." She said sarcastically.

"Meredith." I said softly, grabbing her hands so that she won't slap me. Last time I ticked her off she gave me a pretty nice hand print on my face. I didn't want a repeat.

"Meredith...look at me." I tried again. She lowered her head as if she was deciding, then looked up at me. It was the first time since the fight that I was able to clearly look at her. She looked like she was about to fall over anytime soon. Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes were empty. The fight obviously took the life out of her.

"Mark..." She whispered sadly as I saw tears threatened to fall.

"You don't look well, neither does Derek...He's been drunk since the fight. You are not getting any sleep, working at the bar, and you obviously haven't eaten." I said softly, my thumb making a circular motion on her hand.

She looked at me for awhile as if she was lost, then snapped out of it. "I hope he drinks himself to death." She said bitterly as she snatched her hand out of grasp.

"Meredith...I don't want you to just forget everything and forgive him...that would let him off too easy. But can you please talk to him. He needs you. I just talked to him, he needs you. He realized what he'd done was stupid and that he's a world-class ass. But please, talk to him. For yourself, for him, for me." I pleaded with her. I've never pleaded with anyone before. But somehow, for this girl and for my good-for-nothing brother, I was willing to beg.

She stopped for awhile then turned around sharply. Her eyes were spitting out fire and they were steely and hard. "Is this what this is about? Did Derek send out his good brother to plead with his girlfriend? Because if that's so, then you and Derek can both burn in hell! Did you know what he said to me? He called me a whore! He said I didn't deserve anything! That I don't deserve him! That...that I'm wortheless....how do you forgive someone who said those things to you? How!" She screamed out, her voice hoarse with tears.

"Meredith..." A deep voice called out behind me. Meredith's empty eyes suddenly looked shocked and far away. I turned around and saw Derek standing by the entrance.

"Derek..." I said, out of shock and warning.

"Meredith..." He said again. His eyes were bloodshot, and I could smell alcohol oozing out of him. He was walking towards the bar and Meredith. I heard Meredith backing off.

"No...no...no..." She stuttered out as if she was faced with a monster who was going to tore her apart.

"Please...Mere...listen to me...." He whispered softly. His hands on the counter beside me.

"GET THE HELL OUT!!! NOW!!!!!!" Meredith screamed out once she regained her voice.

"Mere, no..." Derek protested, though I could feel him losing control as well.

"I SAID GET THE HELL OUT!!!!!!!!!"

"Mere..." Derek pleaded with her. I could literally see him crumbling to the floor and disappear into thin mist if Meredith didn't stop him. But Meredith didn't save him or anything, she merely fixed him a heated death look that forced Derek to back out of the door.

After Derek went out, I turned around and saw tears streaming freely down Meredith's voice.

"Mere..." I said, getting up from my place, trying to hold her. But she just backed away again.

"Please leave. I can't talk now." She said, walking quietly into the storage room in the back. Leaving me along in the bar. I sighed in frustration. This is going to be harder than I think.