The Legacy Continues

8: And So Is He!

After the news spread the crowd in the university doubled so we just decided to head to the dorms with some takeout.

It was raining outside, but it didn't had any effect on the people going to the university to see the crime scene. Half of the girls from the dorms were gone as soon as they learned about the episode.

I went back to my room and fell asleep. I was sleeping soundly in my room while the rain drops tapped against my window. After a while, the tapping grew louder, loud enough to wake me up from my sleep. My eyes flew open at the tapping and I sat up straight as the tapping grew louder and no other sound was audible in the room.

I panicked and went for my phone, that's when I heard my name, "Ashley, open the window."

I stood up and went to the window and it was Derek, with a hood on his head but it didn't help at all with the rain pouring down his lean form, he was soaking from head to toe.

"Open up!" He said.

I would've considered not opening the window, but with the storm outside and the not so firm plank he's standing on, I didn't really have a choice.

I opened the window and let him in, he stepped in as I went to my cupboard.

"What are you doing?" He said.

I took out an umbrella from my cupboard and held it out for him.

"Giving you an umbrella, walk out the door and go home," I said.

He looked at me seriously, "No, I mean what are you doing to me?"

Although the things he say has an effect on me but I can't show it to him, I can't let him know about my vulnerability, "Derek, let's not do this, please," I pleaded.

"No, let's," he says firmly.

"Derek, I think we should take some time off, you need to step away."

He doesn't look hurt at all instead he takes a step towards me.

"No! Look at what you've done to me, I've never been in this state at any part of my life." He says and takes his hood off, he looked like a mess, unshaven jaw and his eyes red.

"Derek, I can't do this right now, Please Go home!" I say to him.

"No!" Derek says taking another step towards me and taking both of my arms in his hand. Now his dark blue eyes looked pained, rain drops dripping from his hair and lashes.

"What do you mean 'no'? This is not up for debate, Derek! Go home!"

"No! Wherever I go, you're the only person I see, so why would I go anywhere else if I'm just gonna see you, that's why I'm coming to you."

"I'll chase you, Ashley. So, Run! Run as fast as you can, go as far away as you want, but Don't think for one second that I won't be coming after, I'm coming after you." He completes.

"Derek, I think we both need some time off, I know I do and I know you do too."

"You think I didn't try? Where do you think I was since the last time we talked, I left the town, Ashley. You know the pain you feel when you miss someone you love is physical, it originates here," he says pointing to his heart, "then it spreads here," he says, his finger circling his entire chest "and finally it travels here," he says, his finger travelling to his head and then his legs, "You wanna know how I know this? Because I've felt it, I've felt my knees giving up on me, my legs refusing to work, my chest feeling like it would explode if I don't see you the next second."

"I convinced myself that I can get over you and left, but all I could do was lie in the bed all day long thinking about you, what you must be doing, what you must be eating, what you must be wearing, and praying to God that it's not something like that band aid you wore."

I couldn't help but laugh at this and he gave me a smile too holding my arms tighter than he already was.

"I didn't want to come back until Carson forced me to, I had to come back for the plan. Somehow I had convinced myself that I've made progress, but it all went away when you bumped into me tonight, I knew I haven't gotten over you, I couldn't get over you ever."

"I don't know, Derek. I can't be with you, I'm terrified."

"I was terrified too, when these feelings started to come to me, I was sleepless and restless, still it all went away with one glance at your face, sometimes even with the mention of your name."

I couldn't help but stand there stupefied as my heart melts away.

"That's when I decided to act on it, as I've read somewhere, 'If the feeling is there you might as well admit it, saying the words or not saying them doesn't change a damn thing.' I decided I won't bury my feelings away and I'm sorry that I won't let you do it either, I won't let you bury us."

"I still can't do it, Derek. You don't understand I'm afraid."

"Tell me what you're afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of not respecting myself. I'm afraid I'll be a fallen woman because of the decision I take, I know that to me I always will be a fallen woman if I don't respect myself," I sobbed it out.

"I know how that feels Ashley, because I'll be a fallen man too, without you and I won't ever be able to look at myself if it's not with you. You have your fears I have mine. But not fighting them will be the biggest failure of them all, Not fighting for you is the biggest failure in itself," he sobbed along.

"Derek, I can't, not now at least," I cried harder, because the words actually hurt, they physically hurt me, my chest feels like it would explode any second.

"I know you can't, I'm not here for that."

"Then why are you here?"

"To inform you that I'm not going anywhere, I'm coming after you." With this his grip on my hand loosened and he moved towards the window, he picked up the umbrella I gave him but his eyes didn't leave mine at any time.

He gulped down one last time, "You'll soon be summoned," he said before climbing out the window.

After some minutes I went to the window and saw him walking away with the umbrella in his hands, that idiot wasn't using it, just looking at it as he walked away in the rain.