A Little Too Much | CM

2.02

After speaking to Derek, Lia spent a few more minutes watching the waves before walking back to her car and driving home.

She spent a few hours finishing up lesson plans whilst watching TV before deciding to start cooking something from her family's recipe book.

It used to be one of her favourite things to do when she lived in New Orleans, until it just became another thing Justin ruined but today she was taking it back.

Sure she had made a meal from it occasionally for Will and JJ but those were just ones she had committed to memory, not something new.

After finding a pasta dish she had all the ingredients for, she started and it felt like all the pain of the last few years was melting away and she was fifteen again, back in her childhood home cooking dinner for Billy and their dad without a care in the world.

She heard her phone buzz and quickly glanced at it to see Derek's name alerting her he would be there in about twenty minutes so she carried on, amazed by her own timing.

As she pulled the pasta bake out of the oven, there was a knock at the door. "It's open!" She called, knowing it had been twenty minutes so it was most likely Derek.

This small fact amazed Morgan, as Lia's door was never unlocked. She lived her life in constant fear that Justin was going to be around the next corner, ready to take her back to New Orleans, and back to her own personal hell.

The first thing he noticed when he walked into her kitchen was Lia's choice of clothing. It wasn't even slightly unusual for most people, but it was for her. She had her jeans on that she had most likely been wearing all day, with her statement fluffy slippers, but the unusual thing was her tank top. He had never seen her shoulders. Every dress he had seen her in had sleeves, when she slept at his she wore one of his t-shirts and changed in the bathroom. He had noticed it was weird but never pushed her on the subject. Of course he noticed the scars on her shoulders but honestly, he wasn't surprised. He had already figured out her ex had hurt her more than just emotionally from the way she automatically flinched away when he moved fast or suddenly.

"Why did I not know you could cook?" Derek asked as he smelt the food, moving from where he had paused in the doorway to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his chest.

"I've cooked since I was, like, 10? I used to make the majority of Billy's meals when he lived in New Orleans, even when he moved out." Lia explained.

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That night went so perfectly, the conversation was effortless, Lia seemed the most relaxed she ever had been and she had her head on his shoulder, curled up into his side whilst they watched a film.

Until Lia went to itch her shoulder and realised she had been wearing a tank top this whole time.

Derek noticed something was wrong as she pulled her self away and sat slightly further apart, making sure her back wasn't visible as she had a mental debate about whether or not he had already noticed her scars.

"They're nothing to be ashamed of." Derek said simply, turning the TV off and turning to face Lia. "I mean, I've got my fair share of scars."

"But you got yours protecting people, I got mine for opening the front door, not buying enough beer or even just existing."

"That doesn't change anything. They're still battle scars." Derek reasoned. 

"What on earth did I do to deserve you?" Lia said, happily snuggling back into his side as he raised his arm to almost beckon her in.

"Off the top of my head? I recon I could name a few things." He said before pressing a feather light kiss to the top of her head.

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