Under the Night Sky

Chapter 32

The darkness was impenetrable. The stars had already faded from the sky. An eerie but exciting stillness reigned in the everywhere around; the wind was so gentle, so light, it barely disturbed an occasional leaf. It was quite cool and Meredith readjusted the sheet that covered her naked body. Her skin felt a little damp and dewy but she didn't mind. She leaned against the balcony railing and waited, taking in the sweet fresh air.

A bird started its song somewhere near but went immediately quiet as though disheartened by the ubiquitous silence, or embarrassed that it disturbed the sleep of the neighborhood. It was indeed dead silent. Dead? Not to Meredith. Perhaps it was solely her subjective opinion but she couldn't remember feeling more invigorated, more alive. It was literally taking her breath away.

Her current emotional state was most peculiar. She was serene yet at the same time bubbling with energy, a newfound joy. It was coursing in her veins with such an intensity that it prevented her from her much needed and deserved sleep. Very deserved in fact. They didn't collapse until the wee hours of the morning making- making love- She shivered but it was not from the cold. A tender smile lit up her face in the darkness as her thoughts strayed to Derek again. Or did they? That wasn't exactly accurate as he never really left her mind. She was overwhelmed by everything Derek. Not in a bad sense though. She was tingly, gooey and warm inside, all because of him.

She bit her lip not to burst out in laughter but a few soft chuckles escaped her throat anyway as she remembered the state she left him in the bedroom. The room looked as though a hurricane ravaged right through it, it ravaged a path from the living room, leaving a terrible mess behind, and the staircase where all the pictures were now either hanging crookedly on the wall or lying on the floor. They started sweet and slow but it soon escalated to unbridled lust and passion, only to "cool off" during a slow round. And then they went wild again. Their sexual drive seemed to go through the roof. Derek certainly got a new lease of life after the declaration of her feelings. Their erotic marathon ended with them both collapsing with exhaustion and force of their multiple orgasms.

However, Meredith woke up for a reason not so long afterwards and even though she absolutely craved sleep, her mind was reeling with the magnitude of the events that transpired between her and Derek in the course of the last hours. Giving his shamelessly sprawled body a quick look, she briefly contemplated waking him up for more sex but finally decided against it. He was sleeping peacefully after such an emotional and tiring day. So she untangled a sheet from the messy heap that landed on the floor while they were in the throes, wrapped it around her and tiptoed out of the bedroom. She entered the adjacent room and slipped out onto the balcony.

The serenity of the moment was mightily conducive to do some serious thinking. But her brain was never that chaotic or confused, overflowing with questions. Things between her and Derek were nowhere near light, casual of friendly any longer. As if they had ever been just that- The man lying asleep in the next room seemed to be breaking all her resolves one by one since he set his foot in Rachel. She fought him kicking and screaming, literally, but he broke past her defenses with a staggering ease. Knowing him, he would now be trying to make their relationship some kind of permanent. And she was scared to death of anything permanent. She pressed her eyes closed in attempt to banish her very chaotic musings from her head. She stayed like that, listlessly, for a long time, until she sensed more than heard a movement to her side. Unsurprisingly, when her eyes popped open she saw Derek leaning against the doorframe, very casual in his nudity.

"Hey," she murmured softly. She didn't have to make an effort to speak louder, you'd hear a pin dropped to the floor.

"Hey," he replied equally gently. "I thought you'd run away."

She let out a small chuckle. She knew he meant it teasingly but there was no doubt a hint of underlying insecurity. She didn't think she could remedy that, she couldn't promise she'd never run or avoid. That would be a lie and she didn't want to lie to him. But she was already lying to him- by omission-