Stuck Like Glue (Derek Hale Fanfiction Book #2)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Lost Girl

“Come on, Derek. Don’t be like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you have to protect me all the time! I’ve been doing everything you said. Haven’t I at least earned some gratitude?”

“For what, staying safe? Chris, I’m not gonna thank you for being sensible. You should do it on your own,” Derek grunted, crossing his arms over his chest and staring me down. Disbelief and outrage sliced through me, and I opened my mouth to retort back that I was my own person and if I didn’t want to be treated like an infant than I most certainly would not, but then I stopped myself. I was too tired to get into it with Derek when he obviously didn’t care, so I just pushed my indignation down and nodded slowly. That did earn me a soft “Thank you” from Derek, but the sincerity of it was questionable. It sounded more like he’d expected me to back down. Urgh.

As Derek turned the lamp off and relaxed back against the pillows, the desire to turn over and lay my head on his chest burned intensely within me, but I repressed it in favor of curling up in a ball with my back to Derek and trying vainly to fall back asleep. But after nearly an hour of lying beside Derek with a thick coat of tension between us, I was still very much awake and stressed out. 

“Derek?”

“Yeah?”

“So you couldn’t sleep either, huh?” I asked gently, rolling over onto my side and regarding him with a vulnerable expression on my face. I hated fighting with Derek, and I could tell he did too when he shook his head in agreement and slid his hand down to cup the side of my face. The warmth radiating from his touch soothed me and I sighed in contentment.

“I’m sorry, Chris. I didn’t mean to be such an ass about all this. I’m just sick of watching you get hurt over and over again because of me. Everyone around me gets hurt,” Derek confessed in a quiet voice, his thumb stroking up and down my cheekbone.

“I know. But if I get hurt, it’s because that’s a part of life, not because I’m with you.”

“Most of the time it is because we’re together-“

“But sometimes it’s not! Do you remember how we first met?”

“I found you on the side of the road with Scott.”

“Exactly. Scott was bitten that night, and regardless of whether or not we’d met, I was going to be involved in this world. My best friend was going to be a werewolf, Derek; danger would’ve followed me anyway.”

“But-“

“But then I met you. And suddenly, I felt safe in my new reality because I had you to protect me and keep me safe. You’re the reason I feel safe, Derek. I always feel safe when I’m with you.”

“But how can you say that when you’re constantly getting hurt because of me? Getting kidnapped by Kate, almost drowning, getting punched by Josh, the explosion, losing Boyd, being slammed into the trophy case-“

“Stop. Just stop, okay? Derek, no matter what you do or say, I’m in love with you. And if that means I’ll be in situations that are dangerous, then fine. I’m not willing to give up what we have just to stay safe; are you?”

“I’m considering it, yeah,” Derek mumbled, evading my eyes at his confession while I sat back, his words sending my heart into overtime.

“Derek…you can’t be serious,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. The feeling of everything coming to a screeching halt washed over me, choking me.

“Believe me, it’s not what I want. But how am I supposed to live with the fact that us being together gets you hurt?”

“Because ‘us being together’ is the best thing we have in our lives! Derek, we both have to make sacrifices for each other and if mine is getting a little roughed up occasionally then I’ll take it! I’ll take that any day over not being with you,” I cried, sobs convulsing in my stomach as I fought the urge to burst into tears. Derek’s green eyes were pained and somber, but I refused to let him try to give up on us.