Married to the Devil

Chapter 38

Cass sighed as we debated the topic of Derek again.

"You know what I think? I think it's stupid that you guys are fighting over this. The two of you are husband and wife. If you can't deal with this small issue then how are you going to stay married?"

A thrill from the argument flared through me like gunpowder, "It's hardly considered small when you're partner teams up with your worst enemy!"

"So what? You cheated on him. Then ignored him for weeks. And what good did that do? You're still mopping around about him," She argued.

A defensive edge pulled into me,"I can't have been that bad. After all it was a bit of a shock."

"You're right. It was worse than bad. I've been listening to you go on and on about it and I just can't take it anymore!"

"Cass!"

She flipped her hair unapologetically, "Sorry but that's the truth. Sometimes you have to hear it, even if it's hard."

I bit into my lip and chewed on it as I thought about what she said, "You really think I should get back with him?"

"Have you missed him?" She asked with a no-nonsense look.

"Yes," I admitted sheepishly.

"Then you've got to get him back." She replied confidently.

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Derek was standing in front of me, soaked from the rain and shivering from the cold wind blowing outside.

I had been in my room, home alone, when the doorbell had rung and when I'd gone to get it, thinking it was my parents, Derek had shown up. I was flabbergasted.

"Can I come in?" He asked through his chattering teeth.

I found my voice then, "Yes. Yes, of course."

He entered my home and took tentative, slow steps, as if he was unsure if he should enter or not.

"My parents aren't home," I said as if the new information would help him ease up.

Surprisingly, it did.

"Callumn?" He asked quickly.

"At Justin's house for the weekend," I explained and I recalled why he was asking, "I know you guys aren't on the best of terms right now."

He nodded and shivered against a wall as I closed the front door.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and rocked back and forth on my heels awkwardly waiting for him to explain his absence.

"Sorry I didn't keep in touch," Seemed to be all he wanted to say.

Frustrated, I went for the direct approach, "Where were you? And why didn't you call?"

"I was home," His singular response aggravated me.

"Bullshit and you know it. I didn't see your truck outside." I replied, angry with him for lying.

He raised a brow, "You've been keeping watch?"

I blushed, "Of course I have!" Then I lowered my voice, "How could I not worry after everything I saw."

His eyes clouded over as he remembered, "I'm sorry I didn't call. You must've been scared."

A thought must have struck him because he looked at me suspiciously, "You didn't tell anyone did you?"

"No."

A ghost of a smile lifted his lips, "Thank-you, I'm glad."

I shrugged my shoulders to indicate that it was no-biggie, "I figured you didn't want child services all up in your face."

He grit his teeth as he thought about it, "Yeah."

We stood there in another awkward silence with only the sound of Derek's teeth chattering as a comfort.

I decided to break it and smiled, "You should get some hot tea. It'll help with the chattering."

Using my arms to guide him, I ushered him inside into the living room. With a quick glance at his soaked shirt I offered to give him one of Callumn's until his could dry by the fireplace.

He looked at me, surprised,"You don't have to."

I smiled at his want for little attention to be drawn on him, "I want to."

As fast as my short little legs could carry me I ran up to Callumn's room to find a suitable shirt, hopefully one he wouldn't miss. My gaze settled on an old one with an ice cream stain on it. Callumn almost never wore it and I'm sure he wouldn't care that it was gone. After I had decided that was the one I ran back downstairs to where Derek was waiting.

Derek peeled off his shirt and guilt washed over me. His skin was marked up and down by angry purple bruises. A few red scratch marks marred his shoulders and below then were handprints, undoubtedly his father's, that ruined his beautiful skin.

I forced myself to look at the worst area of it all, his gut, where he'd been hammered in numerous times. It was my fault he had those marks. Every single one of them was my fault. I felt horrible.

"Oh Derek," I breathed as I tried to hold my gasp from the awful sight.

He cracked a plastic smile, the same one I'd seen when he'd come back after seeing Lilianne a wreck, "Don't say you're sorry. I hate that."

I stepped closer toward him and swallowed the horrible lump in my throat, "But it's my fault. All of it."

His eyes hardened and he shook my shoulders almost violently, "It isn't. My dad is the one to blame for all this."

Tears formed in my eyes, "I'm sorry. And I know you didn't want me to say that but I am. I'm sorry I didn't call the police like I should have. I'm sorry that I didn't stay. I'm sorry that I gave you crap for kissing Evelyn when you were dealing with all this," I gestured to his beatings, "I really am sorry, Derek."

He cupped my face in his two hands and forced me to look into his beautiful, green eyes.

"Hey, it's not your fault okay? Not any of it. You get that?" He whispered.

His hands worked their way through my hair in a feather light touch.

I nodded, too choked up from the tears to say anything.

Without thinking I reached my hand up and pulled his head down to mine. His lips parted and our eyes closed as we kissed. It was a rough kiss, not slow and sensual, but I needed it to feel better. We both did.

I opened my mouth as his tongue slid over mine. He tasted like honey-vanilla. His hands reached up to wipe away the tears running down my face.

He broke the kiss, "I love you Kate."

I smiled happily,"I love you too Derek."

He winced as he bent over to unbuckle his belt and pull down his pants. Derek helped me take off my shirt and pants. We kissed again and made love that night for the first time.