Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

Hollow in my Heart

Lillian's POV

The air was crisp as I stepped out of my truck to find Derek leaning against the stones outside the Foundry. An amused smirk slid across his sunglasses-clad face as my feet touched the pavement, and I started a little. He normally didn't wait for me outside.

"Hey."

"The Foundry's closed today."

"Oh," I huffed, catching the truck door before it shut. "Why didn't you text me?"

"I know somewhere else we can go." He said, and I tilted my head.

Was that what I sounded like when I had him chase me up the fire escape? Yikes.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm!" He replied, tossing his head toward his car. "Wanna come?"

I narrowed my eyes ever-so-slightly. "Sure. But I can drive myself."

...

I kept a decent distance from Derek's car as we drove through the forest, using the road I took to get home. I breathed slowly, trying to figure out where we were headed, and I eyed my bag of knives nestled in the passenger's seat.

I could trust Derek. Something in me just felt right when he was around. I trusted that he wouldn't push me off the roof to my death, so I could trust him to not do anything stupid or take me somewhere weird. Probably.

My blood jolted a little as I registered a low barbed-wire fence lining a driveway. It was the same one I tripped over the day I met Derek, weeks ago.

I hated barbed wire with a burning passion.

Was he taking me to his house?

Heat bloomed across my cheeks as I followed him up the driveway, my heart stumbling as a massive house came into focus.

The broad-beamed structure was in shambles, scars of the fire torn through it and charred black. But in an eerie, cold way, it was still beautiful.

"Whoa," I breathed, taking a breath before stepping out of my truck. "What are we doing here?"

"I thought you'd think it was cool," Derek replied from beside his car. "And we can practice out here."

"Oh," I glanced at the broken window panes, scraping a hollow my heart as I thought of the people who died in the fire that caused the dusty glass to shatter.

"I brought this," Derek held up a black cylindrical speaker and I grinned.

"Nice," I arched an eyebrow. "You better have a banger taste in music to maintain the privileges of using a speaker."

Derek breathed a chuckle, his boots crunching against the grass. "I guess we'll find out." He held up a pair of sparring gloves. "Winner picks the music?"

I chucked. "You're on."

...

"Hmmm..." I flipped through tracks on my phone, debating my next song choice as I arranged a queue. I added my whole workout playlist to the queue, and the bells of Run Boy Run by Woodkid sang from the speaker.

Derek glanced over. "Not a bad choice."

"Mhm," I murmured, setting down my phone. "What's next, coach?"

"I was thinking we'd do some flips."

"Onto what?"

"The ground?" Derek shrugged. "I don't mind getting thrown, and I won't throw you if you don't want."