"Alex !!" Cora shouted as soon as she stepped out of her car in the parking lot of the supermarket.
Alex smirked turning around. His smirk soon turned into a warm smile as he embraced his baby sister in a hug.
"I have missed you so much." He said hugging her.
Cora hugged him with equal intensity mouthing the words, "I've missed you too Allie."
Alex broke the hug making an annoying face, "Why do you have to call me that??"
"Because I love you" Cora teased.
"Shut up. Where's Laura and Peter??"
"At Derek's. But Peter is yet to come. With the flavour of the month." She said chuckling to which Alex rolled his eyes.
"Who is it now??"
"Some woman named Evelyn. She works in the HR at some small-ish firm near Beacon."
"Phew!! Peter and his women. Seriously, that guy puts me to shame. I haven't been with even half of the number of women he's been with." Alex shook his head in amused disbelief.
"Oh come on Allie. You're better than him. You'll have real love in your life." Cora said cheering him up.
"Ohkay. That is creepy... even for you. Besides I am not Derek." He said disappointed.
"Yeah about that. I want you to tell me about that Amarra girl in Derek's life."
"What about her??"
"Everything. Do you know her??"
"Well, kind of. I have been sleeping with her best friend for a while now and I spiked her drink for revenge once." Alex said the last part in regret.
"You WHAT????" Cora was highly shocked to hear this. "No wonder Derek hates your guts."
"Well he found out that I was behind her drunken state and I am thankful he didn't beat me to a pulp." He said laughing.
"OH MY GOD!!! The two of you are only capable of giving massive headaches to the rest of us. Dad is so upset with you two. He didn't accompany us to celebrate Christmas. Just think about it." Cora said sadly.
Alex was happy to hear that their father wasn't here for Christmas but he didn't let his face devour in that happiness. Actually, after Talia's death Alex grew apart from John because even he suspected John's hand in Talia's death, like the rest of the siblings.
Except Cora, ofcourse.
She is a daddy's girl and she didn't like the hatred the others portrayed towards John. Cora has spent most of her childhood at boarding school, even when Talia died she wasn't in Beacon Hills. Neither did she knew about the tension between her parents. Nor did her siblings tell her any. Cora has been protected by her siblings. She was everyone's hope, their safe haven, their bubble of happiness when she was born. And she still is. So no one wants to tell her the real truth and burst the bubble.
"I'm sorry. I'll talk to Dad later and reconcile with Derek. Okay." Alex assured her to which Cora gave him an appreciative smile. Although he knew he wasn't going to talk to that man.
"Okay so tell me about Amarra now."
"Umm... All I can say is that she'll be good for Derek. She has aroused feelings in him after so many years. You know everything that happened with Jenna, Derek was broken. But this girl, she is different and she has this hold over him. You know..." Alex exhaled a breath. "Valerie told me once that Amarra loves Derek...from the very first moment she saw him she has been like intoxicated. You know girl crap." Alex chuckled.
"Hmm...good to know. Well, does she know about us being...." Cora asked in a hushed voice.
"I don't think so. She would have ran for the hills if she knew."
"Right. But the way you're explaining about her 'supposed love' for Derek, I don't think she'll run if she gets to know." Cora said thoughtfully, staring at a distance.
"Yeah whatever. Anyway enough of Amarek. Let's buy the ingredients and go to Derek's. I am sure he'll love to see me." Alex suggested, a little annoyed of talking about Derek's love life.
"Amarek haan. Nice. Come on let's go." Cora laughed at the nickname and they proceeded inside the supermarket.
________________________
The doorbell rang.
Ting!! Tong!! Ting!! Tong!!
Derek rushed from the kitchen hoping to see Cora with the list of things she was sent to buy. But fate had other plans. Haha!!
There he was, standing in all his glory with a curvacious brunette by his side, the one and only, Peter Hale. Derek kept his straight face on, not wanting to show too much emotion. It has been this way with the two of them. They are always there for each other during the good as well as bad times but they won't admit that they care.
Strange, but true.
"Derek. Merry Christmas. This is Evelyn. Evelyn, this is my nephew Derek." Peter did the introductions as formally as he could.
"Merry Christmas. Nice to meet you." Evelyn wished a little too loud.
"Same to you. Come on in. Laura and I are cooking." Derek said inviting them inside as graciously as he could. Like I said, he didn't want to spoil Christmas for the sake of his sisters.
"I would love to help." Evelyn chimed in. Her excitement level was beyond the normal limit. She exited towards the kitchen to help Laura who was talking to her beau on the phone.
"Grab a seat. Cora will be here shortly." Derek said sitting down on one end of the large white sofa placed in the living room.
"This apartment is too clean. Remember your bedroom from back home??" Peter said in an unbelievable tone while Derek just rolled his eyes.
"How's everyone in Beacon Hills??" Derek asked.
"Good. Scott's doing much better after his injury. Stiles and Lydia are in New York." Peter said leaving Derek smile a little at the mention of 'New York'. He remembered he knows a brunette who is currently in NYC writing him supposed letters out of love and friendship.
"You still here??" Peter waved a hand to bring Derek back from his reverie.
"Yeah...yeah. Right here." Derek said assuring him.
"I take it the girl you're in love with lives in NYC." Peter said with a hint of playfulness in his tone which caught Derek offguard.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Derek said not meeting his eyes.
"Sure you do. You just won't admit cause you're scared." Peter stated the fact and Derek's jaw clenched.
"I am not scared. I just don't want to jeopardise her life. She has a life. A very happy life full of people who love her. I don't want to take that from her because of what I am." Derek gritted his teeth in anger walking to the balcony.
Peter sighed and followed him to the balcony. "I understand your concern. But you're not 15 years old now. You're not a child anymore. You couldn't protect your love then. But you can protect your loved ones now."
Derek held the railing tightly turning his knuckles white. "I know I can protect her now. But I don't want to have to protect her at all. I don't want her involved in my world."
"But you love her. And from what I've gathered, she loves you as well. So you'll just let this love go waste??" Peter said trying to stir emotions in Derek.
"I don't know. I am conflicted. Sometimes I think it is okay for me to be with her. And sometimes the horrors of Jenna's death bring me back to reality and I decide otherwise." Derek's voice trembled. He was drowning in his vulnerability.
"You couldn't have saved Jenna even if you were there. You were not strong enough. I know you're scared of history repeating itself. But you can't let your life pass by while you sit getting scared everytime it has something to offer." Peter put his hand on Derek's shoulder trying to soothe him.
There was a pause. No one said anything. Neither Peter nor Derek. They simply stood side by side staring at the busy afternoon road ahead. The view was ecstatic.
"You think so??" Derek said after what felt like an eternity.
"I do. You have to tell her and end your misery and hers." Peter suggested.
Derek looked at Peter and nodded his head in agreement, "Okay. As soon as she is back from holidays, I'll tell her how I feel. I am taking a chance. I just hope it doesn't turn on me."
Peter gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder.
"I am rooting for you two." He said cheering to which Derek gave a small smile.
They were still taking in the view when the doorbell rang.
Ting!! Tong!!
"That must be Cora." Derek rushed to open the door revealing Cora and Alex who was holding two big shopping bags.
"Hey. Merry Christmas." Alex said with a straight face. He knew a smile wouldn't have worked its magic and into Derek's heart. Afterall he tried to drug the girl Derek loves. Gaining a clean slate is not easy when it comes to Derek Hale.
"Merry Christmas. Come on in." Derek said with a less hateful expression on his face. Cora glanced between the two stubborn brothers and sighed, snatching the shopping bags from Alex and making her way to the kitchen.
"Hope it's okay that I'm gere, considering the last time you threw me out." Alex said reminding Derek of their last interaction.
"Our sisters insisted on a family gathering. I'm doing this just for them." Derek said with a glare.
Alex followed Cora not wanting to get stuck with Derek alone anymore. He greeted Laura and Evelyn in the kitchen and sat with Peter in the living room. All this while Derek pulled out his phone hoping to see a text message from Amarra. But there was none.
'She is probably busy' Derek thought to himself.
__________________________
Hello lovely readers
Here is a new chapter update. It is actually a continuation of Chapter 35 "The Christmas family gathering."
I hope you like it.
Please shower your love via VOTES and COMMENTS. Just press the star ⭐ shaped button at the bottom.
With love
Preeti