Remember this Face, Baby.

Glancing up from the Alexis’ sleeping face, I smiled at Margaret and sighed, leaning back in the kitchen chair I was currently sitting on. Margaret’s spectacles were sitting on the bridge of her nose as she stared back at me, placing the opened book she had been reading on her lap. There were things about Margaret that reminded me of my mother. I always found Margaret with her nose in a book, watching as her brown eyes scanned the words, quickly. It was the kind of thing I found my mother doing, early in the mornings after she had finished making my breakfast and had sat down to wait for me before I left for school. She had thousands of books stacked neatly in her closet of all sorts of genres from romance to horror. It was something I knew kept my mother happy and it was something she could turn to whenever she was having a bad day. I wondered if she read more often now that I was gone.

There wasn’t a day I didn’t miss her.

I let a loud sigh escape my lips and I glanced in the direction of the clock hanging on the wall, realizing it was well past midnight. As usual, Deryk hadn’t come home like he said he would and I imagined he was still sitting in his large leather chair, finishing mounds of paperwork. I couldn’t deny how stupid I felt for believing Deryk would keep his promise, when he hadn’t done so any other time. Like this would have been any different, I thought, bitterly.

“Ah, I see the Young Sir won’t be coming home again tonight,” Margaret commented, turning her attention to the clock. She closed the romance novel she had been reading earlier and placed it on the table, sighing, quietly.

“He says he doesn’t enjoy working so late into the night and that he hates the company, but he continues to stay there all night in that darn office. I just don’t understand,” I said, softly. I glanced at Margaret and she smiled, sympathetically.

“He’ll come around, darling,” Margaret answered. “You just have to give it time.”

“I know, Margaret. We talked about it last night and he said things would change. I know his brothers aren’t going to wait forever, though and neither will I,” I claimed, before allowing a heavy sigh to pass through my parted lips.

“We can only hope he realizes that before it’s too late,” Margaret said. She glanced at the clock and slowly, moved out of the chair she had been sitting in, grabbing the book from the kitchen table. “Well, my dear. I’m off. I will see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, of course, Margaret. Have a good night and thank you for keeping me company,” I said, politely and she nodded, letting a gentle smile spread across her round cheeks.

“Any time, Karissa, dear. Good night,” Margaret said, and with a last glance over her shoulder, she waddled out of the kitchen, humming a quiet tune.

Once I couldn’t hear Margaret’s quiet humming, silence filled the kitchen and I groaned, running my fingers through my hair. I stared down at my sleeping daughter and carefully I lifted her in my arms, placing her head over my shoulder. She stirred for a moment, mumbling something in her sleep as she rubbed her nose, roughly. Her hand dropped, limply at her side and I knew she was fast asleep. I smiled and kissed the side of her head, pulling her closer into my chest as I slid out of my chair and walked out of the kitchen.

As I stepped on the upstairs landing, I realized how dark the corridor had become and I placed a hand on the wall, searching for the light switch to turn the light on. When I wasn’t able to find it, I groaned defeated and continued down the hall, trying to keep my footsteps quiet. I was sure Deryk’s three brothers were fast asleep, considering after they had watched their movie in the theatre room, they each retired to their separate bedrooms. Usually, the boys would have still been awake at this time, keeping me company until Deryk came home, but I knew they were upset with their eldest brother canceling on them last minute. I knew the boys would be in a sour mood tomorrow morning and I would have to do everything possible to lighten their spirits.

I don’t think Deryk has any clue he’s disappointing his brothers, I thought, sadly, as I approached Alexis’ bedroom door and pushed it opened. I stepped inside the dimly lit room, grimacing at all the toys scattered across the floor. I specifically remembered telling Alexis to clean her room and much to my dismay, her toys were still littered around her room. In the morning, Alexis would receive a scolding and she would be prohibited from swimming.

I moved a doll aside with the side of my foot as I made my way towards Alexis’ pink bed. I held the four-year-old securely against my body, as I pushed her toys aside and pulled the sheets back on her bed. Carefully, I placed Alexis on the bed and tucked her legs under the covers, before pulling the sheets over her small body. I bent down and pecked her cheek, tucking a loose curl behind her small ear. I couldn’t help, but smile at my sleeping daughter and I watched as her eyes fluttered opened.

“Mommy,” she mumbled, sleepily. She yawned and lifted her hands to her eyes, trying to rub the sleep from them. I ran my fingers through her hair and sighed, waiting for her to fall back asleep.

“What, sweetheart?” I asked, gently, watching Alexis turn on her side and hug the teddy bear Deryk had given her as one of her presents on her third birthday.

“Did Daddy come home?” Alexis grumbled. I sat at the edge of her bed, continuing to run my fingers through her curls and I let out a slow sigh, shaking my head as I leaned down and kissed her temple.

“No, baby girl,” I said, and she scrunched up her nose, closing her eyes. Her dark eyelashes touched her pink cheeks and she nodded, snuggling deeper into her covers. “Good night, baby.” I pulled her sheets over her shoulder and quietly, I moved across her bedroom and shut off the light, closing the door behind me.

I rubbed my aching temples, walking through the dark corridor and down the stairs. I should have been sleeping like the rest of the house was and I yearned to be under my covers, feeling the familiar warmth I had grown accustomed to. I had lost hope in Deryk coming home tonight and I didn’t want to stay up any longer. My eyes were slightly heavy and I yawned, loudly, letting my feet guide me back into the kitchen. Before I went to bed though, I needed to get an Advil to ease the pounding in my head or I wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

“I hate getting headaches,” I grumbled, walking towards the medicine cabinet near the fridge. I searched around the dark inside, running my fingertips over the top of boxes and bottles, until I found the Advil. I pulled the box out and walked towards the fridge, grabbing a cool water bottle. I glanced around the bright kitchen, wondering when things began to fall apart. I shook my head, hoping that would rid me of those sudden thoughts, but they seemed to stay in the depths of my mind. I placed the Advil on my tongue and quickly, I took a large swig of water, enjoying the cool feel of it rushing down my dry throat. Slowly, I made my way towards the kitchen table and took a seat in the same chair I had been sitting in earlier, placing my water bottle on its wooden surface. I leaned back in my chair, resting my fisted hand in my lap, as I stared, blankly at the wall ahead of me.

I knew I shouldn’t have been thinking, especially because of my pounding temples, but my mind began to wander. Goodness, I couldn’t begin to explain how much I missed my mother and my best friend, Kayla. I had always thought I could never leave them and that they would always be in my life. Now, I was living thousands of miles away and I wasn’t able to see them everyday like I once use to. I remembered I only needed to walk downstairs into the kitchen and see their smiling faces every morning. It had nearly been over two years now and I still wasn’t used to not seeing them everyday.

I had been so entranced in my own thoughts I didn’t realize I had sudden company. I continued to ponder and I wandered further into my mind, losing myself in my thoughts. The beautiful stranger watched me from the marble-topped island, smirking amusedly at me. He didn’t do anything to interrupt me from my thoughts, though and he shuffled towards the fridge, grabbing a water bottle. He leaned his hip against the island, taking a large gulp of water before he placed it on the surface and sighed, loudly.

I don’t know what brought me out of my ponderings, but the first thing I saw from the corner of my eye was a person standing near the island. A shrill scream escaped my lips and I pushed myself out of my chair, rushing towards the hallway. In two long strides, the person had caught up to me and a strong arm moved around my front, pulling me towards them in one swift motion. I could feel the scream crawling up my throat and the moment I was going to release it, a hand clamped itself over my lips.

“Karissa, please, calm down! I am not going to hurt you. It is just me, Deryk.” At the mention of Deryk’s name, I stopped struggling against the stranger’s body and turned to stare at Deryk’s face hovering above mine. My eyes widened and suddenly feeling completely relieved he wasn’t a robber, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, tightly.

Then, feeling completely enraged he had been in the kitchen for however long, I pushed myself off of him, taking a few steps back to glare at him. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Deryk Madison? Do you not realize you could have given me a heart attack?” I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in frustration. Deryk’s eyebrows rose as he watched me with a surprised expression.

“I didn’t want to bother you because you seemed so deep in thought. I just thought I should leave you for a bit,” Deryk said, sincerely.

“I thought you were some psychopathic murderer who had broken into the house and was going to kill me!” I snapped, jabbing my finger into his hard chest. He chuckled and wrapped his hand around mine, pulling it away from his chest.

Deryk took a step towards me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Thankfully, I am not a psychopathic murderer. I am sorry about scaring you and I promise I won’t do it ever again. I should have said something to you,” Deryk said, gently, leveling his face with mine to stare into my eyes.

I stared at Deryk’s sky blue eyes and my shoulders slumped. I wrapped my hands around his wrists and sighed, nodding my head. The corners of his lips lifted into a beautiful smile and he chuckled, pulling me into a hug. I let go of his wrists and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his chest. I could hear his heart beating underneath my ear and the steady beating of his heart steadied my own. Then, sudden realization dawned on me and I was pushing on his chest again, staring up at him with disbelief.

“Oh God, what is wrong now?” Deryk asked, staring at me with a concerned expression. He placed a hand on my cheek and tilted his head, slightly, watching me with worried eyes.

“Nothing is wrong,” I said, gently, staring into his blue eyes. I placed my hand on top of his laying on my cheek and smiled, searching his handsome face. “You’re here, Deryk. There isn’t anything wrong anymore.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you staring at me like you have seen a ghost?” Deryk asked, and I chuckled, wondering if that’s exactly what was happening this very moment.

“Well, in a sense, I think I am seeing a ghost because I don’t believe you’re here, Deryk,” I explained and then, in a soft voice I hoped Deryk didn’t hear, I said, “I didn’t think you were going to keep your promise.” I quickly averted his eyes, feeling the familiar blush Deryk had always seemed to cause, run across my cheeks.

Deryk placed his finger under my chin, lifting my face to look at him. He smiled down at me and I saw the realization in his eyes. “I know I haven’t kept most of the promises I have made in the past, but I want to change that. I don’t want you or my brothers to think you can’t count on me. I didn’t want to break this promise, too and have you be mad with me, too,” Deryk stated, and I felt my heart flutter at his words.

“Deryk, you know we wouldn’t have been mad at you. We understand you have a lot of work to get done and we wouldn’t keep you away from that,” I said, but Deryk shook his head and a pained expression crossed his face.

“Yes, you do understand, but I know I have disappointed you and you have been upset with me,” Deryk claimed. He sighed, heavily and glanced away from me for a moment, staring down the dark hallway leading into the greeting. “I have known my brothers long enough to know they are mad with me and I don’t blame them, especially after this afternoon.”

“You’re right, but I know if you talk to them and apologize, they’ll forgive you and forget about today. They love you very much and they just want to spend time with you.” Deryk rubbed his thumb over my cheek and nodded, smiling a beautiful and breathtaking smile.

“Tomorrow, I will talk to them, but first, I must keep a promise I made earlier.” My eyes widened and I began smiling, but I stopped myself and glanced at the clock. It was close to one thirty in the morning and I knew Deryk was tired from working. He hadn’t come home last night and I imagined he had stayed up all night in his office working. He had come home early this morning to change out of his old work clothes and had left before the rest of us had woken up. I had a feeling Deryk barely slept last night and as I glanced up at him, I saw the dark bags sitting under his eyes proving my point. I didn’t want to keep Deryk up any longer than he already had.

“Deryk, we can have a pizza night some other time. You look tired and I know you haven’t slept,” I said. Deryk sighed, and turned on his heel, moving into the kitchen to grab the water bottle he had opened from the island.

“I slept in the office this morning. I’m fine, Karissa. You don’t have to worry about me,” Deryk said, walking past me into the hallway. I switched the kitchen light off and followed behind him.

I had expected to see Deryk walking up the stairs to his room, but instead, he turned into another hallway, heading towards the theatre room. My eyebrows furrowed and I was about to voice my opinion, when we turned into the theatre room and I saw a large pizza box sitting on the coffee table. Deryk opened the grease-stained box, revealing a large pepperoni and bacon pizza that smelled as delicious as it looked. A white plastic bag sat beside the opened pizza box that contained two Coke cans and another box.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t want this pizza to go to waste,” Deryk said, turning his attention in my direction. I shook my head, hearing my stomach growl, suddenly and upon hearing the noise my stomach made, Deryk smirked, smugly.

“Wipe that look off your face, mister,” I demanded, pointing my finger at him. He laughed and walked towards me, taking a hold of my wrist as he led me towards the leather couch. “I want to eat that pizza because it looks damn delicious, but I don’t want to keep you from sleeping. You can’t lie to me because I know you barely got any sleep yesterday. I can see it in your face.”

Deryk rolled his light-coloured eyes, running his fingers through his silky, dark hair. “You are right, Karissa, I am tired. I slept for two hours this morning, until I heard the janitors and I woke up,” Deryk stated. I was about to tell him I would put the pizza away, but his hand had gone up, stopping me from trying to continue. “But my lack of sleep isn’t going to stop me from spending some time with my good friend. I made her a promise and I am not going to break it.”

I wanted to argue back and to continue trying to convince him, but something in the back of my mind nagged me not to. Defeated, my shoulders slumped and I let myself fall onto the couch, staring up at Deryk with narrowed eyes. He laughed, half-heartedly and I couldn’t help thinking how angelic his laugh sounded. Instantly, I shook my head and tried to rid myself of those thoughts I hadn’t had since I lived back home and I had first met him. Ever since I had moved in with Deryk, I had promised myself not to think of Deryk other than just a good friend.

“You begin eating, Karissa. I’m going to get changed out of my clothes,” Deryk announced, beginning to move towards the dimly lit hallway.

“I’ll wait for you. Hurry up!” I said, and he nodded, heading out into the hallway.

Sighing, I pulled my hair into a messy bun on top of my head, pulling my legs onto the couch. I settled into the cushions, staring longingly at the pizza sitting on the table. Deryk better hurry his ass up or I’m going to wolf down the entire pizza, I thought, hungrily. Reluctantly, I pulled my gaze away from the pizza and glanced around the large theatre room. A large screen hung on the wall ahead of me, covering the entire wall from the ceiling to the floor. Two large speakers – which were placed on either side of the screen – were hooked up to a sound system and a DVD player, which sat on a table near the right speaker. A large shelf filled with DVDs stood against the wall behind the couch, which was placed in the middle of the room, and a projector hung from the ceiling above. I would always find Deryk’s brothers in this room, playing video games or watching movies with the sound system on high blast. The day was going to come when the boys lost their hearing from having the sound so loud.

I pushed myself off of the couch and moved around it, stopping in front of the large DVD shelf. I scanned the large selection, skipping over any horror or gory films the boys seemed to love. I shook my head, continuing to examine the shelf until a movie caught my eye and I pulled it out, walking towards the DVD player. I placed the movie inside and returned to my spot on the couch, watching the opening previews until I smelt the pizza again and I groaned. I scooted closer to the pizza box and ignoring the inner turmoil I was having in my mind, I ripped a piece of pizza and took a big bite.

I couldn’t help moaning and I smiled, swallowing the first bite before I took another. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist,” I heard Deryk’s voice say, suddenly. I jumped, startled and glanced over at him grinning with wide eyes.

“It smelt so good, Deryk. You just don’t understand,” I mumbled through the food in my mouth. Deryk laughed and moved towards the other side of the couch, taking a seat. He grabbed a slice of pizza and like every guy on this planet, folded the pizza in half and took a bite out of it. He leaned back into the couch, watching the screen before him and I took the opportunity to look him over.

I couldn’t deny how strange it was to see Deryk wearing black sweats and a regular white shirt. I was so use to seeing him in suits or a dress shirt and slacks – it was a rare thing to see him dressed so casually. In this moment, he just seemed like any other twenty-year old guy, sitting eating pizza and enjoying a late-night movie. He didn’t seem like he owned a worldly-known corporation or that he was Head CEO. He just looked like another guy trying to have a normal and regular life.

That was one thing Deryk and I had in common, if you really thought about it. We didn’t act like we had been thrown into life, quickly, but the fact was, we had. I got pregnant and I had to grow up and become a mother. I never had time to spend on my own or with any friends, which didn’t really matter considering everything that happened between David and me. Then, there was Deryk, who had been thrown into the strict world of business. I don’t think his father had given him any other choice and his teenage years had been taken away from him. A twenty-year old guy shouldn’t have been worrying about merging companies or learning how the stock market worked. All Deryk should have been worrying about was getting laid and trying to pass college. He should have been like any other regular, normal guy out there.

Unfortunately, Deryk and I weren’t regular, normal twenty-year olds.

I was pulled out of my thoughts the moment I heard Deryk begin speaking. I refocused on his face and blushed, hoping he hadn’t caught me staring. He smiled, though and arched an eyebrow, staring at me with an amused expression. “Did you hear me, Karissa?” Deryk asked, and I sighed, shaking my head.

He chuckled and reached for the pizza box, setting it in between us. He grabbed another slice and folded it in half, before glancing back at me. “I asked if you wanted a can of Coke,” Deryk stated, and I chuckled, nodding my head.

“Sorry about that. I just got lost in thought. I do want a Coke, though,” I said. Deryk grabbed the red can off of the table and slid it into my hand, sending shivers up and down my body the moment the cold can touched my skin.

“You’ve been doing that a lot lately,” Deryk claimed.

“I know. I guess I’ve had a lot to think about,” I said and Deryk frowned, placing his second slice of pizza down.

“Is it because of me?” Deryk asked.

“No! It has nothing to do with you, Deryk, I swear. I’ve just been thinking about my mom and Kayla. I miss them,” I said, truthfully. I sighed, heavily and turned to the screen, watching the new movie Deryk’s brothers had bought earlier called The Expendables.

“Karissa, may I ask you something?” Deryk asked, suddenly. I turned my attention back on the dark-haired beauty and surprised, I nodded. I placed the pizza crust I had been nibbling on down in the pizza box and turned my body in his direction, leaning my back against the armrest.

“What’s up?” I asked, curiously.

“I know it was a hard decision leaving your family and friend behind, but do you regret coming back with me to Chicago?” Deryk asked, gently and my eyes widened. I shook my head, rapidly, placing my hand on his shoulder.

“No, Deryk, I don’t regret these past two years. Honestly, without you, I would have still been back in that town, taking the insults and beatings from everyone living there. I would have never gotten out of that town,” I said, sincerely and Deryk sighed, looking away from me, unconvincingly. I grabbed his jaw, jerking his face back in my direction. “You do believe me, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Karissa. At times, I feel like I forced you to come with me and at times, I just don’t know what to feel. Your mother must hate me for taking her only daughter and granddaughter away from her. And not to mention, I took Kayla’s best friend away, too,” Deryk murmured and I shook my head, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

“That’s a bunch of bull if I ever heard any. Kayla came up with this whole plan and because of Kayla and you, I am here. I have a better life and I don’t have to hide my face from people. You gave me that opportunity, Deryk and I will always be grateful. Most importantly, you gave my daughter a male role model to look up to. She loves you, Deryk, so much. I know it’s wrong that she calls you her father, but in all honesty, I would rather she called you father than David. Because of him, I suffered for two years. He ruined my high school life and you gave me a new one. You’re one of the best things that have ever happened to me.” I didn’t know if he believed me or not, but he smiled and pulled his jaw out of my grasp, taking a hold of my hand. He set the pizza box back on the coffee table and gently, pulled me towards him, wrapping his arm around me. I laid my head on his shoulder, sighing, quietly as I wrapped my arm around his middle and leaned against his side.

“I’m glad you decided to come, though. You and Alexis have helped me through a lot, even if you haven’t realized it,” Deryk said, gently and I smiled, feeling his hold on me tighten. “I don’t mind that Alexis sees me as her father. It scared me, though.”

Deryk’s response surprised me and I bent my head back, staring up at Deryk. He glanced down at me and smirked, locking onto my eyes for a moment, before his eyes moved back onto the screen. “Why did it scare you?” I asked, gently and he chuckled, giving his shoulder a shrug.

“It scared me because from that moment on, I felt like I had to be someone she could look up to. I wanted her to tell me she was proud of having someone like me in her life. I wanted her to be proud enough to tell everyone I was her father,” Deryk answered, sincerely and then, turned to look at me, immediately searching my eyes.

I turned my gaze away from his piercing, blue eyes sighing heavily as I pushed myself off of him. I stared at the large screen, clenching my fists tightly in my lap. I chewed on my lower lip, feeling tears begin to pool around the rims of my eyes and when one managed to spill down my cheek, I quickly wiped the tear away and continued watching the movie.

Deryk’s words had been the ones I had wanted to hear come out of David’s lips since the day I realized I was pregnant with his child. The day he had practically thrown me out of his house and denied ever fathering Alexis, I began feeling like I had lost all hope in ever giving Alexis a complete family. And hearing another man utter those words when David should have been saying them, made my heart ache. It only made the realization of David not wanting to be my daughter’s father even more painful and importantly, even more real.

“Karissa, what’s wrong?” Deryk asked, gently, reaching into my lap to grab one of my clenched hands.

I sighed, deeply and glanced over my shoulder, staring at him with a blurred vision. “I don’t know what’s wrong,” I said, simply. “I – I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, softly, feeling tears rush down my cheeks.

“I would never lie to you, Karissa. I love Alexis as though she is my own daughter,” Deryk said, gently, pushing hair that had fallen in front of my face, behind my ear. I began turning my wet face away, when Deryk placed a hand on my cheek and turned me in his direction. He searched for my eyes, wiping away the tears that continued to fall down my cheeks. Once he locked eye contact with me, he said, “And even though Alexis isn’t my daughter, I will always love her as though she is and I will never abandon her, even if she stops calling me father.”

“She loves you, Deryk. She really does, but…” I didn’t want to continue what I wanted to say, even though I knew it was the truth, but I didn’t want to hurt Deryk. I glanced away from his soft expression and a quiet whimper escaped my dry lips. I didn’t want to think about the past because it brought back memories I had tried to erase a long time ago.

“But what, Karissa, tell me,” Deryk said.

I switched my gaze back onto Deryk’s concerned face, and shakily, I sighed. “But you aren’t her father, Deryk, and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to tell her, her real father didn’t want her,” I answered.

“I won’t be able to compete against the fact that David is her biological father, but she doesn’t know who he is. He may not want her in his life, but I do and I’m willing to do anything to be in her life,” Deryk stated, firmly. “She knows me as her father. David is just another stranger to her.”

I nodded and placed my hand over his laying on my cheek. “I know that, Deryk,” I replied, and Deryk smiled, squeezing my hand, gently. “I just thought things would have turned out, differently. I felt like I was living in a fairy-tale because I thought I had found my Prince Charming and I honestly thought he loved me.”

“You can still find your Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Don’t let David take that away from you. Thank David for giving you such a beautiful gift and a second chance of finding someone who will love you,” Deryk said, softly.

“David made it hard for me to think that anyone could possibly love me. He did so much damage and the thought of loving someone else makes me realize I’m not ready for that. I won’t be able to love someone completely because David will still be there,” I said, and I shook my head. “All I want is for Alexis to be happy. I don’t want her to live without a father like I did because only a father can show you certain things and you need a father. And that’s why it hurts so much. I wanted to give my daughter a different life.”

“Alexis does have a family, though and she does have a father. He loves her and he wants her in his life always,” Deryk stated. “I understand how it feels to not have a father. Ben may not know much of that feeling because my father has been around more, but Tyson, Jake and I do. He abandoned us for work and the thought of him not wanting us in his life was devastating. My brothers and I don’t know how to see him as. We don’t know if we should call him father because we don’t feel right calling him that. I know it’s hard, Karissa, but we’ve gotten through it and fortunately, Alexis won’t have to go through that.”

“Thank you, Deryk,” I said, gently. Deryk smiled, pushing my bangs back from my face.

Deryk pulled me back towards him, wrapping an arm around me as we began watching the movie again. I laid my head on his shoulder and for the next hour, we stayed like that, with my body leaned against his side. I couldn’t stop thinking about David or Alexis and scenarios flashed past my eyes, blocking the images coming off of the wide screen ahead. I wanted to avoid ever having this conversation with Alexis about her father, but I knew it would come eventually. I would just have to tell her when I was ready.

Half-way into the movie, I lifted my head off of Deryk’s shoulder and turned to stare at him, realizing he was fast asleep. I smiled and reached towards him, moving hair out of his face as he continued to sleep. I couldn’t deny how absolutely beautiful he looked and my breath caught at the sight of him. My heart fluttered and I realized our hands were still held, lying on his flat stomach.

He is absolutely perfect, I thought. I smiled and glanced at the clock, realizing it was past three in the morning, and Deryk had to get up early in the morning to head in to work again. Carefully and cautiously, I began pulling my hand from his grasp, staring at him with wide eyes. He stirred for a moment, and I froze, watching while he shifted in his seat and slowly, loosened his grip on my hand. Once I knew he was deep asleep, I freed my hand and grabbed the pizza box off of the table. Quietly, I walked out of the theatre room and rushed into the kitchen, placing the pizza box in the fridge for the boys to eat tomorrow.

When I returned to the theatre room, Deryk was leaned forward, rubbing his eyes with his fisted hands. I smiled and walked towards the DVD player, pressing the power button to shut it off. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Deryk watching me, sleepily. He stood up and yawned, loudly, stretching his arms above his head before dropping them and glancing at the clock.

“I could have cleaned up when I woke up in the morning, Karissa,” Deryk mumbled, but I shook my head and grabbed his arm, leading him out of the theatre room.

“That’s why I cleaned up, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it tomorrow. You just worry about getting to sleep tonight and we won’t have a problem,” I stated, walking up the stairs with my hand still clasped around his thick wrist. He didn’t protest, though and he let me lead him down to the end of the hall. I opened the door leading into his bedroom and let go of his wrist, stepping aside for him to go through.

“I won’t have a problem sleeping tonight, Karissa,” Deryk chuckled, running his fingers through his already-messy hair.

“Thank you for tonight, Deryk. It meant a lot and I hope we can do it again,” I said, gently.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Deryk replied. He smiled and stepped inside his room, sighing, loudly. I began taking a step down the hall, but Deryk called my name and I glanced over my shoulder, standing a few feet away from his door.

“What’s wrong, Deryk?” I asked, hesitantly.

He smiled and shook his head, holding the side of his door. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he whispered. My heart stopped beating for a few seconds and my breath caught in my throat. I wanted to say something, but when I opened my lips, nothing came out and I just stood in the hallway, watching him with wide eyes. I watched the corner of Deryk’s lips lift into a perfect smile and I sighed, smiling in return. “Good night,” Deryk mumbled and I nodded, turning towards my bedroom.

I heard Deryk’s door close, gently behind me and I took the opportunity to run into my bedroom. I closed the door behind me, quickly and pressed my back against it, wishing I could stop the rush of emotions running throughout my body. Thoughts and questions flooded my mind, but I stopped them, immediately and sighed, happily.

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

I crawled into bed, letting his whisper crawl down and over my body, making my skin tingle. I smiled, tiredly and placed my head on my pillow, allowing an image of Deryk’s handsome face to flash before my eyes, before I closed them and fell asleep.