Illicit Affairs

Chapter 17

Friday 21st May 2020

"I just have to ask you about something, something Addison said."

"What is it?" he asked, caressing his fingers over her cheek.

"She said I wasn't your first affair. Is that true?"

"Addison told you that?" he asked with a slight frown, "When?"

"The first day she was here," she said, her voice quiet still as she felt the nerves build up in her stomach, keeping her eyes on his, "Was she right?"

"There was one night, a few years ago," Derek started, moving on to his back as he ran his hand over his face, "I was out with Mark and I got quite drunk, and well, I don't remember much of it to be honest. I just remember waking up naked in a hotel room with a random girl and knowing I had done something. And I left."

"And that's the only time?" Meredith asked, her fingers drawing invisible patterns slowly on his upper arm, "She made it sound like you'd done this before."

"I promise you, Meredith," he turned to face her again, capturing her fingers with his and entwining them together, "I have never felt so strongly about someone than I have felt about you. I know I might not seem the most trustworthy given how this relationship started, but I love you. Only you. It'll only ever be you."

His words murmured against her skin as he pressed soft kisses over her fingers, and over her inner wrist before holding her hand close to his chest, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, "for being honest with me. I trust you; I do. I've just been replaying the words in my head over the past few days."

"I'm glad you spoke to me about it," he said, pressing another kiss to her lips and one to the tip of her nose, "Now, we should probably get some sleep, we do have that surgery in the morning."

"I just need to go lock up downstairs," she said in a murmur, with a soft smile as she returned a short kiss to his lips, "I'll be right back."

She got out of the bed reluctantly, grabbing her thin robe and putting it on, lifting her hair into a ponytail after doing so. She could feel Derek's eyes on her, and she gave him a questioning glance.

"Aren't you going to walk around naked for me?" he asked with a slight smirk, watching as she fastened the robe around her middle.

"Maybe another time, but there's big windows downstairs," she said, returning his slight smirk as she left the room, hearing his soft chuckle as she went downstairs.

She went to the living room, clearing up the empty coffee mugs from earlier and taking them into the kitchen, placing them into the sink before clearing around a little. She checked the back door was locked and turned out the lights before heading to the front door. As she approached, she noticed a small white envelope sat on the door mat, having been posted through the letterbox.

She picked it up, seeing her name written on the front in Addison's familiar handwriting. She sighed softly and decided against opening it right now, instead making sure the front door was locked and the rest of the lights turned off before heading back upstairs. She kept the envelope close to her as she slipped into the bathroom, using the toilet and brushing her teeth before going back into the bedroom.

Derek was still awake, and if he noticed the envelope in her hand, he didn't say anything as she put it in the drawer in her desk. She switched the room light off, turning on the lamp beside her bed instead before closing the curtains, glancing outside a moment into the quiet street, briefly wondering when the envelope had been posted.