If Im Not In Love

43

"Mer...you missed a spot..." Derek pointed to the a blank patch at the top of the guest bedroom wall. It had been awhile ago that Meredith had convinced him that a few of the rooms in the house needed repainting and now they were finally getting to it. They each had a roller and were working on finishing the last wall in that room.

"No I didn't."

"Yes...you did." Derek put his roller up to the blank spot.

"See...we're both painting so either we both miss a spot or we don't."

"Oh...okay." He laughed, kissing her cheek before putting his paint roller down.

"See...this looks so much better than the color that was in here before."

"I thought the other color was fine."

"It was." Meredith bit her lip, before turning back to the wall as a smile hit her lips.

"Good thing I love you."

"Uh huh..." She put the roller back to the wall.

"I think we're going to need one more coat." Derek said, taking a step back and looking at the new paint color.

"That's all you." Meredith giggled.

"You're going to make me do it all by myself?"

"Maybe." She shrugged, standing on the tip of her toes as she reached the roller up higher.

"Will you at least stay and keep me company?" He asked, standing behind her and helping her reach the top of the wall.

"Maybe." She laughed.

"You better."

"Or what?" She brought the roller down.

"I don't know...I haven't thought that far ahead."

"I thought so." Meredith rolled her eyes as she leaned over to roll the brush in the paint they had spent forever picking out.

"So...I was thinking about something last night."

"Oh?"

"Something we should...talk about."

"Oh...I know." Meredith nodded. "I didn't mean to bit down so hard but it was cold and..."

"No..." Derek laughed. "Not that."

"Oh...." Meredith looked up at the wall.

"It's more of a...us in the future type of talk."

"I don't....I've only been divorced like five months."

"I know..."

"Okay." Meredith replied, before resuming the paint job.

"I love you...and I want to be with you. But..."

"But." She nodded, taking a deep breath as she stepped back. She knew this was a lot, she felt it every time in her chest but she was standing here and he was saying something that stopped at But and that wasn't...it didn't sound good. "You know...I think we should just stop painting for today."

"I'm not breaking up with you, Mer."

"I never said you were."

"I don't want to get married." Derek blurted out.

"You....this was about marriage?"

"Marriage...the future."

"Or....Derek what made you think I wanted to get married?" She put the roller down.