I Will Follow You Into the Dark

CHAPTER 82

Thanks for reading!

And McDreamSteam is right about something..........this update will tell you what.







Ahem.............





As they entered the restaurant's private dining room, Jen took Derek's hand and squeezed it gently. He smiled at her gratefully as she leaned close and reminded him to breathe. He had needed the reminder.

The guests were seated at six large tables. As Jen started pulling Derek toward the head table, Trent saw them and jumped up, running over to greet his father. Derek embraced him warmly, and they chatted briefly after Derek apologized for being so late. Trent was just happy they were there. Derek introduced Jen to Trent, and she hugged him, too, before they all walked over to the table.

As they arrived at the table, Derek held Jen's chair and helped her into her seat. Then he walked over and kissed Allison's cheek and her mother's, and he shook her father's hand warmly. Turning to walk back to his seat, he finally dared to let his eyes roam freely. Until that moment, he had avoided looking at Meredith. Instantly, his eyes naturally fell upon her, and his breath caught. He nodded toward her and croaked out a quiet, "Meredith," with his voice shaky. She whispered his name in response and looked up at him with an expression that told him she was as angst-ridden as he was.



2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"


The man sitting next to Meredith took their exchange as a sign that he should get up and introduce himself. He stood and walked over to Derek. "I'm Jim. It's nice to meet you." The men shook hands and sized each other up.

Jim was tall, blonde, and handsome. He wasn't beefy, but he had an athletic build. Derek could tell that Jim was assessing him, too. Jim released Derek's strong grip and returned to his seat. Derek's eyes unwillingly followed his path back to Meredith and watched as he sat down, pulling his chair closer to Meredith and put his arm around her, pulling her close.

Derek moved to his own seat as his whole body cramped with the vision before him. Tension, tempered by sadness filled the air around both Derek and Meredith, but Jen quickly started chatting and trying to lighten the mood. Derek really loved her for what she was doing. She was simply the best friend—ever.

Thanks to Jen's brilliant attempts at entertaining conversation, nobody else seemed to notice how miserable Derek was. Jen was right—she was good camouflage. Trent and Allison were both beaming and staring lovingly at each other. Her parents seemed content just to be there together. Meanwhile, Jen was pulling out all the stops.

The longer they sat there, the more Derek was floored that Meredith wouldn't even look over at him. He sat obsessing about how frustrating that was. They'd always had a way of sharing secret looks and glances, but she had not even peeked at him since he sat down. Apparently they'd lost that connection, too.

Lost in his own personal hell, Derek focused on pretending to eat his food and only paid attention when he heard Meredith's voice or when Jim said something about her. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the way Meredith flinched when Jim talked about how close they were and how nuts she was about him. Genuine or not, Jim was laying it on a bit thick.

Jen leaned over and took Derek's hand, and, kissing his cheek, she whispered, "Kiss me back and smile, you moron. You're killing my story about how blissfully happy we are by not playing along." He kissed her cheek tenderly and gave her a look that told her he was simply drowning and needed her help for the simplest of functioning. She coerced him with her eyes into smiling just a little bit.


Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason


Derek was oblivious, but Jen clearly saw the flash of jealousy mixed with misery that flashed across Meredith's face as she saw them talking and being affectionate with each other. If only Derek weren't too caught up in his own misery to notice. Well, time might make that possible, she thought. Leaning back over to Derek, she whispered in his ear in that confidential way lovers do, catching another wince from Meredith as she did. She whispered, "You're doing fine. You can do this. We'll get out of here as quickly as possible, OK?"

That comment brought a true smile from Derek, and she turned back to face the table and witness the pain in Meredith's face change to an expression of relief. She just wants him to be happy, too, Jen thought. Hmmmm......


'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands