End of a Beginning (Book 4)

Chapter Nineteen - Finding a New Normal

Afterwards, all of our pent-up emotions over the past year apart has been let go. As I still straddle him, Derek holds me and we let ourselves calm down a moment before dealing with one another again. But I don't mind the silence. It reminds me of the countless days of silence we endured while trekking throughout Floriea and it gives me time to focus on him. Derek lightly grazes my arm back and forth which only makes me feel more connected to him. Pulling back slightly, I'm shocked to see his eyes closed but he has a small grin plastered. "Don't look so smug," I joke. That only makes his grin wider.

Leaning a bit forward, his lips find my shoulder. "It's been torture without you," he says into my skin. Now I close my eyes. I wanted to ignore our problems for just a tad bit longer. But yet, "I should have never-"

"Derek," I interrupt. "You can't change the past."

He sighs. "I need you to know-"

"Derek," I interrupt again. "I forgive you."

"Don't," he breathes. My eyes flick over to his and I'm still shocked by the appearance of his blind eye. His two different toned eyes scan mine for a moment before, "You should never forgive me. I wouldn't if I were you."

I cradle his face in between my hands. As softly as I can, "I forgive you Derek." I give him a small peck on the lips before whispering, "But I'll never forget the pain of it all." Though that shuts him up for a little while, I know he's still beating himself up on the inside the whole time. Maybe it's granted but I've forgiven him already. That's all I need to move on.

Suddenly, "Ask me anything and I'll answer truthfully."

My heart begins to race. I was content with being left in the dark over the smaller details of our journey but he's giving me a pass to ask him about it. "We don't have to..."

"I want you to know, Gus." His hands find mine. Our hands fit so well together.

Swallowing, "What happened in Dupier? When you left me at the safe house?"

He nods and then says, "The men I went to see were... let's say competitors of my father. They were originally partners but they split off when they had a falling out with one another. Hank, the one I went to see, moved to Dupier and has his headquarters there. I went to ask him whether or not we could have access to leave Floriea on safe terms. When he denied my request, I asked him if he could keep me off my dad's radar for a while. He only agreed because he hates my father more than you do, more than I do. I only came back the way I did was because they have a reputation to keep up." Well at least that wasn't a total lie from him. He was safer than he led me to believe, but otherwise the story makes sense.

I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. He's a bit hesitant of the action, but eventually he pulls his arms around me. "You told me a while ago that you decided to change the course in Bok," I say into his neck. "What was the original plan?"

"I was supposed to watch over you in the games. I knew all the challenges and courses beforehand... which makes my feat less impressive. When you still survived after the final challenge, I was tasked with taking you to Bok where we would both be experimented on. I knew the kinds of tests my father had planned so I took us on a detour." I don't move from my position. Hearing all of this is all too much. "That's why Cassandra and Xavier were so surprised to see us. They knew I was coming into town for the experiment, but I went to their place on my own account."

"So they did know about our connection."

"Yeah," he sighs. "It was hard to keep that a secret from them."

"Are they a part of any experiments?"

Derek slightly shakes his head. "Not really. Xavier was my father's prize son. He wouldn't dare do anything to him. Cassandra on the other hand would've told people the moment he did anything to her. He couldn't risk getting his experiments leaked." But yet Derek kept them for his father.