"You Don't Know Me" || Derek Hale

13.

I rush into the Hale House and speak. "Derek?!" I shout. "Derek, are you here? It's me, Cassie."

"What do you want?" Derek responds. I turn around and look up to see him standing at the top of the stairs.

"I came as soon as I heard you were released," I sigh as he starts to walk down the stairs.

"Why? So, you could tell me they were wrong for releasing me? So you could tell me that somehow you and your little friends are gonna figure out a way to prove it was me?"

I scoff. "No. I came to apologize."

His brows furrow. "Why would you apologize?"

"Because I know you're not the killer and you didn't deserve to be arrested," I state.

"You're part of the reason I was arrested," he points out.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Actually, that's where you're wrong. I tried to convince Scott and Stiles not to turn you in. I tried to convince them that you aren't the killer. I was pissed when they didn't listen to me and they turned you in anyways."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think you're a bad person, and now that they identified her body as your sister, I think it's even less likely that you killed her," I admit. He's quiet. "I don't know how to explain it, okay? It's a feeling I have when I'm around you. I've never once felt like I was in danger or unsafe with you. I actually feel the complete opposite when I'm with you," I continue. "I have no idea why you buried her or why there was wolfsbane around her grave. I feel like I don't know anything anymore, but the one thing that I'm 100% sure of... is that you didn't kill her."

"You barely know me."

"I know. Trust me, everyone keeps reminding me that we barely know each other... but you wouldn't say things like you don't want me to get hurt if you didn't care about me," I point out.

"You're right. I don't say those things lightly," he admits.

"You told me I should be scared of you... but I'm not. That has to be for a reason, right? I can't be that naïve."

"Well, you could be," he comments.

I glare at him. "But I know I'm not. I know a good person when I see one, and you're a good person. You're kind of an asshole sometimes, but that doesn't make you a bad person."

"You know... for a human, you're pretty ballsy."

"Well, I know you won't hurt me, so...," I shrug.

I notice his eyes flicker down to my lips for a split second. "I would never hurt you."