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

45.

There's a knock at my door, and I look up to see Mom standing in my doorway. "Hey, Mom," I smile when I notice how she's dressed. "You going out?"

"I am. I have a date for once," Mom admits. "Do I look okay?"

"Mom, you look gorgeous," I assure her.

She smiles. "Thanks, Cassie."

"Who is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's a medical rep that came into the hospital today. Yeah, we just kind of started talking, and the next thing I know I'm saying yes to dinner, and I'm really hating myself for skipping the gym last week," she explains.

"What medical rep?" I ask.

I hear the doorbell ring. "That medical rep. And I'm not... I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not done, I'm not ready, so if you could please just get the... Get the door and talk with him, okay? Just..."

She walks out of my room, and I chuckle.

I leave my room to see Scott stepping out of his room. "Is that Mom's date?" Scott asks.

"Yeah, she wants me to occupy him while she finishes getting ready," I nod.

"Want some help?" he offers.

"Please," I nod.

We head downstairs, and I approach the door. I reach forward to open it, but Scott stops me. "Scott, what--," I start.

"There's something wrong," Scott admits.

The doorbell rings again. "Cassie! Get the door," Mom shouts from upstairs. Scott slowly backs away from the door, and my brows furrow.

"Don't answer it," Scott shakes his head.

"But--"

"Just trust me, okay?" I slowly nod and take a couple of steps back.

He rings a couple more times. "Cassie! For the love of God, please!" Mom pleads.

I notice the doorknob starting to turn, and Scott reaches forward when the door is pushed open. "Hey," I hear Mom greet from behind us. "What are you doing?" We look back at Mom. "Aren't you gonna invite him in?" She disappears around the corner, and I look toward the door. I gasp when I see Peter standing at the door.

"Hello there," Peter greets us. Scott immediately tries to close the door, but Peter pushes it back open. "Really? Slam the door in my face. Come on, Scott. Take a second to think that through."

"I'll tell her," Scott warns him.

"That I used to be a catatonic invalid with burns covering half my face? Good luck with that," Peter responds.

"If you hurt her, if you even touch her--," I start.

"Cassie, if I may interrupt your listing of the top five most impotent-sounding threats for a moment, try and remember that I've been in a coma for six years. Don't you think I'd like to have dinner with a beautiful woman?"

"Just... Just half a second. Sorry," Mom calls out.

"Or maybe you two think that I've come up with an idea. Like how it might be easier to convince Scott to be a part the pack if your mother is, too." My breathing hitches, and I swallow the lump in my throat. He walks toward us, and we step back. He glances over at me. "Maybe your sister could join us, too. I'm sure Derek would love that." We're quiet. "You need to understand how much more powerful we are together, you and me and Derek. Did you know some of the most successful military operations during the Second World War were the German U-boat attacks? Do you know what they called them? Wolf packs. Did you know that? Or are you failing history as well?"

"I know the Germans lost the war," Scott states.

Peter chuckles. "I think you would find that most historians would argue that as a failure of leadership. And trust me, we don't have that problem here."

"I'm ready, I'm ready. Sorry again," Mom says as she walks over to us. Peter smiles in response before holding his arm out. "Oh." Mom takes it and walks out the door with him.

"Mom...," I start making her look back at me.

"Yes, Cass?"

"Have a good time."