His Princess

Heartbreak Hotel

Casey sat at the table with a bunch of her and Derek's friends at one of the taverns that they haunted some nights.

Tonight was karaoke night and Casey couldn't help but laugh and smile so much that her body hurt, but in a good way.

She was dancing in her chair and watching as Derek stood up on stage and sang Elvis Presleys' Heartbreak Hotel.

God he was such a dork, but he was her dork.

'Wait! My dork! He's not mine. Is he?'

Casey smiled and watched Derek give his best Elvis performance and as he came to an end in the song. He met eyes with her and she began to sing along with him.

On his knees in front of her with a microphone and their two incredibly talented voices as they sang to each other.

"Where they get so lonely baby, I get so lonely baby. I get so lonely, I could die."

Casey giggled as Derek threw his scarf around her neck and then threw his hands in air and said, "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Derek returned the microphone and sat back at the table with them.

Casey took a sip of her drink and noticed Emily looking at her weird.

"Don't you think it's a little weird you and Derek singing a romance song?"

"Oh come on Em...it's just a song. We're having fun."

"Casey. He's your brother. And I thought you hated him anyways."

"Step brother. He's my step brother. And I don't hate Derek. I don't know...ever since we got our own place. We get along great."

Emily just rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever." Then she turned her attention towards someone else. But Casey looked over and met eyes with Derek.

He met her gaze and smiled, raising his glass to her before taking a sip.

Casey blushed and smiled back.

It was later into the night when Casey was standing by the bar and watching her friends dance when a man a little older than her, approached.

"Hey cutie. Buy you a drink?"

Casey looked at him. Giving a small smile she said, "No thank you." Then she started to walk off when the guy grabbed her arm.

"How bout a dance then? Pretty girl like you shouldn't be all alone."

"I'm not alone. Now...please let me go back to my friends."

But the man didn't let up. "I said, I wanna dance." He said gripping her arm harder.

"Stop it you're hurting me!"

Casey doesn't know how it happened but she was pushed back and she saw someone punch the man square in the jaw.

More importantly, Derek punched him in the face and angrily said, "If you ever touch her again you're gonna need a plastic surgeon to fix what I'm gonna do to your face!"

Then Derek turned and grabbed her hand. They quickly walked out of the car, and towards their car when all of a sudden. Derek stopped and turned. He cupped her face in his hands gently.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Casey nodded but yet felt wet tears drop down her face.

Their eyes looking at one another as if staring at the depths into each other's soul.

Her breath caught in her throat as memories flooded her mind.

It was then she realized...

Rain began pouring heavily around them, yet Derek and Casey stared at one another until Casey did what she had been wanting to do for a while now. She kissed him.

All this time. It was Derek.