All That Matters

Chapter 9

Fiction: All That Matters Ch 9, Romance |

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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It started raining.

Everyone else left, but Derek didn't. There was still this unspoken tension between us but I didn't let his presence affect me. I didn't let what happened before change my behavior. I pretended as if he wasn't there and I figured he would leave soon.

Wayne was still out on a date but I knew he would be back soon. My parents were out on a dinner meeting but I expected them home soon as well.

In the meanwhile, I was just going to clean up and then head to bed. It had been a long night of cooking and socializing. I started with clearing the rest of table and as I brought the dishes in the sink, I threw Derek a glance.

"You can leave, you know." I told him.

He was standing against the kitchen counter, staring off into space. I noticed he seemed to be doing that a lot recently. One minute he would be talking endlessly and the next he was suddenly deep in thoughts as if he was some sensitive guy I never knew.

I didn't think he heard me so I repeated myself. Still, I got no answer.

"Derek." I raised my voice and slightly tapped his arm.

He blinked and looked at me as if that I was the first time I asked for his attention. "What?" He asked.

"Go home."

He simply looked back outside through the kitchen window and then back at me. "It's pouring out."

I noticed that, I thought to myself. Just then, lightning flashed across the window  and a blow of thunder soon followed after that.

I shuddered involuntarily.

I wasn't a fan of thunderstorms. Derek knew that.

"I can stay." He said, probably noticing my shivering.

I didn't say anything back. I quietly started doing the dishes and when Derek offered to help; I declined and said that I could handle it. With a small inaudible sight, he left me alone and went in the living room to watch television.

Because I was too proud and stubborn to say it, I didn't tell Derek that I was glad that he decided to stay. He was aware that I didn't like thunder mixed with rain and he knew that I didn't like to be alone while it was happening. I appreciated that he volunteered to keep me company because my stubbornness wouldn't have allowed me to ask.

I just hoped that the rain would stop once I was done sticking the dishes in the dishwasher, but after I turned on the appliance, the rain hadn't even diminished. It only seemed to get more powerful with lighting and thunder that seemed to shake the house as if it knew that I hated the condition and it was mocking me. I didn't like the tone it set around me.

The phone suddenly rang, slightly making me jump. I shook my head to myself and picked it up from the counter, trying not to jump again from the sound coming from outside as well. I was just on edge.

"Hello?" I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking and revealing how I felt.

"Ashley? It's Dad. Are you ok?"

I gave out a sigh of relief after hearing his voice, glad that it was him. "I'm ok, Daddy." I answered.

"The storm's not bothering you?"