Rumor

Chapter thirty-eight: Moving Forward

When I regained consciousness I was still outside Derek's house. Wrens car was gone and I was alone outside.

"What the fuck is going on?" I questioned aloud.

Am I mixing up my memories again?

Why did wren have those scars?

Wasn't the reason he started cutting because of what happened that night?

Just then the door flew open revealing a worried looking Derek.

"Danielle are you okay?" He asks me, worry etched into his features.

"Yeah?" I answer unsure.

"What's going on?" He asks pulling me into the house.

This is the first physical contact we've had in a long time.

I'm not scared or disgusted when I see him anymore. I'm relieved.

I'm so relieved that Wren told me what he did. I'm so relieved that Derek didn't hurt me.

Does this mean Derek and I can go back to the way things were?

This is all so much to take in. Wren was lying to me about something and I couldn't let that slip from my mind for even a second.

"Danielle." Derek pleads fervently for an answer that I can tell he assumes he won't get.

"I'm okay." I say and look right at him.

His shocked expression is exactly what I was expecting.

"I'm just confused and I need to figure this out." I explain.

"Maybe if you tell me I can help." Derek says.

I shake my head. "I'm so sorry Derek. I know you don't want to hear this but I need to ask Wren."

Derek looks hurt and angry.

"We were going to talk about this." Derek tells me. I can tell he was expecting to have the long waited conversation after tonight, as was I.

"I know, but this just came up and I have to go." I ramble.

Going to see Wren is what needs to happen. I need to ask him. I obviously don't know the whole story of what's going in with him and I need to figure that out.

"Go where?" Derek asks.

"To see Wren." I tell Derek in a hurry.

I pull on my coat and grab my phone quickly as Derek stands there and watches me leave him again.

Then it dawns in me. After all this time I treated him like a monster, I thought he was one. But I was wrong. Derek loves me and would never hurt me. Even through all this shit I put him through he still worried about me everyday. He never gave up trying to rekindle our relationship. He never stopped caring about me.

I can only imagine how it feels to watch me turn to Wren whom I've known and cared so much about for only a little time. Where as Derek has been here for me through this whole thing.

I'm sure he feels betrayed. Maybe he even thinks I don't love him anymore.

This is all so much and I know i am going to need to talk to Derek about all of this as soon as possible. I've seen how wrecked he's been these last few months and so has everyone else. I'm going to stop that soon. I'm going to make sure he knows I love him and understands why I rejected him. But right now all I'm thinking if is Wren.

Derek stands there as he awaits for me to walk out on him again, but this time I'm making sure he doesn't feel unloved by me.

Just before I walk out I turn. to him and run into his body wrapping him in a hug. A hug that I'm sure has been long awaited by him.