A Rose by Any Other Name

Chapter 40

Writer's Note-
I'm still shook that we got all the way here. Over 9.95k reads as of January 9th 2019. I'm a very lucky wattpader and it's all because of you guys.

Seriously. Each of you who has voted, commented, read and added this story to your reading lists - I'm so thankful for it all. This is officially the second last chapter and it's been a nearly four month journey of D&M. I've become attached to the story but I'm also ready to move on, ykno?

I'll be honest, I'm a bit afraid, too. I feel like I've reached my peak, aha. I'll aspire for my next story to be as well received.

Also yeah this song is a cover but Kina Grannis has a sweet mournful quality to her voice. Derrick would totally be hopping to her.

9k readers stats->

Age:
13-18 (26%)
18-25 (30%)
25-35 (9%)
35-45 (1%)
Over 45 (1%)
Private (33%)

Gender:
Female (56%)
Male (11%)
Private (33%)

United States: 41.954%
Vietnam: 10.345%
Australia: 5.172%
UK: 5.096%
Canada: 5.172%
South Africa: 2.874%
Germany: 2.874%
India: 3.448%
New Zealand: 1.724%
Argentina, Belgium, Ghana: 1.149%
Ireland, The Philippines: 1.724%

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Guinea, Italy, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Trinidad & Tobago: each 0.575%

#

"So...How was Cuba?" I said pushing my fork around on my plate.

"Fine." Mike said in a clipped voice, eyes fixated anywhere but on me.

Mike hadn't kicked me out yet even though he kept giving me hints that I should leave. He'd made breakfast sandwiches for the both of us, and it seemed like he'd gone grocery shopping while I'd been asleep. Our breakfast sandwiches comprised of a multigrain bagel, fried egg, bacon, lettuce, avocado and spicy mayo for me, whereas Mike had a quinoa, lettuce and falafel wrap.

It made me think it was a lot of effort to go through for someone he didn't like. If I didn't go grocery shopping with Mike he often went to some high end place that had more nannies and personal shoppers shopping rather than real customers. The ingredients were all organic and fair trade which basically just meant expensive to me. The one thing was that you could taste the difference. And the fact I wasn't sick anymore made everything taste amazing. Even tap water tasted incredible. It had been like my sickness was a grey fog encapsulating everything. And now the fog had been lifted.

Except...I looked across the table at Mike. That tight expression hadn't gone away on his face all morning. For a moment he would relax and then I'd see a furrow form between his brows when he noticed me staring.

It had never been difficult to engage Mike in conversation before, so sitting here in front of him and still being so far away was a special brand of torture.

"Can you just talk to me?" I said quietly, pushing a bagel crust around my plate.

Mike's face lost its tenseness for a moment but then it came back in waves. "There's nothing else to say." But then he chewed on his lip, face growing pained. "Did you ever- Did you ever really love me, Derrick?" His hands trembled slightly as he stared down at his fingers. "Because, if that was part of whatever curse you put on me-"

"No!" I said too loudly, standing up. Mike looked up at me with wet eyes and I tried again. "No. That was seriously a complete accident, Mike. Oh God, please don't look like that." I wanted to touch him but didn't know if I was allowed to. Seeing Mike in pain and knowing I was the reason was making it hard to breathe. But I had done this, and I was continuing to do it to him.