DEREK'S MATCH (DEREK #1) SAMPLE, NOW PUBLISHED

17. more than a friend

It's weird to go to class Monday morning after the weekend that I had with Derek.

We landed in New York last night at around nine at night. I got to fly in Derek's private plane which was very cool. It was nice not to be around people. It was just him and I. He had his head rested on my shoulder and ended up taking a nap and it just made me feel so special and warm inside.

I wish the weekend didn't have to end but we had to come back to reality. Well, I have to come back to reality. I realize that every day could be like that for Derek. Not for me though. I need to get back to school and work and real life.

In the morning, Derek sends me a good morning text that makes me swoon in my room.

I'm trying not to dwell too much on how scary this is but it's freaking me out how quickly I'm falling for him. It's scaring the hell out of me and I just hope that he's feeling the same way.

I also wake up to pictures of Derek and I all over the internet. My followers on Instagram have tripled overnight. It's overwhelming to scroll through Twitter and see pictures of myself kissing Derek at the beach. Everyone has an opinion. There are people that have nice things to say and there are people that criticize my looks. I'm seen making out with Derek and there are already many rumors that are not true.

I read an article titled EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DEREK'S MATCH and I'm surprised by how quickly the media knows all these things about me. They know where I go to school and what I'm going to school for; they also know where I work. All that information is suddenly out there. It's only a matter of time before they find my family and that's the scariest thing of it all. I don't want them to be questioned or bothered.

As expected, my sister calls me in the morning. I can't answer because I'm in class but I call her later as I'm walking to work.

"Hey, how are you?" I ask casually when she answers. "Sorry I couldn't answer earlier."

"Hey, Sav. We're all good. It's fine. I figured you were busy."

It's so good to hear her voice and I suddenly feel embarrassed to tell her about everything that's happened in the last 48 hours. "So, what's up?" I look straight ahead as I walk.

"What's up?" she asks. Her tone is amused. "Uh, you know, the usual. Just saw pictures of you kissing a celebrity in California."

"Oh," I say quietly, my cheeks grow hot. "You saw that, huh?"

"Sav, you're trending." she laughs. "What is going on? You were in California? Are you there now?"

"Yes, I was," I say. "I'm back in New York, though. I'm on my way to work."

"What is going on? Are you really dating a celebrity?"

"Uh." I laugh, nervously. "I guess I am, yes."

"This is crazy."

"Tell me about it."

"No, you tell me about it. What is he like? I saw the pictures. He's very handsome, Sav. I mean, I couldn't find a single picture where he didn't look good."

"Josh is going to get jealous." I tease.

"Josh isn't here right now." she jokes. "I can't believe you were in California."

"Yeah, it was very fun."

"How serious is it?"

"We're just dating," I say. "He's asked me to be his girlfriend."

"And?"

"I don't know if I'm there, honestly."

"Do you like him?"