On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

43 | What's Your Name

Derek finds himself alone in a semi-crowded coffee shop. Looking around, he recognizes it as Maya's Coffee in Beacon Hills; he finds Lexi by the windows with a mug of steaming liquid in her hands. She stares out the window as she cups the mug, letting the heat warm her fingers.

Her phone lies up next to her with missed calls flashing on the screen. A grimoire sits on the table with a sheet of paper on top containing doodles of different spells—not that anyone would know.

Putting the mug down, Lexi takes the pen out from behind her ear and writes down a few ancient words as the door to the shop opens. A cool breeze hits her, but she does not look up; instead, she focuses on the words, muttering them under her breath with a frown before she places the end of the pen between her teeth.

Derek, however, stares at himself. He walks over to the barista and orders quietly. By the look on his face, he had already seen Lexi.

As he waits for his drink, he finds himself casually glancing at the blonde hunched over the spellbook. Her hair flows down her back in waves with a few strands crowding around her face. Every once in a while, she would sit up and read over the paper before she would cross out what she had written.

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair before she cups the mug once more and inhales deeply. Shaking her head, she takes a sip to calm herself. Her phone buzzes, but she ignores the text.

When Lexi places the mug back down, she furrows her brows and raises her gaze. She feels her heart stop in her chest: she can smell him. Clearing her throat, she flexes her fingers as she taps the pen against the book.

She turns her head to the side—not enough to meet his gaze, but enough to see his silhouette. Lexi quickly faces forward and sinks deeper into her chair. She picks up the mug and keeps it in front of her face as if it would hide her.

"You seem a little stressed."

Lexi jumps, careful of the drink in her hand. She looks up at Derek, who has a small grin on his lips. "Oh," she says as she puts the mug down. "It's nothing. Just a..." She covers the paper with her hand. "Just work, you see."

He arches an eyebrow. "Work, huh?" His gaze drops to the words slipping between her fingers. "Looks interesting."

She scratches the back of her neck. "Dissertation," she replies quietly.

"You mind?" He motions to the seat across from her.

Against her better judgment, she nods, watching as he slips in. He rests his forearms on the table as she moves her book closer to her, almost using it as a shield. She smiles at him timidly, only seeming to broaden his grin.

"I haven't seen you around before," he says as he sips his drink. "You new in town?"

"Just passing through," she says. "I am doing some research, and there's this library around here somewhere. It has quite the collection of archives. I stopped on my way. An old friend of mine used to live here, but she moved away."

Derek nods along with her words. "What's her name? Maybe I know her. I've lived here my whole life."

Lexi chuckles nervously. "It was a long time ago. Besides, how do I know you're not a serial killer? Women these days have much to fear from random men."

He holds up his hands. "How do I know you're not a serial killer?" He asks.

"Touche."

Lexi's phone buzzes again. She cannot hide the look of annoyance as she glances down at the text. She turns the phone over on the table and plasters a soft smile on her face. "Apologies," she mutters.