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"Hey, look at me." Derek placed his hand on her chin and gently tilted her head up so that her eyes met his. "You're going to be okay."
Amari smiled softly, "Thanks Der." She mumbled.
"I think that's enough excitement for one day, don't you?" Derek asked her.
Mari nodded, "Yeah."
"I'm going back to the apartment. Who's coming?" Aaron asked everyone.
James, Spencer and Emily all went back to Amari's apartment while Derek and Amari headed to her car.
"Take out, then we go for a drive, clear your head a little bit?" Derek suggested.
"That sounds...nice." Amari smiled and they hopped into the car.
Maybe it seemed dumb that she was allowing him to comfort her, but he was a friend before whatever happened between them happened. She didn't need more than a shoulder to cry on and he knew that, which is why he offered to do things he knew would cheer her up.
They got McDonalds and he drove them around while blasting music and eating. Most of it was from the radio, and they didn't mind that. Until a song came in that made Amari sit straight in excitement.
"Is this—?"
505, by Arctic Monkeys blared from the speakers and she couldn't help but sing along.
Derek laughed and glanced at her to see her dancing in her seat while mouthing words with a very serious expression on her face.
"You can sing now, if you want." He chuckled softly when she started singing as soon as he mentioned the word 'sing'.
"I literally love this song." She breathed out during a pause in the song, instantly going back to sing the chorus and eventually, the last word.
"You seem to be in much higher spirits."
Amari smiled brightly. "I am. Thanks to you."
Derek met her eyes and she blushed before looking away and out the window. After that, they were silent again, with Amari sneaking the occasional fry to Derek or a nugget that he had bought for her.
When the food was all gone, he started the drive back to her apartment.
"Is everyone back there?" She asked softly.
Derek creased his eyebrows for a second before neutralizing his facial features. Her body language and demeanor had changed drastically from happy and carefree to guarded and sad, like she'd just remembered what had happened over the past two days.
And she was. The thought of going back to her apartment reminded her of that feeling she had right after they had found Chase and Haley. The only thing that had caused her to forget that was the man sitting beside her.
