WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND ADULT LANGUAGE.

Watching Derek pull the car around, my heart pounding in my chest, I know I have two options. I can tell Alec that Derek is now in our rental car and works at this hotel we are now staying at, or option two, I keep my mouth shut and play it cool. Whatever it is, I need to do it quickly, Alec is looking at me because I probably look as if I saw a ghost, which I suppose I have.

Swallowing hard, I go with option two. At least for now. I do not want a scene, and it has already been a long day. I don't say anything because I don't know what Alec will do. He is very aware of Derek and I's past, and I do not need him going to jail tonight on top of the shit day I've already had. I know that Alec will not let anything happen to me here. I'm just hoping and praying that Derek doesn't have access to anything here at the hotel. 

Snapping me back to reality, Alec rubs my lower back.

"Coming?' he asks gently. He probably thinks I'm still shaken from the day, which I am, but this is just the icing on the cake. Fucking Derek, really?

Nodding because I don't think I can talk right now if I want to, I follow Alec inside. I'm hoping Derek stays outside until we get checked in. I do not want to deal with him right now. If I can avoid him altogether on this trip, that will be great. Rubbing my hand over my face, I interlace my arm with Alec's, just in case he is hovering somewhere. The thought of him being here makes me extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you okay, babe?" he asks, kissing me as we wait to get our key cards.

"Yeah," I whisper out.

He furrows his eyebrows. Grabbing our luggage, we head toward the elevator. As it's about to close, I see Derek coming inside the doors and I gasp without realizing it.

"Babe, what is going on? What's wrong?" his voice full of concern.

Damnit. I don't want to do this right now. It's been too long of a day. I'm too overwhelmed, and I know if we start talking now, there is a chance that I will say way more than I want to. The elevator doors close, and Derek's eyes never leave me as they shut. Chills fill my body at the thought of Derek being this close. Leaning my head back against the elevator wall, dread fills every part of my body. I can't even speak.

Tears fall from my eyes. "Kelsey," Alec says, but the elevator doors open to our floor. Thankful for the reprieve, I hurry out. Swiping tears away, I rush ahead of him and stand there waiting for him to unlock the door with tears escaping my eyes, and streaming down my face. Damnit, why won't they stop?

He's looking at me, fumbling with the key card and all our bags. I know he's never seen me like this, and I am a hot fucking mess. It's so late and this has been the worst fucking day ever. 

Why the fuck did I come back here?  I only want to be here long enough to get my dad settled in and I am going back home, to New York. That was my home now. I do not belong here, nor do I want to be here anymore.

Once inside, I throw my shit down and lay back on the bed, covering my face. Not even bothering to turn on any lights, I soak up the darkness and feel Alec lay next to me, gathering me to him.

"Kelsey," he whispers, trying to get my attention. "Babe. Hey, what is wrong? Talk to me." he says, kissing my tears away.

"Everything. Everything is wrong, Alec," I say.

I don't even know where to start. I'm so overwhelmed by all the shit that happened today.

"You and Megan. My dad. My mom. Fucking Derek is downstairs. I'm just done with today." I say this all calmly, but tears are pouring down my face. Alec tenses next to me.

"One, let's get our stuff and we can switch hotels. Two, we need to talk about the Megan shit, but we can do that after we switch hotels," he says.

Sitting up on the bed, throwing my hands in the air, I laugh. "What the fuck is the point? He will find me anywhere I go."

Alec stands up, running his hands through his hair. "The point is that I don't want him anywhere near you." He's mad. He's sexy when he's mad. Focus Kelsey.

Reaching up for his hand, I pull him back so he's sitting next to me again. "You're here. I'm safe." I say, kissing him.

"I'll fucking kill him if he comes near you," he says, his green eyes burning into mine with a passion I've not seen before.

Smiling, I caress his cheek with my thumb.

"Why didn't you tell me about Megan, Alec?" I whisper, still looking into his eyes.

He squeezes his eyes shut. "She is a walking fucking nightmare, Kelsey."

"I picked up on that," I laugh. He remains serious though. She did a number on him. This was going to be good. How much of this did I really believe though? I want to believe him, but he has lied once already. 

"Go on," I urge, not sure if I want to hear this or not.

Tilting his head to the side, as if he's contemplating how much he wants to tell me, I lay back on the bed to take some of the pressure off the situation.

"Just tell me, Alec. She's already played me the food for months," I say. "Every time I am with her, she asks about you. I should've fucking known something was up." I glance over at him, and he's just looking at me blankly.

"Her fucking brother is a tool, too," he says. "That night that I picked you up from the club he pretended not to know me, and he knew exactly who I was," Alec says, irritation in his voice.

"I think he was just playing it cool for me. Showing off or whatever." I say.

"What the hell does that mean?" he says.

"It doesn't mean anything. I was just saying." I say.

"Well don't fucking defend him." he spits out.

"I'm not defending him."

That's exactly what you're doing." he says.

"Jesus, Alec. Don't turn this shit around on me. I'm not the one who fucked up and had someone all over me,." I say.

"Seriously?" he says, throwing his hands in the air. "Megan followed me at the party because she's a fucking psycho who won't leave me the fuck alone. She followed me around for months after I stopped talking to her. She kept showing up at my apartment building and at work. I can't tell you how many times we had to call security." Alec stands up and is pacing. "But I haven't been with anyone since I met you," he says, stopping in front of the bed. Truth or another lie, I wonder. 

"Uh huh," I say, remembering the girls at the reception desk. I really need to go to sleep. This has been way too long of a day.

"What does that mean?" he asks.

"Nothing," I say. Pushing up off the bed, I walk past him toward the bathroom. I need a shower. Pulling off my shirt as I walk into the bathroom, he follows me in.

"What the hell, Kelsey?" he says. "Do you seriously think I would cheat on you?" there is hurt in his voice as he leans against the sink.

"Like while we are together? No," I say, stripping down and turning the shower on a steaming hot level.

"What are you getting at?" he says, while I stand there waiting for the water to heat up, wrapping a towel around myself.

"Oh, come on, Alec," I say, sarcasm thick in my tone. "You don't remember your little stunt at the reception desk? Those bitches were all over you. I'm sure they remember." Rolling my eyes, I drop my towel and climb in the shower.

"Kelsey, seriously? I've apologized for that." He says, walking up to the glass shower wall.

"Have you though? Because I remember letting it go, Alec. I never once asked about that time when we were apart, but it doesn't mean that I don't think about it. I was absolutely fucking miserable while we were apart. You were flirting. Quite the difference, I would say, " Stepping back into the water, I let the hot water run down over my body.

Saying nothing, Alec walks out of the bathroom. 

Exactly.

This is exactly why I didn't want to have this conversation tonight, or ever. Today was just too much. I lost two friends and almost lost my dad. The thing with my mother was a normal occurrence, and who knew what was going to happen with Derek working here? Now things were rocky with Alec. Could things possibly get any worse?