1x1 with Paradise; & Pooka.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"Stay awhile now -- Undress your colors -- Cause they’re like no others -- I’ve ever seen -- I could get used to your company -- Step inside."

Ally looked up at Derek, not realizing that her eyes had fallen back to her lap, as he spoke. He was lucky that he didn't have to be in this position. He didn't have to deal with wanting nothing more than to remember something, only to have his mind fail him and make the conflict between his head and heart. Her thoughts lightened up though, realizing again that he was still suffering from this whole ordeal. His best friend was practically hidden in a pile of rubble while this different girl stood in her place. Ally's thoughts focused on him again as he began to speak once more, eventually allowing her vision to drift back to her lap. There was an idea. Derek being the one to enter her room with her when she was ready, the only issue being was her disappointing him if she didn't remember anything about the pictures or was uncomfortable by seeing it. Ally let out a very soft laugh at his joking, her nervousness showing in it over the thought of entering her room. She glanced up at him as he squeezed her shoulders, giving him a small smile. "Maybe sometime we could try it. I'm not comfortable with the thought even yet, so not for some time." She replied quietly, letting herself lighten up a bit from her own strain.

Ally smirked at Derek as he explained her 'thing' for romance in books and movies. She couldn't hold in the laugh that built up and she shook her head a bit, feeling the atmosphere of the room lift up off of them a little more. Ally glanced back up at Derek as he began to go into The Notebook and the man named Noah from it. The words he described Noah as hit her in an odd way yet she didn't know why at first, but after a little bit of looking at Derek and thinking over the words, she looked away realizing that he seemed to be all of those things. She had just finished telling him that he was the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He was considerate of her feelings and was the first to ask of them, not to mention wouldn't do anything she wasn't comfortable with. Derek was determined to help her remember things, to get their lives back together like they used to be. He showed how much he loved her by all he had already done for her, and the look in his eyes when she mentioned certain things showed the love he had even if he hadn't said it, also showing his love by comforting her so much. Derek was definitely bold, showing his courage and confidence by offering to fully take care of her for as long as she needed to be taken care of for her mother, and he wasn't afraid of the risk of her hurting him or even rejecting him completely.

Ally bit her lip and her breathing grew a little heavy at the thought of all of those things, her cheeks flushing red quickly then. She lifted both of her hands to her face this time and she rubbed it a bit before returning both hands back to where they had been. She hadn't realized how long she had been quiet, and she finally decided to look up at him. Ally wasn't sure if she should tell him or not, mostly because she didn't know if he had noticed her sudden deep thought or not. "Yeah...romance is my thing I guess. You know I've always been that hopeless romantic type...or at least I'm assuming you know that." Ally replied finally, her voice a little shaky. She swallowed before she took her water and took a few drinks of it before closing it and putting it back where it had been. "It's too bad I've forgotten what the movie, let alone the book, was about." She then added, sighing a bit as she glanced to her lap again. Ally remained quiet, deciding it best not to reply to his comment over his opinion, not wanting him to feel like she was making things up to make him feel better when she wasn't.

Ally was beginning to feel numb, hypothetically, and it was hard for her to even react to anything as the conflict grew in her mind. She didn't mind it when Derek wiped away a tear of hers, and as he spoke she returned her gaze to his. Ally felt like everything was beginning to break inside of her, like she couldn't catch her breath even. She was almost thankful that Derek had asked her all of those questions because her own mother had been too worried about her physical injuries to focus on the emotional ones that had already started scarring her inside. Ally kept her eyes on him as he was quick to speak after her long spiel of answers and explanations for all of her feelings. She could feel herself getting worked up again inside and her tears continued to come, his words getting to her because of the truth behind them, not to mention his eyes filling with tears was making her feel more wishing that everything would fix itself in that instant.

As Derek suddenly wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her close to him in a hug, Ally seemed to push closer into his embrace. Her mind was at a block as it tried to convince her to pull away already, but her heart was suddenly breaking more and it ached more than ever. Ally's arms slowly slid around Derek and she hugged herself comfortably against him, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She could feel his tears when they fell, and her arms, underneath his, tightened a little bit and she suddenly began to bawl even more. Ally had heard his last words, but they weren't easy for her to agree with because that's all her heart did, worry about Derek. Every so often she would let out a soft sob underneath her breath. Not once since the accident had Ally been able to let out this great amount of built up emotions and the injuries they were causing her on the inside. Her mother hadn't even hugged her like this because she was too worried about her knee to focus on how Ally was feeling.

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

My heart ached at the sound of her strained words. It was obvious the idea of entering her room still intimidated her. I just hoped it wasn't because she feared disappointing me. Nothing Ally could possibly do would ever disappointment me. "That's alright. Whenever you're ready," I responded my voice soft. I didn't want to pressure her into doing something she didn't want to. Her room contained thousands of memories and it would be a lot to take in. Anyone who entered her room wouldn't even need to know our past, they could just look at all the pictures and pretty much see the whole story of our lives together. Ally had always been big on taking pictures in order to capture special moments and eventually the idea had grown on me as well. The only thing in life that never changes are our memories that are contained within those pictures.

Ally appeared to be listening quite intently to my words. I could see flashes of realization across her eyes everyone now and then when I'd mention a trait of Noah's. Speaking of Noah's traits made me think of Ally from The Notebook's traits. Her and then the real Ally were similar in so many ways they could have been twins. In The Notebook, Ally's parents were never fond of Noah, where as with my Ally, her brother Tyler had never been fond of me. Their personalities tended to be similar as well: carefree, intelligent, calm, loving, gentle, forgiving, loyal and all around perfect. Whenever Ally and I watched The Notebook I used to sit there and feel envious of Noah. He was lucky enough to have Ally, where as my Ally was only a friend of mine. A best friend, but a friend nonetheless.

"Yeah, you always loved that mushy romance stuff. If only I'd caught on to that sooner," I joked. I truly did wish I had caught on to her love for the romantics earlier. Maybe the night of the crash wouldn't have been our first date. It would have also helped if I hadn't always been such a coward. I was ashamed of how many years it took me to work up the nerve to ask Ally out on a real date. "The Notebook is a total romance. It's about these two teenagers that fall in love but at the end of the summer they break up and the girl, Ally, goes off to college. Noah writers her 365 letters, a letter per day, but Ally's mother hides them from her in fear that Ally would quit college to return to her summer love. For months Ally cries herself to sleep thinking Noah had forgotten all about her. A few years later, Noah buys this old house and turns it into Ally's dream house. Ally see's a photo of it in the newspaper and decides to go visit him. Upon seeing him again the old flame between them is reignited and they fall in love all over again. However, throughout the whole movie it's being being told by this old man to this old lady. He's reading this book about these two's romance. At the end of the movie you find out that the old man is really Noah and the old lady is really Ally. Ally has demensia and everyday she forgets all about Noah. However, Noah reads her this book that tells the story of their romance in hopes that she will remember him, even if just for a moment." A tear falls down my cheek as the irony of it all hits me. Here I am sitting beside my Ally, the girl who doesn't remember me, explaining to her all about The Notebook and Noah and how his Ally doesn't remember him. "It's kind of ironic isn't it?" I laughed slightly, my voice breaking up a little.

It felt so right to be this close to Ally. The tears kept falling but a smile was beginning to form on my lips. My arms held tight to her and I felt her arms tighten around me body. I could still tell her heart and her head were battling for control but I didn't care at the moment. This embrace was just as important for both of us. Everyone was far to worried about Ally's physical injuries that they seemed to be paying no mind to her mental ones. Right then in that moment, I made a decision to focus on her mental injuries more so than her physical. She had others for that, but I figured I would be her best bet at repairing the mental ones. I could do nothing for the physical ones.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"Stay awhile now -- Undress your colors -- Cause they’re like no others -- I’ve ever seen -- I could get used to your company -- Step inside."

Ally wondered if he could see through her, if he could tell how difficult this was for her on the inside, or if he could only guess what she might be going through. She didn't think it was possible for anyone to quite understand. Here she was, this girl suffering from a traumatic brain injury, and here Derek was, someone claiming to be her best friend for all of her life with her mother in full agreement with it. The only issue being, she couldn't recall a thing. She snapped out of her thoughts as Derek spoke, and she nodded quietly, glad he wasn't planning on doing any test runs to see how close she would get. Going into her room was almost like a fear of hers. Ally could picture her room in her mind, but the one in her mind didn't have a trace of pictures in it all, aside from one. The one that had held a place there she wasn't able to see. All she could tell about it was that it was in on particular spot. Why would that one picture be popping out though? After all, she didn't remember any of memories from any of the pictures, let alone the one.

Ally's gaze turned back up to Derek as they were both quiet for a bit before he replied to the whole discussion of her having a thing for romantic books and movies. She raised an eyebrow at his first comment, wondering why he said about catching on sooner because she didn't remember anything about their past together, which also meant she didn't remember that it took him so long to work up the courage and guts to ask her on a date. As he began to give her the rundown of the movie, Ally's mouth slightly moved open as he neared the end of the story the movie told. She had grasped the irony of the story and her life as soon as the last word of his description came into the air. When he mentioned the irony of it, Ally found herself gently nudging her leg with the hand that was on it, mostly doing that because of the break in his voice that she had detected. She glanced away and thought for a moment, wishing there was some way to prevent her from being like the Ally from the movie. Ally didn't say anything in response to him telling the story of the movie, it being obvious that she was still surprised at how much it related to all that was going on with her right now.

The slight tightening of Derek's arms around her made Ally wish that things could somehow change for the better in that moment. No, her mind didn't know him, but she knew him. She being the Ally inside of her. The Ally inside of her was recognizing things that the conscious Ally had no idea held any importance to anything in the world. There was one thing that the new Ally was able to pick up on. It was something that seemed so innocent, yet was responsible for her taking to him in such a good way rather than shunning him entirely. Derek's care, his hidden love was there, whether it was supposed to be obvious or not, it was still there. It gave her something this new Ally never recalled feeling, something that the old Ally was dying for so much just to grasp. Ally could feel her tears beginning to slow, but it was no surprise with how upset she had been in the past week, it was only assumed that she'd be so easily having her tears run on empty. She didn't want to cry anymore. It was making the mood rather gloomy all the time, even when they had just been laughing somewhat.

Ally took a deep breath as she leaned into Derek, her soft breath hitting the skin of his neck as she attempted to finally relax herself again. He was there for her when she just needed to get out a cry. Any guy that could be recalled in her memories were ones that were always telling her to 'get over' her crying and deal with it, the ones that girls fell for even if they were utter jerks. Ally gently pulled her head back to look at Derek, and in an instant her body tensed greatly. Her muscles felt strained and it was almost as if she were turning into stone. It was almost the exact thing that had happened not too long ago though, something that had changed her view greatly and resulted in Derek and herself sharing a kiss. Another memory was slowly working its way through the rubble.

Derek and herself were sitting on the very couch close to one another much like they were now. Ally was tracing patterns on the back of Derek's hand, and playing on TV was the movie 'Clueless.' It was one that Ally always seemed to enjoy, and there was one particular reason in which she had begun to enjoy it more. There had been no doubt in her mind that she held feelings for Derek, the amazing boy that had been there all of her life. The past few weeks she had been able to drift to sleep with her thoughts only holding him in them because she was in such a trance over her own realization. Ally glanced at Derek as he suddenly took hold of her hand that had been tracing patterns on top of his own. She raised an eyebrow and was about to make a silly comment like they normally would have, but the look on Derek's face pushed any possibility of that away from her mind. His eyes were directly on hers, and nerves seemed to run rampant throughout them as he fought for the words he was looking for in a shaky breath. Ally... I've..I-I've been holding this back for some time now, but..I need to let you see my true feelings for you.. Would you do me the honor of letting me take you out on a date? It had been a moment that Ally hadn't seen coming. Derek had been so nervous to the point that he hadn't even sounded like himself, nor had he been acting like himself. Ally's reply was going to be the moment of truth between their friendship and possible relationship, and them never being the same around one another again. It was an easy answer for her though, one that took no thinking at all. "What took you so long to ask? I can't think of anything better than that. Ally replied in a gentle stammer, relief in her voice as if she had been worried that the moment wouldn't ever come. The two of them pressed into a hug, Ally placing a gentle kiss on Derek's cheek just before she put her head next to his with a happy laugh. This memory occurred exactly two and a half weeks ago, exactly one week before the crash that changed everything.

Ally was slightly shaking now, and the familiar nerves that had been in her eyes when Derek asked her out for the first time were identical to the ones that held in her eyes now. She tried to swallow but it proved difficult as she tried to think of words, but the only ones that would come to mind were what she had said in the memory. "What t-took you so long to a-ask?" Ally stuttered, using that as a way to show Derek what memory she had just encountered so vividly. She closed her eyes, the memory altogether throwing her into a loop, confusing her, but also making everything seem clear at the same time.

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

My arms held Ally securely; I kept her body pressed against mine, yet not enough that she would feel trapped. I could feel my body begging to kiss her. My lips craved the touch of hers. However, I knew to keep those thoughts and ideas to myself. Ally and I had tried that once and it had caused her a great deal of pain. Confusion had overcome her and it felt like we'd taken a step back, which did neither of us any good. So instead we just sat there and I let her be as close as she wished.

Suddenly Ally's body tensed and I caught a tiny gasp. For a brief second I was filled with confusion, but then I remembered the first time I'd tried kissing her after the crash. This exact same thing had happened, and Ally had descried it as a memory coming back. Knowing what was happening this time was the only thing that kept me calling out to Ally and shaking her in an attempt to make her come back to reality. Instead I just continued to hold her and wait for the memory to come to an end. The time seemed to drag on and on. However, it was probably only a matter of minutes before Ally seemed to snap out of her memory. The first words out of her mouth caught me by surprise. They were the exact same words she'd said to me when I had asked her out. The words may have been the same, but Ally's voice shook and the tone was off. She seemed wary and confused. I leaned away from her, but kept my arms around her loosely, then I looked her in the eyes. Part of her seemed to understand the meaning behind the words, but the other part of her seemed stunned that they'd slipped between her lips.

"I don't know Ally. It was rather foolish of me wasn't it?" I responded, a hint of humour behind my words. "I should have asked long ago. Too much time was wasted because of my fear of rejection, and my fear of losing the relationship we already had." The thought that I'd let so much time slip between my fingers for such ridiculous reasons just made me want to kick myself. If only I'd asked sooner, maybe Ally and I would of had more time together before the accident. Maybe it would have made it so she remembered me. The idea that maybe, just maybe if I'd asked her out sooner that she might still remember was killing me on the inside. I felt a tiny tear run down my face and I moved my hand quickly in order to catch it before Ally noticed.

"I'm sorry for waiting so long, it was dumb on my part. But I promise to make up for it. As long as you let me," I told her. I hoped my words would make sense to her and she would realize that I meant for her to take it almost like a question. I hoped she'd let me know if she was willing to do this. Because if Ally didn't even want to try to get back what we once had, there was no point in me being here, only complicating her life further.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"Stay awhile now -- Undress your colors -- Cause they’re like no others -- I’ve ever seen -- I could get used to your company -- Step inside."

Ally had been more than stunned on the inside that those words of hers had made themselves known in the air. She felt as if there was now a tightening silence between them, but her mind was only elongating the time between her words and his. Derek's initial words lightened the air and she found she was able to release a soft breath she'd been holding up inside. The way that he was able to so easily speak made her wonder if he was hiding away his own feelings about her repeated words. Those words had been her agreeing to going on a date with him. Their first date as more than friends. That was something that had apparently been a significant part of their life, considering when this new Ally had had the memory, she'd felt the feelings that the old Ally had inside of that memory, and they were ever-lingering inside of her. She allowed her body to lose some of its tension, taking another deep breath just before he continued on. So it was rejection and what he thinks he would lose that he feared? She heard in her head, and for a moment, it felt as though she hadn't even thought those words at all, as if the old Ally was conscious within this confused one.

She let herself snap out of it though as Derek sat quietly, her eyes having been on her lap before she looked up in time to see one of his hands leaving his face, but for what she didn't know. "When you do it doesn't matter as much as conquering your fears in general." Ally told him quietly, her voice still a little shaky but it was clear she was calming from the high the memory had put her in. She glanced down at his shirt, as if her own conflicts were throwing her into thought again, but she was merely looking for the right words in this situation. "A relationship I no longer remember..." Ally's eyes moved up to Derek's again her mind growing lost between the familiar confusion and distress. Where were they to go from here? She remembered quite possibly one of the most significant memories she could have, proof that she'd trusted him enough to be cuddled close to him on this couch and agreeing to go on a date with him. It was difficult for her to wrap her mind around though. Ally knew it was a memory, and that was apparent by Derek's knowing response.

Ally was beginning to feel her old headache rise once more before Derek began to apologize. She let her troubled eyes refocus on him. His face was so sincere, so full of hope, and it was killing her inside. How many times was she going to rethink how he was here caring for her when he didn't have to be, how he was here comforting her when she was so distant with him, how his mother trusted him even more than Ally's own brother. Her breath was caught in her throat at his last two statements, causing her eyes to avert down to her lap for a long moment. This was basically it. This was the point where she'd have to decide whether she was going to continue on trying, or give up and make a new life with herself. Ally's gaze moved up again to his face slowly. She studied him for a long time, her eyes mostly looking into his and studying what she could see inside. Of course, he was handsome, but he was also sweet, kind, loving, and he was persistent in showing her his feelings for her. He was willing to help her remember, to take the time out of his day for her to remember a single thing of the past. She found herself sighing and looking away once more, her eyes distant in the silent air.

Ally nodded slowly then. Her eyes moving to look at how close they were sitting to one another and gradually moving to meet his once more. "And I will.." Ally said softly as she gave him another slow nod. She found that her eyes wouldn't avert from his anymore, almost as if he was able to hold her gaze with the way that he seemed to be looking at her now. "I will let you... All I can do is try from this point on." She added then, tears threatening to escape from her eyes once more, but she pushed them away. She was trying to be firm with herself in that she didn't want to cry anymore. It wasn't going to help. She needed to get over the fact that this was her life now whether she liked it or not, she'd have to deal with not remembering most of her past. Ally bit her lip as a feeling suddenly rose inside her again, the one she'd felt in the memory she'd just experienced. It almost felt like she wasn't in entire control of herself any longer. Ally almost didn't mind it in that moment though, even if it really was the old Ally helping this new one along. Her eyes grew soft as she looked into Derek's, and she felt as if she could tell what types of things were going on inside his head or what he was feeling. What she was about to say was something Ally hadn't expected herself ever to say, nor did she ever expect herself to be okay with it. Something needed to be done though with this, something that'd allow her to get a feel for the things that kept rising in her. "Derek.." Ally began, her tone of voice calm and sincere in itself, "You can kiss me."

[Paradise;]

Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Tᴀɴɴᴇʀ LᴇRᴏʏ

❝ I wish it was yesterday so I could lock the gate; We'd say the things we never thought we'd say; And never let you get away ❞

Ally seemed to cling to my every word. Pondering it all, taking it all in and trying to match them with what faint memories of me she still had or seemed to have regained. It made me feel hopeful, but bothered me nonetheless. The Ally I knew wouldn't doubt my words; she never had. However, this new Ally seemed to doubt my every word, thought, action. Part of me seemed to break inside. And I wondered if it'd ever be whole again if the old Ally never came back. If Ally never regained her memory of me, our relationship would never be the same again and that thought alone scared me half to death. There was nothing I wanted more in this world than for everything to go back to normal and for Ally to remember me. Remember us. Therefore, I was willing to work at it. I would work night and day, 24/7 if it meant there was even a single chance of that happening.

"Wise words," I said gently. "If only they made me feel better," I commented with a half-hearted laugh. I watched Ally with sad eyes. I didn't want her to pity me, it wasn't her fault. This whole scenario was terrible for the both of us. However, it was terrible for two very different reasons sadly. Ally had grown silent and I was at a loss for words. There was nothing that either of us could say that could repair this damage. So instead I let her think while I tried not to think. Thinking only made things worse.

Ally's words broke the silence. A smile touched my lips and joy fluttered lightly inside me. I wanted to pull her closer and wrap my arms around her in joy, but I knew it would only frighten her. Instead I waited patiently for her next words. "That's all I need, is for you to try. It's all I can ask for. Thank you," I said with hope brewing inside me. This was a step forward for us. My help would be useless if she didn't wish to try. But if she tried there would be hope of unburying her hidden memories. I know the memories of us are still in her head. There were too many for them to all be lost. And if she could at least uncover a few more she'd have to realize how we were before. And maybe, just maybe, things could go back to the way they were before the accident.

Her next words stunned me. She'd given me permission to kiss her. Part of me held back in fear that she didn't truly mean it, but the other part of me was stronger and couldn't handle the possibility of kissing her soft lips. With a smile, I leaned in and touched her face with my hand. I cupped her face with my one hand and looked into her eyes to make sure I was actually allowed to do it.

[Pooka.]

Ally Shae Thatcher

"Stay awhile now -- Undress your colors -- Cause they’re like no others -- I’ve ever seen -- I could get used to your company -- Step inside."

Ally's heart grew heavy at his gentle words and half-hearted laugh in response to her words that were meant help him become more comforted. Her eyes saddened slightly, but everything else she pushed away. Sure, this was something that she shouldn't let get to her, but it was the fact that she was doing the best she could to help him with this when she could have easily turned him away and told her mother to not allow him to be here. Ally had almost done just that. She'd almost made her mother keep the boy away for good, but her mother had found a way to persuade her to try, to let things try to go back to how they used to be. Her mother didn't realize how hard emotionally this was going to be for her though. Pretending like you were best friends with someone you didn't know wasn't exactly an easy task, let alone putting up with them when you didn't know their mannerisms or personal life. Maybe that was it though...Ally was Derek's personal life. She was who he had spent all of his time with, and with the way everyone was implying it, there wasn't a thing that they hadn't done together. No wonder it's difficult for him to be comforted at all...his life is beginning to spiral down the drain now that this accident has damaged what was there. She thought carefully.

Ally had been watching him for a reaction of some sort, even though her mind already had an idea of what he might feel at her willingness to try. What other choice did she have? Going back to a school life where she knew some people while others were faint, nothing ever feeling the same as it would have for the old Ally. She knew everyone would ask questions she didn't know the answer to, or would bring up memories she didn't exactly remember because Derek probably would have or should have been in them for her. His smile nonetheless let her forget about those intense thoughts for a few moments though, as did his words. "I'm glad I could do something fairly good in this mess I've caused." Ally said in a tone showing her disappointment in herself, although she did give him a slight nod. She watched quietly as the everlasting hope seemed to flicker in his eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder what Derek was thinking over in his mind now.

Ally's stomach felt as if it were filled with butterflies, but the nerves were outdoing them by this point. The stunned look on his face told her that he hadn't been expecting that just as much as she hadn't been expecting to say it. What was this going to be? What would happen if the same reaction came from her as it had the first time? Ally couldn't help but assume that that dreaded reaction wouldn't make itself known once more, mostly because she'd grown used to seeing him in the hospital, and now here he was going to stay over every day and night at her house. Ally's eyes refocused on Derek just as his hand touched her face with the smile reappearing on his lips. There it was. It was that smile so genuine and so hopeful that it could break her heart in a second without a moment's notice, if she weren't careful. That was what she'd wanted to see. Ally felt as though she were making his life miserable and she hadn't even gotten a good way into the recovery of her leg. Something inside of her wanted him to be happy, for him to smile, but for the life of her she couldn't see exactly what was forcing this upon her.

A tingling sensation formed on Ally's skin just underneath his hand after it cupped her face. His touch was gentle and soft, and the way he was so closely leaned in, looking into her eyes, along with his hand cupping her face had her heart suddenly aching. She knew that the old Ally played a part in this, but in the side that this new Ally could control, she could feel that she wasn't anywhere near objecting the kiss. Ally wanted those elated feelings to rise in her again, the ones that sifted from the dust-covered memories of the Ally she once was. She could feel his eyes staring into hers, and it almost seemed as if he were asking her permission once more. So he was a gentleman. Ally let her eyes leave his to gaze at his lips for a short moment before they flicked back up to his once again. She was at a loss of words, not knowing if her look to his lips had been enough for him to see her give him the go ahead. Ally moved her head forward slowly so that her forehead was rested against his, yet she didn't put her lips to his, wanting him to have the satisfaction of the permission she'd given him.

Her heart felt as though it were skipping beats more often than not. She was surprised by the change that her heart had made, and what made it more confusing was that she'd allowed it to be changed with the help of the old Ally. It was the old Ally that was making her feel giddy and excited for this moment, but the new Ally wasn't going to lie to herself and say she was repulsed by Derek or the idea of kissing him. His heart was good, and seeing him smile had somehow made her feel better, lighter inside. She'd felt bad ever since he'd over heard her asking her mother that damaging question after waking up from the crash and the surgery. 'Who is that?' That was probably the worst way it could have been broken to him that she was clueless as to who he was or why he seemed to care so much.

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