"Der.... Derek.... you gotta... stop!.... my.... my parents will.... be.... back.... Derek!" I said inbetween the kisses he was giving me. I laughed when his mouth left mine and he started on my neck. He knew how much I liked when he did that. My laugher soon turned into soft moans of great pleasure. "Really babe... Carol and Dad will be home any minute..." I tried again. Derek ignored me and continued kissing my neck, his mouth was now making it way down my throat to the 'V' in my top. As if he kenw what we were doing, Liam started to cry. The awuful wailing made Derek sit up, a playful scowl on his face.

"Want me to get him?" He asked. Derek was fantastic with little kids and babies, unlike me. I nodded and sat up.

"Yes please" I said. He grinned, got up from the couch and dissapeared out of the room. That's what we were supposed to be doing. Babysitting Liam. Dad and Carol had gone to check out the church where they were going to be married and also check the reception hall. They were getting married in four months time, which wasn't enough time for Carol apparently. They'd been engaged since she fell pregnant with Liam. I was estatic that they were getting married. Unlike my mum's moron of a husband, I loved Carol. Mum and I were back on track now, she'd even flown over to visit me a couple of months ago. I'd discovered that it had been Jeff's decision that I live here permanently with my Dad. Derek returned then with Liam in his arms, snapping me from my thoughts. I looked up at him and grinned. He looked so gorgeous! Hell, Derek was gorgeous! A footlball player, he had short brown hair, and these bright blue eyes (which were much like Taylors... I chose to ignore that fact), a great tan thanks to the sun and a fablulous body (thankyou football!). He was incredibly strong, he could lift me up (all 47 Kgs of me) and carry me around quite easily. Thats how we met. In school. I was going down some stairs and I spotted him at the bottom of the stair case. I'd never seen him before and ofcourse, I lost my balance. We were the only two in the hallway which made things worse. I ended up breaking my ankle and he picked me up and carried me to the nurses office where they proceeded in calling an ambulence. From then on, we'd basically been inseperable. He tells me that he fell in love with my accent. He often makes jokes about how I fell for him... literally

"You got him to be quiet!" I said when Derek sat down next to me. Liam was awake still, but no longer crying. I looked down at my little brother. His little blue eyes were on me. I reached over and touched the tip of my finger into his tiny palm and almost instantly his fingers curled around mine. I laughed.

"He just wanted to be picked up. Carol said she fed him before she left right?"

"Yeah... there's some bottled formula in the fridge if we need it though" I said, getting up. I walked over to the stereo and turned on the radio. The first strains of "Wake Up" were playing. I fought the urge to switch it off. I hadn't spoken to Taylor for nearly a year and it was as if what I had been through with him was just a dream. Luckily, no one I knew here knew them personally. There were a heap of fans and supporters, but no friends of theirs which suited me fine. I hadn't told anyone that Taylor and I had been so close to having a relationship.. not even my next door neighbour and best friend Jenna. I turned and faced Derek. He was making faces at Liam. Derek's face was close to Liam's and I laughed when Liam reached up and poked Derek in the eye.

"I need that!" Derek said to the baby. He looked up and grinned at me. "He's so cute! I can't wait to have kids"

"Sure, you're not the one that has to have them are you? I was at his birth and there is no way in hell I'm putting myself through that kinda pain." I said, walking over to Derek and sitting beside him. I leaned over and kissed his mouth.

"Not even for me?"

"Not even for you" I grinned. "You've got plenty of time to become a dad. You want to have a life first before kids."

"YOOOHOO! Anyone home??" Jenna's voice rang out through the reasonably quiet house.

"In the Den" I called out. A few seconds later, Jenna appeared. Her eye's lit up when she saw Liam.

"Ooooohh give him to me!" She said, rushing over and gently taking Liam from Derek's arms. She absolutely adored Liam. She walked over and sat down in an armchair. Eventually she looked up at Derek and I. "Whatr you guy's doing tomorrow night?" She asked.

"We were planning to go to a movie... why?" I asked.

"Oh... my cousins are coming tomorrow night. They've been outta town for a while and my Mom wants to see my Aunty so they're comin over for dinner tomorrow night. Three of them are around our age so I thought we could all hang out together... " Jenna said, smiling. I looked at Derek and he nodded.

"Sure.. sounds fine. What time you want us there?"

"Well, anytime after seven I suppose."

"I might be there a little later, I've got fotball practise tomorrow night.. then gym training." Derek said.

"That's okay"

"I'll be there at like four" I said.

"That's okay" Jenna repeated. I laughed. Jenna stood up and walked over to the couch. She handed Liam to me. "I gotta go. Mom's in a huge cleaning frenzy cause of the relatives coming tomorrow. I'll call you tonight Liz" She said before leaving.

The next day and I was at Jenna's. Her mom was still in a panic because of the state of the house (it was spotless).

"MOM! Aunty Diana is not going to care about what the house looks like! She's your sister for crying out loud!" Jenna was trying to get through to her mother. The name was familiar. I soon forgot about it. At about six thirty, the doorbell rang. Jenna and I were sitting in her bedroom, listening to music and talking. Jenna sprang up from her seat on the bed. "AGH! They're here! Come on Liz! You'll die when you see them!" She said excitedly. I laughed.

"They good looking are they?"

"Yeah! But don't say I said that." She grinned over her shoulder. I got up and followed her downstairs to the front hall. I was halfway down when I actually looked up (since my fall in school, I always looked at the stairs I was walking down) and saw who was standing in the front hall. Julia and a woman were hugging while Eric (Jenna's dad) and a man were shaking hands. Oh god no... I thought, my heart sinking. Please don't let it be him! Don't do this to me! . The next person to walk through the door was him. Taylor. My legs went weak and I grabbed hold of the banister to keep me up. I hadn't moved from my spot halfway down the stairs. Jenna was down and already hugging Taylor hello. He looked up and saw me. His eyes went wide and a look of pure shock was on his face. Thats all I saw though because I had turned around and was already making my way back up to Jenna's room. I rushed inside and closed her door shut. I couldn't breathe! Tears stung my eyes. I couldn't believe this! How could he be Jenna's cousin! There was a knock on Jenna's door. It wasn't Jenna on the other side, she would have just barged in. You'll reget opening that door! Don't do it! my mind raced. I turned around and opened the door.

"Oh great. Go away" I said, quickly turning around so I didn't have to face him.

"Liz-"

"NO! Don't Taylor! Don't start this!" I cried, whirling around to face him again. I cursed myself for letting Taylor make me like this. "We don't know each other! Okay? I've never met you before! Wasn't that how it's supposed to be?" I asked, slapping Taylor's hand away when he reached for me. He looked hurt but I didn't care. He had ruined my friendship with Danielle and everyone there. He had forced us to move away. Because he had told Danielle. "I don't know you and don't want to know you" I hissed before shoving past him and down the stairs. I wiped my eyes and went into the living room where everyone was. Diana saw me first. Her face lit up when she saw me.

"Elizabeth! What on earth are you doing here?" She asked, getting up from her seat to hug me. I smiled and huged her back.

"We live next door" I said.

"You guy's know each other?" Jenna asked.

"I'm good friends with Carol. We used to work together" Diana explained.

"Wonderful! Carol and John will be here a little later on."

"Jen, why don't you guy's go outside?" Jenna's Mom asked. Jenna nodded.

"Okay... come on guys, we know where we're not wanted" She said, grinning. Isaac and Zac greeted me once the five of us were outside. Taylor stayed silent, he was staring at his shoes.

"You know each other?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Liz used to live right near us" Isaac said. I felt Jenna's gaze turn on me.

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Never had a reason to" I replied.

"Liz and Tay had some sort of 'thing' going on" Zac piped up. My mouth dropped open and Taylor's head snapped up.

"Zac!" Taylor snapped just as I exclaimed

"We did not!". Jenna looked at Taylor, then at me and then back at Taylor. My face was burning and Taylor looked ready to murder Zac.

"Sure you did! Everyone know's all about it"

"Zac, shut up" Taylor said. Zac opened his mouth to say something but Isaac stopped him.

"Zac... just stay quiet okay?". Zac slumped back in his seat.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jenna asked, staring at me.

"Because there's nothing to tell!" I exclaimed. I knew this would happen. The way Jenna was looking at me made me want the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

Thirteen
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