Chapter 39: Chapter 39

"what the hell are you doing in my room" Derek's voice thundered and Kathleen's eyes flew open, she must have fallen asleep while waiting for him to return. She glanced at him, he looked so breathtaking in his tuxedo and fresh, despite the fact he was coming in from outside, the breeze had blown his hair and a few locks fell on his face, she felt like jumping on him but she restrained herself given the fact that he was regarding her angrily. "Derek, I....." She started to say but he rudely cut her short with just a single word.

"Out" she gritted her teeth and stood her ground, he would have to hear her out.

"Are you deaf or you're just playing dumb, I said get out" he fumed

"Not before I say what I have to say, Derek please hear me out" she pleaded and he looked at her icily.

"Have you thought of another lie you want to tell me?"

"No Derek, this isn't a lie, you have to believe me, I've never lied to you"

Derek didn't say anything else as he simply started undressing, her throat went dry at the sight of his bare chest and she swallowed, she mentally kicked herself, "think Kathleen, don't get carried away, you're here to explain your innocence not to ogle at him".

"Derek, I found out that the whole incident was planned by Marcella and Stefan, there were in it together". Derek snickered but didn't say a word, he pulled his pants and Kathleen felt her lips go dry, she forgot what she was about to say next, she had always been a sucker for his body, he had such an athletic lean built and well-toned muscles, he entered the bathroom and slammed the door and Kathleen jerked, coming back to reality.

Derek had been thinking about Kathleen all day much to his annoyance, he couldn't get his mind off her, he had hoped to come home and stay in his room in an attempt not to set his eyes on her, the more he sees her, the more he was hurting himself but like a menace that has been conjured, he entered his room only to find her curled up in his bed looking like sleeping beauty, he must be out of his mind to still notice her beauty after what she did. He scoffed when he remembered her claim that his mom planned everything, she must be running out of excuses, his heart felt shattered already and she was only making matters worse by constantly showing herself to him and bringing up the issue. He closed his eyes as the cold shower poured on him, he had seen how she was staring at him, like she would devour him, his groin had stirred in answering response and he quickly entered the bathroom, he would have been pleased other days that she wanted him that much, perhaps, Stefan wasn't around calm her heat and so she was now ready to jump on the available man at her sight, he wasn't going to fall for her tricks ever again. He switched off the shower and dried his body with a towel before stepping out of the bathroom and was shocked when he found her still in the room.

Kathleen stood up from her position on the settee when the bathroom door opened, Derek's cold blue eyes met hers, he didn't seem too pleased to still see her in the room, "what the heck are you still doing here?" His tone was filled with iced and she shuddered, fighting the urge to flee from his cold stare.

"I have proof that Marcella connived with Stefan, it's in her phone" she explained, desperately needing him to believe her.

"Brilliant, you've come up with some brilliant lies and I will be a fool to believe you"

She shook her head, " why don't you check her phone, just once and you'll that I'm telling the truth".

Derek said nothing, he got into a T-shirt and jeans and simply left the room with Kathleen right behind him.

He saw Marcella sitting on the couch with Nicole.

" Kathleen said you're behind the incident that happened some weeks back," Derek said to her and Kathleen was shocked, he had actually believed her, she was almost giddy with happiness, now the truth will come out and everything will fall back in place.

Marcella looked from Derek to Kathleen, her expression moved from shocked to hurt, "I can't believe you actually bought her words, she's a liar" she said, her voice tight, Kathleen knew it was all feigned.

"Why don't you let him see your phone" Kathleen quickly suggest afraid that Derek would buy Marcella's little act

"There's nothing in my phone" Marcella argued

" Stop lying Marcella, I saw the message Stefan had sent you, you both plotted everything that happened"

"Stop trying to put the blame for your shameless act on other people" Marcella fumed and Kathleen sighted Marcella's phone on the couch, she quickly grabbed it and handed it to Derek, " you've got to believe me, Derek, I'm telling you the truth".

"Derek don't trust this lying bitch over your mother, you're my son and I would never do anything that will cost you pain, it hurts that this woman is trying to create such a rift between us" tears gathered in Marcella's eyes as she looked at Kathleen, " why are you doing this? I'm trying so hard to love my son, stop trying to come between us"

Kathleen was abashed at how well Marcella could act, she was even crying,

She watched as Derek opened the phone, this time, there was no security lock, she must have removed it, her heart thudded as she saw Derek grimaced, perhaps he had seen it.

" There's nothing here," Derek said eyeing her coldly and her heart tumbled, she gasp in disbelief. "What! No, I saw it Derek believe me" she snatched the phone from his hand and went through it, there was actually nothing implicating, how could it be? Then it dawned on her that Marcella would have deleted everything.

"It was right here, Derek, please trust me on this" she grabbed his hands and he flung it away, his face furious, " you asked me to believe you, I actually gave you the benefit of the doubt by checking out your claim but what did I get? Another of your lie"

"No, Derek, no, I wasn't lying, she must have deleted it"

" Enough of your drama" Derek barked and her head spun.

"How much lower can you go? Accusing the innocent of your shameful act, you disgust me" Nicole spoke up at that point, she had been quiet all along.

Kathleen shook her head and made to grab Derek once more but he pushed her away from him so violently that she fell on the floor, "stop doing this to me" was all he said before leaving the house, slamming the door behind him.

" Where is your proof?" Marcella taunted looking down on Kathleen, she looked so pitiful on the floor.

" You deserve what you got," Nicole told her.

Tears streamed down Kathleen's cheek and her heart did painful spasms, she struggled to breathe, she did not care about Marcella's taunt nor Nicole's jeer.

She had seen raw hurt in Derek's eyes, he thought she had lied to him once more, how was she to prove to him that she wasn't actually lying? She had failed, maybe she should just give up and leave. She had cost him so much pain already.