#Chapter 35-Opening Up

After the crying session, I let Derek help me off the floor, bring me to the closest chair at my kitchen table, and settle me back in without a single complaint. It’s quite odd having Derek here, treating me like I’m more than a friend and neighbor. He treats me a lot like a partner may. It’s preposterous, to say the least. He continues cooking in my kitchen, running back to his apartment to get a few ingredients I don’t have and a bottle of wine. I tell him I’m not in the mood, citing a fake migraine that is coming on. Although, with the way my body just burst at the seams, I won’t be surprised if I do end up with a migraine. “You know, it may not look like it, but there are many people who’ve been in your shoes, Esme.” Speaking is difficult, and my throat is sore. So, when his eyes find me again, I give him a perplexed stare. He breathes out a quiet laugh, shaking his head at my expression. “When my ex and I were still together, l