Chapter 171: Revitalised
Derek was having what was probably the strangest day of his life. It was passing with both the speed of a snail and the swiftness of a lightning strike. That made absolutely no sense. But it was the best way, that he could think to put into words exactly what he was experiencing. His eyes did not hurt, his head was not pounding away, and his movements were sure and steady. He did not have to coach his body through what it had to do in order to move. That was something that he’d never had before.
He read through multiple documents, signed where his signature was needed, and finished off tasks without putting in as much effort as he normally did. Given the amount of work that he had completed, whenever Derek checked the time, he expected to find the day nearly half gone. But at most whenever he looked up he would find that an hour had passed, and he would be shocked. Blinking a few times to make sure that he had not imagined the numbers on the screen, but each time his eyesight was proven to be accurate.
Had his lack of sleep really been bothering him that much? To the point where he had become so slow on tasks, without even realizing it? Shaking his head, Derek went back to work. He worked and he worked. And by the time that midday came around, he looked up and realized that there was nothing more for him to do that day. Somehow he had completed the day’s tasks and his schedule was completely free. He could go and look for more work to do. That was never a problem. But Derek found himself hesitant.
Leaving his office meant that he would no longer be so close to Emily, and for some reason that day he did not want to do that. Even as he had been busy working, from time to time he would look up and stare at his door, knowing that Emily was just on the other side, helped to soothe something in him.
When they had decided to share a bed again, Derek had been hopeful, but hesitant, worried after too many failed attempts at trying to sleep. But he had still given it a go. After all, a chance was still a chance. Then when they had gone to bed, she had fallen asleep easily enough. Leaving Derek alone with his thoughts, staring at the ceiling and thinking that the whole thing had been some sort of fluke. That he was doomed to keep being awake no matter what he did. Derek had felt a depressing level of disappointment. But somehow, being next to Emily had worked its magic, and before he had known it, Derek had been asleep. And in experiencing that miracle once more, thanks to her, something in Derek had shifted. He had always been fond of Emily. After all, what was there not to like about her? She was competent, she was respectful, and she always had his back whenever situations were tense. Not only that, she always seemed to know exactly what to say to get Derek’s mood out of a slump when he was too deep into his thoughts.
Now that he had confirmed for sure that Emily was somehow able to make him go to sleep and stay asleep for hours on end. There was a softness that came over him whenever he thought of her. Throughout the day in the brief times that they had seen each other. Derek had felt his heart, do this little somersault as though it were trying to reach out to her.
He had put his hand over his heart so many times, that at one point she had asked if he was alright. He had told her that he was fine, that it was simply heartburn. And then a glass of water and some medicine had materialized out of nowhere. Despite not having heartburn. Derek had felt himself warm from the inside. Good old Emily, always so thoughtful.