Now or Never

anyway.”
    She tilted her head and asked what she was sure everyone else had already asked, “Did you see a white light?”
    “Not that I recall. I do know I woke up thinking about you. I reached for the pendant, and it was gone.”
    “You got the pendant? I didn’t know if you saw it or would know it was from me.”
    “I knew.” He smiled sadly. “Who else would think to get me the perfect present? Marcus says the pendant saved my life.”
    “And here I was thinking it was Marcus, I had to thank,” Grayson grinned.
    “Maybe it was a bit of both.” Derrick closed his eyes, “I was so pissed at you.”
    “I still don’t understand why you were mad.” Grayson pulled at the edge of her sweater.
    “I can’t talk about this now. I’m starting to get pissed just thinking about it.”
    “I’m sorry.” She looked up at the monitor, and his heart rate was elevated.
    “If you had just shown up before you left…”
    “Seriously, not now Grayson I beg you. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret.”
    “You’re right.” Grayson stood up and leaned over the bed. Lightly, she touched her lips to his. His lips were cracked and dry, but they felt so good. He parted his mouth, and Grayson ran her hand down the side of his face. He was going to have a lot of scars, but to her, he had never looked more beautiful. She pulled away, “I guess I should go.”
    “Do you have to leave right now?” He asked surprising her.
    “Nope. I’m driving so it doesn’t matter when I leave,” Grayson answered him and smiled hesitantly. Did he want her to stay?
    “As much as I would love to ravish your body, that’s not going to happen.” Derrick gave her a crooked grin. “But, I wouldn’t mind the company.”
    Grayson lowered herself back into the seat. Hopefully, this was a positive sign. Maybe they had a chance of working this out after all.
    “What are you watching?”
    “CSI. I’ve never seen it before I got in here and they’re having a marathon.”
    “I haven’t seen it either. I don’t really watch much TV.”
    “Me neither. I’d rather read over watching TV any day.”
    Grayson looked around and didn’t see any books. She would stop in the gift shop and grab some for him before she left.
    “Can you get that bag in the corner?”
    Grayson looked over and there was a black duffle bag on the floor. She stood up and collected it and set it on the side of his bed.
    “The guys grabbed the stuff out of my room and sent it over. I got you something.”
    “You got me something in Afghanistan?” She asked eyes wide.
    He winced as he rummaged through the bag. He pulled out a huge chunk of lapis lazuli.
    “Oh my god Derrick! It’s gorgeous!”
    He held it out for her, and she grabbed it.
    “How did you know?” She ran her hand over the rough blue and gold rock.
    “You said you started your degree for Geology, so I figured you’d like it. And I saw all the crystals in your room. When we arrived, one of the guys from the other team had a bunch of them. I guess they found them in caves. I grabbed one for you.”
    “Get out of here! They found them inside caves?” Grayson couldn’t stop running her hands over the rough stone. “Did you know lapis is the stone of truth?”
    “I did not.”
    “Well it is. It’s supposed to bring harmony to relationships. In the middle east, it’s believed to have magical powers.”
    “Interesting.”
    “You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you.” Grayson leaned down and kissed him again. “It’s my new favorite.”
    Derrick sort of grunted and looked away his jaw clenched.
    “What was that for?” She wondered what she had said that bothered him.
    “Favorite? Are you sure about that? From the sounds of it, Navy boy is your new favorite.”
    “That guy was an obnoxious idiot. I was just trying to piss you off.”
    “Well, it worked. So are you saying he didn’t have a ten-inch cock or fucked you like you belonged to him? I believe those were your exact words.”
    Grayson felt her face flush, and she couldn’t meet his eyes.
    “That’s what I thought.”
    “Derrick, he meant nothing. I never even kept in touch with him.”
    He leaned back and closed his eyes. “I can’t talk about this right now.”
    “I didn’t mean to upset you, but we’re going to have to talk about all of this at some point.”
    “And I told you we would. Just not right now.”
    “Alright. Well, I really do love the lapis lazuli.”
    “I’m glad you like