Chapter 1567 Love Whom You Love
Laura shot him a helpless look, "I'm talking about Maeve. Of course, you hold a place in my heart, but..."
Derek silenced her with a kiss, gently nibbling on her lip. "Stop it, I don't want to hear it."
His voice was low and sad, like a puppy begging for attention.
Laura blinked, feeling a sudden pang of guilt. She freed one hand to wrap around his neck and kissed him back. "I'll miss you too, but we can call and video chat often. You can take care of yourself, but Maeve can't. Can you stop being jealous of a little kid?"
"Dummy, I'm not jealous," Derek grinned, his eyes sparkling, "I was just messing with you."
Laura reached out to pinch him.
But Derek quickly grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss, "I just want to ask you, do you want to go?"
"Of course," Laura said, her feelings mixed, "I've been in the lab every day recently, but there's no progress on the new product. My knowledge is still too limited. Good formulators need to go out for internships often, and I..."
"Then go," Derek cut her off, his eyes bright, "I'll take care of Maeve. Even though you won't be around, I'll give Maeve all the fatherly love she needs. I won't let her feel insecure; I'll make sure she's happy and healthy."
Laura was stunned.
Derek had said many sweet things, but only tonight's words brought tears to her eyes.
At this stage in Laura's life, nothing was more important than Maeve's health and happiness. Derek knew what Laura was worried about, so he encouraged her to go, promising to take care of Maeve.
But the truth was, Maeve wasn't his biological child.
Laura hesitated, "Derek, Maeve..."
"Maeve may not be my biological child, but she's the child of the woman I love," Derek said, gently tapping Maeve's little nose, "Laura, whether you want to marry me in the future or not, I don't care. Even if you're just dating me for fun, from the moment I fell in love with you, I considered your child as my own. I'm not trying to use Maeve to win you over; I will love what you love, not just your child, but your family too."
Laura was deeply moved.
He understood everything.
Laura had agreed to date him, but she hadn't thought about the future. She just wanted to be happy for now.
But he was serious, and he wanted to show her through his actions.
"Derek, you're really annoying," Laura's eyes were red, "Why do you always say such sweet things? Have you ever thought about what if you can't keep your promises?"
"I will," Derek interrupted her, "Laura, I care about you more than you think."
Her throat felt tight, and she didn't dare to meet his bright eyes or look at his face. She was afraid of falling easily into another relationship like before.
Derek gazed at her for a few seconds, then tilted his head and kissed her.
The moment their lips touched, she had no choice but to look into his eyes.
She closed her eyes and kissed him back, trembling.
After a while, Maeve, who was in her arms, started fussing because Derek's head was crowding her.
Laura blushed and quickly pushed him away, "Can you stop kissing me in front of Maeve?"
"I can't help it. I fell in love with a mom," Derek teased, "Laura, go ahead. Leave Maeve at the Presidential Palace. Even if her grandparents occasionally take her to the Jude Mansion, I promise to bring her back. I won't let them keep her from you."
Laura was taken aback. That was exactly what she was worried about, but she hadn't mentioned it. "How do you know everything?"
"Because I'm smart," Derek said with a grin, "Go ahead, I promise on my honor and life."
With Derek by her side, Laura realized that all her worries just melted away.
So this was what it felt like to have someone support you.
So this was what it felt like to be understood and known.
At this stage, what Laura needed most was never romance, because she had a newborn without a father's presence. Romance required time, but she also had to work, and she wanted to spend the remaining time with Maeve.
Derek never blamed Laura. He tried to accommodate her schedule as much as possible, even if it meant the two of them just staying in the house with Maeve.
Laura knew normal dates weren't like this, but Derek never complained.
"Derek, thank you." Laura gently hugged him.
"Don't say thank you. I'm your boyfriend. Supporting your dreams is what I should do," Derek's fingers stroked her long hair, "But when you come back, I expect some compensation."
Laura's face suddenly turned red. 'Is he talking about sex?'
After all, they had been dating for a while.
For a man, it seemed like the best compensation.
If it were in the past, Laura would never have thought this way, but now she was a mother, and in some ways, she was different from before.
Thinking about making love with him made her heart race and her face even hotter.
Luckily, Derek was holding her and didn't see that.
"What kind of compensation do you want?" she stammered, "Should I bring you a gift from abroad?"
Derek let her go, a meaningful smile flashing in his dark eyes, "Do you think a gift can compensate me?"
"Then two, three gifts," Laura pretended to be clueless.
"I want..." Derek stared at her, slowly leaning in.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of someone opening the door outside.
The two instantly separated.
Arabella walked in, a look of surprise in her eyes, "Derek, when did you get here? I'll make you some tea."
It seemed like Derek had been coming over more and more often lately.
"Arabella, the tea you made yesterday was pretty good," Derek said casually, leaning back on the sofa. He then gave Laura a meaningful look.
Laura immediately complained loudly, "How much free time do you have to keep coming over here?"
"What, are you tired of me?" Derek said angrily, "Do you think I want to come here? I have no choice. My parents are strict, and I can't go out at night. The Presidential Palace is boring, and if I go to the front yard, I'll just end up arguing with my parents. It's pointless."
Arabella, making tea in the kitchen, heard the commotion outside and dismissed the thought that had just crossed her mind.
She must have been overthinking it. In the entire Presidential Palace, Derek and Laura were the same age, and it was normal for two young people to hang out together when they were bored at night.
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