A/N : Yo peoples! Happy New Year! 🎉🎉 I wish you have the best time ever in 2018 ♥️ Just rock the new year! So this is the last update of 2017. Enjoy! Love, ara 🤗

PLAYLIST : Rooftop - Zara Larsson

Habits (Stay High) - Tove Lo

     The phone rang twice before Derek answered it. I heard some shuffling sounds in the background and then after a few seconds came Derek's voice.

     "Hello?" His voice was thick and raspy, like he just woke up. I didn't want to think how sexy it sounded, but that was exactly what I was thinking.

     "Hi. I'm sorry I woke you up."

     "Vivian, it's you. Hi," he said. It looked like he was too sleepy to even check the screen of his phone for my name. "No, actually it's okay."

     "Um, okay."

     I heard more shuffling. "Listen, can I call you back in five minutes?"

     Oh no! He was just going to go back to sleep. "Yah, sure," I answered anyway.

     He hung up. Weird. Maybe he was too sleepy to talk to me. Five minutes passed and I was getting restless, not to say sleepy. Did he go back to sleep? Should I call him back? Did he just lie to me because he didn't want to talk?

     Shut up, shut up brain! Pay attention to the problem and stop analyzing Derek's every word.

     I called him again. This time the phone rang for a long time. What was going on? Why were people not answering their calls tonight?

     "Sorry. I was about to call you." He was fully awake now, judging by his voice. I already missed his sleepy voice. Damn you, concentrate Vivian!

     "Oh, I thought you went back to sleep."

     "I fell asleep on the couch tonight watching TV. I just came back to my room," he chuckled.

     I smiled. "You do that too? Anyway, so I needed a favor. Are you by any chance hanging out now with Nate?"

     "No. I was sleeping."

     Obviously. I knew that. Stupid me! "Sorry, I meant are you at Nate's? You told me once that you were staying at Nate's house. So I was just wondering." That was a really stupid question. He stayed there once, it was a stupid assumption that he'd be there tonight too.

     Thankfully, Derek didn't think it as a weird question because he answered normally. "No. I'm at my house. Why?"

     "I have to talk to Nate. It's urgent. I called him but he didn't answer. So I figured the next best option was calling you."

     "I have his home number. Do you want me to call him?"

     "If you don't mind. And tell him to call Tiffany. If he doesn't call her tonight, she's breaking up with him."

     He was silent for a minute and I thought maybe he fell asleep. Then he burst out laughing. "What! That was your emergency?!"

     I felt stupid. "Stop laughing! You don't know Tiffany!"

     Catching his breath between his laughs, he said, "You realize they break up and make up everyday?"

     "She said this was different!" I cried out.

     "Are you sure you didn't call to just hear my voice?"

     Idiot! "I would if I liked your voice. But I don't." I did like it. I more than liked it. But I wasn't going to admit it to this conceited, cocky, arrogant . . . whatever. Ugh. "So will you please call himself?"

     "I'll call him. What do I get in return?"

     "I'll stop interrupting your sleep."

     "You want me to call him now?" His voice was laced with amusement. Why couldn't he take this seriously for a minute?

     "Yes, right now!" I barked at him. I just wanted to wipe that smirk which I was sure was sitting on his face. It's crazy how easily he gets on my nerves but I still can't help . . . no, don't go there.

     "Okay, okay bye. Girls are so dramatic!" He huffed dramatically.

     "Bye." We both hung up. I shook my head and smiled. He's so silly.

     See, it wasn't that bad. He didn't even remember seeing me this morning. Derek made talking easier. It was only after he hung up that I yearned for more time to talk to him. Shut up, Vivian! He's dating Shayna.

     I put my phone on my bedside table and turned off the lights in my bedroom. I climbed under my comforter and closed my eyes, when my phone rang.

     Lazily, I stretched out a hand and grabbed the phone. My eyes immediately lit up seeing Derek's name on the screen and I mentally scolded myself for being so excited. I let it ring for a few seconds before answering.

     "I called Nathan. He didn't believe me and yelled every swear word he ever learned at me before hanging up. He thought I was punking him."

     I imagined Derek pouting while he talked and it made me laugh. I should've guessed that would be Nate's reaction hearing it from Derek. "Haha, I should've called him instead."

     "I think it's for the best. Nathan and Tiffany have been in a relationship for way too long. There's a lot of fish in the sea, you know. Why stick with one."

     "That's a horrible thing to say! They love each other."

     He chuckled. "You get offended easily. I was just kidding. I like them together."

     "Do you think I should call Nate so he takes us seriously?"

     "You can text him now. He didn't answer earlier because he left his phone charging. I'll hold the call till then."

     "Okay." I typed the text. "Here goes . . . done."

     "Do you think he's gonna call?" Derek asked.

     "Probably. I don't know, really. But in the end, they'll be fine."

     "True. I wonder why they're like that. They know they love each other. But they still get jealous, insecure and fight. It drives me crazy."

     "That's the whole package, I guess."

     "Then I'd prefer being the way I am. Commitment sucks."

     "Is that how it's gonna be with you forever?"

     "I don't know." His voice became thoughtful. "Sometimes I wish I had a serious relationship. You know, Nathan's effect. But when I see them fight," he paused. "When I see other couples fight, I think I'm better off this way."

     "Mmhm." What other couples was he talking about?

     "Don't you think it'd be great if I had someone special, who I could call my girlfriend? It sounds good in my head, though I don't know how good I'd be at commitment. I could give it a try."

     So Shayna wasn't shooting in the dark. It sounded like a first for Derek too. Though he didn't say her name, I knew Derek was talking about Shayna. She had said something similar to me earlier today. Maybe they had talked about it.

     I choked up on my own words. "Yah, you should give it a try. You'd be surprised what you're capable of."

     "What do you think I'm capable of?"

     "I know you're capable of breaking a lot of hearts. Let's see if you can win over someone's heart."

     "Ah. I accept the challenge. Now all I have to do is find a girl who'd be willing to endure my craziness and still love me."

     I laughed. "Good for you. I'm sleepy now. Talk later?"

     "Good night, Vivian."

     "Good night, Derek."

A/N : Thank you guys for making 2017 amazing for me with all your reads, votes and comments. Starting to write a book will be one of the most special memories of 2017 for me :) I love y'all! ♥️♥️

# What's your new year resolution(s)? Do you guys make one? And accomplish 'em every year? Coz I never do 😂😂 I'm making the same resolutions since forever in the hope that one day I'll accomplish 'em 😜

This chapter is dedicated to you TotalDreamer09 for your amazing support on this book <3 Thank you so much!

My new year resolutions go something like this 👇 😂