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He didn't understand this girl. Okay, as a matter of fact, he hadn't ever understood any girl - but even for a girl Penelope was very hard to understand. Since the first night they'd spent together their relationship hadn't developed a lot, even though he'd tried pretty much everything.
And tonight he realized what the reason for that might be. The team was hitting the town together and Kevin had insisted on going with them. Penelope hadn't wanted to take him with her and now he knew why. She was dancing with Derek Morgan - if you could still call it that. The guy was practically groping her and she just giggled the whole time.
He was caught in a triangle relationship. No, he was more like the cuckold. Not that Penelope was really cheating on him, not physically. But her heart belonged to Agent Morgan. She was longing to be with him, Kevin knew that. He could see it in her eyes while they danced. And that fact made him a simple replacement.
Kevin tried to keep up his good mood for the rest of the evening. But when they were heading for her apartment he simply couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer. "You know, I think you shouldn't spend so much time with Agent Morgan." he burst out. "You shouldn't meet him outside of work and you shouldn't call him so often. And if someone should have danced with you tonight it should have been me!"
"Yeah, but you never dance with me." she mumbled. She'd known that he would eventually mention it. She hadn't wanted to take him with them anyway.
"That's not the point." Kevin hissed. "He practically groped you and you obviously enjoyed that."
"He didn't grope me." she objected. "We just danced." And yes, I DID enjoy it.
"That was an inappropriate way to dance with someone who isn't your boyfriend." Kevin insisted. "And by the way, the way you talk to him is even less appropriate."
"Are you seriously asking me to end my friendship with Derek?" Penelope frowned. "He is my best friend. I can't do that, I don't want to - and I won't."
"Oh, well, if it only was friendship, I'd be okay with it." he snorted as he pulled into the parking lot in front of the apartment building.
"It's just your jealousy." she replied. "You're seeing things that simply aren't there."
"Am I?" Kevin raised both his eyebrows at her. "You're longing for that guy and you just chose me because you can't have him. You burst with desire for him, I could see it while you were dancing."
"Kevin, please!" Penelope rolled her eyes. "I just danced with Derek. That doesn't mean that I'm in love with him."
"Don't you realize what he's trying to do?" Kevin shrieked. "He's trying to ruin our relationship. He uses your hope that someday there'll be more between the two of you. He flirts with you, dances with you, pays you compliments just to make you fall for him again - and all that simply because he can't accept that you're with me now. That's why you shouldn't spend so much time with him. It's neither good for you nor for our relationship!"
"As I told you, I won't end my friendship with Derek." she grumbled.
"If you loved me you would do it." Kevin mumbled.
Penelope's eyes widened. Then her face became stern with just a slight hint of anger. "If you really loved me you wouldn't ask me to do that." she said calmly.
For a moment it was dead silent in the car.
"I suppose you have my keys with you?!" she then said.
"Um... yeah." Kevin replied obviously confused.
Holding out her hand to him Penelope commanded: "Give them back to me."
"So you're dumping me?!" he snorted as he pretty much slammed the keys into her hand.
"Seems like." Penelope just shrugged.
"Oh, come on!" Kevin snarled. "You're dumping me for that player? I hope you know what you're doing."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do." she grumbled.
"Oh, I see." Kevin grimaced theatrically. "You still hope that someday there'll be more between the two of you than friendship. Well, I hope you'll become happy waiting for him to make a move on you for the rest of your life."
"Maybe I don't have to wait that long." she snorted. As much as she didn't want their conversation to go this way, his comment had just made her too upset.
Kevin blinked at her: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Penelope didn't answer.
"Do you seriously believe that he wants you?" he snarled.
Penelope just shrugged.
"Come on, never in a million years would he touch you!" he yelled.
That was definitely enough! Penelope jumped out of the car and shouted: "He already did! And he knew way better how to touch me than you do!"
That being said she slammed the door shut and hurried into the building managing to hold back the tears until she'd reached her apartment. She'd certainly been able to believe that it was just Kevin's jealousy speaking and that he had just wanted to hurt her - if she hadn't thought the same.
Maybe Derek did really love her. Maybe he did want her. But Penelope wasn't sure she'd ever dare try and find out.
Snorting again Kevin floored the gas pedal and drove off. He'd known that Derek Morgan would eventually ruin their relationship - and even though it was mean, he hoped that they wouldn't become happy together. But he wasn't sure that this hope would really be fulfilled.