While Derek was engrossed in conversation with Ethan about his crazy plan, Evelyn stole glances at him, wondering how his date with Sandra had gone.

"Come on, Evie, let's hit the dance floor. It's been ages since I saw you dance," Rayna said with a grin.

Evelyn chuckled but shook her head, turning to Rayna. "Nah, I don't think I can do that anymore"

"Why not?" Rayna asked, but Evelyn just shook her head.

"Like you said, it's been ages since I last danced. I'm just not up for it. I'm not here to dance, only to keep you company while you do your boyfriend hunt. You go ahead, and I'll cheer you on from here," she said with an encouraging smile.

Rayna pouted, clearly disappointed. "It's no fun dancing alone, so I won't bother. Maybe we should just head home. It's quite obvious I won't be getting any man's attention tonight," Rayna sighed, taking a long sip of her drink.

Evelyn frowned, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Ray. I didn't mean to ruin your night," she said.

Rayna sighed, her expression softening. "No, you didn't ruin it, don't worry. I'm glad we got to do this," she said, but Evelyn looked at her skeptically.

"Are you sure?" Evelyn asked, concerned. Rayna nodded.

"Yeah, we've been here for over two hours. I think it's time to call it a night," she said. Evelyn nodded, relieved.

"Let's do that, then. It's been a long week, and I'm exhausted," Evelyn said, thinking about relaxing with Samantha over the weekend.

Rayna nodded and pushed back her chair. "Let me quickly use the restroom before we leave. I'll be right back," she said, and Evelyn nodded.

As Evelyn watched her friend navigate the crowd, her mind drifted back to Derek. Despite trying to shake off her thoughts about him, they lingered. She knew she'd been distracted all night, and Rayna had noticed. This made her feel like she was failing Rayna as a friend because she wasn't being open with her. She would tell Rayna everything when the time was right, she told herself as she sipped the last of her martini.

"Having fun?" Derek asked from beside her, making her jump. She hadn't noticed him approach.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, though a part of her was happy to see him.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked, taking the seat Rayna had vacated. He'd noticed Rayna leaving just as Ethan stepped out for an important phone call, so he'd decided to keep her company. "Being a nuisance," she said, and Derek smiled.

"You look beautiful, Eve," Derek said, watching her closely.

She flushed and resisted adjusting her dress. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"I didn't think this was your sort of crowd," Derek said conversationally. "Let me guess, it's your first time in a club, right?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"It's not. You know that," she said. Derek started to say he didn't, but then stopped, realizing what she meant. Michael loved clubbing, and when they were dating years ago, they frequently went. On several occasions, Michael called Derek in the middle of the night after clubbing due to the time difference.

"It's still somewhat difficult to think of you as Michael's ex. I just see you as my Eve," Derek confessed.

"First of all, I'm not your Eve. And secondly, you should try to remember that I'm Michael's ex. Staying away from me is best. Nothing good will come from this." Evelyn said, and Derek sighed.

"If Michael wasn't my cousin, would you have given me a chance? Considering how we met and started," he asked, and Evelyn's heart fluttered. She'd thought about that a lot since their first meeting in his office. If he weren't related to Michael, it would have been so much easier.

Evelyn swallowed. "I can't answer that," she said, and Derek smiled.

"I'm glad then," he said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"What are you glad about?" she asked, confused.

"I'm glad that my relationship with Michael is the only reason you're so against us being together. If you'd said there was something else, I'd have been more worried," he said, and she frowned.

"I didn't answer your question," she pointed out, and Derek chuckled.

"You didn't have to. Your silence was answer enough. If the answer was negative, I'm sure you'd have easily answered my question," he said, and she sighed.

Her heart skipped a beat when he reached for her hand, and she tried to pull away. He held on. "I don't know what happened between you two, or why you chose to have sex with a stranger the night before your wedding and call it off, but knowing what I know now, I'm sure Michael did something to make you act that way. Whether or not you open up to me about it, I will find out what happened and expose Michael and Sandra. I will clear your name," Derek said, and Evelyn felt butterflies.

"You don't know that," she said, her voice cracking.

"I know that. I know you, Eve. I don't know how, but I know you, and I trust you. You have no idea what you mean to me, Eve," Derek said. Evelyn tried to pull her hand away, but Derek held on.

"You remember our deal, right? You realize it's still on?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"What deal?"

"We agreed that if you fell for me at the resort, then I wouldn't—"

Evelyn interrupted, "Derek, I don't think you should be talking—" Her words trailed off. "Why are you smiling?"

"I like it when you call me Derek," he said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Want to know how my date went?" Derek asked, changing the subject. Without waiting for a response, he launched into the details.