The death of her parents was the end of innocence for Elena Gilbert. No one really new why, though. Elena had a story she told everyone, but it wasn't the truth. The truth was a lot less simple, a lot dirtier, and a little more wrong than anyone would have believed. Only one other person on the planet knew the truth, and she knew he wouldn't speak.
Everyone thinks Elena just broke up with Matt because she needed space, but that was not the case. The truth was that Elena couldn't be with Matt after what she had done in her grief-clouded haze after her parents' funeral.
Tyler had come by that night—snuck in her window—with a half full bottle of vodka, and the two downed that silently. She wanted more after, so he took her back to his house where he snuck a full bottle from his father's stash.
When a quarter of that was gone, Elena had kissed him and Tyler had let her because she was grieving and he thought he could comfort her.
Elena didn't realize when their clothes had disappeared, but she had pulled him to the bed and he had gotten on top of her and neither really knew what was happening, but he had pushed and she had screamed into his mouth and tears had fallen down her cheek. He had wiped away the tears and asked if she was alright, and when she had nodded and told him to keep going, he did as she asked because he thought he was comforting her.
He held her afterward, and neither acknowledged the blood on her thighs and his sheets or the condom in the trashcan. She cried and kissed him and cried some more and he just held her because she asked him to.
And when she left, in his tee-shirt and her pajama pants, he asked if she was alright.
She had nodded, but they both knew it wasn't true.