I heard the familiar sound of the air being faintly disturbed as Stefan whisked to my side.

"Didn't take you long." I smiled.

He took a seat next to me looking out over the lake that lay before us. The sun was beginning to set and the symphony of crickets began to rise.

"You asked me to meet you, I was kind of worried. What's going on?" He asked, his brows pulling together in concern. I sighed and sat for a few more moments of silence not looking forward to this conversation but knowing it was completely necessary.

"Well, I thought we should talk about what Isabelle said last night." I answered in a hurried nervous rush. Stefan's face seem to tighten and then relax and he nodded choosing to focus his eyes far across the lake.

"You don't have to worry, I had a talk with him and he's not planning on bothering you with anything."

I was confused about his response. I wasn't worried about Damon bothering me I was just worried about Damon, maybe even curious about the truth behind it.

"It's not me that I'm worried about, it's him Stefan." I explained. I watched his face tighten again but this time it didn't relax. "Look I just, think I'd like to speak to him about it. Just talk it out you know?" I asked.

He nodded. "We can go now if you'd like I guess." Stefan answered.

"Actually, If you don't mind I'd rather speak to him alone. I just think it would be more comfortable for him." I answered. He glanced up at me with a worried expression. I laughed lightly.

"What's wrong? Your not worried are you? You know I love you Stefan." I finished serious again. He nodded.

I drove up in the familiar driveway of the Salvatore manor. My heart picked up in pace as I stepped out the car. After knocking on the door a couple of times I decided to let myself in. I walked into the dimly lit forger and peered into the living room. I heard nothing and saw Damon nowhere.

"Damon!" I called. "It's me."

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked appearing suddenly at the bottom of the stairs only a few feet away.

"Hey." Was all I answered. He looked at me for a moment, his frown lines ran deep. He was clad in black and holding a scotch glass that was almost empty. I noted that he had obviously been drinking. "I just wanted to talk to you." I continued after a moment. He sharp breath escaped from him and I realized he was smiling. He looked down at the glass he was holding, his black hair falling into his eyes. "Please." I said.

"What is there to talk about?" He replied as he began to walk towards the living room. I followed him.

"About last night Damon. You know what I'm talking about." I answered as he came to a sudden halt.

"What about it?" He answered stubbornly. I stood for a moment suddenly feeling unable to form words. "I- I just wanted to know if it's true." I answered, the sound of Isabelles words echoing through my head. Damon is in love with you.

He turned towards the liquor cabinet and pulled the scotch out to no doubt pour another glass.

"Damon." I said again when he didn't answer.

"Elena, just drop it. Isabelle is just trying to start things." I listened to him pour a large glass of scotch. He took a sip and laid it back down but stayed turned away from me.

"Damon that doesn't answer my question. Are you....inlove with me?" I took a moment to get the words out and as my heart sped up I almost suddenly wished that Stefan had come with me.

"Elena, please." He seemed to plead. I walked up right behind him.

"Just answer the question." I said. After a few moments of silence I reached up and pulled on his shoulder. As he turned to face me I almost gasped at the look on his face. It was tortured and vulnerable. It was a look I had never seen from his stone facade he kept perpetually plastered on his face. And then I was suddenly aware of the tears that had quickly formed in his sharp blue eyes.

"Tell me." I forced out in a choked whisper.

"Why are you doing this to me Elena? What does it matter?" He spoke softly.

"Damon, please just tell me the truth. Are you in love with me?" I spoke each word carefully without breaking contact with his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut suddenly in what seemed like a stitch of pain. And then finally he opened them slowly. His blue eyes gazed softly across my face.

"Yes." He whispered. Then something happened I didn't expect. I warm feeling flooded my body and my heart fluttered against my chest. I suddenly realized that despite my love for Stefan and despite the way I felt about Damon in the beginning that it may not have been my concern that brought me here for this. It may have been how I feel and I suddenly realized that I might just be in love with Damon as well, and all I wanted to do at this moment is make the tortured pain on his face go away. I reached up to touch his face but he flinched away.

"Do you think it's just because I look like Catherine?" I asked not knowing if I wanted the answer.

"No, your completely different than her." He answered quietly.

"How am I so different." I asked suddenly realizing that I wasn't any better than her now that my heart was split into between them both.

He reached up slowly running his fingers down my face and down my neck and flattening his hand against my collar bone.

"Your warm, and soft. Your kind and loving." He ran both of his hands softly down both sides of my face. My whole body grew so weak I didn't know if I'd be able to stand. I suddenly realized that he was capable of being gentle and loving. Suddenly I felt tortured myself. I thought of Stefan waiting somewhere out in the city for me to return and felt the aching in my heart of the freshly severed line down the middle. I looked up at Damon's beautiful face, his ocean eyes and dark hair tousled around his face. He looked deeply at me for a moment and then suddenly we were closing in. I was only a split second away from meeting my lips to his when he jerked back suddenly and pulled himself away.

"Damon." Was all I could say.

"I can't do this Elena. I can't do this again." He spoke quietly.

"Do what again?"

"Let myself go. Give my heart out." he answered a little more loudly. He swung around to face me. "I can't feel that again all over. Your with my brother, you love him and I know that so go, please. I just want you to be happy." He turned to walk away.

I couldn't believe I was about to say what I was. "Damon please, don't choose right now to be selfless." He stopped suddenly and before I knew it I was being picked up in his arms. His mouth crashing into mine. I ran my hands violently through his dark hair and he threw me onto the huge chase in the middle of the living room. He slid on top of me pulling his mouth from mine and running in down my neck. He reached under my shirt and the feeling of his warm hands all over me simply paralyzed me.

"I see your talk went well." I heard his voice ring out. I gasped and jumped up to see Stefan standing in the doorway his eyes burning with pain and anger. His eyes flashed from mine to Damon's. Damon looked down to the floor and up to me. Then he turned and left.