"I hate you." Those three deadly words echoed in Stefan's head for days. On one hand, he completely understood why. He had been awful to her-he had been worse than Klaus and Tyler had ever been to her. But on the other hand, he couldn't picture life without her. Caroline had been there through it all- his painful breakup with Elena, his ripper moments, and everything with the travelers, and now she's already out the door with yet another British tool. Man, you really screwed up this time, he thought to himself.

"Why so glum, brother?" Damon asked, snapping Stefan back to reality.

"I'm fine, Damon," Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Does it have anything to do with Barbie?" Damon prodded him.

"She hates me Damon. I've never seen her like this," Stefan finally admitted.

"Only because she loves you and you, well, treated her like complete shit," Damon said.

"Thanks, Damon."

"Anytime, brother." Just then Enzo appeared at the door.

"Stefan," Enzo said in a clearly fake, cordial tone.

"Damon what's he doing here? Get him out." Stefan gritted his teeth.

"Relax, we're leaving. We've gotta be somewhere," Damon replied.

"Where? It's Thanksgiving?" Stefan asked.

"You haven't told him, have you?" Enzo murmured.

"Caroline is throwing a 'Friendsgiving' party,'' Damon admitted.

"Friendsgiving? I take it she's forgiven you," Stefan muttered. The thought of Enzo sitting at Caroline's dinner table-sitting in his place- stung bitterly.

"Yeah. It's a typical Barbie shindig," Damon said as he and Enzo made their way to the door.


"Hey guys, come on in," Caroline smiled brightly. Enzo was surprised to have been invited, but he wasn't complaining one bit. Damon halted when he realized that Liam was there.

"Barbie, you didn't think it was important to mention that Elena's new boy toy would be here?"

"I knew you wouldn't come if I did, and I wanted you to be here," Caroline sighed.

"Come on mate, it's Friendsgiving," Enzo gave him a look as if to say Don't screw this up for me.

Damon rolled his eyes, but relented. "Got any bourbon around?"


Elena and Liam were helping set the table with Matt and Jeremy, and Damon and Enzo did their best to avoid them.

"Hey, loners, if you're gonna just stand there, you could at least help me mash the potatoes!" Caroline yelled. To her surprise, they obliged.

"Gorgeous, if I may be so bold as to ask, why did you invite me here tonight? Especially after how I screwed you and the other Salvatore over?" Enzo asked her.

"How did I know that this would come up?" Caroline smirked.
"Seriously."

"Okay fine. I'll admit I was furious with you for days. I almost hated you. But then I realized that it was better that Stefan knew because now I know that he never has or never will feel for me the way I did for him. And now I can finally move on," Caroline smiled feebly.

"He's an idiot," Enzo whispered. He looked at her so intensely that Caroline's heart would have been pounding ridiculously fast had she been human.

"Plus, you've been there for me for so long. Even though you're disgusting and cruel and I hate you half the time, I somehow care about you enough to forgive you. Shockingly, you've been the only steady thing in my life, and I thought that merited some kind of thank you," Caroline smiled.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting this. I am, however, just a bit sorry about Stefan though, and for what I said." He said genuinely.

"A bit, huh?"

"What were you expecting, Gorgeous, a full blown apology and a confession of my undying love for you?" he smirked. She smacked his arm.

"Although you know, if you consider this dinner with Elena and her new boyfriend and Damon a thank you, I have far better ideas," Enzo winked. She smacked him again.

"Keep talking, Enzo," she rolled her eyes.

"Keep talking or what?" he asked, closing the already slim distance between them.

"Enzo," she said, her breath shaky. She should have pushed him away. She should have smacked him again.

"Gorgeous," he said, his arms snaking around her.

"We can't," she said, trying to convince herself more than him. Part of her knew that she still wasn't over Stefan. Part of her also knew that there was a good chance that she would never get over Stefan. But she had to try anyway, right? So she did the one thing that defied all logic in the history of man, and she kissed him right then and there, in front of Damon and Elena and Liam and the others. And she didn't care. That is, until she realized that Stefan, a bouquet of flowers in tow, was standing in the threshold and had seen.

"Happy Friendsgiving," Stefan said bitterly.