Preface

Kaleb's P.O.V

It has been 3 years since I had been dead. Perhaps the most difficult time of my – life? Well, I cannot exactly call this a life. One, I am dead, two, this is not exactly how I wanted to 'live', if that was what I was doing. I had imagined that I would move on, find peace, or something similar. But that had not been the case at all. Of course, I saw other ghosts finding peace, and I wanted to do that too but I could not. I could not do it because then I would not be able to ever see Lily again and I was not sure if I was ready for it just yet.

It has been so incredible to watch her grow in this beautiful young woman. She was out of high school now and today she was moving out, starting a new chapter in her life, going to the college – Whitmore College. Olivia was going to be there with her, for which I was glad and of course, I was going there as well. It was not like this was an unhealthy behaviour for me, after all what can it do to me? I am already dead. As for Lily, she does not even know I am here, she has questioned herself if I have found peace, she even started believing that, and I like to keep it that way.

I watched, my hands crossed in front of my chest, as she loaded the last of her boxes in her car. She looked absolutely heartbreakingly gorgeous in her burgundy v neck, without sleeves top, mini shorts and brown ankle boots. She had changed her hairstyle this summer as well. She had kept it long, with front bangs and loose curls. It made her vivid blue eyes stand out. She is going to break so many hearts, it made me chuckle.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Damon asked Lily who was ready to get in her car. Olivia was waiting in her car, parked in front of Lily's car. "Dad, I will be fine, you have to visit Stefan today anyways, and mom would be coming home from her big surgery anytime now so you need to be here as well" Lily shrugged. "We will visit you this weekend" Damon cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. "I will miss you and mom" Lily gave him a small smile, it made me smile as well. "We will miss you too, take care of yourself" He let go of Lily and nodded. "I will dad, see you soon" Lily spoke as she opened the door of her car. "I love you" she said in a low voice, closing the door of her car behind herself.

That was my cue, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to concentrate. The wind hustled around me and when I opened my eyes I was in the backseat of Lily's car. I used to walk around Mystic Falls to get from one place to another before, but now I have learned to transport myself to places – or take a car ride sometimes.

Lily started the engine of her car and waved at Damon who waved back before she hit the road behind Olivia's car. Once her home was out of view she relaxed in her seat. "Finally!" Lily muttered. Was she happy to be out of her home? "No more sad memories" she sighed and shook her head. I was tongue tied, she was relieved to get out of her home because of all the sad memories? "I could not stand that place anymore" she shook her head slowly. Why are you so upset Lily? I thought you were doing much better now. It broke my heart to see her like this.

"Stop thinking about it Lily, New place, New start" she told herself. "I don't ever have to go back there" it was as if she was comforting herself. "Why don't you want to go back there?" I asked, as if she could hear me. Lily cleared her throat and put on some music as she sped down the road behind Olivia. They were in separate cars because of all the luggage they had with themselves but I wish Olivia was here to hear all of this and knock some sense into Lily. She cannot not go back home, it was her home.

I felt a lump forming at the back of my throat when I realized all of this was because of me. She was running away from this place because I could not protect her from myself. I have spent so many days, even months blaming myself for putting Lily through all this but in the last 6 months it seemed she was over my death, or at least accepted it but that was not true. "Lily, I wish I could take your pain away" I looked down at my hands, but it was too late. I just hope she realizes how wrong she is to run away from this place – her home.

I saw a smile growing on Lily's face in the rear-view mirror as she approached the border of Mystic Falls. She pressed her pedal down as she sped towards the exit from this town and then my surroundings changed.

I was no longer in Lily's car, I was standing a few feet away from the border of Mystic Falls. "What?" I looked around and saw Lily's car speeding off behind Olivia's car. This has never happened before. My brows creased together and I tried to concentrate to get back in Lily's car but I could not, as if I was stuck. "C'mon" I encouraged myself and tried to get in Olivia's car but it was of no use. "What is happening?" I looked around and then saw Lily's car fading away in distance.

"Maybe I will just have to walk" I shrugged and started walking towards the exit from Mystic Falls but as soon as I reached the boarder of Mystic falls, I felt as though some invisible wall was not letting me pass through. I tried to push past it, even run past it but in vain.

The weirdest part about it was that even though I could not see it, I could feel it. I touched it again and ran my hand across it, trying to find a spot through which I could pass, but it seemed like an endless wall. "C'mon!" I threw my hands in the air. I cannot feel anything, I can get past everything but one thing I do not want to feel – I can feel, one thing I want to get past – I cannot.

What is this?

I heard a car honk around the corner and I tried to concentrate to get in and I did, that was pretty easy, I smiled to myself. I was sitting next to a baby who was bundled up in a car seat, her mom and dad in the front seats, silently. The baby looked at me with its baby blue eyes and giggled, the mom turned around and looked at the baby with loving eyes and a smile. Could the baby see me? I smiled and the baby giggled again. "She finally seems happy" the dad said, "She is a happy baby" the mom cooed. I tried to touch her rosy red cheek with my finger but I could not feel the baby.

Suddenly the scene around me changed – again. I was no longer looking at the baby but standing on the road, where I was standing previously, looking at the road. "What the hell?" I looked around again. Why can I not get out of Mystic Falls?

A/N: Hey Readers,

I am finally back. This is the second part of my story 'Shades of Love', if you have not read it please do, the story will make sense once you read it, and I swear you will enjoy. Please leave a review and let me know how you like the story. Your reviews would mean the world to me and I swear it would not take more than a minute. Thank you so much, I will be waiting to hear from you. Hit the Follow and Favourite button if you liked the story. Stay tuned, Thanks!

-JT