I slowly pulled up my car in front of Elena's house. I felt a great sense of relief knowing that the light in her living room shined brightly through the house's windows. She was alive and well. Damon already informed me about the events of that had occurred earlier…the hallucinations driving her to Wickery Bridge, the need to take her own life by removing the ring that protects her against sunlight, her almost suicide.

Deep down, a tearing heartache ripped through my entire body. It hurt me to think of Elena experiencing such turmoil. I am forever thankful that Damon was there to help her through such an experience…but still…I wish it was me. Yes, it could have been me out there with her; I had the chance to be the one who saved her. I made the decision to have Damon out there with her. My heart knew that Damon was the only person…

No, I needed to see her.

I shuffled up her front porch.

Elena opened the door. She looked tired, restless and broken. I felt another feeling of relief to see her physically standing in front of me.

Elena closed to door behind her for privacy. I knew Jeremy must have been home. Elena's compassion for her brother makes me love her more.

"I am sorry that I stabbed you."

I smiled and looked at the ground, thinking about my secrecy and the lies I have been telling for the past couple of days. "No, that is alright I probably deserved it."

Elena looked at the ground. There was a moment of silence. I wonder what she was thinking.

I began, "So, umm, Damon told me that he clued you in…" I thought about Damon telling Elena why I have been dealing with Klaus, why I have been lying to her. Everything that I do, I do for Elena. I want to see her happy. Being a vampire has been making her miserable. If there was a remote chance, this cure can save her from such heartache; it was worth all the lies.

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No, screw Klaus' secrets. " I sat down on her front step. "We all want the same thing. We just have to work together for it."

Elena sat down next to me. She let out a sigh and put her long, dark hair behind her ear. The breeze blew her scent through me nose. I felt a sense of warmth, confirming my love for her.

"Stefan, why did you send Damon to come look for me instead of you?" Elena can read me so well. She knew we needed to talk about this.

I thought about the question. This question haunted me for the last couple of hours. Why Stefan? As much as I wanted to cover up my feelings of insecurity, I told her the truth.

"I sent him because lately…" I paused. This was so hard to say. I couldn't help but feel sadness while thinking about my explanation. "…he seems to get through to you in ways that I can't." There, I said it; I put my thoughts for the past couple of months out in the open.

Elena looked to the floor. I could tell I hit on something inside her. Now that I began, I couldn't help but continue my observations.

"You listen to him, you trust him…" I paused again fighting the pain of saying the next few words, "…even when you can't trust me." I found it hard to look at her; knowing she will see my pain.

Elena jumped in, "I didn't mean to not…"

I knew she was covering up the truth. I was honest with her; I needed her to be honest with me.

I interrupted her, "Come on…" I threw up my hands in despair, still not being able to look at her. "After everything that we have been through, you can admit it."

Images of the past flashed through my head. The good: our first encounter, our first kiss, the feeling of passion and love we felt up until recently, hope. The bad: deaths, despair, hate, frustration, pain. I would give up my life for this girl.

I finally had the courage to look at her. She still looked beautiful, yet her face was now paler; confirming that I spoke what she was feeling deep inside.

Elena looked away and silence ensued for seconds, feeling like hours. I had the burning desire for her response, more powerful than for my thirst for blood.

Elena shook her head. "You have been so strong for me." I closed my eyes and listened to her words.

"…helping me, fighting for that girl who chose you. The girl who I was when I died on that bridge. And I love you so much for wanting to find this cure because I want nothing more than to get her back. Because the girl that she has become…that I have become…is different. Somehow darker…who I am, what I want…"

I looked at her. "What you want? Or who you want." I NEEDED to know. I NEEDED her to confirm my beliefs…those beliefs I have been hiding underneath the rug until this past moment.

"Something has changed between Damon and me…much more than it ever used to be. It's like everything that I felt for him before I was a vampire…"

I quickly interrupted, "is magnified…the feeling you had for him before has been magnified." I felt a twinge of an emotion I never felt before…raw, jealous pain.

Silence again.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to lie to you." Elena looked away and sighed. I saw the pain it caused her to say these words. It was nothing compared to the pain I was feeling inside. I felt like my heart was ripped from my body…

I immediately thought of when Elena started acting differently. It was my fault.

"You know, before when I was the ripper, I understood why you cared for him. I mean, I practically drove you to it." I thought of the past: the time when I fed off her while being tied to Klaus…my humanity driven from my existence. Damon was there for her; he helped her when she needed him the most. I even told her to stay away and pretend I didn't exist.

"But now…"

THUMP…THUMP….THUMP

I could feel my heart racing though my chest. The time has come. Everything that has happened in the past couple of months was finally surfacing. The choice had to be made. Emotionally, I felt saturated. I gave one final look into her beautiful, deep, brown eyes. I then closed my eyes and listened to the words form from my lips.

"I can't do this, Elena…not anymore."

I felt my eyes start to tear up. I quickly looked away. As much as I love Elena, my love is not enough for her anymore. I cannot bear to be with her if she has deeper feelings for my brother. I have been through this before…with Katherine. There was so much heartache and hatred that is tied to two brothers loving the same girl. It causes disparity between my relationship with her and my relationship with him. I will always love her, but not if she has deeper feelings for him.

I heard her sniff next to me; she was upset.

"I know," she answered.

We both stared out in the horizon, knowing that our four year relationship had come to a close. We both were paralyzed by the emotions that come with knowing the truth.