"Caroline." Damon said.
There was a part of him hoping that she wouldn't turn around. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take the sadness that I was wreaking her body. He also needed for her to know. He was broken too. The Damon that was an ass to everyone was gone. That mask was destroyed by none other than Caroline Ford. She broke him without knowing it. He didn't even know that he was broken before he saw her today.
"What do you want Damon?" She asked. Just by her body language Damon could tell that she was defeated. She had no more fight left in her. He couldn't stand it.
"I need to talk to you." He said gently.
"I'm sure that it can wait Damon." She said finally facing him.
He knew that she was trying her best to act like she was fine around him. It wasn't because she cared what he thought of her, it was because she didn't want to show him weakness. He had hurt her, taken advantage of her, and never thanked her for all she had done for him.
"No it can't." Damon said meeting her eyes. "I will lose my nerve if I don't tell you now." He said honestly. He begged her with his eyes for her to hear him out.
"Ok." She said dejectedly.
Damon held out his hand. She looked at it wearily before taking it. Damon frowned at their joining hands but said nothing. He led her away from everyone. He never knew how much of the real Caroline she had lost until now. His Caroline would never take his hand she would look at him like he was dirt then walk ahead. But then again he had no right to his Caroline. He had taken her forcefully. He had taken any right she had to live a life where his kind didn't exist.
"Where are you taking me Damon?" Caroline asked stopping them. She looked up at him, expecting an answer.
"I'm taking you somewhere far from here." Damon said avoiding eye contact. He took to looking to see if anyone followed them.
"Why?" She asked.
"I need to talk to you." He said simply, still refusing to look at her.
"What do you need to talk to me about?" She asked. "Why won't you look at me?" She asked worriedly.
"I am so sorry Caroline." Damon said. His voice cracking as he met her eyes.
"Sorry for what?" She asked confused. It was totally out of character for him to feel sorry let alone apologize out loud.
"For all that I have done with you. I have been nothing but a bad omen on your life. I have caused nothing but pain. I made you into what you are. You could have been living a life free of all of this danger if I had just left you alone."
"Why didn't you?" She asked. There was no anger in her voice or in her eyes. There was just curiosity. He hated it. He wanted her to hate him. She wanted her to never talk to him again. But he was too selfish to tell her that out loud, he wanted her.
"Why didn't I what?" He asked.
"Why didn't you leave me alone? Why did you pick me?"
"I don't know." He said breaking eye contact.
"You do know, why else you would drag me out here to apologize?" She gently grabbed his face in her hands. "Tell me."
"At first I thought that I chose you because you were close to Elena. I was so blinded with my want of love of her that I didn't see the real reason I chose you. I wanted you. I want you. I used you to get to Elena because I thought that was what I wanted. Once I had you I wanted to make you mine. But I thought it was just me being possessive."
"Damon."
"I am so sorry for how I have treated you. I want to be what you dream of, not what you have nightmares of. I want to be what you wish for, not what you curse. I want to be what you fantasize about. I want to be what you hope for. I want to be your love and be everything that you need. I love you more than I ever thought possible." He said.
He never thought that he would be saying these things out loud. It was Stephan's job to be the sappy love struck teen.
"Damon I love you too. But I don't know if I can trust you. You have taken advantage of me so many times. Each time it broke me more than the last." Caroline said. It was her turn to turn away from him. He didn't like that.
"I will be faithful to you. I will be faithful to any trust that you give me."
"How do I know that you will?" Caroline asked. There was fire burning in her eyes. He could see that she really wanted to believe him but her brain was stopping her.
"I am counting on you for a new beginning. I want you to be my reason for living. I made a wish once." He said looking at her. He waited until she looked at him.
"What did you wish for?" She asked.
"That one day I will cause someone so much joy that I would cry from their happiness. I would make them full of happiness and certainty. They would know that I was the one for them. They would feel protection that would reach their soul."
There was silence that Caroline and Damon just stared into each other's eyes. Caroline closed her eyes, she looks like she was about to cry.
"Don't you see it? You don't have to close your eyes. I'm right here and I will go through with everything I have promised tonight. Please Caroline." Damon said cupping her face.
"Damon, I love you." Caroline said looking up at him.
Damon smiled and held her tight.