This story just formed itself, Tyler seems really awful to start off, but he'll improve. Major Klaroline :D with some Steroline friendship, no romance there. I'm also going to deal with the inevitable hayley issue later, I mean, we can be fans and dream, but it has happened unfortunately, and in order for Klaroline to ever work they'll have to deal with their various issues! I don't own TVD or any of the wonderful characters. Enjoy!
She sits, every second guilty, guilty that she wonders where he is. Whether it's real. Whether she's been used. She can't bare to think about the possibility that she's out of his system now, that he's back in his town as if nothing ever happened between them, while she sits here silent and shattered. She can only bare to picture Stefan's face, because he is the only one who understands. She hears the shower upstairs and prays that no one comes knocking while she's still here at the Salvatores, she keeps imagining Tyler ripping her to shreds, can't rid her mind of the thought of his teeth tearing her flesh apart, limps scattered across the forest. It makes her shiver, knowing the man she used to love could cause her such irrational terror. She wishes somehow this could be Klaus' fault, so that she could complain to him about it, after all she made no promises to never contact him again. It seems desperate though, to run back to him so soon.
And then she hears twigs crunching outside. Her chest feels hollow as her hearing picks up a figure approaching. Maybe she's had too much to drink but she stumbles up the stairs as quickly as she can manage to Stefan's bedroom door, she crouches down inside and waits for him to come out of the bathroom. She pulls out her phone immediately and calls Klaus, without even thinking, it's like a reflex. He doesn't pick up. So it's true, she thinks, he just wanted me once to satisfy some morbid curiosity. She doesn't bother leaving a message.
Stefan opens the bathroom door, completely clothed to her relief, although she thinks the relief has more to do with her current infatuation with Klaus more than a disinterest in Stefan.
"Caroline, what are you doing here?" He asks looking down at her "Or, down there?"
"Oh," She laughs "I heard someone out side, and I'm kind of on edge at the moment."
"It's probably Damon you know."
"Right." She smiles, kicking herself inside for her snap reaction.
"Did you want to stay here tonight?"
"Thanks so much, but no." She pauses "But could you do me a favour?"
"Sure..." He says with uncertainty.
"Can you let my mum know that I've gone back to college? I think I just need to get away from all of this, you know - live in denial for a while longer." There is something unconvincing about her tone.
"And you're going to drive back to college now, in your state?"
She looks down at herself, she doesn't look that bad does she?
"I mean mental state." He says.
She feels her phone vibrating in her pocket.
"Can you check whether it's Damon downstairs? I have to see if this is my mum."
He smiles and flashes from the room.
She pulls it from her pocket; Klaus.
She answers. "Hello."
"I thought you wanted me out of your life. So you could be free to live out your plans." He states a little emotionlessly.
She pauses.
"I did - I do, I just-" She fumbles "I've had a bit to drink that's all and Tyler is unpredictable right now, I heard a noise, I-." She quickly catches herself. Stop rambling now, she thinks, he doesn't need to hear how desperate you sound.
"What do you mean Tyler is unpredictable right now?"
Of course he'd zone in on the part about Tyler.
"He found out, about, what we did, together, in the woods."
His voice is silent on the other end of the phone, he cant help a smile creeping up on his lips, but he understands what this means for Caroline as well, everything she dreaded. She couldn't be free with this hanging over her.
"What do you want me to do?" He asks.
"No, no, I'm just overreacting, you don't need to do anything. But I wanted to ask you something before you hang up." She closes her eyes wondering how to phrase these next words, whether she even should.
"Ask away."
There is silence for a minute, while she attempts to jump over the barrier her mind has created to keep her safe, and to prevent her from ever taking a risk.
"What did it mean to you? - I mean, am I out of your system now, did you get what you wanted, are you happy to leave things where they are right now, do you want me to delete your number, and not contact you again, do you want to forget, do you want me to forget?" She takes a breath now, it's out. Out of her hands, and in his.
He is silent now too, convinced she's finished the supplies of four liquor stores tonight. The Caroline he knows would not say those things, she'd keep her head high and refuse to admit that she was anything but her fine, well composed self.
"You can come here and ask me in person, my view is not going to change in the next few decades, yours might. So come when you know what you feel, when you're sure of what you want and I'll be honest with you then."
She can hear voices in the background on the other line.
"I have to go now." He says, before hanging up.
She notices that Stefan isn't back, she closes her eyes for a second praying that he's having a heart to heart with his brother downstairs. She walks down, can hear the wind rushing in through the front door, and walks into a dark room with only one thing visible, the reflection of Tyler's eyes in the dark. She starts crying as he walks towards her, muttering to herself, Please Tyler, let me explain...
Before anything can happen Stefan is in front of her lunging at Tyler, pushing him away.
"Tyler, you have to leave before you do something you regret!"
Tyler bares his teeth and lunges at Stefan, Caroline doesn't need vampire senses to smell the liquid courage in him.
"Caroline, run." Stefan breathes as he hurls Tyler into the basement. She is frozen in horror. She can't begin to image the pain she has caused him to do this. She feels Stefan grab her hand as they sprint to her car together, she feels the wind rushing across her veins, but the force of it feels like it's dragging her backwards, back into the house. Caroline jumps into the drivers seat and Stefan in the passengers, she backs out of the incredibly long driveway as fast as she can and speeds off into the night.
"Stefan, what do we do?" She panics.
There is no answer, she turns her head to see Stefan crumpled in the seat next to her, werewolf bite radiating from his neck.
"Oh god, Stefan hold on! Hold on!" She screeches hysterically as she corrects her path towards New Orleans. She knows how she feels, guilty, and it's only going to be worse if she becomes responsible for the death of her best friend. This is all my fault, she whispers over and again, crying and speeding. She doesn't care about anything else right now, Stefan has to live. And only the man she can't seem to live without can save him.
If I get more than 10 reviews I promise to have another chapter up within a week of review number 10! :) Thanks for the support! :) PS I'll focus more on the writing later, was just focussing on the story mainly for this chapter!