Chapter One

Anger coursed through my body. The wind picked up, and although the night was humid I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. The goose bumps spread over the skin exposed by the small white dress I was wearing while my strapped heels and clutch hung off the crook of my arm.

If I hadn't been in such a rush to leave at least I would have my jacket with me. It was pointless to even go there, let alone wear this outfit to impress someone who could care less what I looked like as long as I was willing to put out. I wasn't even suppose to end up at Duke Crandon's party, but Caroline had been so convincing that it was impossible to turn her down. She was going to be pissed once she realized that I ditch, especially since I planned on not answering any of her calls or texts for as long as I could manage. As if this night hadn't already sucked, the sound of thunder cracked above me. Fantastic.

The sky was clouded, blocking out the stars. I knew that a storm would be coming in a few minutes and it was a twenty minute walk to my house. Before I could even stop myself, tears were streaming down my face while breaths came out shorter and shorter. I stopped walking and cried out in defeat. There was nothing that I could think of that I'd ever done to deserve all of the shit that had happening to me in the past few years. Life was cruel and it was slowly taking its tolls on the walls I had built up.

I was so engrossed in my feelings that I didn't notice the car that had pulled up beside me. "Are you alright?" The smooth voice caused me to look up and take in the outline of the shiny black 1969 Camaro and the guy leaning toward the open passenger window. If I hadn't been able to tell by his custom car, midnight hair, and oceanic eyes, the velvet voice was a dead give away. Damon Salvatore.

"What are you doing?" I asked in confusion because honestly, I couldn't think of anything else to say. We'd both lived in this town since we were born, but had never spoken a word to each other. Of course, I knew who he was because who didn't? He was the infamous bad boy with a reputation for charming his way into girls beds from here to the other side of the country, never sticking around long enough to even learn names. Of all the people I could have run into tonight, I definitely didn't expected it to be him.

"Talking to you," he answered with a cocky tone, as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

He chuckled, eyebrows furrowing in amusement. "Sorry? I was just driving by and I saw you. It looked like you needed help."

"Since when do you help?" Okay, sure maybe I was being a bitch, but seriously it was kind of a know fact that Damon was not a generally nice guy. Charming, sure. But asshole was the term more often used.

He let his eyes roam over my form and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Why don't I give you a ride?"

I shook my head quickly. "I don't take rides from strange guys, especially at night."

"Is that what I am, strange? Come on Elena, just let me give you a ride home."

"You know my name?" I wondered, taking a small step closer to the car.

He smiled widely. "Of course, you've only baby sat my sister for two years." Well, sure he would know this, but in those two years I had never once run into him. The only person I ever saw in the house other than little Sophia was his father, and even those transactions never lasted for more than a minute. "I promise not to make you feel uncomfortable. It's going to rain and you have a long walk if your going home." He sighed when I stayed frozen in my place. "Just get in the car Elena."

And I did, because why would I pass up a seven or eight minute ride for a twenty minute walk in the rain? Even if it was from someone I hadn't spoken to once in my life. "You're taking me home, right?" I asked, still nervous about this situation.

"That's what I said," he answered, keeping his eyes forwards as he began driving forward. "Why?"

"Because guys lie," I answered bitterly, remembering the reason I was currently in this position. I was so stupid, fucking delusional even! The tears flowed again, and I tried my hardest to keep my sobs silent and under control. If there was one thing I was certain of, its that I didn't want to be crying my eyes out in front of the town's main heartbreaker.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I tearfully looked up to see Damon glancing at me uneasily. His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, expressing his discomfort. "Like you really want to know," I sniffled, sarcasm dripping it my voice.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," he replied slightly annoyed, with a roll of his eyes.

I stayed silent for a moment, before finally wiping away what I hoped were the last of my tears for now. "My boyfriend cheated on me," I said quietly, letting the words sink in. This was real and I wasn't just over reacting. "I told him that I didn't want to go to Duke's party tonight, but then my friend begged me to go so I thought I would surprise him. Somebody had mentioned that they saw him go upstairs, although they failed to mention who he had gone with. To shorten the story, I walked in on him on top of some girl with his tongue shoved down her throat. I threw my ring at him and ran like hell."

"I'm sorry," he said after a minute of silence. "I may not be the example of the perfect boyfriend but no girl deserves that."

"How can you say that?" I questioned with anger. "All you do is break girls hearts. I know your trying to make me feel better but please, just don't. I don't think what you doing is any better."

His jaw clenched tight and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. " Just so you know I don't have to give you or anyone else answers, but your right. I'm not going to sit here and explain to you why I act the way I do because its nobody's business, but I can assure you that the rumors exceed the truth. I'm not a relationship kind of guy, I don't do feelings well, but I'm always honest to the girls I'm with. I'm realistic with them and they don't expect anything in return because it was the agreement not to. However, the way that I choose to act has nothing to do with the fact that if you are in a relationship with someone, there is no room for cheating. If you want to do different things with different people, then don't enter a relationship. Plain and simple."

Guilt surrounded me. My emotions were haywire and completely clouding my judgment. I had no right to assume something about someone who was helping me out without out me even asking first. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, stopping the car. I looked out the window and realized that we were parked in front of my house. It never even occurred to me to give him direction, because in a town of little over five thousand everyone knew where everyone else lived.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and Elena?"

I stopped with my hand on the door and turned back to look at him.

"Just so you know, that guy was an idiot and you could do better."

I gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. I know your right but it still hurts because I thought he was one of the good guys, and after seven months of being together nothing is going to be easy. Bye Damon."

"Bye Elena."

I made my way out the car and toward the house. I glanced back long enough to see his car disappear down the street. Sighing, I made my way inside to prepare for a long night of crying.

The club was completely packed with bodies. People were making out in the darker corners, while bodies grinded heatedly in the center floor, and a few were lined up against the bars. Stefan's cousin had just opened the place, and as long as we promised not to make trouble it was free entrance and drinks. He'd been very adamant that we take the opportunity for fun, although my parents would go crazy if they knew I was here. One of the bartenders handed me a beer that I didn't order but I took it anyway. They were probably nervous about their first day and I didn't see any reason to make it harder on them, so I took my beer without complaint.

I made my way back to the table that I'd been sitting at with Stefan, not noticing a thing. Before I knew it, I smacked right into a hard chest causing me to lose my grip on my beer. The bottle crashed to the floor and a large hand reached out to steady me. I angrily looked up to tell the guy off but immediately stopped. My green eyes locked onto his crystal orbs that were practically sparkling under the light of the club, and I felt my anger dissipate immediately. They were beautiful up close, completely mesmerizing.

"Sorry." His velvet voice connected to my ears and my heart began pounding twice as fast. "Elena? I wasn't paying attention, do you want another drink?"

I should have said something but I physically impossible to think, let alone talk when he was standing this close to me. Damon's hand was still on my bare arm causing tingles to shoot through my body. My entire life I'd looked at him from a distance. With the gossip circulating from the other girls around school I knew he was hot, but that night he took me home I had been so emotional that I didn't bother to care what he looked like. Now, standing here, it was impossible to ignore. He was downright gorgeous. His midnight hair fell just over his eyes which were staring down at me intensely, a strong jaw framed his face and those lip looked so damn soft. He was wearing a simple black v neck shirt and dark fitted jeans. It was sinful that anyone could look that fucking good in such plain clothing. My eyes traveled over his chest, where he was likely to have the torso of a war god, and stopped at the hem of his pants. Most girls said that he always was the best night of their lives and the answer seemed to be right there.

"Elena," he growled out a warning with such a seductive huskiness that it caused my eyes to snap back up. His eyes had practically turned black and his grip on my arm tightened slightly.

Heat traveled across my cheeks and around my ears from the fact that he had caught me basically undressing him with my eyes. "Sorry," I managed to get out. "I was just…" How could I even finish that sentence? It was getting really hot in here and I needed some breathing room. I stepped out of his grip while I watched his eyes roam over me an take in the low-cut red top, high-waisted black shorts, and red kitten heels. My body was on fire, and I was sure that I had been sent to hell. What other reason could I give for feeling this flustered from a guy I barely knew, while someone waited for me to return to our booth.

As if my thoughts were his cue, Stefan popped out of nowhere and wrapped his arm protectively around my shoulders. "Where have you been?" he asked, sounding annoyed before looking over at Damon.

"Sorry," I replied, clearing my throat and miraculously finding my voice. "I was getting a drink when I ran into Damon and I was talking to him. We haven't seen each other in a while."

"I wasn't aware that you even knew each other," he commented dryly.

"Old family friends," Damon supplied quickly and I shot him a grateful look.

Stefan nodded and turned back towards me. "I told my cousin that I would help him with a few things, and I'll be here pretty late. Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"I can give you a ride," Damon offered and I couldn't help but let my mind go to the dirtiest places possible.

Stefan hesitated but reluctantly agreed anyway. "Um…alright. I'll call you tomorrow and please don't get into any trouble." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing.

"What a charmer," Damon said sarcastically. "Better that the last boyfriend I hope."

"He's the same one."

He raised and eyebrow. "My advice wasn't good enough?"

"It was," I answered quickly, starting to feel more than a little awkward. "We aren't back together, it's sort of complicated."

"You ready to go then?"

I nodded and followed him out to his car. The ride what completely silent and I could feel Damon's eyes on me every few minutes. It had been a month since the last time I saw him. This scenario was so similar, yet instead of trying to keep from crying I was holding in the urge not to jump him. I breathed out a sigh of relief when my phone started ringing. I looked at the screen before answering. "Hey Caroline."

"Elena, where are you?" she shouted over the music that was playing in the background.

"I'm on my way home, what's up?"

"Tyler's having a party and it's amazing! Will you come?"

I glanced over at Damon and answered. "I don't know, I'm not home right now and I don't have my car."

"Elena please! Are you with Stefan? Ask him to bring you!"

"I'm not with Stefan."

"Oh! Hot date you didn't tell me about?" her words were slurred slightly and I knew she was well on her way to drunk. Which meant that I needed to be a good friend and check up on her at the party just to make sure she was okay.

"No, Care," I replied with a nervous chuckle. "I'll see what I can do, keep your phone close, alright!"

"Okay, thanks! See you soon Elena."

"Bye." We hung up and I looked at Damon, who seemed more that tensed and immersed in thoughts. I wondered what he would say if I asked him to drop me off at a party rather than home, or if he would be angry. It wasn't as if we were friends and if I had ever met anyone who intimidated me, it was him.

"Problem?" he questioned before I could even get up the nerve to open my mouth.

I shifted in my seat. "It's not really a problem. My friend just wanted me to meet her at this party, but I told her that I didn't have my car or anything."

"Tyler's party?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you want to go?"

I shrugged. "You don't have to take me. It's nice enough that your giving me a ride and I know we're not exactly friends so I don't expect me to drive everywhere."

A small grin grazed his lips. "I was actually going to go check it out after I dropped you off, so I don't mind." The space went silent again, and I fidgeted in my seat.

"Do you think that I'm an idiot?" I asked quietly, after a few minutes of silence.

"Because of the guy?" I nodded and he shrugged. "Like I said last month, you can do better. You seemed pretty upset that night and I just would have thought that you would have got rid of him."

I sighed. "I tried, but he kept begging, telling me it was a drunken mistake and I couldn't keep saying no but I couldn't just take him back either. It still hurts, but I felt like I was giving up on something that I invested so much of myself in. I told him that we needed to be friends first to build up trust again, but its always going to be different. My best friend thinks I'm an idiot, that I need to put myself out there but it's scary once you get so used to someone. Sorry, I sound whiny, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm not really the caring type, but let me tell you something. Its understandable why your scared to get back out there, but your gorgeous and you shouldn't really worry about what people think of you anyway. I'm sure any guy would be happy to get with you."

"Would you?"

"What?" he asked surprised.

"If you saw me out," I replied quickly, half embarrassed, half curious. "Would you try to pick me up?"

The silence stretched on again and I was starting to wonder if he was even going to answer. Finally, he did and his voice dropped to a husky drawl that shot heat straight to my core. "I would have done more than try."

"So what do you suggest I do?" I asked, hoping to move on with the topic and wishing that my voice didn't sound so breathy.

He pulled his car into the parking space at the edge of the forest where the party was being held. "Tonight? Stick with me, and I'll show you how to have a good time and not worry about that guy of yours," he responded with a smirk so seductive that is sent a blaze of fire right to my stomach.

So, I deleted my other story because I didnt really know where i wanted to take it. I came up with this idea and incorporated some of the old story into it and i already have several chapters written for it. Thanks for reading and please feel free to review!