Stefan

"Look stefan all im saying is you've had the ring in your pocket for over a month now, maybe there's a reason you haven't popped the question." Stefan rolled his eyes at his best friend Enzo. Enzo had been trying to to convince him not to propose to his girlfriend Katherine fro almost as long as he had been trying to propose. And he really had been trying. First he had planned them a nice dinner at the best restaurant in town but he had gotten called in for surgery. Then he had tried just doing the whole rose petals to the bedroom thing he had seen in some movie she loved. But her mom got sick and she couldn't make it over that night. The week after that he tried taking her back to where they had their first date but his brother called devastated over a family emergency with his wife and he cancelled dinner to talk to his sister in laws drs. After that he just started carrying the ring around hoping for the perfect opportunity that just never seemed to show up. Unfortunately the man next to him took it upon himself to declare it a sign from the universe that the proposal wasn't supposed to happen. He loved Enzo like a brother but the man was thickheaded.

"Enzo i don't get why you're so against me marrying Katherine. You know i'll never love her more than i love you right?" He smirked when he saw Enzo look at him sideways and continue his tirade. "Stef i get that you think you love this girl but really what do you know about her? You've never been to her house so you don't really know anything about her family. And while we're on that subject you have yet to meet ANYONE in her family! If that doesn't scream shady to you i don't know what will. She's manipulative and fake as all get out man you're just too blind to see it.i mean how long did it take you to get her to be ok with you going away for the week hmmm? Exactly!" Stefan looked out the window. Enzo wasn't wrong there at least. Katherine had lost it when he mentioned his annual trip with Enzo and his brother. Once a year they went to away to celebrate their trio birthdays May 12th 13th and 14th. He and katherine had only been together for 10 months, which was another one of Enzo's argument points, so she hadn't been around last year when they all went to Mexico. This years trip was scheduled in Vegas. He hadn't even told her that part before she started pouting and telling him that she wished he would cancel so they could spend his birthday together.

"It wasn't that she wasn't ok with me coming she just wanted to spend my birthday with me. I mean really what's so bad about that. I'm here and she's fine with it. She loves me and sh trusts me and isn't that what matters? Isn't that where marriage is supposed to start?" Stefan was sick of this particular argument and wanted to end it. He was going to ask Katherine to marry him. He was going to spend the next 60 years waking up to her and falling asleep next to her and doing everything in between with her. that's what adults did and he was on the verge of finishing his residency and would be a surgeon this time next year. He was an adult with a career and would have a wife and family to go with it. He would buy a house and get a dog and maybe even take up golfing. His wife would watch the kids and keep the house. She wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to because he would be top surgeon the way he was top resident and top pupil and valedictorian and captain of the baseball team. Stefan would have the picture perfect life and that life included a wife. So that's what he would have.

Enzo's voice cut into his thoughts again " listen i know your mom wanted you to have the perfect life and you want to give her that but she wouldn't want you to settle for some girl you hardly know past a pretty face and a fun lay just to make her whole "top shelf life plan" wish come true. If she was here she would want more for you. I mean look at your broth-" he was cut short by Stefan's phone ringing in the bag in the back seat.

"Brother, we should be in vegas in about an ho- what?" Enzo looked at the devastated look on stefan's face and pulled over "i'm so sorry, again i'm so sorry. How is she? No no yeah of course you can't come we completely understand. We can always reschedule. No it won't be right without you we can. Crap your right Ric should actually already be there. Damn well man i'm just so sorry i can come home if you want- ok ok ok i won't and yeah i'll have as much fun as i can without our fourth man. Call me if you need anything. Send my love ok. Bye" stefan hung up and looked at Enzo with bleary eyes.

"She lost the baby again"

They were silent for a few minutes before he continued. "He obviously won't be coming but said we still needed to go. If not for us then for the fact that Ric is already there waiting for us. He said he would call him and let him know himself"

"Nothing is ever perfect Stefan but at least with your brother he loves his wife and she loves him. Isn't that something you want?"

Stefan turned on Enzo angrily " don't use their heartache to try and make a really crappy point to me right now ok man!" he looked out the window determinedly. He would marry katherine and that was that nothing was going to stop him.

Caroline

"Yes Tyler i have my blow dryer, and 2 chapsticks, and my card holder. No it's fine you don't need to come home, i love you and i'll see you when i get back saturday morning." caroline sighed as she hung up the phone. Tyler meant well, he really knew she would die, literally die, without these things. Of course he knew. 5 years into the relationship and he knew everything about he, and her him. He was sweet when he got her coffee ready exactly how she liked it in the morning. He was romantic when he cooked for her and lit a candle for them every other saturday. It was passionate when they made love and relaxing when they laid together were perfect together. So why was the idea of a weeklong getaway without him so exciting?

Caroline was going on a vacation with her girlfriends for a week. Her best friend's Fiancee Elena had decided that one night for her bachelorette party was just not enough so they were going to go to vegas for an entire week. Matt and his friends would be spending their week in New York. something about the boxing match between the featherweight champ and blah blah blah because really Matt knew that as best of friends as they were Caroline was not a boxing fan and just didn't care. So instead of going with the boys as she "best man" should she would be going with Elena. Not that she minded really her and Elena grew up together and were good friends all on their own.

As she boarded her flight she caught sight of Elena and the four other girls going with them. 5 with her. She sighed again. Someone was going to end up being the odd duck out and she had a feeling it was probably going to be her. She put on her biggest smile and walked over.

"Hey Elena! Are you ready for your week of debauchery!? I already signed a sworn statement that what happens in vegas stays in Vegas."

All the girls laughed loudly attracting stares from the other passengers. Elena smiled " Caroline we both know i wouldn't do anything that would endanger my relationship with Matt. we're getting married in ten days and nothing is going to change that." the blissful faraway look she had on her face made Caroline's smile become completely genuine. Her and Matt were so in love it was annoying. Part of her knew that the reason she thought that, even with the heavy dose of sarcasm that her inner voice put on the thought, was because she knew that she never got that look when she thought of Tyler. She brushed the thought away quickly before it really even registered. "BUT" Elena continued "for the next five days we are going to live it up and no one is going to be calling asking where we are and what we're doing and when we're going to be home. Matt and i promised no communication this week whatsoever!"

Caroline sat back in her seat and put her headphones in preparing herself for the two hour flight. Being on her own for a week made her so happy she felt guilty. She loved Tyler, she really did but . . . . .she didn't know what came after the "but" but the fact that it was there was enough to make her close her eyes and try and drown out the niggling feeling that was there more and more often nowadays.