Chapter One
Elena could not remove herself from the porch for a good while after the kiss. Her feet felt like they were stuck onto the wood with glue, while her heart pounded within her chest. She couldn't think, for he had left her with no words to think.
She closed her eyes and she could feel the kiss. The soft, tenderness of it, the gentleness. As if he didn't want to break her, as if she was such a precious, beloved person. The memories of that kiss, and all the feelings behind it, were what finally moved her, was what caused that wall inside of her to break. Was what cause her to break down into pieces finally. She stood there, tears pouring down her face, with the thoughts all suddenly rushing throughout her mind.
All the pain from months before, when Stefan left. No, not even just that. All the pain from before that just came to the surface. She was not the strong girl she pretended to be. She put up that front to survive, to block everyone out. Yet, somehow, in the process, she'd blocked herself out. And the only one who seemed to understand that, as crazy as it seemed-to her at least-was Damon. He understood her. And she loved that he did.
She loved him.
However, she also loved Stefan. She loved how he used to be, and she knew that deep down he was still that same Stefan. The same Stefan she wanted so badly to reach despite all the hurt he'd given her. Because he had showed her something that she'd never felt before. He was her first love, and she couldn't forget how she felt.
The conflict arose within her. What she had done. How she had fallen for two people, two vampires, two people she could never be with no matter how much she wanted to. And it broke her heart. How everything she gained fell apart.
When she went inside, she felt empty, void of all emotion. Broken and bare. But she had to hold on, even though she felt as if she had nothing. Because she had so much. Even though it didn't feel as if she did. She had Alaric, Damon, and potentially, if they could save him, Stefan. The situation was difficult, but she knew it could be resolved.
If she held on to hope, then things would change. Her life might pick itself back together and she'd be happy again. She would hold on to hope for the future, no matter how uncertain it may seem to be.