Chapter Two
I promise.
The phrase repeated in Carolines mind. Over and over. She thought about the sound of Stefans voice as he said it. She thought about the way her mother had asked him to take care of her.
She thought about all the ways she felt like a complete idiot.
Of course he is being there for me becuase he feels bad. Hes my friend, but he has been so supportive lately i thought there had been more going on. How stupid. Will i ever learn?
He doesnt want to be WITH me. He just feels obligated. Guilty. He pities me. How could he deny my mothers dying request?
She felt the buzzing of her phone in her pocket. She looked down to see it was Stefan. Again.
Well i dont need his pity.
She hit ignore and continued packing up party supplies for Bonnies birthday celebration.
Her phone started buzzing again.
"UGH!"
Fine.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered the phone.
"What is it Stefan?"
There was a long pause before she heard Stefans voice.
"Caroline, hey..." He trailed off, he sounded uneasy.
"Stefan, ive got a lot to do to prepare for the party so unless this is 911 i have to go now."
"Caroline wait- whats going on? Why have you been dogding my calls?"
"I havent- Im busy. I dont need you to check on me either. Im fine. Youre off the hook okay?" Her voice was heated and full of irritation.
"Caroline..."Stefan stopped talking for a moment.
Caroline strummed her fingers on the table in front of her.
"Seriously Stefan. Im fine. I have to go."
She hung up then.
I dont want his pity calls and his obligated check-ins.
I really thought we had something more going on.
When he grabbed my hand on my porch, my heart leaped into my throat. I felt what i thought was an amazing energy between us. The way he was looking at me...i could have sworn...
No. Just stop. You cant obsess over this anymore. Its not going to happen Caroline.
She pulled the rest of the party supplies down from the hall closet and put them in the box on her kitchen table.
They were throwing Bonnie a party, trying to show her how much they love and miss her. Damon suggested they video tape it that way she would see how much they missed her when she gets back. Caroline was shocked how much Damon seemed to be worried about Bonnie. The last few weeks he had been studying the spell the Bennett witches used to create the world he and bonnie had spent all summer.. He was holding on to hope that they would find a way to get Bonnie home.
Caroline grabbed the box and walked out of her house.
"Damon- just let it go." Stefan rolled his eyes and tried to leave the living room at the Salvatore boarding house.
"Listen Stefan- i dont see the problem here. You said before you just saw her as a friend. Now shes freezing you out again. Puts a nail in the coffin of the whole will-they- wont-they thing. Elena owes me twenty dollars."
"But it doesnt make any sense Damon. We were fine yesterday...in fact...things between Caroline and I have kind of...changed."
Damons eyebrows rose as he walked over to decantor sitting on the side table.
"Well brother, for lack of a better word...Duh. Anyone with two eyes and half a brain cell could tell that you two have gotten pretty not friendly in the last few weeks. Ive just been waiting for you to admit it."
He poured two glasses of bourbon and handed Stefan one.
"Wait- youre telling me you knew that i had feelings for Caroline?"
"Stefan- come on- i'm your brother. Ive just wondered how long it would take you to realize it."
"Well it doesnt change the fact that Caroline is upset about something, and i feel like it definitely involves me."
Stefan sat down on the couch and racked his brain for where he went wrong.
She was happy the day he brought her coffee. She smiled at him and he remembered how much he wanted to touch her as she sat next to her mother in the hospital bed.
Yesterday at the hospital she seemed upset but she was half asleep, and he just assumed it was about her mother.
Maybe it wasnt.
What happened that upset her so much?
Elena walked in the door then, carrying balloons and a cake.
"Hey guys, Caroline here yet?"
Thats right, Caroline would be here soon. I get to see her today. Whatever it is, ill explain. Things will be okay.
"No- shes not. I assume shes yelling at a florist right now for including carnations in the flower arrangement."
Damon crossed the room and placed a kiss on Elenas cheek. She smiled up at him and then walked over to the table to put the cake down. She began tying the ballons to a few votives already placed on the table.
"She should be here any minute, she had just left her house when i last talked to her." Elena continued to tie balloons until they were all placed around the room.
Stefans felt butterflies in his stomach.
Caroline will be here soon.
He took a big sip of his bourbon and stood up. He wasnt sure what he was going to do, but he felt like he needed to stand. He suddenly felt very nervous. He knew he was going to have to talk to Caroline when she got here, figure out what was going on with her. With them.
He knew they may never be friends again after today.