The days passed on slowly as I waited for Saturday to come. When it finally arrived, I could swear I was ready to jump out of my skin. Damon and I had either texted or talked on the phone since the Tuesday night we met, mostly talking about his work, and about how our oh so loving friends/family members kept dragging us around to do boring stuff in preparation of Stefan and Caroline's wedding. I pace my small apartment room, eventually flopping down onto my bed. Damon and I had settled on me coming over around eleven in the morning, and I had woken up at seven. It was now almost ten-thirty, and I was ready to get out of my apartment. I already had everything packed for the day, and was dressed, minus my flip-flops. I had chosen a red and black string bikini, a pair of dark red jean shorts, and a white spaghetti strap top that read "Beach Bum" across the front that I had cut into a crop top. I packed a pair of extra clothes and jeans in my beach bag in case it got cool later, along with my wallet, keys, and phone charger, seeing as I had no idea what Damon had planned for our date. My landlord had come over Wednesday morning to bitch about Damon's bike being too loud and it waking him up, and how I shouldn't have people coming over to my place so late at night. I told him that it was only a friend dropping me off, and that it wouldn't happen again. He huffed off after that. I roll onto my stomach, scrolling through the music on my phone, searching for a better ring tone for Damon. I currently had it set as "City of Sin" by Escape the Fate, but I wanted to change it to something more... More something. I eventually settle on "Fever" by Bullet for My Valentine. Damon had told me he put my ring tone as "Bad Girl" by Avril Lavigne featuring Marilyn Manson. I still had my poem saved to my phone, as well as it typed up on my laptop and printed out. I printed a copy to give to Damon, but was unsure about giving it to him. A knock on my door jars me from my thoughts. I quickly get to my feet, shoving my phone into my back pocket and going out to the door. I unlock the door and open it, groaning inwardly when I see who is standing there.

"Hey baby, wanna go out to the football field and watch me and a few friends play a few games? Tyler said he's bringing his new girlfriend along, so you'll have someone to talk to." Matt Donovan; my ex boyfriend of over two months, drones on, leaning against my door frame.

I cross my arms, cocking my hip to the side as I glare at him, my mood slowly going from good to bad.

"Matt, I told you this several times already, and I'll say it again. We broke up, over two months ago. Stop coming to my place, and stop telling everyone we're together. We. Are. Through." I all but growl, stepping outside and shutting my door so I wasn't all the cool air out.

Matt takes a step backwards, his hands in the air like he was being held up by the cops. I could only wish.

"Chillax baby girl, you're just upset cause I haven't been around lately. Look, I'll make it up to ya, after me and the boys play a few games, we can go out and get some grub, try out that new pizza joint across from our old campus." Matt says curtly, reaching out to take my hand.

I smack his hand away from me, cursing under my breath. "Do NOT call me 'baby girl', I am nothing to you. What part about "we broke up, stay the hell away from me" do you not understand?" I ask him, running a hand through my hair.

I swear the guy was stupid, or brainless. We'd had this talk a million times since I broke up with him after finding him in the bar with two other woman, all but fucking them in the small booth they sat in. I had told him to meet me there because I had wanted to talk, or that's what I told him. I was really coming to break up with him because not more then a week before, he'd basically raped me under the bleachers at the football field. Matt reaches out and grabs me by my wrists, slamming me against my apartment door. I grunt from the impact, struggling to get out of Matt's grip, but he held fast.

"Listen here Elena. Either you come with me, or we have another "fun" time together, only this time it will be in your own bedroom." Matt growls into my ear, pressing me harder against the door.

I growl in anger, bringing my knee up and into Matt's cock and balls, pushing him away as he doubles over, gasping for air. Matt glares daggers at me as he runs at me, grabbing me around my waist. I scream as I'm picked up from the ground, my arms and legs flailing against Matt as struggles to open the door to my apartment. Matt somehow manages to get my door open and stumbles inside, crashing into the small couch in the room. Matt falls, managing somehow to pin me beneath him.

"You're going to regret doing that..."

Matt fists one hand into my hair, the other pinning my arms above my head and pinning my legs down with his; an animal like snarl rips past his lips as he rips my shirt from my body. I try to scream, but Matt shoves my now ruined shirt into my mouth, gagging me. I could hear my phone ringing, Damon's ring tone sounding muffled. Matt releases his grip on my hair and reaches under me, pulling my phone from my pocket. He glances at the name on the screen before shoving my phone in my face.

"Who is "Damon Salvatore?" One of your little fuck boys?" Matt hisses, throwing my phone across the room and ripping my ruined shirt from my mouth.

"None of you're fucking business, ass fuck!" I yell, struggling to get my hands free.

Matt shoves his makeshift gag back into my mouth, his hand gripping my wrists tighter. With his hand free, Matt reaches down between us, unbuttoning my jean shorts. I can hear Damon's ring tone faintly from across the room, praying that he knew that me not answering meant trouble. I was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen; the gag in my mouth and Matt's weight on my chest making it hard for me to breathe. My stomach turns as as I feel the zipper of my shorts being released, darkness tinging my vision. I begin to struggle harder, closing my eyes as Matt fists my hair again and slams my head into the arm of the couch. Head pounding, I fight for air and fight the hands holding me. Pounding on my door rings in my ears, and I try to cry out for help. I thought I was about to black out, when suddenly Matt;s weight is lifted off of my chest, the shirt in my mouth ripped out. I jolt upward, the room spinning as I gasp for air.

"Let me go fucknutts, or I'll have you arrested for Manhandling!" Matt screamed, causing me to open my eyes.

Damon held Matt in a vice grip, anger visible in Damon's ice blue eyes. Matt was cursing Damon seven ways from Sunday, struggling under Damon's unwavering grip.

"I'm going to have you arrested for battery and sexual assault, possibly more if you don't shut your fucking trap." Damon snarls angrily.

"Fuck you!" Is Matt's only response, still continuing to struggle. Damon doesn't release him, the sound of police sirens almost a blessing. Not as big a blessing as having Damon pull Matt off me though. Several police officers come into my apartment, and Damon lets go of Matt, who turns to swing at Damon, only to be snatched up by two police officers. I watch as the police cuff Matt, Damon tugging the black muscle shirt he wore off and handing it to me. I take it and put it on, giving Damon a nod of thanks. Damon nods in return, turning and speaking to one of the police officers. After Damon gives them a statement, and they get the entire story from me, Matt is lead out of my apartment with charges of sexual assault, battery, and intent to rape. Damon closes the door to my apartment after thanking the cops for coming so quickly, then walks over to me, kneeling down beside the couch and looking me over.

"Are you okay?" Damon asks, concern in his eyes and in his voice.

I start to nod, but stop as tears burn hot trails down my cheeks. I hadn't even noticed I was crying. Damon pulls me down off the couch and into his arms, holding me as sobs wrack my body. Damon rubs small circles along my spine, placing a soft kiss on the top of my aching head. I wipe the tears from my face, well, attempt to, but Damon beats me to it. Damon brushes the last of the tears off my cheek with is thumb, his hand cupping the side of my face. I look up at Damon, his eyes still filled with concern, but also, fear.

"Thank you, Damon. Thank you so much." I murmur softly, brushing my hair from my face.

I knew I looked like hell, and felt heat rise to my cheeks when I realize that Damon had given me his shirt, which meant he was shirtless, sitting in my apartment. I quickly refasten my shorts, blushing deeply.

"If you give me a minute, I'll go grab another shirt so you can have yours." I tell Damon, starting to get to my feet. I sway when I get about half way standing, the pounding in my head making me slightly dizzy. Damon steadies me and gets to his feet, helping me to mine the rest of the way before walking me back to my bedroom.

"Don't worry about the shirt, Elena. I have another in my car, so keep this one." Damon replies, smiling warmly as sits on my bed beside me.

"Do you need anything? I know something is wrong since you're swaying, and it's not from drinking."

I chuckle, holding my head in my hand. "Matt bashed my head into the arm of the couch. I have a bottle of pain medicine in my night stand, if you could please get them for me." I explain, pointing to my nightstand.

Damon nods and leans over, opening the drawer and grabbing the bottle of pain pills, opening them and handing me two. He gets up and heads out of my bedroom, and I take a moment to get my head on straight. My wrists ached, my head was pounding, but Damon had saved me. I was going to have to find a way to make this up to him, somehow. Damon returns a few minutes later, handing me a cold bottle of water and my cell phone, which amazingly wasn't broken.

"Thank you." I thank Damon, opening the bottle of water and taking the pills swallowing them and relishing the feel of the cool water on my dry throat.

"You're welcome. Are you hurt any other way?" Damon asks, giving me a once over as he takes a seat beside me on my bed once more.

I shake my head, giving Damon a soft smile. "No, thankfully you got him off of me when you did. Matt Donovan was, I mean is, my ex boyfriend of about three months. I left him namely because of the stupid shit he pulled, like what you saw." I look down, feeling my cheeks heat again.

Damon lifts my head and I turn, surprised when Damon places a soft, gentle kiss on my lips. I kiss Damon back, feeling him smile against my lips. I reach out and hug Damon, who pulls me into his lap as he returns the hug. I can feel muscle hard muscle under soft skin as my hands touch his back, my head resting in the crook of Damon's neck. I inhale his scent, Sandalwood and what I could only guess was body spray, but still smelt amazing. When Damon releases me, I sit up, not moving off of his lap.

"Well, since you're already in here, I might as well give you a small tour of my apartment." I tell Damon, who only chuckles, grinning.

"This is my bedroom, as you can tell. The bathroom is just outside my room and to the left, and then after the small hallway is my small living room and kitchen; neither of which I use much."

Damon looks around my bedroom, smiling. I had framed photos of Caroline and I from graduation, one of she and I at the beach, and one of me, her and her mother. I also had several drawings on my walls, along with a few poems. I reach down and grab my beach bag, hauling it up onto the bed beside me. I rummage through it, looking for my hair clip, not noticing the copy of the poem I wrote the night before fall out of the bag. Damon picks up the folded piece of paper and opens it, reading it silently. When I turn and see Damon reading my poem, I sit quietly, waiting for him to finish. Damon folds the paper up, giving me a heart-stopping smile.

"Did you write this last night after I dropped you off?" Damon asks, holding the folded piece of paper in his fingers.

I shake my head. "I started writing it in the bar. I got the first three parts done before we started dancing, and the last two parts I finished after you dropped me off." I admit, blushing slightly.

Damon smiles again, leaning over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I love it. You really have a way with words." He looks at the folded piece of paper, then at me. "May I keep this?"

I nod. "Yeah. I had planned on giving you a copy anyways, since you inspired me to finish it."

I get to my feet, going over to my dresser and brushing out my hair, quickly pulling it up into a ponytail and clipping it up off of my neck. I can see Damon place the poem in his wallet from my mirrors reflection, and grin when catches me looking.

"This wasn't the way I wanted to start our date off." I say with a half smile as I look around my room for my flip-flops, grabbing my sunglasses off my dresser.

"It's not an ideal way to start off a date, no, but none the less, this will always be a date I'm going to remember." Damon replies, standing up and straightening his black and blue swim trunks.

I giggle, finally finding my flip-flops and sliding them on. "Yeah, neither will I."

Damon grabs my beach bag, placing it over his shoulder before holding a hand out to me.

"Shall we go to the beach?" He asks, giving me a lopsided grin that made my heart do flips in my chest.

I take Damon's offered hand, and after shoving my phone back into my back pocket, I shut the light out in my bedroom and the two of us head outside. I lock my door behind me, stopping to stare at Damon's stunning jet black 1966 GTO convertible, which was parked beside my deep red 1957 Chevy convertible. Damon grins and puts my bag in the back seat, grabbing a dark blue muscle shirt from the back seat and tugging it on. I groan inwardly at the loss of seeing Damon's bare chest, then remember that we're going to the beach, so I'll get to see it again. Damon opens the passengers side door, helping me into the car before shutting the door and going around to the drivers side and getting in. The two of us buckle up, and Damon places his sunglasses on, turning the radio up as "Not Invincible" by Bullet for My Valentine begins to play. I grin and put my sunglasses on, the two of us singing along to the song as Damon pulls out into the open road, driving us off to the beach.