So I'm just amazed at how many people have read/alerted/reviewed this story. I feel the love people!
If you haven't read my other story "The Last Goodbye" then you're missing out!
This chapter is the start of the D/E love so we're getting there! Oh and I actually enjoyed writing Damon in this chapter so I think I'm getting the hang of his character. :)
I own nothing except the words written in this fan fic. No copyright infringement intended.
I drifted off to sleep after completing my diary entry and awoke nearly two hours later. I stretched and contemplated lying in bed for the rest of the day, listening to the sounds on the lake.
Just then I heard the front door open and listened as Uncle John and Jeremy conversed downstairs. I closed my diary, which was still open on my bed, and stuck it under my mattress then retreated downstairs.
"Get anything good?" I asked as I entered the kitchen.
"Yep." Jeremy replied and started unloading groceries.
Uncle John headed out to the dock to retrieve Jenna. He was just asking for it, in my opinion. Jeremy and I worked together to make dinner as John tried to help and Jenna changed and went through some of Mom's things.
We sat around the table and ate silently as I tried not to find it odd that Aunt Jenna and Uncle John were sitting in Mom and Dad's spots. Jenna said a quick goodbye after dinner, claiming she didn't want to drag it out for us but I knew she just wanted to get away from Uncle John.
I was thinking about going and sitting on the dock for a while when I spotted Jeremy walking down the path away from the house.
"Where are you going?" I shouted at him from the porch.
He turned around for a moment shouted "nowhere" and headed back toward town. Yeah right, I thought.
I thought for a second about telling Uncle John I was leaving but then decided I didn't care and he probably wouldn't either so I decided to catch up with Jeremy. I ran and met him on the path just short of Main Street.
"Make friends already?" I surmised.
"Elena don't, you're not Mom. You're not going to be my parent all of a sudden because you're older than me." He snapped at me.
I fought back tears. "I wasn't trying to be Mom. I know exactly where Mom is Jer! Now tell me where you're going."
He stopped and spun around toward me. "There's going to be a bon fire out near Weston Bridge. I heard some kids in town talking about it. I'm going so don't try to stop me."
He started walking again into town as I noticed the sun had set beneath the horizon.
"I wasn't trying to stop you." I paused. I hated asking this but I didn't want to go back to the house alone. I didn't have any friends here either and I suddenly found myself missing Caroline and Bonnie. "Can I come with you?"
"Its not your kinda party Elena."
"How do you know?" I asked, keeping up with his pace.
"Because your types of parties have a DJ and banners and decorations by Caroline and her gang and this party will have none of those things."
I scoffed. "I can go to a party without a DJ."
Jeremy rolled his eyes as we rounded the corner turning down the street that led to Weston Bridge. I continued to follow him, letting him walk a few feet in front of me. Even if I just sat and stared at the lake, it was better than sitting at home.
We arrived at the end of the street and saw a gathering of teens hanging out on an empty lot that backed up to the Weston Bridge. The bridge was old and in need of paint; it was a perfect backdrop to this kind of scene. The bonfire and dark sky made me shiver as I considered the last time I left the house to go to a party. Jeremy quickly found a group of his type of people and made friends as I saw him take a hit off a joint that someone passed him. Great, I thought.
I sighed and walked over to a cooler and picked up a can of soda. I wasn't in the mood to be the old me tonight.
"Elena?"
I turned to see Stefan walking toward me with a grin on his face. "Oh hi. Stefan, right?"
"Right." He nodded, still grinning. "Is your friend with you?"
Oh Jeremy. "Yeah, my brother, he found some friends over there." I gestured to the group closest to the bridge.
"Ah. So have you settled in yet?"
"Uh yeah. I did some unpacking and we have groceries so I guess we're ready for the summer." I stated.
"Hey Stefan!" A guy shouted from a small group near the bonfire.
"Oh that's my friend Derek. Why don't you come on over and meet some people."
"Um, okay." I said hesitantly. I hadn't even hung out with my own friends since it happened but I wasn't about to explain to Stefan why I wanted to be alone.
Stefan walked me over to a group that appeared to be the popular kids. Other high school kids from the area and some, that I learned, were on summer break from another town. They all seemed perfectly nice and Stefan seemed pretty normal compared to earlier today, so I should have been enjoying myself. I could only fake a smile for so long when I excused myself to get another drink while Stefan was talking to a friend of his.
I was on my way over to the cooler and considering escaping the party all together when I spotted him. Mr. Mystery in his glory, leaning against a parked car near the gathering. I threw away my empty soda can and continued walking toward him.
"You." I began.
"Me." He smirked.
"You never told me your name." I pointed at him, raising my eyebrows.
"No Elena, I didn't." He mocked.
"That's not fair." I pouted.
"That's life babe." He winked. "Come on, lets get out of here."
I laughed. "Very creative pick up line."
He faked a concerned look. "It usually works. Hmmm."
"I bet."
"I'm Damon." He stuck out his hand.
I took it and tried to ignore the immediate sparks flying between us. "Nice to meet you Damon."
"Now, lets get out of here." He smirked.
I laughed. "I can't just leave." Even though I was just considering it.
"Sure you can. Just climb in my car and we'll find our own fun." He wagged his eyebrows.
"Listen Damon. You're intriguing and I appreciate the offer but I can't get in your car. I don't know you. And you've basically been stalking me today so I think I'll pass."
I started walking away when he did that thing again, where he blocked my path. "Come on. I've been watching you and I can tell you're not enjoying yourself. Let me at least walk you home."
I hesitated. It would probably be safer to walk home with this guy, unless of course he was a psychopathic killer. I didn't like the idea of having to wait for Jeremy to be ready to leave. I looked at him and suddenly couldn't deny those gorgeous blue gems.
"What about your car?" I countered.
"What car?" He scoffed.
"That's not?" I pointed to the car he'd been leaning against. "Never mind." I just shook my head and started walking down the street.
"So tell me Elena. Where does a girl like you hail from?" He asked.
"I live in Mystic Falls."
He shook his head at my answer.
"What? I do." I said.
"Oh I believe you." He replied.
"Where are you from?" I asked.
"All over. I don't stay in one place long." He smirked.
More mysteries of course, "So what do you do?"
"A little of this and a little of that."
"Damon, are you scared to tell me something personal about yourself?" I stopped him. "I know about guys like you and I'm really not interested."
He grinned. "I can't imagine you know anything about someone like me Elena but its cute you think you do." He tapped his index finger on my nose and I wrinkled it back at him. We arrived at the path that lead to my house and walked around the lake.
"So why were you crying?" He asked for the second time that day.
Something inside me told me I could trust him. That I could open up to him. "My parents," I took a deep breath and sighed. I hadn't said it aloud before now. "They passed away a couple weeks ago."
Damon stopped walking and took my hand. A warmth spread throughout my body, and he was just holding my hand. Wow.
"Elena I'm so sorry."
"Its okay. You didn't know." I gulped as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Can I do anything?" He asked.
I shrugged. "Do you own a time machine?"
He laughed. "No, that is one thing I don't own."
I raised an eyebrow at him but turned to continue walking, still holding onto his hand. "I came here for the summer hoping to get away from the memories we had at home but I've just been bombarded with even more memories of the summers we spent together. Now everything is different."
He walked slowly beside me as I spilled my guts and for once I wasn't afraid to talk about it.
"I'm sorry." I said as we approached the house. "I didn't mean to drag you down with me."
"You didn't drag me down. I'm just remembering when I lost my own parents. I've been there. I know what you're going through."
"Oh Damon. Sorry, when did you lose them?" I gasped.
"Years ago. But the pain never completely goes away."
I fought the urge to cry and Damon took my hand and held it in both of his, pulling me into his personal space so we were mere inches apart. "Let me take you out tomorrow," he said.
I giggled a bit. "Okay, where?"
"I'll surprise you. But I bet we can have a little fun this summer so you're not so blue." He smirked again. God that smirk. I just wanted to eat him up!
"I'd love to." I said as I felt my skin tingle from his touch. The porch light turned on just when I was telling myself it would be okay to kiss Damon before our first date. "I better go."
He squeezed my hand. "Tell me your name and I'll let you go."
"You know my name."
"Your full name." He frowned.
"Elena, Elena Gilbert." I said as I saw Uncle John step onto the porch. Of course now he chose a moment to be concerned about me. "And that's my uncle John so I better go."
I pulled away from Damon and walked back to the house, stealing a last glance at him. I swear I saw a look of anger before he spun around and disappeared into the woods.
So yeah, Damon just figured out WHO Elena is and he's a tad bit concerned as well as intrigued. You know how those vampires feel about the Gilberts. Hehe. While this story is from Elena's POV we can all surmise he runs to Stefan to tell him more about Elena…even if he does want her all to himself. Damon in this story is less troubled in some ways and he's trying to show Elena his good side. But he's still Damon so don't worry that he's gone soft. Lol.
Also, I plan on updating "The Last Goodbye" soon as so many have asked for me to continue, rather than it just being a one shot. This story will probably be updated more frequently as its mostly planned out in my head and the next few chapters are written out.
As always, reviews = love!