Chapter 3- Taking a Dangerous Risk

Damon's P.O.V.

As soon as I walked out of the front door of the boarding house, I ran at unhuman speed to the front yard of the Gilbert house. I could hear Jeremy snoring, which was an added bonus, and I'm sure Jenna and Rick were in bed with their minds elsewhere. This was it; the perfect opportunity, everything was aligned. It felt as if fate was on my side tonight. I could hear the shower running in Elena's bathroom, making it easy to sneak in. I leaped onto her bedroom window and was surprised that her window was unlocked. I took a seat on the bay window and waited patiently for Elena to get out of the shower. I sat there thinking about what I was going to say. While I twirled the necklace with my fingers it suddenly dawned on me that confessing my feeling to her will nearly kill me. I was about to leave, but I can't go on holding these feelings in any longer and so I waited.

Elena's P.O.V.

As the hot water from cascaded on my body, I kept replaying today's events over and over in my head. Oddly enough, I couldn't help but think of Damon. How come he is always the one who ends up saving me? I mean, Stefan is always there too, but there is just something about Damon that seems committed to protecting me. I understand he likes me, but I honestly believe it's because I resemble Katherine. I just don't understand why he is so determined to save my life, even if it means to sacrifice his own in the process. In the past couple of months I have noticed that Damon is improving as a person. I believe Damon is finally getting his full humanity back? I hope he is, I'm starting to enjoy being around him.

OH MY GOSH! What am I saying, I actually ENJOY being around Damon? C'mon Elena you are dating his brother you can't start having feelings for the guy. I'm going crazy; my thoughts are giving me advice! How crazy does that sound. I'm going delusional, I have to get some sleep.

I turn off the water and step out of the shower to dry off. I grab my royal blue camisole and my blue and white plaid sleep shorts. As I brush my teeth I was asking myself, why on earth was I thinking about Damon? I guess today I saw a different side of him, a great side of him. Of course I could never tell him that, it would just feed is giant ego.

As Elena opened the bathroom door, she was surprised to see Damon sitting on her bay window.

"Cute pj's" Damon pointed out with a seductive tone. Elena just brushed off the complement like it meant nothing to her.

"I'm tired Damon." she stated rather annoyed.

Damon got up from his seat and started walking slowly toward her saying, "I know, but I brought you this." Revealing to her what was in his hand, her vervain necklace.

She looked at him astonished and said, "I thought that was gone, thank you." she began to reach for the necklace, but he pulled it away so she couldn't grab it. They both looked at each other for a second, locked in each other's eyes. When she realized he wouldn't give it back, she looked at him with a concerned look and demanded, "Please give it back"

"I just have to say something." he announced, hoping that Elena wouldn't push him away.

With a frighten look on her face, Elena asked Damon, "Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

He was taken back by the frightened look on her face. Damon was contemplating if he should tell her. She obviously didn't trust him which hurt his feeling, but he decided it was now or never. "Well… Because what I'm about to say is... probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." Damon said a little choked up, struggling to hold back the tears in his light blue eyes.

"Damon, don't go there." Elena cautioned him, she knew that what he wanted to discuss was going to be a deep conversation. She was too tired to hear this right now.

"No. I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it." He said while approaching her quickly trying to make close eye contact. "I love you, Elena. And it's because I love you... that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you, but my brother does." With tears forming in both of their eyes Damon got real close to Elena's face and kissed her forehead soft and passionately. As his lips pulled away from her head, he looked deep into her eyes and confessed with tears streaming down his face, "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this. But you do."

At that moment Elena just realized what Damon was trying to do. While she looked deep into those breath taking eyes, Damon was compelling her to forget his confession. What he didn't know was that Elena has vervain in her system and was pretending to act like she was being compelled.

Elena's P.O.V.

Damon seductively pulled my hair to the side so he could clasp my necklace. His touch was giving me tingles and chills all over my body. Then he turned around and was gone out the window in a split second.

That was the sweetest most selfless thing that anyone has ever said to me. While looking deep into his light blue eyes, I just realized that I have strong feelings for Damon Salvatore.

Well, It looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight, not with that epic confession that just took place. I cannot believe that just happened and above all things, how in the world am I going to act like it didn't just happen.

Damon's P.O.V.

In the middle of the woods where no one could hear me, I shouted, "Why did I just do that, why! It was obvious that she feels the same way too. Why do I have to be so wrong for her! I don't deserve her love; I don't deserve anyone's love."

I ran home through the woods punching and kicking every tree in my path. After I broke my hands about 20 times a piece, I realized that if I don't calm down I am going to do something that I will regret, like turning off my humanity. No one needs a psychotic emotionless vampire running around, especially one as fucked up as I am. I said out loud trying to convince myself, "I can do what I want and I'm in complete control. I will be alright alone, I don't need anybody else." I finally reached the house and I decided that I need to cool it for now. I decided to go get shit faced with my finest bourbon and pass the hell out.

What Damon didn't know was that he was being watched by a vampire named Rose, and she so happens to be one of the vampires that kidnapped Elena earlier that morning.