Chapter 3

Despite all of the chaos that was still present back home, the past few days had been truly magical. Whilst driving across the country, we had stopped at so many beautiful places, ranging from glorious waterfalls and serene lakes, to forests filled with majestic evergreen trees. For once in my life, I had been genuinely happy. My mind was able to receive a rest from worrying, but the extra room my mind had from not worrying was filled with thoughts of Klaus.

Never before had Tyler done anything like this for me, he had been so different over the past few days. Our relationship had changed; I had no idea how or why, but everything felt so much more intense, and never before had I ever felt so comfortable. Although, when we shared these moments together, I couldn't help but feel like I was sharing them with someone else but Tyler. This was a side of Tyler I had never seen, it felt almost alien. Even our embraces were different, it felt like someone else's arms wrapped around me. Another thing that had crossed my mind was that he hadn't once kissed my lips or tried to sleep with me, and for Tyler, that was unusual. I tried to pass it all off due the situation back home, but I couldn't help the thoughts creeping into my mind.

Speaking of thoughts creeping into my mind; each night, Klaus had somehow managed to appear in my dreams. As hard as it was to admit, I wanted to have these dreams. I found myself trying to hurry and fall asleep, just so I could see his face, feel his hand through mine, dance with him all night. And it wasn't just in my dreams he appeared. Whenever I shared a special moment with Tyler, I pictured Klaus' face, and I was engulfed in waves of guilt.

I knew I had developed feelings for Klaus. Not pity or sympathy. Fondness? Friendship? No.

As hard as it was to admit to myself; it was something more.

We had been driving for what seemed like forever, but the whole journey I had spent thinking about Klaus and having an inner battle, trying to forget these recently uncovered feelings.

Maybe I didn't actually feel anything for Klaus, maybe it had something to do with myself and Tyler not being intimate in a while.

I sighed. Was that really the case or was I trying to use it as a pathetic excuse?

"What's wrong, love?" Tyler asked, sounding concerned.

"Nothing. I, um, I just want to hurry up and get to wherever we are supposed to be going."

"We are almost there. Trust me, it will be worth the wait. I'm sure you will love it." he smiled, enthusiastically.

As the vibrant sun began to fade behind the night's sky, the air began to cool and the moon was on the rise. The car came to a halt at what appeared to be the entrance to a forest.

Raising a delicate eyebrow at Tyler, I silently questioned his motives. A forest? Before I could express my reluctance, he put one finger gently over my lips.

"I did say we were going on an adventure, didn't I?"

"Yes, but in a forest?" I replied, unsure.

"Ah, the forest is just the beginning, wait until you see what is behind it."

Tyler grabbed a few bags from the back seat and filled a rucksack with blankets and pillows, before we left the car.

We trekked for at least an hour through the dark forest. I had to admit, it was rather creepy at night; the moonlight above had been blocked out by large trees interlacing with each other. Dark shadows were cast across the ground, making it difficult to see where I was stepping.

"How do you know where you are going? It's almost pitch black, Tyler." I asked, hoping he could sense the frustration in my voice.

"I found this place a while back. I was free on a full moon. After running for miles, I discovered… this."

As we reached the end of the forest just as Tyler had finished his sentence, we stopped at what looked like a mountain side. I hadn't noticed we had walked steadily uphill. I took a few steps forward, stepping out under the moonlight, closing in on the edge.

The view was absolutely breath-taking as the moonlight lit up the thousands of trees that lined the grounds in the distance. I smiled, totally in awe of the sight.

"This is beautiful." I muttered, gazing at the magnificent view in front of me, not wanting to take my eyes off it for even a split second.

"It is almost as beautiful as the woman standing in front of me." He replied.

I continued to focus on the view. I didn't reply to his compliment, I couldn't.

There was just something off about all of this.

This wasn't the Tyler I knew. He didn't appreciate things like this or throw around cheesy compliments. It didn't feel like I was here with him, it felt like I was here with a completely different man. Maybe with everything going on, he was changing. Developing. Evolving… Maybe he was learning to appreciate the little things.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, I turned around and politely smiled, before laying the bags downs and neatly placing blankets and pillows on the ground to create a more comfortable surface to lie. Tyler lay down and gestured for me to join him, patting the space under his arm.

I lay gently down beside him, resting my head on his chest. Somehow, I was trying to force myself to enjoy the moment, to accept these strange feelings that had invaded my heart and mind, and try to shut Klaus out completely. Klaus was hundreds of miles away, stuck in a casket for eternity, so whether I wanted to accept these feelings for him or not made no difference.

"If you look closely, right there..." Tyler raised his hand and pointed up to the sky towards a group of stars, pulling me from my thoughts, "That group of stars is named Cassiopeia. Sometimes people visualize it as a part of a Crown of the Egyptian Queen Cassiopeia, other people see it as an inclined throne."

I peered up at him, slightly confused. Since when did Tyler know about constellations? Before I could even think to ask, I was distracted by the tiny balls of gas that were glowing brightly, almost as if they were trying to out dazzle each other. I was in awe, completely fixated on the constellations.

"And the group of stars right beside Cassiopeia, is called Cepheus, after her husband 'King Cepheus.' He was known for some of the well-studied variable stars. The brightest star in this constellation is called Aldemarin, meaning the arm. It always stays close to his queen. Like me and you, I am the king and you, my love, are my queen."

I let out a loud, nervous chuckle. This definitely was not my Tyler. I'd never seen this side of him before. Racking my brain, I could not pin point one time he had ever been this romantic or insightful. As much as I loved Tyler, I knew fine well he wasn't exactly the most academic student at Mystic Falls High School. For some reason, I couldn't help but notice all of these sudden changes in him.

"I never would have pegged you for a stars man." I muttered.

"There are many things you have yet to discover about me, Caroline. But you will in time."

We spent the next few hours just lying there. Tyler seemed to be enjoying himself, but I couldn't shake this feeling of…doubt? I wasn't sure what exactly I was feeling, but I had this horrible feeling that for whatever reason, Tyler was different. He'd changed somehow. Other people wouldn't have noticed these sorts of changes, but I did. Through all the time we had spent together, I knew him better than he knew himself. And this wasn't him.

His lack of intimacy, his sudden surge of knowledge, his pet names for me, and the way he was speaking. There were just so many little differences that I felt like I could not ignore.

I tried to will myself to sleep, wanting to block out all the confusion. I wasn't sure if it was actually possible, but I felt like my brain actually hurt. When I wasn't worrying about everyone back home, I was either trying to fight my feelings for Klaus or over-analysing the alien behaviour Tyler had adopted.

"The view really is magnificent, my love. I wish I could capture this on canvas, I think I will have to work on it when we return home."

My eyes instantly flashed up as I heard those words muttered in an intoxication English accent I recognised instantly.

"Klaus?" I gasped, taken aback by the face that gazed down at me.

"Of course, Caroline. You want it to be me lying here with you under the stars, don't you?"

"Yes…" I replied instantly, not needing a moment to hesitate.

"Then yes, it is me."

"Am…Am I dreaming?"

Klaus chuckled lightly before tracing over my lips with his soft fingertips, "Yes, but maybe one day, you won't be. Maybe we could lie under the stars together for ever."

I smiled as I hung on to those words, leaning up and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

My eyes swung open as I violently sat up from makeshift bed I had created earlier. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to slow my heart rate, shaking my head in an attempt to remove the dream that was continuously replaying over and over again.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" I heard Tyler mutter as he sat up; I must have woke him up.

I was swamped with guilt once again as the vice I heard was not the voice that I wanted to hear. I didn't even bother to glance to my left to look at him, I couldn't bear to look into his eyes. My feelings for Klaus were becoming increasingly stronger; I hadn't realised until now just how strong my feelings were for him.

What kind of person did that make me? How could I have feelings like this for someone who had destroyed my friend's families, hurt or killed people I cared about and loved. Maybe I had a dark side, and it was my dark side that was attracted to him. How masochistic.

I did not want to accept these feelings for Klaus. I could not accept that I could have feelings for someone like him. I wanted to be in love with Tyler, to be with Tyler.

I began unbuttoning my shirt, finally building up the courage to look Tyler straight in the eyes. He looked confused, his brows furrowed and his mouth hung open slightly. Maybe if we were intimate, it could re-ignite my feelings for him, bring back the passions that used to be between us, help me forget about Klaus.

"What are you doing?" he asked sheepishly.

"Kiss me, Tyler. Not my face or my hand, I want you to kiss my lips, my neck…" I trailed off as my shirt slid down my back.

He didn't move a muscle, his eyes just fell to the ground as he reached over to pick up my shirt and hand it to me.

"I can't, Caroline. This is not the right time." He murmured, so quietly that I almost didn't hear.

"What is that supposed to mean?! Just kiss me, Tyler…" I pleaded.

"No." Tyler simply stated.

"KISS ME, LIKE HOW YOU USED TO!" I screamed with tear filled eyed, clenching my fists like a child having a tantrum.

"I can't, I'm sorry."

"Why?" my voice croaked as I spluttered out my question.

I knew deep down that I wasn't furious at him, I was furious with myself; furious at the fact I had let myself develop such strong feelings for Klaus. Being intimate again with Tyler wouldn't make a difference, secretly I knew that, but I felt like I had to try something.

"Because, I can't! It isn't right, love. This isn't how I imagined kissing you for the first time!" he bellowed, startling me.

He froze as soon as those words escaped from his lips, eyes wide, almost as if they were burning into my soul.

"I want to be myself when I first kiss you."
"I want to be myself when I first kiss you."
"I want to be myself when I first kiss you."

The words rang viciously throughout my mind. Subconsciously, I had known all along that this was not Tyler that stood before me, but my brain had taken a while to figure it out and catch up. My heart pounded, violently bouncing against rib bones, sending vibrations throughout my whole body. I was scared to ask who it was standing before, but I finally plucked up the courage and managed to string words together to make a sentence.

"Who are you?" I whispered, although at that moment, I guessed it myself.

"It is me, love; Klaus." He replied.

It all made so much sense, I should have realised before now.

Before I knew what was happening, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and placing a soft kiss on his lips.