Elena combed her wet hair, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. There was a small smile on her face, one that she just couldn't get rid of. Now that she was wearing clean clothes, she felt better, still a little sore, but otherwise fine. It was hard to believe the things she had let Damon do to her, the pleasure that she had felt, it was powerful, and she didn't regret one minute. Half those things didn't exist when she was with Stefan. That killed her smile, the thought of her boyfriend that was still at home probably freaking out at her absence. Pulling her long wet hair back into a pony tail she exited the bathroom smiling at Damon who was glancing out the window. "All set," she said, pulling her sneakers on. "Everything go okay?" No reason to allow her mood to be ruined, or to worry Damon with her thoughts.
"Spell is all set," he said, nodding. "I did grab you some stuff to eat for the trip last night. And we can stop somewhere before we leave if you're hungry." He grabbed their bags and glanced around once to make sure they didn't miss anything. "It's going to be a long drive."
She raised an eyebrow as they left the room. "How long?" She felt like she should carry something, but he was being such a gentleman as they headed to the elevator. Her phone vibrated, and there were twelve missed calls, three voicemails, and a bagillion text messages, all from Stefan. He didn't like being hung up on it looked liked.
"Two days if we're lucky," Damon answered, tilting his head as he looked at her. "You look worried. Your forehead is creasing like everyone else is on your mind."
Elena bit her lip, not really wanting to bring up the other brother, but Damon could pick up on these things, so there really was no reason to lie to him. Last time she told him she was fine, he broke through that in a matter of a half hour. The end result was an awesome orgasm, but still. "Stefan's been trying to reach me," she said. "Just something that's nagging me, because I know I have to take care of it."
"You can go home if you want," he said, keeping his eyes forward, but she knew him well enough he was just trying to mask his feelings. He had every reason to guard himself around her. She had a boyfriend back home and even after last night, he was still having doubts. After what Katherine just did to him, she couldn't blame him. It was going to take time.
"No," she said, grabbing his arm to make him look at her. "I meant what I said to you last night. I'm here with you. All the way, no matter what." She couldn't just fall at his feet, declaring her undying love for him, because it just didn't work that way. This wasn't the movies, although sometimes it felt like some god awful nightmare. But it was life, and everything was a very slow and painful process.
The elevator opened and he nodded once, leading her out to his car. He secured their bags in the trunk before getting in the driver's seat. "I know you care about Stefan, love him," he corrected. "What happened between you and I was recent. But Elena, you have to choose," he whispered, glancing over at her. "And if I'm your choice then we can deal with the rest. But if I'm not, don't play me. I can deal with it, even after the night we had, just don't make it any worse."
Tears shimmered in her eyes and she moved over next to him. He couldn't bear to have her hurt him, not after what just happened with Katherine, and she was going to make sure she wasn't the one to cause him pain. "This is all very fast Damon," she said. "Even for you. And I'm still trying to sort through my feelings. I care about you, so much. But I have feelings for Stefan too. I just know I want to be here with you right now. I don't want to be anywhere else. But I promise I will make my choice on this trip. Can you at least give me that?"
"Just don't make any decisions that you're going to regret," he said, starting the car.
Elena moved back over to her spot and buckled up. She pulled out her sunglasses and stared out the window. Why couldn't things just be simple? Of course it was her own fault that she was in this mess, as soon as she allowed Damon to cross that line. But she wasn't going back. How she was going to deal with it though, she had no idea. However, she understood what he was asking of her. She couldn't allow him to cross that line again if he wasn't her choice. She couldn't allow herself to cross that line. It would kill them both.
***
Twelve hours into the drive, it was pouring. Damon said they were making good time, and he slowed down a little for the storm, but he was still over the speed limit. Elena wished he would pull over, because it was so easy for the car to flip over, especially with this weather. She couldn't see out of the windshield it was raining so hard, so she stared into the blackness of the forest they were driving through. Didn't anyone have street lights these days? "Damon, just pull over," she suggested. She couldn't contain herself.
"Not in the woods," he said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. We're almost in town. Just relax sweetheart, I'm being very careful." One of his hands crept over to hers to grip one of her nervous ones and she apologized, which he thought was very silly. "Don't be sorry," he said, as lightening lit up the sky. "You're human, it happens." He meant it in a good way, to help her lighten up.
All Elena could think about was her accident with her parents, and to have Damon just brush off her feelings like that hurt. "Yeah I have human emotions Damon. Sorry if that bothers you," she said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as she pulled her hand from his.
His jaw clenched as well as his fingers on the wheel. "Wow," he drawled his foot pressing down a little more in the gas. "Somebody's been in the car way too long." He looked over at her. "I have no problem with your emotions, so don't get cranky." His eyes went back to the road as he tried to understand what her deal was. It was just a little rain and she was trying to rip his head off.
"Slow down," she said, shifting in her seat. The storm was getting bad. There were leaves flying across the road and even with this high beams on she couldn't see much of the road. She knew Damon had good vision, but even he had to be having trouble seeing. They could hit a tree, or a guard rail, or a bridge. He wasn't superman, he didn't control everything.
"We're fine," he growled. "If you took five minutes to pull the stick out of your ass, you'd realize that I have things under control." She was making him angry, irritable. And it was starting to get to him, and at that moment all he wanted to do was smack her.
"Damon, you're going too fast," she said, her hands gripping the door and center console, anything she could reach. "We're going wreck." Her fingers were sore from the force of her grip, and she felt like she was going to pass out. She needed him to stop. It was like her parents accident all over again. She couldn't breathe.
"Best freaking news of my life," he grumbled, seeing her hands turn white next to his arm. He risked a glance at her face, and saw a tear slid down her cheek and the genuine fear on her face. He closed his eyes briefly but pulled the car over. "Elena?" The look on her face tugged at his heart, and he felt like a real jerk. He just couldn't do anything right when she was involved.
She released the door and took a deep breath. "Are you trying to kill me?" She said, unbuckling her seatbelt. Her fingers flex a little bit, trying to ease the ache in her joints, as she glared at him. "What was so hard about pulling over for a few minutes to see if the rain let up?"
He looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" He asked, glowering at her. "We're fine. It's just a little rain. No reason to turn into the bitch of the road." Kill her? She was pushing his very last button and he thought about it. But he would never purposely put her life in danger and she was being like this. Girl needed therapy.
Elena stared at him for a moment before she pulled the lock up on the door and got out of the car. She was soaked to the bone instantly as she walked down the road away from Damon. What an ass. She didn't care where they were or that it was raining. She thought he was starting to change, but maybe she was wrong. Had she made the wrong choice to come on this trip with him.
However, he cheated and used his vampire speed to catch her. "Have you lost your mind?" He flared, his hands holding her upper arms lightly. "You're going to get sick or killed out here." He hated the rain and now he was soaked, all the way through, as was she. But she could catch a bad cold, worse, something or someone could come out of the woods. She was very dense.
"What do you care?" She screamed over the downpour as she poked his wet chest. "You're being a jerk. This trip was a mistake." She felt bad for saying those words, but its how she felt. Her feelings couldn't be ignored, and if he was going to act like she wasn't important then they had a big problem.
He dropped his arms at her statement and she could see the walls come back up around him. "You can call your boyfriend when we get to town then," he said. "He can come get you."
"That's it?" She asked. "You're just going to pawn me off on Stefan?" Just like that he was willing to send her home? He didn't even want to fight for her, tell her how he felt about the situation.
"What do you want from me?" He yelled, waving his arms angrily. "I'm not your whipping boy, Elena. I'm not going jump through hoops and do what you say. You're not always going to get your way. If being here is a mistake then you don't need me. I'm a smart ass sometimes and I'm not changing for you."
"That's what a relationship is Damon," she said, taking a step toward him, her eyes blinking rapidly through the rain. "You make sacrifices for each. You compromise. And you were being more then a smart ass. I can deal with that, but if you're going to be an insensitive jerk, then it stops now."
"You're trying to change me," Damon said, running a hand through his wet hair. "I can change some things, but not who I am. And to be honest I'm soaked, and so are you. So let's go back to the car."
She tightened her lips but took his advice as she headed back to the Ferrari. She curled up in her seat as Damon got in beside her. The heat came on shortly after he started the engine. She didn't look at him, or speak to him as they drove through another town and arrived at another hotel. It was an awkward silence all the way up to their room and when he locked the door behind them, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"You should change," he said, disappearing into the bathroom.
Her hear t was still racing and she sat on a stool at the bar. What a mess they had now. But she had some time to think about what had happened, and she wanted to talk to him, work it out. She couldn't stand this not talking thing. She hated the silent treatment, no matter who it was from.
"Elena?" Damon asked, appearing beside her, lifting her gaze. He had changed already, only his hair was wet. "You need to get out of those clothes."
"Do you hate me?" She whispered, almost afraid of her voice cracking and bursting into tears. She didn't want to be weak, and she didn't want him to think she was a crybaby, but she couldn't help how pathetic her question sounded, even to her own ears.
His brows drew together. "Of course not," he said. "Let's get you dry and then we can talk about it, okay?"
She nodded and moved around him to grab her bag. Pausing in the bathroom, she leaned against the door and tried not to cry. She stripped out of her soaking wet clothes and dried off with a fluffy towel before putting on yoga pants and a hoodie. She took a deep breath and left the bathroom making her way to the large bed in the middle of the room. She smiled as a blanket came around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, staring at her hands. "I don't know what came over me. You were going so fast, and I just couldn't control myself."
Damon sprawled out next to her, an arm around her back. "Got to be more to it than that," he said. "What's wrong?" His fingers gently stroked her side, patiently waiting for an answer.
"Do you know about my parents?" She asked. "They died in a car accident. In the rain. I was in that car." She paused and shuddered as she took a breath. "Stefan apparently saved me from the car after it went off the bridge. He couldn't save my parents."
Damon was quiet for a few moments but he sat up to move closer to her. "I didn't know," he said, softly. "I knew they passed, just didn't know how." Everything made a little bit of sense now. "I wish you had told me. I wouldn't have been such a jerk." He felt horrible. No wonder she had freaked out like she had.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just… I couldn't think in the car, and it never came up before. I just forgot you didn't know. I don't want to fight Damon," she whispered, turning her head to look. "And I don't want to go home." She wanted to be here with him, by his side. They just had to work on their communication. It was a big obstacle with them. With all their past issues, they really needed to talk to each other, and be honest.
He slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. "I don't want you to leave either," he said, kissing the top of her wet hair. "Let's just get some sleep for the night." He pulled the covers down and spread the one over her shoulders on top to make sure she was warm enough for the night. "I can get another." He was tired, exhausted, both from driving and from Elena. And he could tell by looking at her that she needed to sleep too.
"I should be fine," she said, sliding into the warmth. She didn't expect him to slide in beside her, but she was pleased as she wiggled back against him. His strong arm came around her waist as he hugged her close to him. Her muscles finally relaxed in what felt like forever and she hummed as he whispered goodnight as she allowed her eyes to close.
***
When the sun beams streamed into the hotel room, Elena groaned. It felt way too early to be awake. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched. Damon was already awake and she heard the shower running as she got out of bed. With soft steps, she entered the bathroom and bit her lip. Maybe this was a bad idea, too bold on her part. The water shut off and he pulled a towel into the tub before opening the curtain. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked.
Elena's mouth dried up as she watched water drip over his muscles, and down his long arms. A single drop moved over his six pack and disappeared into the towel that was slung low on his hips. "Um… you should get dressed," she croaked. The thoughts that drifted around in her mind were too intense for even her. The things she wanted to do to him.
Damon raised an eyebrow in her direction. "You alright?"
She managed to drag her eyes to his. "Yeah," she said, her voice an octave higher than usual. "I'll just wait 'til you get dressed." And she snuck out of the bathroom, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart and the ache she felt. All of a sudden she felt like she needed him all the time, but she wasn't a slut, she had some self control.
Damon appeared a moment later, all dressed. "Elena?" He asked, jumping her from her thoughts. "You alright?" God the way he said her name, it made one go weak in the knees.
"You keep asking me that," she said folding her arms. "And I keep telling you that I'm fine. I just need some air." Air was good right now. She could think and breathe without her sense being put on overload. She just needed to go outside and have five minutes to herself and get everything under control.
"Don't go too far," he said shrugging. "We can leave soon."
Elena smiled and grabbed her phone before leaving. She needed a little bit of time to herself. She didn't think her feelings would get this strong, this fast. It was almost too much for her. She only went a few blocks and parked her butt on a bench. She couldn't think around him.
"Hard isn't it?" Came a female voice.
