Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated for the last few months. I've been so busy with school. But here it is, finally the 3rd chapter to Memories! I really hope you enjoy it. It's much longer than any other chapter I've done and I've tried to make it interesting! So here it is. PLEASE FOLLOW, FAV AND REVIEW! P.S I haven't proof read this properly so sorry if there's any mistakes! :)

The next day, Elena woke up bright and early. The sun was creeping through her curtains and shinning a spotlight onto her desk in the corner of the room. It was a perfect sight as she could see what would normally be invisible pieces of dust, floating up into the air, and once out of the light, they disappeared. It was moments like this that she cherished; the simplicity of life that she loved, where things weren't complicated or dramatic.

"Elena! Wake up! Damon will be here in a bit!" Jenna said while knocking furiously on the door.
And just like that, the peace was gone. Elena sighed and thought about moving, but her bed seemed ever so comfy this morning. She wished that her covers would swallow her up and then she would never be able to leave her sanctuary. She wished this on a daily basis. But her wish never came true.

Ever since the accident, Elena acted like she didn't even know herself any more. Yet you are supposed to know yourself better than anyone. Everyone seems to know her better than herself. And she hated this. She wanted so badly to remember her childhood pet Dog, Daisy, her first kiss and her memories, her school trips and birthdays, the first day of High School, her first boyfriend and most importantly, her parents. She wanted to remember as much of them as she could. But whenever she thought of them, her mind came up blank. Yes, she's seen pictures, but it's not the same as living in the moment. But Elena doesn't have any of those moments. All she has is a hole in her life where they're supposed to be.

Elena sighed and rolled out of bed. She sat up for a few moments before finally gaining the strength to stand up. Once she did, reality hit her. She was going to be formally introduced to Damon today, and she was extremely nervous. She didn't fully know why.
He was the mysterious man that she wanted to find out more about.

She was the girl that's past haunts her every single day, from the moment her eyes flutter open, to the minute they close for the night.
Elena starred at her closet, pondering about what to wear, but nothing seemed right. Normally, she'd throw a pair of Jeans on with a t-shirt and converse, but today, she wanted to make the right first impression too. It was a warm day in Mystic Falls, so she went with the weather, and chose a beautiful cream dress that matched her skin tone perfectly. It wasn't too casual, but not too formal. It was perfect.

Elena sat at the kitchen table and starred at her breakfast. She swirled her spoon round in her bowl, oblivious to what her Aunt was saying. She was completely lost in her own thoughts.

"Elena!" Jenna snapped her fingers directly in her eye line. "Back in the room please."

"Sorry." Elena shook her head. "You were saying that..." She paused and looked up at her Aunt, willing for her to continue.

"That you have no reason to be nervous, Lena. He's a nice guy." Elena didn't reply. She didn't need to. Jenna knew how nervous she got around new people. She hated being the centre of attention, and rather everyone just left her alone, to her thoughts and her feelings.
The doorbell rang and Elena and Jenna glanced at each other.

"Go get him." Jenna playfully punched her arm as Elena got up to answer the door.

"Would you stop that! I have a boyfriend you know." Elena said and smiled.

"Stop what? I have no idea what you're talking about. What? I don't know what your saying." Jenna rambled on as Elena left the room.
Elena answered the door, and there before her, was the man she'd been so curious about. Damon.

"Hi" he said as she stood in front of him. She was captivated. He was dressed in what she could tell, was his favourite leather jacket, as all the times she has seem him, he'd been wearing it. Accompanied by a black t-shirt and trousers that matched his jet black hair. Elena realised that she must of looked like a complete fool, just starring at him. But she couldn't help it. He mesmerised her.

"Hi" she finally replied and gave him a small smile.

"You ready to go?" he asked and held his arm out for her to take it. She grabbed her purse from the side and shouted that she was going to Jenna. She politely accepted his arm and he lead her out of the house. He opened the door of his car for her and Elena gracefully climbed in.
"So, where do you want to go?" Damon asked once they had been driving for a couple of minutes. "Because I really have no clue."

"There's a park just on the left up here." Elena said and pointed out to him where he had to turn. He followed her instructions and a few minutes later, they were in the park.

They walked together, with a few feet of separation between them. It wasn't an awkward silence. They were both comfortable. Elena and Damon found a quiet spot and sat down, away from all the hustle and bustle of stressed out parents and their children.

"So Damon, tell me about yourself." Elena spoke.

"Well." Damon paused. "I've lived in Chicago my whole life." Damon started. "I'm 22, so I finished high school a few years back."
"Do you have a job?" Elena asked.

"My father runs a successful business, so I work for him." Damon looked down.

"What, you don't like working there?" Elena said curiously.

"My father is a complicated man. He wants nothing more than money. He puts the business before his own family. So no, I don't like working there. It's good pay and I can have all the time-off I want, but it's his dream. Not mine."

"So what is your dream if you're so sure that you're not living it?"

"I want..." Damon paused. "I want to be happy. I want to get married, have a wife and kids and love them unconditionally. I want to wake up each morning and not dread going to work. And I want to come home to people who love me." Elena smiled at Damon, and he looked up and smiled back. Elena could tell that he didn't open up to people often, so she felt privileged that he could to her.

"Now it's your turn." Damon said and smiled.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Everything. Like what you want in life?"

"I don't really know what I want." Elena said plainly and shrugged her shoulders.

"You want what everybody wants." Damon countered.

"So Damon. Tell me. What is it that I want?" Elena said and playfully smiled. Damon chuckled and looked at Elena.

"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion. An adventure. And even a little danger."

"That pretty much sums me up." Elena smiled.

"Oh yeah?" Damon asked.
"Yeah." Elena replied. "I'm an open book."

The hours in the day passed and Damon and Elena were still in the park. A new found friendship was formed. They were comfortable with each other. And by the end of the day, Elena felt as if she could tell Damon anything. She could trust him. And he could trust her.
Damon's phone started to ring and he answered it at once.

"Hello." "Yes this is he." "Really?" "Are you kidding me?" "This is great." "Yes. We'll be in touch." "Of course." "Thank you."

"What was that all about?" Elena asked.

"I visited an apartment this morning and made an offer for it... I got it."

"That's great news Damon!" Elena smiled from ear to ear.

Damon sat back down on the picnic blanket next to Elena.

"Want to help me decorate it?"
"What?"

"Oh come on! It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better. While we're covered in pain and sweaty from all the hard work."

"Eww" Elena said and giggled.

"It's scientifically proven actually that people get to know each other better surrounded by paint, walls and brushes."

"Oh and who proved that?"

"Professor Damon Salvatore, that's who."

Elena laughed and looked at her phone.

"Crap. Is that the time? I'm sorry Damon, but I really have to go." Elena stood up and grabbed her purse. Damon stood up after her and folded the blanket up.

"Where do you have to go?"

"I have a date with my boyfriend... Who I was supposed to meet an hour ago. Oh crap. Thank you for a lovely day Damon. I'll hopefully see you soon." Elena started to walk off.

"Wait." Damon said and ran after her. "At least let me give you a lift."

"Damon, I couldn't ask you to do that." Elena shook her head.

"You're not asking. I'm offering." Damon said and grabbed her arm, halting her to a stop. "Think about it, you're going to be more late if I don't give you a lift."

Elena couldn't resist. She knew he was right. Stefan would be mad enough as he is. Being more late would just make him more angry. So she agreed, and before she knew it, she was in Damon's car on the way to the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Stefan.
Elena checked her make-up in Damon's review mirror, making sure she looked presentable.

"You look stunning. Don't worry." Damon reassured her and Elena smiled.

"Thank you."

"So you never actually answered my question, you know."

"Which question was that?" Elena asked.

"The one where I invited you to decorate my new apartment with me."

"Well, I can't refuse "Professor Damon Salvatore" can I?" Elena said and imitated with her hands the speak marks. Damon laughed and shook his head.

"No. No you can't." He winked at her before pulling his attention back to the road.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, Damon halted the car outside a fancy Italian restaurant.

"Thank you for an amazing time today Damon." Elena smiled. She held out her hand for him to shake it, which he took and shook it gently.

"It's a pleasure, Miss Gilbert." Elena smiled again and got out the car. She stood on the pavement, and waved goodbye to Damon, before he jet off down the street. Elena sighed a long sigh before looking up at the restaurant sign.

Elena made her way into the restaurant and spotted Stefan sitting by one of the windows. He eyed her carefully. Elena knew he had saw her with Damon. Stefan couldn't of not noticed. But she decided to play it cool. She didn't want to get on his bad side tonight. Not after she'd had a good day.

Elena smiled and made her way over to where Stefan was sitting. He stood up to greet her, and kissed her gently on the cheek, before sitting back down again, with Elena sitting across from him.

"You're late." Stefan said and looked down at the menu.

"Yeah." Elena simply replied and copied his actions.

"Are you going to tell me why? Or at least make up an excuse."

"I was out."

"With that man who dropped you off. I'm not stupid Elena. I have eyes." Stefan shook his head and called the waiter over. Once the order had been taken, Elena decided to carry out a new conversation.

"So how was your day?" Elena smiled and put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her hand. She desperately tried to look at him lovingly, but it was no use. He could see straight through her.

"Don't change the subject Elena."

"It was just an old family friend, Stefan. Trust me."

"It didn't look like that from here."

"Well it was." Elena snapped and shook her head. She ran her hands through her hair and tried to calm herself down. She was getting frustrated. Both at herself and her boyfriend.

"Do you honestly think that I'm the type of person to do that to you Stef? Because I'm not. Nor would I ever dream of hurting you like that. So please. Just drop it."

They spend the rest of the evening together. They hardly talked. They hardly made eye contact. They hardly smiled. Stefan took Elena home afterwards, he apologised for his behaviour and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He knew he wasn't getting any more than that tonight. He left Elena alone, and to her thoughts.

As that perfect yet upsetting day for Elena came to a close, she couldn't help but wonder if she was truly happy with Stefan. Arguments like what they had experienced tonight, was a common affair. Yet when he laughed, she laughed. When he was upset, she was upset. When he was happy, so was she. From the outside, they were a perfect couple. But from the inside, it was a whole different story.

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