A Year To Prove You Wrong

Chapter 7

It was Friday afternoon, and Caroline couldn't help but watch the clock on her computer move so slowly as she waited for it to turn five o clock. She was so excited about going out with Bonnie and Lexi after work, and she was hoping that she might find out something more about Stefan.

After their lunch with Lexi where he called her one of the closest women in his life, she swore she felt more in their every action since. Stefan smiled at her easily, she could feel his eyes on her at random moments, and whenever they accidentally touched… Her heart would leap and her breath would catch, and sometimes she found herself getting lost in the depths of Stefan's eyes.

She was almost completely sure that she had bypassed having just a crush and was heading straight towards feelings. Another positive outcome from Lexi's visit was that Stefan had offered for her to join him in his office for lunch. Either her own or one they'd ordered together. They would sit and talk, laughing and joking easily with each other.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore the butterflies in her stomach whenever she was around him. More than once she had found herself staring at his lips, wanting nothing more than to cross the distance between his desk, grab hold of his tie so that she could pull him towards her, and devour his lips.

Just the thought made her shiver.

But she couldn't, no matter how much she was dying to wrap her arms around him and kiss those perfect lips of his.

He still hadn't called her Caroline yet.

And she was yet to call him Stefan. She wouldn't until he had used her own name. Until he did, until the moment she saw the way those lips curled around her name, or the deep timber of his voice caressing the three syllables of her given name, she would resist every temptation he posed to her.

She was determined to stick to that.

No matter how utterly irresistible Stefan Salvatore was.


The time on the computer finally ticked off onto 17:00 which meant the end of her day and working week. Time to let her hair down and have fun tonight. She shut her computer down, and cleaned her desk of all papers and office supplies. While she was finishing up she heard the door open behind her. She checked her desk was clean before turning to Stefan.

Stefan was leaning against the doorframe, a small smile on his lips, his hands in his pockets as he looked at Caroline, "Are you getting ready to go home?"

"Yeah." Caroline nodded, placing her bag on her shoulder, returning Stefan's smile easily, "Then I will be changing my clothes for tonight. Bonnie will be meeting me at my apartment, and we'll be meeting Lexi there."

Stefan hesitated visibly, looking down at his shoes before turning his eyes back on Caroline, "Where… where are you going tonight?"

Caroline took the few steps that separated her from Stefan, never taking her eyes from his, "Not this time." She tapped him on the chest as she smirked at him, "You are going to have to work a lot harder than that if you want to know where I'll be tonight, Mr Salvatore."

Stefan's eyes darkened as he looked at her, his look intense and filled with a longing that made her breath catch.

But he hadn't used her name.

So Caroline winked at Stefan before she spun around and sauntered over to the elevator. She made sure she wiggled her hips as she walked, hopefully drawing Stefan's eyes to her shapely behind. She didn't dare to turn to look at him until she was in the elevator. He was staring at her, a smirk on his lips.

As the door closed Caroline giggled.


Later on in her apartment she was just adding the finishing touches to her outfit as she waited for Bonnie to arrive. She wore a figure hugging blue strapless dress that ended mid-thigh, hugging her womanly curves to perfection. She had pulled her blonde hair off her neck in a ponytail, adding just the hint of curl to the hair. As she would be dancing for the most of the night she didn't want to wear ridiculous heels so she had on a pair of wedges that added height and showed off her shapely legs but wouldn't hurt her feet too bad at the end of the night. She wanted to be daring in her makeup so she had black smoky eyes, and red lipstick. She looked hot.

There was a knock at the door so she picked up her purse and went to the door to open it to reveal Bonnie. She smiled widely at her friend, "Hey, Bon! Are you excited about tonight?"

"I am looking forward to meeting Lexi." Bonnie tilted her head grinning, "She's Stefan's best friend?"

"Yep!" Caroline nodded as she shut her door and locked it. She looped her arm through Bonnie's as they walked out of her building, "She's really great! She's so much fun and she cares about him so much."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she looked at Caroline, "And you are not jealous that your hot boss that you clearly have feelings for is best friends with a woman?"

"I was, before I realised that they were nothing more than friends." Caroline didn't even bother to try and deny Bonnie's claim, it was true after all. She had been jealous of Lexi, until she realised that she cared for him in the way that best friends do. She crossed her arms over her chest as she confessed out loud for the first time, "I am falling for him, I can't deny it, and part of me doesn't even want to."

"That's great!" Bonnie grinned wide, her eyes shining with happiness, "I told you that he liked you. I could tell."

"Nothing is happening between us, Bonnie." Caroline looked down at her shoes, so she wouldn't show Bonnie how much that thought hurt her.

"Bullshit!" Bonnie burst out.

Caroline looked up at her with wide eyes, surprised at the expletive coming out of her mouth, as Bonnie hardly ever swears.

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Caroline." Bonnie allowed a knowing smirk to curl her lips, amusement colouring her voice, "Especially when you're not looking back."

Caroline didn't want to hope, scared of having yet another broken heart. Only this time much worse as unless she quit she would be forced to see his face every single day. It would kill her.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Bonnie's eyes grew kinder, "Don't let the past rule your heart, Caroline." She patted Caroline's arm, smiling at her warmly, "Don't let love pass you by because you were too scared to take the leap."

Caroline swallowed hard at Bonnie's words. Her head spinning with possibilities at the message in her words. Leap.

Question is, was she brave enough to take that giant step towards possible happiness or heartbreak?

She wasn't sure yet.


They had only been waiting outside for a little over ten minutes when Lexi finally arrived. A wide beaming smile covered her face as she all but ran up to them and pulled Caroline into her arms, "It's so good to see you again."

"Same here." Caroline pulled back with a smile before she turned to Bonnie to introduce her, "Lexi, this is my best friend Bonnie."

Bonnie held her hand out to Lexi, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Lexi shook her hand, before curling both of her arms around Bonnie and Caroline's shoulders, declaring in a laughing voice, "Tonight is going to be amazing!"

They walked in together, all three laughing. They went straight to the bar, enjoying a few drinks before they went on to the dancefloor.

Caroline, Lexi and Bonnie were dancing in a circle, arms waving in the air as they shook their hips. Caroline noticed a man put his hands on Bonnie's hips. Would she allow it? She and Enzo had been flirting pretty heavily but she hadn't had the time to just sit down and talk to her best friend about the men in their life.

Bonnie turned around, placing her hand in the middle of the guy's chest, pushing him off her, "I'm taken." Then she spun back around to face them going back to their previous dancing.

Caroline wasn't just going to leave it like that. She slid alongside Bonnie, bumping her hips with hers as she giggled, "You're taken?"

Bonnie flushed, her eyes brightening as she looked at Caroline, "Enzo and I… we've been on dates." A wide smile curved her lips, "I like him and he really likes me. We've decided to give it a go."

"Oh my god!" Caroline wrapped Bonnie in her arms, holding her tight to her as she smiled, "I am so happy for you, Bonnie."

"I'm glad." Bonnie squeezed her back.

"I knew you would get together." Caroline giggled as she released Bonnie from her arms, "That first night you met Enzo, you couldn't keep your eyes off each other."

"Shush you!" Bonnie giggled, a beaming smile on her lips.

"You and Enzo, huh?" Lexi grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at Bonnie, "Did you fall for that sexy British accent?"

Bonnie shook her head, "The first thing I noticed was his eyes." Her gaze looked unfocused for a moment before she sighed, "They are so beautiful that they send shivers down my spine every time I look into them."

"Have you heard his music yet?" Lexi asked.

"I'd heard some of them before I met him." Bonnie admitted, "I like them. I can't wait to see him perform."

"That's not too far away now?" Lexi frowned as she concentrated, "One of his gigs is next Friday, right?"

"Yeah, the first one is next Friday." Caroline answered, "The next one is two weeks after that, and the final gig is two weeks after that."

Lexi grinned suggestively at Bonnie, "Though you are going as his girlfriend. Are you gonna be his muse?"

"He has sung to me." Bonnie blushed, chewing on her lip before answering in a low tone, "One on one." A dreamy smile covered her lips, "It was amazing! The most romantic thing that has ever happened to me."

"Oh my god!" Caroline gasped, a beaming smile on her face as she teased Bonnie, "Singing just for you. Where was it? Your place or his?"

Bonnie hit Caroline's arm as she laughed, "Shut it, Care." She smirked, her eyes holding a teasing glint in them, "Or else I will have to tell Lexi about you and your boss."

Caroline could feel Lexi's eyes falling on her, her heart raced wildly, she had a chance to ask Lexi what Stefan may or may not feel for her, but she chickened out. Forcing a smile on her face, she announced, "I am getting another drink. Do you girls want one?"

"Sure." Bonnie agreed, she looped her arm through Caroline's, "I'll help."

"You know what we need right now?" Lexi asked, threading her arm through Caroline's other. She waited until both of them looked at her before she grinned, "Shots! And lots of them."

"I like her." Bonnie smiled at Lexi as she chuckled.

"I like the both of you too." Lexi smiled at both of them as they walked over to the bar. They ordered a line of Tequilas each, and she waited until they were about to take their shot before saying slyly, "And I'm pretty sure that Stefan likes you too."

Caroline choked on her shot, a furious blush staining her cheeks.

Bonnie and Lexi were almost howling with laughter.


Much later, all three were very much drunk. They had been dancing for what seemed like hours and were finally taking another breather. Which meant more shots and even more teasing.

Shot glasses were lined up in front of them all. Lexi picked hers up and eyed her new friends with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "Before we drink I want you all to confess a secret."

Caroline and Bonnie shared a look, debating whether to agree to Lexi's terms, but they were already drunk and they agreed to it without blinking.

"Great!" Lexi laughed, raising her first shot she searched her memory for a secret before confessing, "When I first met Damon I had the tiniest, absolutely miniscule crush on him."

"Oh god!" Caroline laughed, shaking her head in amazement, "Please tell me you didn't sleep with him."

"I almost did." Lexi winced at the memory, "We were at a party and me and Damon found ourselves on the roof making out. I was pretty hammered and so was he. He had his hands all over me, when Stefan pushed him off me." She shook her head, a smile curving her lips, "Always my protector. Anyway, he knew that I'd regret it in the morning. I had a crush on Damon, but he just saw me as a piece of ass." She shook off the old memory, and pointed her finger at Bonnie, "Your turn, green eyes."

Bonnie picked up her shot, chewed on her lip before saying quickly, "I had a massive girl crush on Caroline when we were in high school." She took her shot, feeling her cheeks warm at the confession.

"I don't blame you." Lexi giggled, "She is most definitely hot!"

Caroline couldn't help but blush at the new knowledge of her friend's high school crush and Lexi's praise. A smile covered her lips as well, the drink within her allowing her to say, "You were hot too, Bon!" She curled her arm around Bonnie, pulling her to close to land a moist kiss on her cheek, "You still are. Even more beautiful."

Bonnie smiled at Caroline, giggling as she returned the sloppy kiss to her cheek, "You are gorgeous, Care."

"Aw, you two are so cute." Lexi stumbled toward them, grabbing a hold of each of their cheeks to land a peck on both of their cheeks. All three giggling at their actions.

"Alright, my turn." Caroline held up her glass, felt her heart race as she confessed, "I have a major crush on my gorgeous boss." She threw the shot back, feeling kind of relieved at saying it out loud for the first time.

"Shocker." Lexi chuckled.

"Yeah." Bonnie shook her head amused, "Not a secret at all."

"Whatever." Caroline rolled her eyes, before she grinned as an idea came to her, "How about we ask each other questions?"

Bonnie and Lexi agreed.

"What's the tension between him and Enzo?" Caroline asked, she had been dying to know what was up between them ever since she had noticed the tension between them.

"Damon. And what a cold hearted bastard he was to his little brother when he needed him during a dark time in his life." Lexi answered angrily, clutching her hand into a fist on the table, "Instead he abandoned Stefan and formed a brotherly bond with Enzo." She shook her head, "It kills him whenever Damon calls Enzo brother."

Caroline remembered Stefan's flinch at "One Eyed Jacks" when Damon called Enzo brother, and the animosity between them when they had their meeting. She could also remember Enzo's comment towards him, "That makes so much more sense now."

"What does?" Lexi asked, her brow furrowed.

"When I first met Enzo it was in a meeting. He said "you're just jealous that your own brother likes me more than you."" Caroline felt her heart twist in sympathy for Stefan.

Lexi frowned, "Well, Enzo never understood why Stefan disliked him, and he never really tried to."

"Let's not get depressing." Bonnie spoke up suddenly, "Lexi, does Stefan like Caroline or not?"

Caroline froze at the question, her heart racing within her chest, desperately wanting to know the answer.

"Of course he does." Lexi smirked, looking straight at Caroline, "He rang me just after five wanting to know where we were going tonight." She chuckled as she drank another shot, "I didn't want him to interrupt so I didn't tell him. He wasn't happy."

"He wanted to see you." Bonnie smiled drunkenly at Caroline, her hands covering her heart, "Aw, that is so cute."

Caroline didn't allow her hopes to soar, no matter how much they wanted to, "Doesn't mean he likes me in that way. Plus, I'm his employee."

Lexi snorted, "Employees grind their ass against their boss, right."

Caroline's eyes widened in shock, "He told you that?"

"Best friends." Lexi shrugged her shoulders, "We tell each other everything."

"So does he like her." Bonnie asked, nudging Caroline's shoulder.

"He very much…" Lexi left that hanging for an unbearable moment, so long Caroline wanted to scream at her to just tell her, "Needs to tell you himself."

"You're so mean!" Bonnie chuckled, knocking a few drinks back.

Caroline groaned, knocking back her last shots herself. She was pretty sure that Stefan wouldn't tell her even if she begged him. She pouted at Lexi, "You are so… annoyingly…"

Lexi finished smugly, "A good friend to him? He needs to admit everything to himself first, and he can't do that if you act different around him." She reached across, her eyes kind and almost sober for a moment, "He's sensitive. He's closed off. He won't just fall into you even if he was madly into you."

Caroline tried not to feel too disheartened, she understood, she had gone through the same pain and emotional wrecking of a broken heart. She could be patient. Though she was still unsure whether there was anything to wait for. She had no clue if Stefan felt the same.

"Be patient with him." Lexi smiled at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go and announcing, "We need more shots!"

Caroline tried to take hold of Lexi's words and give herself hope that her feelings were returned. It would be hard for her, she hated not being in control, and leaving what she was feeling up to the other person would test her limits of control.

She just had to decide whether Stefan was worth the wait.

She suspected her heart had already decided that yes he was.


All three of them were completely hammered. Giggling like maniacs in the middle of the dancefloor. More like tripping over each other and holding each other up than actual dancing.

"I better call my boyfriend to pick me up." Lexi slurred, swaying on her feet.

"You have a boyfriend?" Bonnie grinned, "Is he hot?"

"Very hot." Lexi winked, pulling her phone to her ear to call her boyfriend, "Hey, sexy! Can you pick me up?" She listened to his response, then told him where she was before hanging up. She raised her brow at Bonnie and Caroline, "Do you want a ride?"

"Nah, Enzo will pick me up." Bonnie shook her head, feeling her lids starting to droop.

"Caroline?" Lexi called to her, "Wanna a ride?"

Caroline nodded, before she stumbled away to lean against the wall. She shouldn't do it, but her drunken brain didn't listen to the last shred of sober thought she had. She dialled a number.

It took barely two rings before it was answered, "Hey."

"I am very drunk right now, Mr Salvatore." Caroline giggled, her heart lifting at just hearing the sound of his voice. She had it bad.

Stefan chuckled, "I take it you had a good time?"

"Yes, I did." Caroline smiled, the sound heard in her voice, "I love Lexi. I want to keep her."

"Well you can't have her." She could hear his smirk in his voice, "She's my best friend."

"Spoil all my fun." Caroline pouted.

"We can't have that." Stefan laughed.

Caroline giggled, leaning more heavily against the wall as she felt the tiredness come over her. She couldn't help but let out a yawn.

"How are you getting home?" Stefan asked, the concern could be heard in his voice.

"Bonnie's got Enzo picking her up, and Lexi is taking me when her boyfriend picks her up." Caroline answered around another yawn.

"I'll pick you up. Where are you?" Stefan offered.

"You don't have to do that." Caroline said, even as a part of her heart warmed at the fact he asked.

"I want to." Stefan replied, his tone soft and meaningful, "I need to know that you're home safe."

"Okay." Caroline agreed, her voice as equally as soft and pleased as his. She told him the address.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Stefan then hung up.

Caroline bit her lip to try and hide the width of her smile. She hadn't meant for Stefan to come and pick her up, she just wanted to hear the sound of his voice. The fact he dropped whatever he was doing to come get her made her heart almost beat out of her chest.

She was falling fast for him.


Enzo waltzed through the door, a wide grin as he spotted Bonnie propping up the bar with Caroline and Lexi. He couldn't help but chuckle, "Beautiful! And Gorgeous! Lovely to see you again." His mirth sobered when he met Lexi's cool stare, "Alexia."

"Lorenzo." Lexi said back, no smile or laugh in her voice.

"Enzo!" Bonnie cried happily, almost falling off her stool in her haste to wrap her arms around her boyfriend, "I missed you!"

Enzo kissed her forehead, enfolding her protectively into his arms, "And I missed you, my beautiful."

Caroline smiled wide as she watched them embrace. They looked good together, and she hadn't seen Bonnie smile that wide in a long time.

"Baby!" Lexi grinned, running across the room to jump in his arms, and pull him to her for a passionate kiss.

Caroline blushed, not used to seeing people greet their other half so enthusiastically.

Lexi pulled her boyfriend over, wrapping her arm around his waist to snuggle into his chest, "Girls! This is my boyfriend, Alaric, but he goes by Ric."

"It's nice to meet you all." Alaric smiled at them.

"I'm Bonnie!" Bonnie waved cutely while still curled into Enzo.

"I'm Caroline." Caroline introduced herself.

"You ready to go?" Alaric asked.

"Actually-" Caroline started but was interrupted by another voice.

"Actually, I'll be the one to take her home." Stefan made his presence known, acknowledging everyone in the room before making his way over to Caroline.

Everyone else in the room disappeared as she stared into his mesmerizing green eyes. He really was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. He took her breath away. All she could do was smile hopelessly wide at him, "Hey."

"Hey." Stefan smiled back, raising his hand to brush along her cheek, "Are you okay to leave?"

Caroline nodded, without thinking stumbling forward to wrap her arms around his back, her nose buried in his neck, breathing in his wonderful scent. She smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her, and the heat from his lips against her forehead. Her heart skipped at the intimate contact.

"Let's get you home." Stefan tightened his arm around her back, and swept her legs out from under her so that he could carry her. She wasn't complaining.

Caroline giggled at the knowing grins on Lexi and Bonnie's face. She just waved back, and snuggled her face back into Stefan's chest.

Stefan cradled her delicately as he led her out of the club and into his waiting car. He made sure she was comfortable and strapped in before going to his side to drive her home.


Stefan carried her to her door, patiently waiting for her to unlock before he led her inside. He followed the path to her bedroom without prompting, because he had been here before, he was the one that had tucked her in the last time she had become drunk.

Caroline felt her mattress at her back, her arms still around Stefan's neck. Without thinking she leant up and placed a tender kiss on his cheek, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ms Forbes." Stefan released his arms from her, and she took her arms back around from his neck. He kissed her forehead, "Goodnight."

Caroline watched Stefan leave, her eyes drinking in the sight of him in her apartment. It was something she wanted to see more often. Only not Stefan walking away to leave her apartment, but to come back and slide beside her in bed.

She smiled into her pillow, reaching out with her hand across the bed, disappointed that she didn't meet Stefan's warm body but more cold sheets.

She hoped one day Stefan would be next to her, keeping her warm and safe in his loving arms. One day soon.

She fell asleep with Stefan in her mind, and a smile on her face.

TBC

AN – I hope you all enjoyed girls' night!