7

Tyler mentioned he had some big news to share with her but Caroline was adamant about speaking first. She was not about to procrastinate. The Grill was noisy so she waited for him outside.

"Hey, baby. Miss me?" Tyler asked pulling her to his mouth. It was forceful and Caroline squirmed in his possessive embrace.

"You are going to freak out, Care. Listen to this..."

Caroline had to make him stop. She had used all of her energy to build up the strength to go through with this pinnacle moment. She was anxious to find herself on the next flight to New Orleans.

"Wait, Tyler. I'm sorry but I need to say this. It's eating me up and I feel sick to my stomach. I just need to be honest with you right now."

Tyler frowned suspiciously.

"Should we sit? What the hell is going on, Caroline? Are you ok?"

She didn't notice herself crunch down, knotted and afraid. She was searching for the words forgetting every sentence she had rehearsed in the car.

"Tyler, a lot changed for me. Recently I came to terms with that but when Bonnie died nothing else mattered. All I could think about was my best friend. But now everything is boiling up again." She took a deep breath before she lost her nerve.

Caroline was shaking. The chill in her soul was paralyzing but she began to regain her confidence.

"Tyler, I can't lie to you anymore. I'm confused about us. Ever since you came back I've known that I look at our relationship differently. Losing Bonnie delayed the truth but I have known for a while now."

She finally elevated her head to see his face.

"I'm not the same person anymore. So much has happened and so much is going on in my head that I can't commit to us. I need some time in a new place to sort a bunch of things out."

Tyler was stirring on the bench. He stood up brusquely but immediately sat next to Caroline again. This time the sides of their bodies were touching.

"Are you breaking up with me?" he looked at her stunned and frightened.

"You're in love with me, right?" he whispered grabbing her cheeks in his hand and stared into her eyes.

Caroline's silence was deafening.

Violently he released her face and was standing in front of her.

"I do love you, Tyler but I'm not in love. I'm so sorry. I tried. I really did and I know it's hard to believe that right now. I wanted everything to go back to how it was but it never did."

A gush of tears streamed down but her remorse angered Tyler more.

"So you get to decide this for us! You want out and I'm supposed to let you send it all to hell. What did we have, Caroline? Did you just string me the fuck along?"

"No! No, Tyler, never. You have to know that. I loved you. I love you still but not the way it was. I wanted to talk to you face to face and give you the respect you deserve but I couldn't hide this anymore. I will always hate the fact that you had to leave your home and be alone and afraid but I can't change the past. And as my feelings changed I waited to be sure I wasn't messing things up for us with no good reason. But, I'm not good for you. You deserve more than what I'm able to give you."

Tyler snarled and his face contorted into twisted grimaces of fury.

"Where are you going? Where do you need to go to think, Caroline? I'll come with you. I'll stay out of your way but let me come with you. I love you, Caroline."

Those words felt like they cut her heart and she held her head in pain.

"I'm sorry, Tyler." she sobbed. "It's not going to change. I'm so sorry." Caroline wailed.

He looked dizzy and broken. Caroline wanted to hold him but she knew he was not going to accept her so closely.

"Where are you going? You know...to sort your shit out. Where are you going?" he said shaking.

"I'm just going away for a few days or a week. I really don't know myself."

"Where the fuck are you going, Caroline?"

Evading the truth was not an option for her. She had promised herself to be honest but Klaus wasn't aware of her change of heart and Caroline could have avoided telling Tyler at that moment. She should have walked away.

"New Orleans." she whispered.

Caroline thought he might faint.

"YOU ARE GOING TO HIM. You're leaving me for Klaus!" he roared and smacked the side of her face. Caroline covered her cheek and found her breath. She stood up and was relieved to see Matt running towards them.

"Tyler, it's not like that. Klaus doesn't know and I just need to talk to him. I don't know what will come of it but it's not what you're thinking. Unlike you, I've been faithful."

Matt stood closely by when Stefan appeared and signaled him to step back.

"I know about you and Hayley. I'm not stupid, Tyler. But you know what? It took that awful event for me to realize my feelings were changing. That betrayal should have hurt me more than it did and I should have left you then. But I became upset with myself instead because my own feelings were changing. I didn't want that but it happened anyway."

Tyler circled around her. "And you're in love with Klaus?" he shouted.

"What!" Matt interrupted. "Are you crazy, Caroline?"

"Matt, please go inside. Caroline doesn't need this from you now." Stefan responded solemnly.

Matt shook his head in disgust and walked away from her. Caroline was coming apart. The abandonment had commenced.

"Say what you have to say, Tyler. Give me everything you've got. I'm expecting it all. Get angry, sad, bite my head off...whatever. I'm not making excuses for myself but I just want it to be out in the open. We both deserve to move on."

Tyler looked fatal but a spine-chilling smile spread across his face.

"Come out with it, Tyler!" she yelled.

"You know, you're right, Caroline. I do want to rip you apart. I really want to hurt you right now and I will. My revenge will be so sweet and I'll watch you suffer. Maybe I'll even record what I have to tell you so you can look at yourself later because that's what you're doing to me, Caroline. You're torturing me and it's only fair I hurt you back." he smirked.

She had no idea what he was insinuating. I was agonized to be so far and unable to protect her from the werewolf. I attempted to cast a spell to cool Tyler down but my ancestors were intervening. I could feel the intense power his revenge would have over Caroline but my magic didn't work. My best friend's demise waited.

"Remember the bignews I was telling you about earlier? I'm so glad you let me wait to tell you, sweetheart. Are you ready Caroline?" he scorned menacingly.

"Your lover boy, Klaus? It seems like the guys in your life need some distracting from you after all. While Klaus was in town drawing you romantic pictures, he also fucked Hayley. And I'm so glad I brought her to visit Mystic Falls because then she would not be pregnant. Caroline..." he said placing his hands on her shoulders "Hayley's in New Orleans having Klaus's baby."