Finally! Right? I know, this took forever. It's also pretty short. But by nothing short of a miracle and some gentle nudging on twitter (thank you for the kick in the butt by the way) I present chapter seven. Enjoy!

P.S. Thank you for the AMAZING reviews. I read every one of them and cherish every one of them!


Chapter Seven - Wine and Cake

Mystic Falls

There was something very humbling about moving back in with your pregnant aunt and her husband. I'd only been half joking the first time around but turns out, I was back to my roots. I was living in Mystic Falls and had been for two months. I was certainly on the fast track to something and it wasn't using my Masters for anything useful. No. Playing assistant to Caroline as she planned Jenna's baby shower was how I'd been spending my time. And avoiding Matt Donovan at all costs.

The events of the road trip seemed so far behind me but Damon did not. He crept into my thoughts now and then but we hadn't spoken. I'd started to think that what happened between us out on the road had been a side effect of the RV. Being stuck in that small space enticed us into friendship. At least, that's what I started telling myself. Still, for some reason I couldn't forget the look on his face when I rejected him. The way his features fell was almost haunting and who knows, maybe I would spend the rest of my life asking 'what if'.

With the baby shower hours away, I'd been busy running errands for Caroline, cleaning for Aunt Jenna, and trying to organize a storage locker packed full of things that used to be in a loft in Tribeca. It was a turning point in my life, letting it go and that was exhilarating.


Santa Monica, California

Finally. We'd finally made it to California and mostly in one piece. I leaned against the wooden railing and closed my eyes, letting the cool breeze off the ocean hit my face. The seven hour drive from Williams Arizona to Santa Monica had been awkward at best and I had never been happier to steal a few moments alone with my thoughts. The ocean was a nice distraction, the push and pull of the waves was calming at best.

So much had happened in the last few weeks and whether it was cliche or not, I landed on the west coast feeling like a completely different version of myself. I attributed a lot of that change to the person who'd been avoiding me like the plague. We needed to talk about what happened. I wasn't about to let another man silently pressure me into being a certain way or wanting certain things. We had both said and done things hastily, in the heat of the moment. The truth was, I liked Damon. I wanted him to be in my life and despite the fact that we'd slept together, I wanted to be friends. Deep down, I'd hoped he could be more, but I wasn't about to bend over backwards to make it happen. I would be okay regardless.

"Thought I might find you here."

His voice surprised me and I smiled, but didn't turn around. I could feel his presence next to me without even looking. "He speaks," I replied, using his words against him. "We need to talk."

"Yeah," he offered quietly and I hated that tone in his voice. It made me regret what had happened when that was the last thing I wanted to feel. "I was an ass, Elena."

"I know." And I did. But, part of me was thankful for our lack of better judgement. "I was there too...and I'm not holding it against you, Damon. You taught me a lesson that needed teaching." A small, but confident smile graced my lips. "I don't think the whole roommate thing is a good idea. Not now. The truth is, I don't need someone to help me. I have spent way too much time on autopilot and just accepting the things that happened to me. I know I agreed but it was a mistake. I have to stop relying on other people."

He exhaled next to me and I finally turned to face him, to take in the surprise dancing around in those eyes. He was...hurt? Those eyes might have ruined me if I let them. "Fine. I was toying with the idea of staying in LA anyway."

Damon's reaction didn't match the expression on his face and it tugged at something deep within me, but I couldn't entertain anything other than the decision I'd made on the last leg of our road trip. He seemed to be shutting down, withdrawing from the conversation before it even began. "Oh...well, good." It was hard to work around the fact that he'd just totally shut down in a matter of seconds. That wasn't the man I had gotten to know.

"Yeah, I might give the whole Katherine thing another shot." My eyes widened and he smirked before continuing. "Turns out she's not over me after all."

"Are you crazy?" I couldn't keep the emotion out of my voice. He was an idiot. "All the shit she did to you and you're just gonna go back to her like nothing happened?"

His jaw clenched and his gaze darkened. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you thought, 'Lena. I'm an instant gratification kinda guy...seize the moment. Y'know, live for the day."

"That's bullshit and you know it, Damon. You can do so much better than her and your talent...my god, I've seen your photos." It felt like I was trying to talk him out of his own backpedaling, which I wasn't. He was a grown man and could make his own decisions but the confusion had been clear on his face when I rejected the previous agreement to be roommates. It wasn't a smart move and I needed to stand on my own two feet. Plus, I really liked Damon and my gut said I wanted more from him than he did from me.

"You can't have an opinion on something you know nothing about, Elena." His tone was cold and I drew back a little, hurt written all over my face. I could feel it in my stomach, the regret over opening up to him so quickly. "And I don't have to explain myself to you. Good luck with the loft. See ya around."

He walked backward a few steps and then spun. I stared at his back for far too long, wanting to yell but in all honesty, what was the point?


I was stuffing gift bags when Caroline finally tracked me down and I offered her the friendliest smile I could manage, knowing she was only there to give me more to do. "When these are done, I need some help with the banner. I swear, sometimes you just have to do everything yourself."

I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head. Typical Caroline, and with Stefan gone, she'd been more overbearing than normal. "Everything looks beautiful, Care. Jenna and Ric are gonna love this. What time is the photographer getting here?"

She stood a little straighter but didn't answer right away. Instead she fidgeted with the clipboard in her hand and cleared her throat. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually. Please don't get mad."

"Mad about what?" I questioned, moving finished gift bags into their designated spot. "What did you do?"

"The photographer cancelled and so I was desperate."

My eyes narrowed and I crossed my arms with a heavy sigh. Somehow, I knew I wasn't going to like what was coming. "You and desperation do not mix, Care. Last time we had a conversation like this, Damon ended up on our road trip."

Caroline sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and looked as guilty as I'd ever seen her look. "Damon is coming instead. I hired him as a replacement."

Yep. You're in trouble, Elena. "So? Am I supposed to react a certain way? I was the one that rejected him and he's the one that decided I wasn't good enough to be friends with...end of story."

"If I had any other choice I wouldn't have asked him, Elena. I'm really sorry."

"No, Care, it's fine," I said, waving the whole thing off. "We're adults and I intend on acting like an adult. I'm over it, okay? Today is about Jenna."

Caroline nodded and she seemed satisfied with my answer. I'm glad one of us was because it felt like my insides were jelly. "Good, now we have to go hang the banner," she informed, her happy, bubbly mood back in place.

Surprisingly, I was calm, cool, and collected after the initial shock. Caroline kept me busy and doting on Aunt Jenna filled the rest of the time. It had me believing that I could carry on like normal. Damon Salvatore did not and would not affect me, especially after months of not hearing from him. I made the right choice in standing on my own two feet and my resolve held strong until I laid my eyes on him. My stomach turned and my heart almost gave out on me because he was beautiful. His camera hung, as usual, around his neck and he was talking animatedly with Jenna.

Stay strong, Gilbert. You made the right choice.

When Jenna finally moved on, Damon was left standing there and our eyes met. I could feel my face warming but I didn't look away, unfortunately. He took a step in my direction but Caroline called his name from across the yard and he was gone. Before I could gather myself I noticed her. Katherine. At my aunt's baby shower. With Damon. She sized me up with a glare that surprised me to be honest. Did she know who I was? In a panic I retreated to the house. I needed a drink.


Jenna balanced a handful of baby clothes on her stomach, reaching for another present. I laughed at her from my place, conveniently hovering around the table full of food. It was the safest place and the furthest from Damon and his shadow who hadn't stopped eyeing me since she pranced into the back yard with the most ridiculous pair of heels on I'd ever seen. Little by little she'd moved closer to where I stood and I did my best to pretend like she didn't exist. I really tried.

"I'm shocked Damon flew all the way here for this thing."

The voice wasn't one I heard before but I knew exactly whose mouth the words had come from. I turned, gave her an uninterested look, and then went back to watching the shower. Apparently, Katherine was even more petty than I imagined her to be.

"You know, I can't figure out for the life of me what Damon saw in you." My head snapped in her direction and she nodded as if she'd gotten exactly what she wanted. "I overheard him talking about you to his brother." Katherine admired the slices of cake on the table before meeting my irritated gaze head on.

"It wasn't said directly to you, which means it's none of your business. I am none of your business." Her face was made up, makeup flawless but, I imagine anyone with money could look that way.

She glanced over at Damon who was taking photos, ignorant to the conversation that was growing heated. "When your name continuously comes up in my house you automatically become my business. I don't know what juvenile cat and mouse game you're playing with Damon but it stops. Right now."

"I guess you're not as informed as you'd like to think you are, Katherine. I haven't spoken to Damon in months." I pursed my lips and lifted a plate with a piece of cake, taking a bite with a smug grin. "Santa Monica, that was last time we spoke. I recall him saying he was running back to you because he had nothing better to do."

Rage transformed her features and everything started to happen in slow motion. She tossed her glass full of wine forward and it hit me in the face, my plate tipping out of my grip and falling to the ground. "You bitch."

I stood there a moment, my white shirt stained red, drops running down my face and into my mouth that was open in complete shock. "What is wrong with you?"

People were starting to glance back in our direction, but she wasn't done yet. "You think you're little miss perfect with your innocent eyes and your squeaky clean small town life. You'll never be good enough for him. You're just a cheap imitation of me."

Something inside me snapped my hand connected with her face before I could stop myself. She stood there in shock, both of us did actually, and everything around us went silent. From the corner of my eye I caught Caroline and Damon moving toward us. Hurriedly, Katherine picked up a piece of cake and smashed it against my face, knocking me to the ground. Caroline was there to pick me up before anything else could be said or done and when I finally got to my feet, Katherine and Damon were gone.

"I'm so sorry," I said to Jenna when I realized she was holding my other hand. "I don't know what...I didn't mean for that…"

"Caroline, take her inside. Get her cleaned up." Ric instructed quietly after rushing to the growing group by the snack table, patting me on the back.

It felt like everyone's eyes were on me as Caroline led me away. Probably because they were and all I could seem to replay over and over was the look on Damon's face when he saw what had happened. Everything felt so far away. The road trip felt like someone else's story. Our quiet walks under the stars at night. The train ride to the Grand Canyon. None of it felt real anymore but worst of all, I felt empty. After months of convincing myself that I'd moved past whatever it was that went on between us, all it took was a childish altercation to make me see that I still had a lot of work to do.


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