CHAPTER VII

May 2018.

"Who…?"

Caroline raised her eyebrows questioningly, still smiling.

"Who are you?"

Her smile became blurred slowly as she felt how her stomach twisted. Stefan rubbed his eyes again, confused. She stood up awkwardly and he looked at her, waiting for her response.

"I…" Caroline swallowed, noticing the knot in her throat. It was supposed that there would not be more moments like those, there were supposed not to be more tears. "I'll go find Damon, okay?"

Caroline left the room, breathing hard, and once she was outside, she leaned against the wall, covering her mouth with her hand. This could not be happening, not now that she had finally got him back.

Damon showed up at the end of the hallway after climbing the stairs with a plate of pancakes in hand as he hummed softly. When he saw Caroline, when he saw her glassy eyes and her broken face, he stopped singing, smiling and walking.

Caroline could not help but collapse and started to cry, covering her face with her hands. Damon put the place of pancakes on a furniture quickly and walked toward her, more confused than ever.

"Blondie? Hey, what's wrong? Stefan has woken up, shouldn't you be jumping?" he asked, not knowing if he wanted to know the answer.

Caroline sobbed and uncovered her face, wiping her cheeks with her hands. She shook her head and swallowed.

"He doesn't remember me" she said, feeling the tears in her cheeks again. "He… He's forgotten me" she covered her face again, not knowing what else she should do or say. She wished she was not crying in front of Damon, but this was too much to take.

Damon gaped at her. He looked around, feeling lost.

"That… Valerie had to make it permanent" Damon gritted. "I'm going to kill her. I'm going to…"

Damon closed his mouth at seeing that Caroline could not stop sobbing, her shoulders shaking. He huffed in frustration and put, after hesitating a bit, one hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

"We'll find a solution, we'll fix this" he said, not very convinced. Caroline sniffed, raised her head and shook it, without looking at him.
"I have o go" she said weakly.
"What?"
"I can't be here, I…" Caroline put her hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. "I can't do this."

Caroline walked past him to head to the stairs but Damon grabbed her arm. Caroline closed her eyes patiently.

"Damon, please" she begged.
"You said you wouldn't give up on him. You said you'd help him remember."

Caroline stared at the ground for some seconds. She was not sobbing anymore, but tears could not stop falling from her eyes, silently. She looked up at him and Damon was able to see the same look she had had for months after Stefan left. And that could not mean any good.

"Yes, I said that, because he hadn't forgotten me completely yet. Because he still kept some memories of me, he still knew who I was. There was a way. Now… Now he doesn't know who I am, he doesn't remember me at all. Nothing, as if…" her lower lip trembled and she felt her legs shaking. It looked like another of her nightmares. "As if I had never existed."
"Blondie…"
"I'm done" she shook her head with closed eyes. "I'm done" she repeated, trying to convince herself. "She won. Valerie won."
"Bonnie must know what to do, I'm sure that-"
"Damon" Caroline let out a long sigh and looked intently at him. "Let me go."

Damon looked at her and then nodded. She turned around, and Damon clenched his jaw when he heard the front door closing.

Damon opened his eyes and frowned when he heard the door close. It was 4 in the morning, and Stefan was not the kind of guy who usually comes home at that hour of the night.

He went downstairs and found him pouring himself a glass of bourbon, staggering. Was he drunk?

"Hey, hey" he said, snatching the bottle from his hands. Stefan looked at him, trying to focus him. "Who do you think you are to drink my bourbon? My brother?"

Stefan laughed with disdain and took a long sip.

"Are you drunk?" Damon asked him.
"I think I am" Stefan said.
"All right, come on" Damon said, grabbing his arm to lead him to the stairs.
"Damon, wait" Stefan stopped. "I need you to promise me something."

Damon looked at him with curiosity.

"Promise me… If anything happens to me, if I'm not here someday… You'll take care of Caroline."

Stefan looked at him with a straight face and Damon laughed.

"You really are drunk, huh?" he said.
"Damon" Stefan did not move. "She's strong, she's amazing…" he smiled sadly, looking away. "But I need to know that you'll take care of her. Promise me."
"Yeah, yeah" Damon rolled his eyes but Stefan insisted, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Really! I promise! Okay? What did you drink anyway?"

Damon finally managed to grab his arm and drag him upstairs to walk him to his bedroom. The last thing he heard from him before closing the door was how he muttered sleepily that Caroline was the best thing that had ever happened to him.


June 2018.

Stefan went downstairs and headed to the door, but stopped when he saw Damon sitting on the couch with a glass in hand and a kind of book on his lap. He walked towards him with his hands in his pockets and sighed when he saw that it was a photo album.

"Stop torturing yourself" he said. Damon looked up at him with a questioning look. "It's the third time I see you looking at Elena's pictures."
"Mm" Damon took a sip. "I'm not in depressive mood, Stefan, if that's what you're thinking. I accepted what happened a long time ago."

Stefan nodded, surprised to hear his answer. Who would have said. Damon turned a page and Stefan was able to see Caroline in one of the pictures, hugging Elena as they both laughed. He rubbed his neck and Damon looked at him from the corner of his eye with a smirk.

"Anything you'd like to ask me?"
"Well, uh…" Stefan cleared his throat, trying not to make eye contact with Damon. "I was wondering… That girl" Stefan sat beside him and pointed at Caroline with his head. "She was here the day I woke up after you found me and… Well" Stefan scratched his chin and Damon squinted, enjoying the moment of confusion of his brother, "she left and hasn't come back here. Caroline, right?"
"Aha."
"Well, where is she?" he asked. "Does he live here in Mystic Falls? How do you know her?"
"So many questions" Damon said.
"Considering she was with me when I woke up… I wonder who she is, Damon, don't you think? It seemed as if…"

Stefan looked down at the ground and Damon stared at him with interest.

"As if what?"
"As if we knew each other, I don't know" Stefan shrugged. Damon pursed his lips to keep from smiling.
"Yeah, well… Caroline is like that" Damon said. "She's from Mystic Falls, a Bonnie and Elena's friend."

Stefan nodded and glanced at the photograph in which she appeared.

"Is she like us?" he asked.
"Aha."
"Where is she?"
"Where is this sudden interest coming from? You look like a teenager with a crush."

Stefan remained silent, frowning. Damon looked at him with wide eyes and then burst into laughing.

"You like Caroline" he said. "You like her!" he repeated, surprised. "That's why I caught you the other day watching these photo albums! You wanted to know if she appeared in the photos."
"Damon…"
"That's why you asked Bonnie about her when she was here the other day with Enzo" he continued.
"Damon."
"You like Caroline!" Damon insisted, patting his arm. Stefan rolled his eyes.
"No, I don't" Stefan said, not convinced.
"Of course not" Damon winked at him. "Don't worry, I'll help you."
"I don't want you to help me, and I don't want you to intervene, I don't want you to do anything. I simply wondered why she left suddenly. She looked sad when she left and I wanted to know if she's okay. I mean, she seemed a good person, and she looked worried, and…" Stefan sighed. "Okay, done, where does she live?"

Damon smirked.


Caroline snorted and looked at Stefan askance as he moved his leg to the beat of Bon Jovi's music. They, well, he, was watching one of his shows in a music TV channel. The remote control was on his thigh, and Caroline was trying to think of ways to take it without him realizing.

"Don't you dare" Stefan said, waking her up from her thoughts. Caroline rolled her eyes. He knew her too well.
"What are you accusing me of?" she asked innocently.
"You know perfectly well" he said with a hint of a smile, still staring at the TV.

Caroline crawled towards him on the couch and Stefan grabbed the remote control instinctively without looking at her.

"I wasn't going to take it" she said, resting her head against his upper arm.
"Mm" Stefan wrapped her with his arm and she rested her head on his chest as she kissed her on the crown.

Caroline grinned. She threw her head back slightly to look up at him, ad then pressed her lips on his jaw line. Stefan tensed automatically, holding his breath.

"I'm in the mood" she whispered seductively against his neck before pressing her lips against his."

Stefan seemed to be too, because he forgot about the remote control and the show completely and responded to the kiss intensely, caressing her thigh with one hand and biting her lower lip furiously.

It was the perfect moment for Caroline to get away with it, to take the remote control and vamp speed to the other end of the couch, chuckling. Stefan was completely frozen, looking confused. He blinked a few times and looked at her with raised eyebrows in disbelief.

"Really?"
"Really" she said, changing the channel. Stefan looked at the TV screen with his mouth open.
"Love Actually? Again?!"
"Aha."
"We've watched it a thousand times, Caroline."
"And you can listen to Bon Jovi in the car, in my room when you steal my laptop sneakily and look for his playlist on Youtube, or…"

Caroline could not finish because Stefan had pounced on her to try to take the remote control. However, she was fast and stretched her arm to keep it out of his reach. Stefan took the opportunity to bite her waist playfully.

"Stefan!" Caroline exclaimed, pushing him away with a kick. She got up and walked around the couch to stay out of his reach now. "Las time we said no bites."
"Last time you said I could have the remote control this month. Is that a stain on the wall?"
"What?!"

Stefan used the distraction to snatch the remote control. Caroline pursed her lips and glared at him. He shrugged.

"If you can play dirty, so can I" he said.

Caroline jumped on him, clinging to him as if she was a monkey, to take the remote control. Both struggled, trying not to laugh, since they both were too proud and wanted to win at all costs. But when Stefan had to move his arm quickly to dodge Caroline's hand, he hit a vase on one of the tables of the living room. It felt and hit the floor loudly.

Stefan stopped suddenly, remaining paralyzed, and fearing for his life more than ever. Caroline stared at the pieces of the vase with her mouth half open, not reacting. Stefan looked at her, waiting for her to say or do something. She then looked at him as if she was going to yell, but when she saw his messy hair, she started to laugh uncontrollably. Stefan sighed with relief and joined her, laughing. He had actually feared for his life.

Minutes later, they both were sitting on the floor, around the pieces of the vase, trying to glue it and fix it. Not successfully though.

"You're crazy for me huh?" Stefan said suddenly.
"What?"
"Well, I've broken one of your vases and you haven't killed me. You must be crazy for me" Stefan said with a wide smile, very proud of himself. Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Ah!"
"What?" Stefan looked up. Caroline had cut herself with a sharp side of one of the pieces. "Wait, let me…" Stefan took her hand and sucked the small cut on her finger. Caroline stared at him, feeling a tingle in her stomach. "Mm, you don't taste bad, Caroline Forbes, not at all and…"

Caroline jumped on him again, this time to kiss him.

She closed the journal and dropped it on her lap, rubbing her forehead, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. Caroline shook her head with a sad smile, wondering what the hell she was doing, rereading again some of his journals. She glanced at the other end of the couch, where he used to sit.

She reached out to take the cushion of his side and buried her face on it, inhaling his scent. It was still there, impregnated, not wanting to say goodbye. As she refused to do, despite having said goodbye so many times. She always came back. Now to his memories, again.

A tear fell down her cheek and she let herself drop on the couch, hugging the cushion, feeling dizzy in her own sadness. She wondered if he would be doing okay without her, and then she regretted doing so. Of course he was doing okay, he did not know who she was, he did not remember her. He had the opportunity to start again, maybe even fall in love.

She felt as if she was suffocating at the thought. Would that be her life from now on? Would she just try to realize that she would live her eternity being in love with someone that did not remember her?

The doorbell rang and Caroline snorted. She could not believe that he was there, again. Damon never gave up, and his renewed optimism made her angry.

"Go away" she said, knowing that he would be able to hear her without raising her voice. "I'm not having this conversation again, Damon."
"I'm the other brother, actually. Stefan."

Caroline felt her body tense suddenly, her heart started beating at a rate that was not healthy, and her legs started to shake. Stefan was there. She had tried to avoid him by all means. She had not put a foot in the house since he had woken up, she did not use to walk around the town, and she never visited Bonnie and Enzo unless she was sure that Stefan was not there.

She rose and dropped the cushion on the couch. She stared at the closed door, seeing his shadow and silhouette behind the curtains of it. His hands in his pockets as he looked down, waiting.

A thousand of memories came to her mind, a thousand of moments in which she had seen the same thing. Stefan there, waiting behind the door with a smile; or just him opening it himself as if he was home.

She grabbed the doorknob and tried to calm down and soothe her breathing. She blinked several times and closed her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath. When she opened the door, Stefan looked up at her.

Caroline thought her legs were going to fail her, but she made a great effort not to collapse. He gaped at her for a moment. He did not seem to know what to say, he looked nervous.

"Hey" he finally said, nodding his head with a little smile. "Damon told me where you…"

Stefan closed his mouth when he saw the shirt that she was wearing. Caroline frowned, not knowing why he was speechless.

"I have the same shirt" he said with a smile.

Caroline looked down at it and them remember that it was actually his shirt. Her hands began to sweat. Obviously he did not remember that. Stefan looked over her shoulder to the house.

"Nice house" he said.
"Thanks" she put her hair behind her ear. "Mm, what…? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, look, I was near and… Damon's birthday is next week and I know you two are friends, and he told me you're great at organizing parties and events, and it turns out I'm awful at it. Not that the idea of holding a party at my house really attracts me, but… I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to help me?"

Caroline looked at him, not knowing what to say.

"Please" he said, staring into her eyes with that face that he used to put, with that irresistible look that she could not say not to.
"Yeah, I guess I can help you" she said.
"Great" he smiled sincerely and Caroline could not help but hold her breath. "I'll call you."
"Okay" she nodded and Stefan did the same before turning around and walking away.

Caroline closed the door and leaned her back against it, her hand on her chest.

Caroline looked at herself in the mirror and smiled as Stefan moved under the sheets, opening his eyes slowly.

"What are you doing?" he muttered sleepily.
"Dressing. I have class in an hour" she said. She looked around for her jeans. Stefan saw them on the floor next to his bedside and took them.
"Looking for this?"
"Finally" she said, walking over to the bed to take them, but Stefan dodged her. Caroline raised her eyebrows and folded her arms.
"Stay" he said with a smile. Caroline tilted her head and smiled.
"Stefan…"
"Stay" he repeated. "You're wearing my shirt."
"Yeah, it's mine now" she explained.
"Without my permission?"
"I don't need your permission, Stefan" she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm your girlfriend."

Stefan chuckled, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. Caroline laughed too, shaking her head, as he pushed her against the bed to get on top of her. He watched her carefully, her lips, her collarbone, her neck, her eyes. She blushed a little, remembering something, and cleared her throat.

"Uh… Do you remember what you said yesterday?" she asked.
"When? I said many things" he said, although he knew perfectly well what she meant.
"Well, uh… When we were… you know."
"Mm?" Stefan looked at her with a questioning look.
"After you… You know, you told me…"
"I love you. Yes, I know."

Caroline stared into his eyes, unable to not smile. Of all the times that she had imagined Stefan would say those words, he had said them as they made love. And she could not stop thinking about it. No one had told her 'I love you' at a moment like that, and it made her feel the most special woman on Earth.

She sighed. Now she understood why Stefan had told her that he loved her the last time they were together in bed. The last time he said it was like the first one.


"Thank you for inviting me. I was so bored in New York."

Caroline smiled appreciatively at Daniel after ringing the doorbell of the boarding house, both of them waiting for someone to open the door.

"So… These are your friends?" he asked her. Caroline nodded. "You couldn't find your ripper?"
"No" she said dryly. Daniel could tell that she did not want to talk about it, so he chose not to ask again. He held out his arm and Caroline took it. "Well, then we'll have fun like we've never before."

The door opened and Damon froze at seeing Caroline's companion. He looked

The door opened and Damon was something stopped to see the companion Caroline. He analyzed him slowly.

"And you are?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Daniel!" he said, taking off his jacket to give it to Damon.
"Uh… Daniel, he's Damon" Caroline said, pursing her lips to keep from laughing. Damon looked at her with narrowed eyes. Daniel stepped back quickly.
"Oh! Sorry, I thought you were the doorman. Happy birthday man."
"Come in" Damon said with a fake smile.

The music was heard throughout the house at full volume. There were waiters and waitresses serving drinks and snacks. And there were dozens of people that none of them knew, as usual.

Daniel clapped enthusiastically and headed to one of the large rooms were people were dancing. Caroline was about to follow him but Damon grabbed her arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
"Coming to your birthday party? I already wished you a happy birthday this morning in a text."
"No, blondie. I mean what is that attempt of boyfriend doing here" he said, pointing at him with his head.
"He's a friend. I hadn't seen him for a while and I thought it'd be nice to invite him" she explained.
"What a coincidence" Damon mumbled, looking around.
"What do you mean by that, Damon?" she asked, pushing his arm away to fold her arms.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Enlighten me, please.
"You've invited your replacement boy to the party to avoid Stefan and keep yourself busy all the time" he said accusingly.
"I'm not…"
"Yes, you are!"

Caroline clenched her jaw and glared at him. She turned around to follow Daniel and not to punch Damon.

"Whatever" he gritted.


Stefan took a sip of his beer, his back against the wall and his hand in the pocket of his jeans. He was trying not to, but he could not help but look askance at Caroline from time to time. She was talking to Daniel, smiling occasionally, but something told him that she did not seem very happy.

He sighed, looking down. That had not gone as he had planned. Something pushed him towards her. He could not stop thinking about the way she smiled when he woke up and opened his eyes. When he woke up after the attack of the heretics, she was the first person he saw. That face, those eyes, that smile. He was going crazy. He was losing his mind. There was no other possible explanation.

"So?"

Stefan woke up from his reverie when he heard Damon, who took his beer to give it a stip. Stefan looked at him with a questioning face.

"What are you waiting for?" Damon said, pointing at Caroline with the bottle. "I didn't tell you to ask her help you organize my birthday just for you to stand there like a frightened kid."

Stefan rolled his eyes and took the bottle. Damon gave him a little push.

"She's busy right now, don't you see?" Stefan said, a bit annoyed. "Who is that?"

Damon shrugged, glancing at Daniel.

"Is he… her boyfriend?" Stefan asked.
"What? Of course not! At least I don't think so" Damon said. He grabbed Stefan's arm and dragged him towards them.
"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, trying to escape.
"How is it going, guys?" Damon said. Caroline and Daniel stopped talking to look at them. Damon released Stefan and smiled at them widely. Stefan pursed his lips, somewhat embarrassed, and looked at Caroline to greet her with a wave of his hand. She gave him a shy smile, but looked away quickly, something that made him feel as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. "Daniel, why don't you com with me? I'll introduce you to a witchy friend. You'll have fun."
"Damon" Caroline muttered, but he ignored her and grabbed Daniel, who was keen to meet more supernatural beings.

Caroline looked at the ground for a few seconds before looking up at Stefan, who rubbed his neck.

"Uh… Would you like to dance?" he asked. Caroline gaped at him.
"Sorry, what?"
"You haven't danced yet and I was wondering if…" Stefan looked around, watching the people dance, "you'd like to dance with me.
"You hate dancing" she blurted without thinking.
"No doubt I do" he said, laughing. "But I thought that maybe you… Wait, how do you know I hate dancing?"

Caroline walked among the guests to reach Stefan, who was sitting on a stool next to the drinks table. When he saw her, he left his beer on the table and reached out so she would take his hand.

She grinned and got close to him, standing in the space between his legs, putting her arms around his neck. Stefan put his on her waist and looked stunned at her.

"Great party" he said. "As usual, exceeding expectations."
"I told you Bonnie would like the piñata" she said, pleased. "And did you see that she's dancing with Enzo?" Caroline looked over her shoulder to look at them and smiled.
"Mm."

Caroline looked back at him and rolled her eyes.

"Well, we have finished here. Bonnie has broken her piñata, we sang happy birthday to her, she has blown the candles, and we've given her gifts to her, so… We can leave if you want" she said, looking around. Stefan frowned.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.
"Mm, no?"
"You haven't danced with me" Stefan jumped off the stool, still his hands on her hips
"You hate dancing" she recalled, laughing.
"No if it's with you" he took her hand, kissed her knuckles, and led her to the dance floor.

Caroline looked at him for a moment, not knowing what to say as he looked amused.

"Damon, uh… Damon told me. A long time ago. Well, he and Elena did, and Bonnie. It was a casual conversation and…"

Stefan looked at her trying not to smile at seeing how she could non stop rambling. He took her hand without thinking and Caroline stopped, holding her breath and looking at their joined hands.

"Come on" he sad, pointing at where everyone was dancing with his head.
"Uh… I…"

Both were startled when they heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen and Stefan released her hands. Yells and more noise were heard, it looked like someone was fighting. Damon appeared with a scowled and looked at Stefan to indicate that he should go with him to the kitchen.

"Sorry, I have to…"

Caroline nodded and watched him as he walked away with Damon. She looked at her hand and realized she was shaking. She was too immersed in her own thoughts, trying to relax, when she heard Damon calling her from the kitchen.

When she opened the door, she saw Damon holding Stefan against the wall. Only that more than Stefan, he seemed the Ripper. With dark eyes, the veins on his face, and the fangs showing, like a predator.

"A little bit of help?" Damon asked her as she looked around in horror.

Two of the guests had had a fight, apparently, and probably due to some girl. One of them had his knuckles bleeding, and Stefan seemed to want to pounce on him as the boys looked scared at him.

Stefan groaned, trying to shake Damon off.

"Blondie?!" Damon insisted. Caroline reacted and walked towards him.
"Stefan, hey…" Caroline put her hand on his arm but he ignored her. He had his eyes on the boy. Until Caroline took his hand. "Stefan."

It was like a reflex. As soon as he felt her delicate little hand holding his, he turned to her, completely forgetting the smell of blood, the bloodlust. Caroline stared into his eyes as Damon compelled the guys to forget and continue drinking and enjoying the party.

"Listen to my voice, okay?" she said tenderly, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. Stefan stared at her, watching her lips. Damon looked at them from the corner of his eye with narrowed eyes, feeling that he was interrupting some very intimate moment.
"Can you take our little monster to his bedroom while I clean all this mess? There are some drops of blood on the counter" Damon said. Caroline nodded.
"Come with me" she said to Stefan, pulling his hand gently out of the kitchen. He followed her without saying anything, focused on her hair.

When they went out of the kitchen, Damon smiled, shaking his head. It was kind of funny. As soon as Stefan had forgotten Caroline, he had also lost the reason why he had learned to keep control.


Caroline opened the door of his room and headed to the bed, pulling his hand. Stefan was silent, looking down with a look of regret. She sat down and he did the same. He looked at their joined hands with a slight frown and Caroline realized that his veins, dark eyes, and fangs were gone.

"I'm sorry" he murmured.
"Stefan, hey… It's okay" she gave him an affectionate squeeze and Stefan snorted, shaking his head.
"No, it's not. I don't know what happened. I thought I had it under control, there was something…" he frowned even more, confused "that made me keep control and it's as if it was gone somehow."

Caroline looked down. It was torture.

"And yet, it's been enough that you… I don't know how you did it, but it was hearing your voice and the bloodlust has gone" he said. Caroline gave him a thankful little smile, but she looked away quickly. Stefan, however, kept looking at her intently. "It's crazy, but it's like… we knew each other from another place, another…"
"I think the bloodlust has affected your brain" she said quickly. Stefan laughed. "I'm not kidding, you may have some effect of…"
"You're cute."

Caroline looked at him. Stefan smiled, looking down as she felt her heart skip a beat.

"You're so good with the vampire thing" he said. Caroline watched how he played with their fingers. How could that be happening? How could they be so comfortable when he did not know who she was?

"You're so good at it. At being a vampire."
"Because of you, Stefan. I'm good at it because of you."

"Because someone taught me" Caroline said.
"Sounds like he was a good teacher" he said. She smiled slightly.
"Yeah…"
"And now you've taught me" he said, giving her a playful nudge. Then he dropped his hand on the mattress behind her, moving closer to her. He led their hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles as she held her breathing. "Thank you again."
"I should…" Caroline cleared her throat. "I should go back and-"
"Your boyfriend is waiting?" he asked suddenly, changing the tone of his voice a little.
"My what?"
"The guy who you came with."
"Oh, no, no. He's not my boyfriend at all" she explained.
"So, you don't have a boyfriend?"
"No… Well, I was with someone" she said, looking into his eyes. "Some time ago, but… It didn't end well."
"What happened?" Stefan asked.
"He…" Caroline smiled sadly. "He forgot me."

Stefan frowned, surprised.

"What an idiot" he said. Caroline could not help but let out a brief laugh.
"It wasn't his fault, actually" she said. It wasn't your fault.
"How could anyone forget someone like you?"

They looked at each other for a few seconds that seemed eternal for her. She felt how her heart started beating fast when his gaze landed on her lips as he stroked her hand with his thumb. Stefan was bringing his face close to hers slowly, and he gulped. Caroline could not help but lift her other hand to place it against his chest and grip his shirt, to which he replied with a little smile, closing his eyes, and finally brushing her lips. Caroline closed her eyes too, feeling every sense of her body waking up, and asking just for one thing: him.

When she felt his tongue battling hers, he placed her hand on his neck, pulling him closer to her. Stefan smiled against her lips and dropped his hand on her thigh, squeezing gently.

Until you're ready. And when you are, I'll still be here.
You always remember.
It'll always be because of you.
Because if you don't remember me, then what am I?
But what about me? Do you remember me?
Because if you weren't here, I don't know what I would do.
Caroline, I don't want you to come with me.
Because if I was able to hate him, everything would be easier. But I can't.
Sometimes I hear him, he talks to me, I hear his laugh like an echo that has stayed home.
Don't even say his name.
I've been going crazy thinking it was my fault, thinking I wasn't enough for him.
Because it's you. You are you. Tell me that you haven't forgotten me.
I'm already forgetting you.
I will remember for the both of us.
I forgive you.
Who are you?