CHAPTER SEVEN-Because Of You-

The next few weeks turn into a blur as I finally manage to somehow get "Auntie Caroline and Auntie Bonnie" to take my baby sitting duties for Lillian. She had been doing great last night, but she had started to develop a low grade fever and I had talked Bonnie into taking her to get her checked out.

I've been on my lunch break for last few minutes and I had just finished up my conversation with Bonnie about how the doctor told her that Lillian seems to have an ear infection. I also asked her if she could pay for the antibiotic's she'll probably need. And just when I'm about to finish up talking to Bonnie, I watch as Lexi storms into the backroom of the bar in a huff and slowly following behind her is a tall, blue eyed and dark haired young guy wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a gray button up t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it.

I try not to ease drop on their conversation, but their practically yelling at each other and it's hard not to listen. I'm sitting at a small table in the back room and I can tell they haven't noticed that they're not alone. When their almost screaming match starts coming to a head, I tell Bonnie that I need to go and hang up my phone, placing it in my pocket as I take small steps towards them.

"Damn it, Lexi! I told you that I was going to invite them to the wedding. What's so wrong with that?" He asks her, as she places her hands on top of her head and exhales deeply, likes she's waiting for him to beg for forgiveness. But, when he doesn't Lexi walks up to him, so that they're face to face and she speaks.

"I told you, Damon. I don't want my step mom and my father at the wedding! How many times have I told you this. He left my mom and I when I was a little kid and now, when his little girl is supposed to be getting married...he wants' back into my life? Where's the logic in that!" She bellows as she watches Damon squint his eyes at her, scrunching his forehead and pinching his nose together with the tips of his middle finger and his thumb.

"All, I'm saying is that everyone needs a second chance, Lexi." Damon tells her before they had even noticed that I was standing within listening range.

They both turned to me and looked me over, mouths closed shut and suspicion on their faces.

"Who the hell are you?" Damon asks out loud, not even turning towards Lexi as he speaks.

Lexi wipes away at the tears in her eyes as she looks past Damon and directly at me. "She's the new hire Damon. Elena, has been working here for about two weeks now." She explains as we both watch as Damon brushes past me, but says in a harsh tone before he turns the comer and leaves the room. Lowering his dark ocean blue eyes at me. "Listen, Elena...You maybe the new hire and don't know all the rules, yet. But, here's the deal...Stop listening in on other people's conversations and...you'll be golden." He says with a smirk as he straightens out his jacket and leaves the room in silence.

I turn to Lexi slowly as I look her over, Lexi's eyes are bloodshot and her hair is swaying every which way as I watch her retie the black ties on her apron and exhale deeply. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that..Damon's usually not so rude. It's just...wedding jitter's...I guess." She tells me with a slightly smile as she wipes away a remaining tear on her check and I hear her exhale heavily.

"It's fine. I'm sure he's a good guy and I know what the pressures of a wedding could do to you." I tell her as I swallow hard. My mind races back to a time when my ex had asked me to marry him and then the day before our wedding, he left me for a girl that he was seeing. I know what she means and I certainly know what it's like.

Lexi sniffles once more as she places her hands on her hips and smiles, probably thankful that she has finally met someone who knows exactly what it's like. "Are you married, Elena?" She asks me as she looks over at my hands and frowns when she doesn't see a wedding ring on my ring finger.

I shake my head as I bring my eyes to meet hers and then I sigh deeply. "I was engaged once too. High school sweetheart...Matt Donovan." I say out loud as I run my hands through my long hair. Just the sound of Matt's name coming from my mouth makes my stomach churn with the thought of how we ended it. Him running off with some random girl and me, alone with the memories that I couldn't let go of until a few months ago.

Lexi nods her head and then she gives me that saddened look, that I've been getting from a lot of people lately. When I tell that them that my older sister recently passed or the fact that I'm her daughter's guardian, not married and still living in my sister's old apartment...surrounded by all of her things. But, this look is a new one, it's more of a "Holy shit. You really have been through hell and back."

I watched her lean against the stainless steel table in the middle of the room as she runs her hands on the edges of the table and then lets out a small laugh. "So, what happened to Mr. Donovan?" She asks with a curious tone.

My mouth curves into a straight line as my eyes dodge her gaze and fall upon a red table cloth that's on one of the tables in the room as my mind goes back to the words that Matt had spoken to me, before the ceremony had even began. "I can't do this Elena, I love Denise...I'm sorry, I hope that you and I can still remain friends." Remembering his words make me cringe as I too lean my back against the stainless steel table and begin to explain to Lexi, the horrors of finding out how the guy that I loved, loved someone else.

"He left me. A few hours before the ceremony. Matt had come into the room that I was in, getting ready for my big day. He told everyone to leave and when he looked at me with those guilty ridden blue eyes of his. I knew. I had a gut wrenching feeling that something was wrong..So, I pushed him to tell me and when he did..I walked out into the hall where everyone had gathered and I called the whole wedding off. And that was it, I haven't spoken to him since and honestly, I'm okay with that. Last I heard from my two best friends was that Matt married Denise about a year ago and they have a son." I tell Lexi and I hear her blow her nose and her eyes get watery once again.

"That is such a sad, heartbreaking story!" She nearly shrieks as she steps in front of me and hugs me tightly. When she finally lets me go, I smile at her and say "You should just give Damon's suggestion a chance, Lexi. I can tell that he loves you. All he's doing is trying to fix things between you and your family. So, that your happy." I tell her softly as she nods her head at me.

"I know, You know what? Thank You, Elena. I'm going to go talk to him and tell him, he's right. For once, Damon is right...I should invite my step mom and my dad, it's time we fix this rift between us." She tells me confidently as I feel her squeeze my shoulders and then she smiles widely as I watch her leave the room.

I smile too as she leaves and then I hear the door swing back open and when I look up to see who it is, my heart tightens and I clench my jaw tightly as her annoying voice swirls into the air around me and I try my best to keep calm. "Oh, look at you...managing the waitresses and you're a first rate marriage counselor..Aren't you sweet." Rebekah says as she sways her hips with every step she takes and the closer she gets to me, the more I pray that I'll have the strength not to punch her in the face.

"What do you want, Rebekah?" I ask with an icy tone.

"No need to be rude. Elena. I just wanted to let you know that for some reason, Stefan's looking for you..He's in his office." She informs me with a wicked smile and a roll of her blue eyes.

"Okay." I tell her as I brush past her and turn my head to look back over at her. She's got a stupid grin on her face as she raises her eyebrows and her left hand at me. Waving a goodbye.


I walk into Stefan's office and instantly can tell that he's busy with something. But, his head shoots up when he sees me and he smiles widely as he gestures for me to sit down at the chair that's across from his desk.

"John, let me call you back. Okay? Alright bye." He tells the person on the other end as he hangs up the phone in his hand and then clears his throat to speak.

"You're probably wondering why I called you up here." He tells me with a grin on his face as he watches me nod my head and my eyes are glued to his, in a state of confusion.

"Well, I need to ask you a favor. I was going to ask, Rebekah. But, she has plans that day and she can't cancel them...umm, I hope it's not to awkward of me to ask. But, Lexi and Damon have a wedding rehearsal this weekend and I was wondering if you could be my date to it? My stand in for Rebekah?" Stefan says as his green eyes lit up with excitement and he tilts his head to the side, waiting for my response.

I swear, my brain register's his words. But, my mouth takes longer than usually to respond as I let out a small laugh and shake my head to the side in surprise. A few hours with this gorgeous man without that annoying girlfriend of his sounds like heaven to me. So, as I watch Stefan's smile from his lips fade and then he looks past me and to the door, he clears his throat quickly. "So, Elena. Will you be my date to my brother's wedding rehearsal?" He asks again as I nod my head yes and then I try to contain the excitement in my voice when I nearly shout out "I'd love too."


A/N: A wedding rehearsal? Elena finally gets some more one on one time with Stefan.. yey! ;) What do you think will happen? Also, please let me know what you think about Damon/Lexi...Good ? Bad? Love to hear from my readers!

Thanks For Reading & Hope you liked it!

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