You Lost Me
Chapter Six - New Page
The trip wasn't as long as they wanted it to be but after a whole week, Damon and Carla were back in Mystic Falls. They didn't go farther than North Carolina and visited only Greensboro and Charlotte. But both cities were enough for them to have a lot of fun. It was a nice change of scene going to bigger cities, although neither one was like the metropolis they were used to before moving to Mystic Falls.
Damon didn't develop any feelings towards Carla but he liked more and more her company. He didn't expect the affair they had to develop into a relationship of any sort. Actually he was pretty comfortable with what they had. She didn't need to tell him twice that she wasn't up to having anything serious because that was the last thing he'd want.
And as he drove them back he really pondered if there was a reason to stay in Mystic Falls at all. The little getaway has served its purpose and the moment he had with Elena while she was unconscious was long gone. He didn't have anything else holding him back in the southern city. If Katherine knew about the werewolves and wasn't doing anything about them it was because they certainly didn't present any big threat to vampires. His relationship with Stefan would never progress from what they had now. He knew his brother would be there for him if he needed and he also knew he'd be there for Stefan. And surprisingly enough Damon was okay with that. He wasn't the same vampire anymore.
When he arrived there he was just an angry and selfish vampire trying to rescue the woman of his life. Now as he drove to bring Carla back he felt like he has reached a balance. He was still selfish but not as much and definitely not as angry. His humanity would never be totally off again, or maybe if it did, it'd require a lot of effort from him and he wasn't looking forward to change it. It felt nice to feel the way he did. He was careless and reckless but not totally or immensely, just the right measure to enjoy his undead life. So why be around the drama?
"Thank you so much" Carla offered as he stopped in front of her house "I really needed some days off. This thing with grandma is being hard and the distraction was welcomed" she turned to him and for a change he had a smile in his face instead of a smirk.
"I could say the same thing. All this drama with my brother and his ladies and the two ladies trying to kill each other, maybe too literally, was exhausting"
"Especially when you have feelings for one of the ladies" she smirked raising her eyebrow as he looked at her surprised.
"I guess you're mixing me with my brother" his smile dropped quickly and he was serious "Actually with any other guy because feelings are not my thing. Really, I'm not good with them so I don't even try" his lips curved into a fake smile and she only shook her head slightly.
"Just because you don't try it doesn't mean you can avoid it but anyway whenever you're up to have some fun like this again, even when our lives aren't sucking, let me know" she told him and then wriggled between the two seats in the front to get her bag in the backseat.
"Will do. By the way, do you want a ride to the hospital? As I can see your car isn't fixed yet" he looked to the empty garage.
"I should just get rid of that garbage. It spends more time with the mechanics than with me. But yeah, that would be nice. Just let me drop my stuff and we go there" she smiled and hopped off the car and opening the front door, she just threw her bag inside without even caring to know if she hit any furniture or anything.
A whole week. That was how long Elena's torment lasted. Ever since her visit to Mrs. Flowers everything became harder. She missed Damon and she wanted to take amends with him. She was still hurt about what he did to her brother and that he could be very dead now if it wasn't for the ring but the past belonged in the past. She knew first hand now what Katherine was capable of doing with someone's mind and Damon actually loved the vampire for a very long time so it was even harder for him.
It was hard to forgive him but she finally did. Although she doesn't remember a thing of what happened since the moment Katherine threw her in the wall and when she finally woke up with him already gone, she was touched by how he took care of her. Her forehead has been carefully stitched and she wondered where he learned to do it. She was positive she wouldn't have a horrible scar thanks to him. Her arm was bandaged also with such attention. But what matter the most was the blood he gave her. She never went to the doctors to have an accurate diagnosis but she didn't think she was actually going to die and still he gave it to her just in case. He cared about her enough to go to the great lengths of giving it to her. It contradicted everything he did until that day but then just like that he was gone.
And he wasn't alone, he took the girl with him, his girlfriend – she thought. And that hurt Elena. She knew she had no rights because she has been adamant that it'd always be Stefan to her but that wasn't how she felt anymore. It didn't cross her mind to break up with Stefan or to jump into Damon's arms but that certainty with which she responded to his advances in the fatidic night faded away. She loved her boyfriend, she was sure of that and she still imagined spending her whole life by his side. But her mind couldn't ignore Damon anymore. She was happy with her life with Stefan but more than once in the past few days she gave some thought about what a life with Damon would be.
She wandered about all the things he did to release Katherine from the tomb when he thought she was still there. It warmed her heart to know that he was as much dedicate as Stefan if he wasn't more. Damon was a passionate person whether he'd admit that or not. When he did something he gave his own self and it didn't really matter what this something was. It could a person, a plan, a decision. He'd give his best and he'd give his all. He was also fun. She has had a lot of fun with him when they traveled to Georgia and she had to admit that most of his jokes and witty comments were amusing.
But although those things were very nice and the list could go on and on what really popped in her mind every now and then was what he did to Carla. He was there for her in the hospital, they went on dates and he even took her for a getaway. While Stefan has always been there for her and they had their share of dates, Elena still felt like Damon took those things to a completely different level. She could imagine them playing pool in the grill but not like Stefan and she did. No, with Damon it'd be totally different. He'd be smug about his skills and too arrogant for her taste, he'd kiss her every now and then and they'd be laughing the whole game. She bet he'd even try to cheat and deny it no matter how much evidence she had. It'd be a lot of fun. While with her actual boyfriend she had fun it was still sort of tedious and many times tense. Stefan was too quiet and uptight and sometimes their relationship neared boredom. With Damon it'd never be like that and no matter how much she fought it every time it crossed her mind she had a smile in her lips. She liked his adventurous side and she never had it with Matt or Stefan but she'd love to.
Maybe he'd take her to road trips from time to time and she'd certainly do some crazy stuff with him like she never did with someone else. He had a way to free parts of her that she wasn't sure existed or that she couldn't remember of. With Damon she felt like she was alive while with Stefan she felt like she was simply living.
There was no use of trying to reprimand those thoughts, they'd be back and some of them already invaded her dreams. The ones that she avoided the most. Sex. She could listen to him and Carla the other day. Both Katherine and Caroline seemed to be sure that he was some god in the deed and his body was definitely sinful. Those were the only thoughts that she had some control over and brushed off completely. She shouldn't be thinking about how it'd be to have sex with Damon. Fair enough she shouldn't be thinking any of that but she convinced herself the other things that crossed her mind were only hypothetical situations.
Very hypothetical as she had not a clue of when she'd see him again. Despite his actions when Katherine hurt her, he still left with a girl and was probably giving her the time of her life. She wasn't even sure if she'd see him again and that was why she decided to come to the hospital again. She'd try to talk to the nurse she did the first time and see if Carla has said when she was coming back. She decided to go there walking and think all those things over instead of taking her car.
She had just turned the corner when she saw the light blue Chevy parking in front of the hospital. It was Damon; he was back in town but since when? Elena was close enough to see them inside the car but hopefully far enough for him to notice her presence. She kept walking even though too slowly, just in case he'd saw her. They were talking and she felt her heart breaking in her chest. He was smiling to Carla. Not smirking or simply curling his lips. It was a genuine smile, the kind that she has been granted only a few times.
She looked their surroundings and there was this small square in front of the hospital and crossing the street she sat in one of the benches and watched them. They were laughing now, probably about any of his jokes. Finally Carla opened the car's door and without looking back she hopped and walked towards the double doors.
Damon didn't look to her too long and starting his car he was about to leave when he honked and called what Elena thought was his girlfriend's name. She seemed to be too distracted and kept her slow pace leading Damon to hop out of the car and run after her. He had something in his hand and Elena couldn't say from afar what it was exactly.
"I know your playlist is much better than mine but I guess you'd like to have it back" he said as he reached for her and handed her iPod.
"Don't you want to keep it and make a copy? You can give me it later" she offered and he pondered about it for a couple of seconds before stretching his hand to her again.
"You better keep it. I might as well as steal it using the excuse of not having a chance to give you back. There's always a risk lending music and books, you may never get it back" he told her and he knew she got exactly what he meant. He wouldn't be giving it back to her because he wouldn't be seeing her again.
"I better not take any risks" she smiled, taking it back.
"You better not, but if you want to send me the ones in the Damon folder by e-mail I wouldn't mind" he winked to her and she just laughed a little, knowing that it was like him to create a folder with his name and probably duplicate the songs in her iPod. She may know a little about Damon but it's already enough to know that he does as he pleases and knows no boundaries. He just doesn't care.
"I'll do that" she moved the device to her purse and looked at him "So, I guess this is it" she quietly offered. Their talk in the car has been just casual and around jokes and things that happened in their little trip. They never said goodbye but now it felt like that.
"Yeah, I hope your grandma recovers. Give me her room number and I must pay a visit someday" he offered genuinely. He knew Carla was heartbroken because she was losing Martha and she'd be really happy to know that her grandmother recovered from a stage IV cancer by miracle.
"Sure" she opened her purse again and taking a pen she got his hand on her own and wrote the number on it and then blew it.
The hot breath against his skin turned Damon on remembering of that same mouth exhaling on his neck, chest, nape and he thought those lips deserved a special goodbye of their own. He moved his hand to her chin as she blew and brought her face against his, kissing her with desire. It wasn't a see-ya later kiss but a farewell one and he just wanted to kiss her hard and properly.
As they broke apart, she was breathless and he was already smirking. She matched his features and without exchanging any further words they turned on their tracks and took their separate ways.
Elena was also breathless. It was like the air in her lungs has vanished and she just hoped the soft breeze wouldn't send her scent straight to Damon's nostrils as he made his way to his car with a silly smirk in his face. She surely didn't want him to see that she was there and especially not how she looked because she knew she wasn't covering any of her feelings in that moment.
Thankfully he didn't seem to notice her. Probably too distracted about Carla and only feeling her scent, she thought bitterly. Or maybe he did felt her but preferred to just ignore her, like usual. He didn't look around anywhere and getting inside he just started the car again and left, leaving Elena struggling to keep her composure.
AN: so Carla and Damon are no longer an item and Elena takes on step forward about admitting there's something there, even if it small or just a physical attraction. She'll certainly have it all figured out in a few updates.
Just to clarify because I don't do POV's but wherever I refer to Carla as Damon's gf, as him having feelings for her, etc I meant it from Elena's pov. I tried to make it very clear that Damon and Carla are nothing but bed buddies and that they both know and want it.
Next: Carla and Elena interact again and it might be surprising.
I'm also sad that I've got not many reviews in the last chapter. Maybe the fic lost its pace or it isn't interesting or appealing anymore, I don't know but I want to thank to EtherealDemon, shadylady21, xLoveRyanx, niadk, Nejlla and heyprincess for reviewing it. I really hope I get a few more this time around. Not every chapter can be filled of action, especially in this point where Elena is finally realizing that she feels something for Damon.
Talk to you soon
Babi
