A/N: I'm back! I feel like I've been on a roll with these updates to all my stories, lol. The reason this one took so long is because it's the longest chapter I've written of any of these fics, I had more written but had to cut it off because it was getting out of control, and I kept editing it and rewriting certain scenes. It was kind of tough but I finally got it ready for your reading pleasure. :) The response for the last chapter was amazing, very different reactions from everyone on the events that took place which I love, and more than I could've hoped for. I'm so happy you guys are invested in this story and my take of these characters at all and I hope I can keep your interest throughout the rest of this fic.
Song Credit: The Worst by Jhene Aiko
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to The CW. No copyright infringement intended.
9 - Texts & Lies
Don't take this personal, but you're the worst
You know what you've done to me
And although it hurts I know
I just can't keep running away
- Jhene Aiko
Bonnie had her mind set on getting the Mystic Platter when she walked into the Grill, then heading straight home and devouring it. The wing, jalapeño popper, mozzarella stick, chicken strip combo was one of Bonnie's favorites on the menu and she'd been craving it all day. After spotting Matt behind the bar giving her a friendly wave, she started toward him to place her to-go order when she was stopped by a painfully familiar voice calling her name. She turned and sure enough, there was Rebekah Mikaelson waving her over to her table. Bonnie huffed to herself and approached her.
"Hey," Rebekah said with a smile when Bonnie reached her. "Meeting someone?"
"No, I was just picking up some food to go," Bonnie said, pointedly.
"Why don't you sit with me for a minute?" Bekah suggested. She read the uncertainty in Bonnie's eyes. "What's the matter? You think I'm going to bite or something? Sit." She pulled out the chair and patted the seat of it. Bonnie sighed and settled into it.
"I'm glad you're here," Rebekah said and sipped from her Coke. "Staying with the boys is all right, but it's nice to have a girl to talk to." Bonnie internally groaned. The last thing she wanted was more girl talk with Rebekah or to spend any more time with her at all. The first time had been excruciating enough.
"I was actually only going to be here for a few minutes to pick up some food..."
"I can't believe how bad things have gotten with Damon and I." Rebekah put her drink down with a heavy sigh. "I'm fighting so hard for his love and it's like he doesn't even care. Sometimes, I feel like he hates me."
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Bonnie said. "I'm actually pretty sure he loves you, but just because two people love each other doesn't mean they should be together."
"I can't be without Damon. It's too hard."
"Well, I really hope you guys are able to work it out but I have to-"
"Maybe I should take a more subtle approach." Rebekah either wasn't picking up Bonnie's desire to leave or she was just ignoring it. Either way, Bonnie felt stuck. She was screaming inside as Rebekah went into yet another spiel about how much she loved Damon and her determination to fix their problems. She felt a sense of relief when the topic switched but it quickly fell onto Bonnie's love life.
"How is everything with you?" Rebekah asked her, curiously. She didn't even hear Bonnie's answer as her eyes traveled past her. "Wait, isn't that your boyfriend coming in?" Bonnie looked at her curiously before turning to see Tyler coming through the door, because one uncomfortable run-in that day wasn't enough.
Tyler's eyes fell on Bonnie and she quickly turned around. "No. He's not my boyfriend," she said.
"Well, your not-boyfriend is heading over here," Bekah said, slightly amused. She smiled up at Tyler as he appeared at the table, hovering above them. "Hello. Tyler. Long time no see."
"Hey Bekah, when did you get back in town?" He asked.
"Just a few days ago," she replied. "You look buffer than I remember."
Tyler chuckled. "Thanks, that was the goal." He turned his attention to Bonnie. "Hey, Bon. Can I get you a drink, talk to you for a minute?"
"I was just leaving." Bonnie got up from the table, ready to make a hasty exit. Tyler gently placed his hand on her arm in an effort to stop her.
"Hey, just one drink," he said, dropping his voice. "Please?" Bonnie's shoulders dropped as she released a heavy sigh.
"Just one."
Twenty minutes later Bonnie was slamming down her third shot. "Woo! They're going down smooth, Lockwood. Quit being a pansy and take another shot!"
"Damn, I know you're a heavyweight but when did you get so mean about it?" Tyler asked with a laugh.
Bonnie held up her shot glass and shouted to Matt, "Another shot for the man, please! And another one for me!" She gave Tyler a silly-faced smile. "I can't believe you have me drinking in the daytime. You used to hate when I drank."
"Only when you started getting too friendly with everyone," he explained. "You know how you get, Bonnie." Bonnie wasn't listening, her eyes were on Matt as he approached them.
"Wow, Matt, you're so cute," she told him. "Have you always been this cute? Your eyes are so blue!"
"Okay, time to cut her off," Tyler instructed. Matt chuckled as he took the glass from her.
"What about you, man?" He asked him.
"I'm good with this," he said in reference to the beer he'd been nursing for twenty minutes. Tyler could drink with the best of them, but he'd wanted to have a serious discussion with Bonnie. He hadn't expected her to go crazy after being offered one shot.
"Whatever, I'm going to the bathroom," Bonnie announced, getting up from the stool.
"Sure you'll be able to find it, lush?" Matt joked.
"Fuck off, Donavan," she threw back and he laughed as she started away. Both he and Tyler watched her go for a moment before Tyler turned back to Matt.
"Thanks for letting me know she was here," he said to him.
"No problem," Matt replied. "I miss you two being together, all of us hanging out. Things haven't been the same."
"I'm going to fix this," Tyler said, confidently. "I'm going to get my girl back."
Bonnie was making her way toward the ladies' room when a pair of handsome, Italian brothers stepped through the entrance. Bonnie stopped in her tracks, and her eyes fell on the younger of the two.
"Stefan..." Her voice was breathless, hopeful as she said his name. He gave her a small nod and walked past her without a word. Her heart dropped as she watched him head to the pool tables where Rebekah was chatting with some girls she knew from high school. He hadn't even spoken to her. How could he not speak to her? They'd had disagreements before, but never would they see each other and not speak. He might as well have completely ignored her presence, treated her like a stranger. When she turned she found Damon hadn't moved, he was still standing there staring at her.
"Bonnie..." She shook her head and walked away from him, resuming her path to the bathroom. He was hot on her heels. "Bonnie, wait..."
She whirled around and glared at him. "I have nothing else to say to you, Damon."
"But there's things I need to say to you," he said. "Please, if you can give me two minutes."
"I've already given you way more time than you deserve," she said.
"Look, Bonnie, I'm sorry!" He was ignored as she disappeared into the bathroom. He sighed heavily.
"Hey." Damon turned to see his brother staring at him. "If she wants her space then give it to her," Stefan demanded. "Come on, I got you a beer. Let's play some pool."
When Bonnie emerged from the bathroom, she walked past the Salvatores, Rebekah, and her friends and went back to the bar. She didn't bother to sit, just grabbed her purse from the stool. "I'm leaving," she told Tyler. "Thanks for the drink."
"Wait, you can't just leave," He argued. "Is there something wrong, Bonnie?"
"No, I only wanted to come in here for some food and go," she explained. "I never meant to be here this long."
"What did you want?" Tyler quickly asked. "I'll order it for you. Was it the platter? You were always getting that during lunch time."
"Yes, but you really don't have to-"
"Matt, can we get an order of the Mystic Platter. Actually, make it two," Tyler stated. "Sit, Bon. It's been too long since we've done this." Bonnie found herself settling back into the seat before she could really question her actions, but when she bit into the first jalapeño popper she had no regrets. The Grill still had the best poppers in town, hands down.
They talked as they munched, Tyler more than Bonnie. He filled her in on what had been going on with himself and his family, making sure to mention that he hadn't been seeing anyone since their break-up. "I think about you every night," he told her. "I wish I didn't, that I could go one night without seeing your face before I fell asleep, but I can't." A loud cheer from the back caused Tyler to look over his shoulder. Apparently, Rebekah was winning their pool game. Bonnie suspected Stefan was letting her.
"What the hell is his problem?" Tyler huffed.
"Who?" Bonnie questioned.
"Damon Salvatore," he answered with a furrowed brow. "He's been glaring at us since he got here. He looks like he wants to take my head off."
"Damon Salvatore is an ass," Bonnie stated.
"I know, that's why I still can't stand him or his douchebag of a brother," Tyler sniped. "Sorry, I know he's your friend..." He noticed Bonnie's change of expression. "He's still your friend, right?"
"Things are a little complicated with Stefan and I right now," she replied.
"Well, that explains why he's been acting like he doesn't see you over here," he said. "I was waiting for him to come over and try to steal you away."
"You have nothing to worry about."
"Unless Damon decides to start problems," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "I haven't even seen the dude in years but if he wants to fight again we can fight."
"Don't worry about them. You're here with me," Bonnie said softly, placing a hand on his arm.
Damon noticed the action from across the room, and the sickening way they were looking into each other's eyes. He was contemplating flying across the room and cracking Tyler over the head with his beer bottle, then Bekah stepped into his view and he realized how stupid that would be. He was here with his ex, drinking and playing games as if everything was cool. Of course he hadn't wanted to come, and if he'd known Bonnie would be there he definitely wouldn't have.
After the fight he and Rebekah had two days prior, Stefan had taken her to a hotel to give them both time to cool off. Then she'd texted Stefan that morning, begging him to meet her at the Grill later on and to bring Damon with him. She promised not to bring up the topic of their relationship or getting back together, that they would all just hang out like they used to, and have fun as friends. Stefan nearly had to twist Damon's arm to get him to agree, but he was sick of his brother being in a pissy mood and taking it out on him since he had no one else around to be an ass to. He was going to get him to have some fun if it killed him, and if Rebekah brought up their failing relationship once or started a fight of any kind, Stefan was prepared to follow up on his threat of bringing her to the airport and putting her on a plane to Novia Scotia to get her as far away from his brother as possible.
"Why are you so distracted?" Rebekah asked Damon, shoving a pool stick at him. "This is the worst I've ever seen you play."
Damon tore his eyes away from Bonnie and Tyler and looked at his ex. "I guess I'm really not in the mood for games," he said, pointedly.
"Shut up and play," Stefan snapped, sipping his beer. Damon glared at him before taking the stick and leaning over the table, focusing on the white ball as he aligned the stick. His concentration was broken by Rebekah's raised voice.
"Bonnie! Tyler!" She called out to the pair. Damon looked up and saw they were heading toward the exit together. They stopped in their trek and looked at them. "Play a quick game with us before you go?" Rebekah suggested.
Bonnie and Tyler exchanged a quick look. "No thanks," Tyler spoke up. "We've gotta go. Maybe next time." And they quickly made their exit. Tyler's use of the word we was not lost on Damon. He wanted to go after them, grab Bonnie by the arm and tell her not to leave with Tyler, demand she stay away from him if he had to. How could she be angry at Damon for having Rebekah around then go off gallivanting with Tyler three seconds later? Damon wanted to revert to his old ways and start trouble, and kick Tyler's ass while he was at it. But he didn't make a move as they left.
"Well, looks like he won't be her not-boyfriend for much longer," Rebekah remarked, earning herself a nasty look from Damon.
I don't need you, but I want you
I don't mean to but I love you
- Jhene Aiko
That night Damon was determined to get drunk. He cracked open his most expensive bottle of bourbon and went to town. Stefan was locked away in his room, talking on the phone with Elena, and Rebekah had went up to one of the guest rooms to go to bed after Damon made it painfully clear he didn't want any company.
Damon made the impulsive decision to call Bonnie, despite the fact that it was after midnight. His irritation grew as he made call after call and they all went unanswered. "Answer the goddamn phone!" He demanded to her voicemail. "Answer your phone, Bonnie!" Pause. "Why did you leave with him? Why did you leave the Grill with Tyler? Are you fucking him? Did you fuck him?!" He screamed the last sentence, slamming the bottle in his hand down so hard it almost cracked. "Fuck it, I don't care...I don't care about anything. You better not fuck him, Bonnie." Damon hung up the phone, chugged from the bottle, and headed to the stairs, stumbling on the way. He steps were loud and heavy as he ascended the spiraling staircase to his bedroom. He fell onto his bed and was out like a light within thirty seconds. He wouldn't remember making that call in the morning.
The room was completely dark, save for Bonnie's cell phone lighting up with a voice message alert. She didn't make a move to check it as she already knew who it was from. The incessant buzzing of her phone wasn't the only thing keeping her from falling asleep.
There was a groaning and shifting in the bed beside her. "Who keeps calling you?" Tyler asked her in a groggy voice.
"I don't know," Bonnie lied. "It's a private number."
"Well, if they call again let me know," he said. "I'll pick up and tell them to fuck off." Bonnie was lying on her side, stiff as a board as Tyler wrapped his arm around her, bringing her body in closer to his so he could snuggle up to her. The sound of his even breathing in her ear a minute later indicated he'd fallen back to sleep, but she was still wide awake.
Bonnie wasn't entirely sure how she'd ended up there. After leaving the Grill, Tyler had talked her into coming back to the house with him and watching some movies. They ended up binge watching True Blood, they shared a meal Tyler had prepared, and before she knew it, it was 11:00 at night. Tyler insisted that she sleep there, that it was still her home and she was not a guest. Bonnie admitted to herself that she did miss sleeping in her own bed, didn't really feel like driving back to her Grams' house, but more than anything, she didn't want to spend another night sleeping alone.
Tyler could hardly contain his glee when she agreed, even after she told him in no uncertain terms that there would be no sex being had that night. After receiving a single kiss, Tyler fell asleep beside her with more hope than he'd had in the past few months. Bonnie, however, didn't feel right as he slumbered with his arm around her. He wasn't who she wanted to be sleeping next to, and a certain Salvatore's repeated calls wasn't helping matters. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get those ocean blue eyes out of her head.
Damon lay in bed, bare-chested and staring up at the ceiling, a slight throbbing in his head. He was a little bothered by how bright the morning light pouring into his bedroom from the window was, and trying to recall when he'd even come up to his room the night before. His mind soon wandered to more deprecating thoughts. He didn't move when the door to his bedroom was opened slowly and soundlessly, then Rebekah was creeping in. Damon barely gave her a look, regardless of the fact that she was in nothing but a purple lace bra and matching panties.
"I was hoping you were awake," she said, lifting the blanket he was lying under and sliding into the bed beside him. "I could hardly sleep last night knowing you were in the next room." Damon said nothing and she snuggled up next to him. "Last night with your brother was fun, just like old times. Wasn't it? Remember how much fun we used to have?" He didn't respond but she continued on anyway. "Like when we were teenagers and stole your Uncle Zach's Porsche and went joyriding. That might've been the most trouble we ever got in but it was totally worth it." She chuckled but Damon remained silent, his eyes still looking toward the ceiling. "I remember our first date. We went to the movies with a group of people then we split off and went to the Falls alone. You were so surprised when you tried to make a move and I didn't go for it. I actually made Damon Salvatore work for it, something you never had to do. And our first trip to Vegas. We partied so hard, I won $4000 dollars at the Bellagio, and we had sex on top of the cash. That was a fun night. Remember?"
"I remember the second time we went," Damon finally spoke up. "You immediately got drunk, flipped out on the black jack dealer for supposedly flirting with me, flipped out on me when I asked you not to make a scene, and refused to do anything with me the rest of the night. We left early and argued the whole way home. I remember the time you keyed my Camaro when you saw it parked outside of Caroline's house, instead of just calling me so I could tell you Stefan was using it because his car wasn't working. We had a huge fight when I told you you had to pay for the paint job, you tried to hit me and you smashed my brand new TV."
"Damon, look at me." Rebekah moved on top of him, cupping his face in her hands so his blue eyes had to focus on her. "That was all in the past. I can change. I will change...for you. You just have to give me another chance." She brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. He didn't resist, and she pulled away and opened her eyes to look into his. "I love you, Damon." She brought her lips back to his in a more fervent kiss. Her intent was clear as she kissed him more passionately, rubbing her lower body against his. He brought his hand up and gripped her neck as she tasted him, and took her by surprise as he suddenly flipped her onto her back and climbed atop her.
"Is this what you came in here for?" He questioned.
"You can't tell me you don't miss this, Damon," she replied, breathlessly. "I miss you. All of you." She lifted her head to kiss him again but he dodged it, moving back as he slid off her panties. He didn't bother to take his boxers all the way off, just pulled them down and positioned himself in between her legs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him even closer to her, and gazed lovingly at him.
"I've missed you so much, baby," she moaned and gasped as he suddenly thrust himself inside of her. Her breath caught in her throat as he moved roughly, gripping the edge of the bed above her head, but not making eye contact. She cried aloud as he took her in a way she hadn't quite expected, pounding into her relentlessly. When she tried to bring her hands to his face so he'd look at her, he slapped them away and looked everywhere but in her eyes. When she tried to kiss him he pushed her down and thrusted even harder. The headboard was clanging against the wall so loudly, Rebekah thought it might break, but enough time wasn't given. It was suddenly over, he groaned, pulled out, and rolled away from her without a word. She tried to reach out to him but he removed himself from the bed and headed to the bathroom, pulling up his boxers and not even giving her a backward glance.
She lay back on the pillow, confused about what had just transpired. They'd had rough sex before, but never so dispassionately. He wouldn't look at her, refused to kiss her, he'd taken her like she was a stranger, someone he wanted to use purely to get off then get away from as quickly as possible. The throbbing in between her legs seemed to be the cause of them taking six steps back as opposed to the three steps forward she'd expected their coming together sexually to bring about.
She could hear the shower running. Why was he so quick to wash away the traces of their intimacy? She was losing him, Rebekah finally realized. She may actually be losing him for good this time. She curled up into the fetal position and cried freely into his pillows. Her cry was interrupted by the sound of his iPhone vibrating on his nightstand. It buzzed twice then fell silent. Rebekah sat up and listened for a moment. After being sure Damon was still in the shower she picked up the phone. Locked. Of course. Rebekah breathed a sigh of frustration. He had a text message but she needed the passcode to read it. She was sure it had been changed since the last time she'd hacked into it but typed in those four digits anyway. No go. This could take ages for a lot of people, but Rebekah was the hacker queen, having broke into Damon's phone, e-mail, and all of his social media accounts while they were living together.
When she heard the shower water shut off, she quickly placed the phone back on the nightstand in the exact spot it had been before, next to the bourbon bottle, and lay back down. Damon strutted out of the bathroom a few minutes later, an unnecessary towel wrapped around his waist. He went to his dresser to retrieve some clothes and didn't give Rebekah a second glance.
"Are you going to lay in my bed all day or are you going to get up and do something?" He asked as he pulled one of his shirts from the dresser.
"Do something like what?" Rebekah asked, sitting up. "I came here with one purpose. I still plan to see it through." Damon finally looked at her, her red-rimmed eyes an indication that she'd been crying.
"Not all plans are good ones, Rebekah," he told her. "Sometimes they're just downright stupid. You need to learn when to quit."
"I've never been a quitter."
"Well, I've got a new plan for you," he said as he dressed. "You go back to New Orleans with your family, concentrate on fixing the many issues you have with them, then you focus on yourself, and your career, and becoming a better person. Maybe then, we can be friends. Nothing more than that. Until then..." Another tear slid down her cheek and Damon sighed. "I just want what's best for you, Bekah." He settled on the edge of the bed and wiped away her tear with the pad of his thumb. "I'm sorry I've been so cold to you. I don't hate you, okay? I just hate who we both are when we're with each other. I'm not going to fight with you anymore. You have to start getting used to living a life without me in it, and so am I. I know you really want to be here for Stefan's party, but after that I'm booking you a flight home." That statement was definitive, no negotiations welcome. He got up from the bed and pulled on his gray Henley.
"Are you going to eat?" He asked her as he headed to the door.
"I'm not hungry," she replied, simply.
"Fine, I'm going to get some breakfast," he told her. "You can turn the TV on if you want to." He disappeared from the room.
His words all but solidified what had previously been just a passing suspicion of hers. He was seeing somebody else, and it was serious. Damon had never been so adamant about them remaining broken up, and he definitely had never been okay with them living miles apart, even when they were on the outs. Rebekah knew for a fact he'd slept with other girls during their breaks from each other before, but they'd all been dropped like flies in favor of her. This time it was different. Whoever it was this time, had enough of a hold on him to make him want to end things with her permanently. This was not okay. They'd only been apart for a couple of months, how dare he move on so quickly.
Rebekah snatched up his phone with a new determination. She was going to find out who it was. She wanted to talk to this girl. Find out who was stealing away the love of her life. She tried everything, his birthday, her birthday, Stefan's birthday, their anniversary. After having to wait a couple minutes because of the failed attempts, she tried the day his mom passed, then the day he'd returned to Mystic Falls. That didn't work, but three days from then did. Rebekah was surprised but satisfied when the phone unlocked, giving her complete access to Damon's privacy. What the significance of those numbers to Damon were, she didn't know, but she planned to find out some other things.
The first thing she did was go to the text he'd just received. The name read Bon Bon. She thought for a moment about who that could be and the only person she could come up with was Bonnie Bennett. Those two had loathed each other for as long as Rebekah had known them so that wasn't a possibility, which could only mean it was someone new.
The message read, I've decided to give you a chance to speak your piece. despite that belligerent message you left me last night. R u available today around 2?
Rebekah was going to seize this opportunity. Yes, she typed back.
Meet me at the cafe you brought me to before on Main St. Don't be late.
Rebekah seethed. He'd actually taken this girl out? She responded simply, I'll be there, then quickly deleted the text messages. She scrolled down to the other texts exchanged between the two. There hadn't been a ton of messages sent for the past couple weeks but prior to that there were many, and most of them were overtly sexual, especially on Damon's end. He sent her messages detailing all of the things he wanted to do to her, and they both expressed excitement and anticipation at seeing each other again. It was obvious they were fucking every chance they got, and it was clear no one else knew about it. Rebekah's heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she came across the photos. There was Damon Salvatore, in all his nude glory, gripping his junk, telling Bon Bon it was all for her. Her heart continued to pound as she kept scrolling, her heart was breaking more with each message she read but she couldn't find the willpower to look away. He'd sent her three photos, and after a lot of resistance she'd sent one back. Her head wasn't shown, but the female with cocoa skin, the flat stomach, and enviable curves was baring herself to Damon, teasing caption included. Rebekah felt the sadness subsiding and the rage taking over.
There was only a handful of Mystic Falls residents that weren't white, and one of them was Bonnie fucking Bennett. Bonnie Bennett, whom she had just poured her heart out to and talked about all her problems with Damon and her everlasting love for the man in spite of it all. Bonnie fucking Bennett who had offered her comforting words and wished that they could work it out, smiling at her as if they were friends. She was a slutty, calculative, bitch, just like the rest of those hoes Damon had stuck his dick in because he was mad at Rebekah, Bonnie was just well-disguised. Rebekah had taught herself to trust no one, especially females, and she was kicking herself for opening up to Bonnie. The bitch had probably been laughing to herself the whole time, knowing she was fucking Damon while Rebekah pined for him like some in-denial side chick. This behavior could not go unpunished. Rebekah was going to make her regret this.
Damon was seated at the island in the kitchen on his Macbook when Stefan entered. His brother breezed past him to the refrigerator. "What you doing, bro?" Stefan asked. "Looking for wedding venues for you and Mikaelson."
"You're not as funny as you think," Damon quipped. "I'm trying to get the Blonde Bombshell out of here as soon as possible. No weddings in my future."
"Is that why you fucked her to pieces this morning?" Stefan questioned him. Damon glared at him. "What? It`s not like you were discreet. I almost interrupted. I thought you might have been killing her as loud as you two were." Stefan sighed and approached him. "Look, I'm not going to get into your business anymore. I never wanted in it in the first place and I unwillingly got pulled in. I'm just going to say this. The worst thing you can do right now is lead her on. She's emotionally unstable, and if you don't do everything in your power to push her away, she'll always think there's a chance and she won't go away. But be careful not to push her over the edge."
"What are you, my therapist?" Damon remarked, sarcastically.
"I just want you to get your shit together," he replied. "I'm tired of this stressed out, mopey Damon or mad at the world Damon. I need my brother back." He clapped him hard on the shoulder and squeezed it. "Love you, bro. I just want you to be happy."
"Thanks, now are we done with the sentimental crap?" Damon quipped and Stefan gave him a shove that almost drove him off the stool.
"I've got things to do, I'll see you later." Stefan started to head out of the kitchen but paused at Damon saying his name.
"I know I don't have the right to ask you this but can you keep what you heard this morning between us?" Damon asked him. Stefan knew what that meant. Don't tell Elena, and most definitely don't tell Bonnie.
"I'll leave that up to you, brother," Stefan said. "I'm out of it." Rebekah breezed into the kitchen then, fully dressed and made up.
"Good afternoon, Salvatores," she greeted. "I need to borrow one of your cars."
"For what?" Damon asked with a tone that suggested there wasn't a chance in hell.
"I want to go shopping," she said. "I shouldn't have to be stuck in the house all day and shopping is therapeutic for me."
"You really are crazy if you think I'm letting you within a ten foot radius of my car," Damon quipped. "You've done enough damage."
"If I wanted to damage your car it would be damaged," Rebekah pointed out. "I just need a way to get around today. I won't be too long." She looked between the brothers. Damon looked at Stefan who raised his brow.
"Can't be mine, I was just leaving," Stefan said and Damon narrowed his eyes at him.
"Good, then you can drop Bekah off."
"There's couple places I want to go," Rebekah spoke up. "It would be a lot easier if I was driving."
"Looks like this is something you two need to work out. I'm gone," Stefan said and quickly ghosted from the house.
Damon huffed and stood up, taking his car key from his pocket. "Do not make me regret this, Mikaelson," Damon said sternly, his icy blue eyes meeting hers intensely as he gripped the key.
"You won't," she promised, taking it from his hand.
"Don't be out all day," he demanded.
"I won't," she said, blowing him kiss as she walked away. Damon shook his head and settled back onto his seat. He had comfort in knowing Stefan's birthday was tomorrow, and the very next day he planned to have her on the next thing smoking out of Virginia.
Bonnie walked from the shop to the cafe, feeling calm and cool. After contemplating it all night, she decided she would hear Damon out, if not for anything but for her own peace of mind. She had done the one thing she'd promised she wouldn't and caught feelings for this man, and he owed her an explanation. Although she had no plans to entangle herself back into his sexual web, she didn't really want to be angry or hate anybody. Maybe they could separate peacefully, she and Stefan could go back to the way they were, and Damon could deal with Rebekah all on his own. She wasn't going to invest anymore feelings.
She decided to sit outside, coincidentally at the same table she and Damon had come for the first disastrous date. She just hoped history wouldn't be repeating itself. She waited for Damon. Five minutes passed, then ten. Her foot was starting to tick with impatience, and she surveyed the restaurant but there was no sign of him. She had no idea a pair of blazing blue eyes were watching her from across the street.
Rebekah's suspicions had been confirmed. It was Bonnie Bennett, of all people. She sat in Damon's blue Camaro, watching Bonnie sitting alone, steadily growing more impatient. She finally pulled our her cellphone and fifteen seconds later Damon's phone was ringing in Rebekah's hand. She smirked and promptly hit Ignore. She was going to let her suffer a little longer before she gave her some cold, hard closure.
It wasn't until the waiter come to her table for the third time and Bonnie waved him away in a much more irritated manner that Rebekah picked up Damon's phone and typed a message to her. She knew the girl was about thirty seconds from getting up and leaving and she wanted to see her reaction.
I'm not coming, Bonnie, Rebekah typed. I'm with Bekah right now and I'm going to work on things with her. What I had with you was purely for sex and I'm done with you. I don't want to see you anymore I don't want to talk to you anymore. I love my girl. Don't call me again. "And send," Rebekah spoke to herself as she sent the text.
It didn't take long for the message to go through. Rebekah watched as Bonnie read the message and her expression changed from one of irritation to one of fury. She threw her cell back in her purse. got up from the table and stormed out of the cafe. Rebekah smiled to herself.
When Bonnie entered the antique shop, she could hear voices coming from the back of the shop. She figured Sheila was making a sell and headed straight for the back room. She didn't want her Grams to see her at the moment and instantly know she was upset, and make the connection that it had something to do with Damon.
"Bonnie!" Too late. she'd been spotted. She turned to face Sheila, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Someone stopped by to see you," Grams told her. Out stepped a tall, beautiful blonde with a smile that lit up the room. Bonnie's jaw dropped. She instantly forgot what she'd been upset about a second ago.
"Caroline!" Bonnie rushed into her old friend's waiting arms and the two wrapped each other in a tight embrace. "I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow!"
"I thought I'd drop in a day early and give you and Elena a surprise," she said as they pulled away from each other. "And Grams."
"She was just telling me all about her life in San Diego," Sheila said with a smile.
"I could be getting promoted to anchor," she reported with glee. "I'll be the youngest reporter at the station to do it!"
"Wow, that's amazing!" Bonnie gushed."But I wouldn't expect anything less from Caroline Forbes." A customer entered the shop and Grams stepped away to greet them. "Stefan doesn't know you're here, does he?"
"No," Caroline said quickly. "No one does. I haven't even been to my hotel room yet, this was the first stop I made."
"I'm flattered to be a priority. Your husband couldn't make it?"
"No, not this time," Caroline replied with a bit of disappointment then she quickly brightened again. "I'm so excited for tomorrow night. It's been ages since we've all partied together. It'll be like old times!"
"You don't know how much I've been missing old times."
"We have so much to catch up on!"
"We should go to dinner with Elena but it can't be until after 6," Bonnie suggested.
"That's perfect, I still have things I need to do," Caroline said. "I need to check into my room, change, and I'm going to visit my mom." Bonnie's expression turned to one of concern.
"Did you want me to go with you?"
"No, I think it's better if I go alone this time," Caroline replied. Her mother had passed away three years prior to cancer, and Caroline made sure to visit her grave every time she was in town. Sometimes her friends accompanied her, sometimes she insisted on going alone.
Bonnie nodded in understanding. "Okay, well, I can't wait to see you later." They exchanged another warm hug and Bonnie found she was missing her friend the minute she left the shop. Caroline had given her the first genuine smile she had in days.
The next day was a busy one for Bonnie. She called Elena to be sure both Salvatores had vacated the premises before heading to the boardinghouse. She, Elena, and Caroline with a little assistance from Matt and Jeremy, spent the day setting everything up and making sure things were perfect for that night. Caroline being Caroline soon took over control and was shouting out demands and changing things to her liking. Bonnie and Elena could do nothing but smile and shake their heads at each other. They'd missed their friend.
The house was packed and the party was in full swing by the time Damon called Elena to let her know he was on his way back with an antsy Stefan. Keeping him out of the house without spilling the beans turned out to be a much harder feat than expected, so he tried his best to get him buzzed to shut him up.
The smile that graced Stefan's face when all his friends jumped out of the dark and screamed, "Surprise!" made all the trouble seem worth it to everyone involved. Everyone rushed him for hugs and he felt an overwhelming sense of love. He noticed Bonnie lingering in the back, and she slowly approached him after the crowd around him dispersed.
"Are you actually going to speak to me this time, or should I expect you walking away from me in two seconds?" She inquired.
Stefan's face grew serious. "Sometimes I can be an asshole. I'm sorry," he said. "Did you have something to do with this?"
"A little bit," she said with a shrug of the shoulders.
"And you know how much I hate big crowds and drunk people," he quipped.
"Well, you've been mad enough at me lately, I figured why not give you another reason."
Stefan grabbed her and pulled her in, kissing the crown of her head before giving her a warm hug. "I love you, Bo," he said in her ear and she smiled into his chest. He was then being pulled away by Caroline for a dance. Bonnie turned and met a pair of electric blue eyes, staring at her intensely. Damon was straight-faced and didn't look away, even after being caught staring. Bonnie shook her head and headed in the other direction, toward the liquor.
As she poured herself a mix of Ciroc and lemonade, she wasn't surprised to feel a masculine body press up against her from behind. "You can't ignore me forever," Damon said in her ear.
"Says who?" She turned and bumped him away with her hip before attempting to walk away. Damon quickly grabbed her hand before she could escape.
"Can we go somewhere and talk for a minute?" He requested. "Just let me give you the explanation and the apology you deserve. You don't have to have anything else to do with me after that."
"I already tried to give you a chance to talk and you blew it!" She snapped. "You're a disrespectful ass, Damon!"
His brow furrowed. "How?"
"You might want to back away from me," Bonnie suggested, coolly. "Your girlfriend just walked in." Damon turned and saw Rebekah entering the room. He didn't object when Bonnie pulled her hand from his grip and stalked away. Rebekah surveyed the room before locking eyes with him. She looked hot in her skintight blood-red dress, matching lipstick, stiletto heels, and her blonde hair primped and prepped to perfection. She looked sexy as hell and quite fuckable to every guy in the room, but Damon couldn't be any less happy to see her. It was going to be a long night.
Stefan had his head buried in the refrigerator, scouring for another beer and coming up short. When he emerged, Bonnie was beside him. "Shit," he cursed, refraining from showing he'd been startled. "Announce your presence next time, Bennett."
"Sorry," she said with a rueful smile. "I just wanted to give you this." She held out a wrapped gift.
"What? I thought the party was my gift," he said, taking it from her.
"Come on, you know me better than that," Bonnie said. Stefan nodded and opened it to reveal a Cartier box. Feeling it was too good to be true, he was proven wrong when he opened the box. "Oh shit. Bonnie...wow." He looked up at his friend and a wide smile broke his face.
"Do you like it?" She asked, hopefully.
"Like it? Are you crazy? I love it!" He exclaimed, then he was hugging her so tight she could hardly breathe. When he released her he removed the Cartier watch from the box and she assisted him in putting it on.
"It looks really good on you," she complimented him as he held his arm out to admire it.
"I can't believe you did this."
"I remember how upset you were when your Rolex was stolen," she said. "Those are out of my price range but..."
"It's amazing, Bonnie," he told her. He shook his head. "I don't deserve this. Not after the way I treated you."
"You needed some time and I get that," she replied. "Plus, I had already gotten the watch when you started acting like an ass." Stefan chuckled then quickly grew serious again.
"I am really sorry, Bo, for acting like an ass to you," he said. "You know I love you, and I just want what's best for you. From here on out, I'll support you in whatever decisions you make, I promise."
Bonnie smiled. "I love you, Stef. You'll always be my best friend."
"I love you too," he said, giving her another hug.
"Happy birthday, punk. I don't want to keep you from your party," Bonnie declared as she pulled away. "Go, enjoy, have fun!"
"I will, but I need to put this away before anything happens to it," Stefan said, gathering up the box and the wrapping paper. He left the kitchen and after grabbing some chips off of one of the platters, Bonnie followed. She accidentally collided with someone coming in as she was going out.
"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed then quickly recognized the person. "Liam?"
"Bonnie," Liam Davis said with a smile. "I was wondering how long it would take for me to run into you here." Bonnie couldn't say the same. Liam hadn't crossed her mind in days, she hadn't even thought of the possibility of Elena inviting him to the party, and she was starting to feel bad about that fact.
"Me too," she fibbed. "You look nice."
"Thanks! So do you."
"Thanks." There was a pause in the conversation. "Liam, listen, about last week..."
"Don't worry about it," he quickly cut her off. "If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be, right? I can't make you feel something that's not there. I'm just glad you didn't lead me on."
Bonnie nodded. "I'm glad to know you don't hold any ill feelings toward me," she said. "I hope this means we can be friends."
"Of course," he replied. "Save me a dance?"
"Yeah," Bonnie nodded in agreement with a smile he returned before he disappeared into the kitchen. She looked back out into the room which was packed with even more people than before. Caroline and Elena were at the center of things, dancing wildly together. Bonnie smiled to herself. She was glad Caroline was having a good time. Between being a career woman and a wife, Bonnie knew she rarely had time to just let loose and have fun, unlike the old Caroline who lived for a good party.
Bonnie decided to join the girls for a dance, which excited them even more. When Stefan and Matt intervened simultaneously to dance with Elena and Caroline, Bonnie tried to step away. When she turned she found Jeremy blocking her path.
"Want to dance?" He asked her with a hopeful smile.
"Maybe later," she said, then stepped around him. She found a place against the wall after making herself another drink. She was asked many times by different guys for a dance and refused them all, while trying to ignore Damon watching her like a hawk. When a song she really liked came on, she put her drink down and finally moved from her spot, deciding to take Liam up on his offer. She searched the room for him and when she finally found him he was pressed up against the wall, sucking face with Dana Nelson, a former Mystic Falls High cheerleader. Bonnie couldn't say she was surprised.
Rebekah wasn't having any fun. The drinks were flowing, the music was bumping, the people were attractive, yet somehow she wasn't having an ounce of fun. It was all stupid Damon's fault and that bitch, Bonnie. Damon was completely ignoring Rebekah, but she saw the looks he and Bonnie kept shooting each other from across the room all night. It was infuriating but Rebekah was doing her best to keep from going off.
Instead, she grabbed Matt Donovan and proceeded to grind her body against him, nearly coming out of her dress. Damon didn't even notice. He did a quick sweep of the room and quickly realized that Bonnie had disappeared. He put down his drink and exited the room, determined to find her.
She was upstairs in Damon's bathroom at the moment, washing her hands. After shutting off the water and drying off her hands, she lingered there, taking a deep breath. She wasn't ready to go back to the party. She hadn't been enjoying herself all that much, even with the presence of the bubbly Caroline Forbes. Taking off her heels to give her feet some relief, she hoisted herself up onto the counter beside the sink. A moment later she heard the bedroom door opening.
"No one's allowed up here!" She called out then saw it was Damon approaching. Her face fell. "Oh."
"Comfortable?" He asked her as he walked in the bathroom.
"I just needed a moment to myself," she explained. "I'm extremely buzzed and I'm starting get a headache."
"We can stay up here," he suggested. "I'm not in the mood to party either, and I'm sure I drank enough for the both of us."
Bonnie gave him a look. "No thanks." She started to slide off the counter but Damon quickly moved in front of her, blocking her way down.
"Can you please stop running from me?" His blue eyes were pleading. "I hate not having you around, Bonnie. I know I should stay away from you, let you have your space, but I can't. I don't want Rebekah, I don't want to be alone, I want you." He tried to reach for her but she pushed his hands away.
"That's not what you said yesterday when you blew off our meeting," she snapped.
"What meeting? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed. "You agreed to meet me at the cafe so we could talk about everything and you stood me up! Left me sitting there, waiting for you like an idiot while you were off with Rebekah! You told me you used me for sex so why are you still in my face? What, were you drunk when you sent me that message like that ridiculous voicemail you left me?"
"I never sent that message," Damon stated. He cursed to himself. "Rebekah. I let her borrow my car yesterday and I couldn't find my phone for hours. It must have been her."
Bonnie shook her head. "That's exactly the type of shit I don't need," she said. "She's your problem, I don't need her to be mine too." She tried to move again but Damon gently cupped her face in his hands.
"Don't leave me," he said. "I need you. I'll take care of Bekah, she's leaving tomorrow night. But I need you, Bonnie. You're the only one who can keep me sane through this. I miss you." He started kissing her. She tried to push him off but he didn't budge. He held onto her, kissing her more feverishly.
"Damon..." she grumbled against his mouth. His lips traveled down her face to her neck. He leaned over the counter while wrapping his arm around her, bringing her body closer to his. Her back was pressed against the mirror and she closed her eyes as he sucked on her neck with determination. "Stop..." Her voice was soft and not as demanding as she closed her eyes. "We can't do this...we've been drinking."
"So what?" He planted kisses down to the valley of her breasts. "I want you." A small moan escaped Bonnie as she wrapped her leg around his waist. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest at the explosive sound of glass breaking right beside them. Damon jumped away from her and Bonnie quickly pulled up the top half of her dress. Rebekah was in the doorway, fuming, one stiletto in her hand, the other lay on the floor, surrounded by broken pieces of the mirror.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A shocked Damon cried.
"What do the hell do you think you're doing?!" She shouted, her eyes brimming with angry tears. "You were going to fuck her right over my head?" She set her eyes on Bonnie, the rage quickly brewing over. "And you, you fucking bitch!" She was suddenly flying at her. She threw her stiletto at Bonnie just before pouncing on her. "Keep your bloody hands off my man!"
Obscenities flew from the blonde's mouth as she tried to attack Bonnie, who was much stronger than she looked and quickly overpowered her, slamming her up against the shattered mirror. Damon was shouting at them to stop as he tried to separate them, managing to pry Bonnie's hand from around Bekah's throat but Bekah grabbed ahold of her hair before Damon could get her away.
"Tell that bitch to let go of my hair!" Bonnie screamed, furiously, trying to pull herself out of Rebekah's grip. Damon lifted Rebekah in the air, but she still wouldn't release her hold on Bonnie's locks. Soon, Stefan and Elena were rushing into the room.
"What the hell is going on?" Stefan stared wide-eyed at the fracas taking place before him.
When Elena realized her friend was being attacked she immediately jumped on Rebekah. "Fuck off me, you stupid bitch!" Rebekah shrieked as she found herself being pulled and scratched by the beautiful brunette who was fueled with liquid courage.
"Let her go, Rebekah!" Elena demanded, her fist wrapped around her blonde hair. Bonnie finally managed to free herself from the squabble.
"You want to fight! We can fight!" She shouted, ready to put her foot to Rebekah's ass in a fair one.
"Just leave, Bonnie!" Damon shouted but she didn't even hear him. Damon was blocking her access to Rebekah, who was still being yoked up by Elena, so she decided to go through him, but there was no way she was walking away without teaching Rebekah a lesson. Damon suddenly felt a small body on his back, as Bonnie tried to climb over him as she swung at Rebekah. Damon found himself in the middle of three shrieking, fired-up females, all trying to get to each other by any means possible yet he seemed to be taking most of the damage.
"A little help here, Stefan!" Damon cried over his shoulder. Stefan snapped to attention after getting over the shock of what was happening and grabbed his girlfriend by the waist.
"Stop it, Elena!" He yelled, pulling her away. He put her down and pushed her toward the bedroom. "Go sit down!" He turned and pulled Bonnie off of Damon, carrying her out of the bedroom kicking and screaming.
"Let go of me!" She yelled. He ignored her demand and threw her over his shoulder, taking her all the way downstairs. Partygoers looked at them curiously as they passed.
"What's going on?" An oblivious Caroline asked with wide eyes. She didn't get an answer so she followed them outside onto the lawn. Bonnie was still talking shit when he placed her back on her feet.
"Fine! Bring that bitch outside!" She cried.
"Calm down, Bonnie," Stefan demanded.
"Bring her out here!" She screamed over him. "I'll fuck that bitch up, Stefan, I swear I will!"
"I know you will but what will that prove?" He questioned.
"It'll prove that she should've never came for me!"
Caroline stood still, trying to process everything. "What the hell happened?"
"Hell if I know," Stefan said. "Elena and I were going to my room then we heard shouting coming from Damon's room. We go in there and Bonnie and Rebekah are going at it!"
"I didn't have any problems with her dumb ass," Bonnie added. "She tried to hit me and now I have to whip her ass. I have no choice."
"But...why?" Caroline asked. "Why did she try to hit you?" She still wasn't getting any real answers. Damon and Elena were crossing the vast lawn toward them. Elena had pulled her hair back and Damon looked just as disheveled as the girls. His shirt had been ripped, exposing his chest which bore a long scratch mark that could've came from any of the girl's long fingernails. Damon approached Bonnie but she quickly stepped out of his reach.
"You stay the fuck away from me!" She said, through gritted teeth. "This is all your fault."
"I still don't know what's going on," Caroline said to herself.
"Is she coming out here?!" Bonnie cried into the air. "Tell her I'm waiting on her!"
"Here." Elena handed her a hair tie and her phone. "Put your hair up."
"What the hell are you doing, Elena? Don't encourage her!" Stefan exclaimed, frustrated.
"I'm not but if Bekah attacks her again she should be prepared," Elena argued then she turned to Bonnie and spoke in a lowered tone. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry that crazy bitch went after you. Come on." Elena took Bonnie by the arm and they headed away from the group.
"So...no one's going to tell me anything?" Caroline said aloud. She was ignored.
Bonnie leaned against one of the many cars parked in front the house as Elena tried to comfort her. She was still fuming inside, but she was trying her best to calm herself and keep from exploding. The effort went to waste when Damon appeared in front of her.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?" Bonnie said.
"Listen, I'm so sorry..." He received a sharp slap to the face.
"I don't need another goddamn sorry from you!" Bonnie hissed, angrily. He stepped back and she hit him again. "I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She was furiously swinging at him, hitting him in the face and chest, and he made no move to stop her as he attempted to step back and dodge the blows. She felt hands on her, pulling her away. She snatched her arm from Stefan's grip, turned on her heel, and stalked away. She ignored her name being called as she headed off. She was fighting the tears that were threatening to drop as she pulled her cell from her pocket and dialed a familiar number.
"Hello?"
"Can you please come pick me up?" She sobbed into the phone. "I'm at the boardinghouse, I can't drive. Please."
"I'm on my way," Tyler promised.
A/N: Rebekah will be making her exit but I couldn't let her go without her leaving her mark. She successfully drove an even bigger wedge between Bonnie and Damon and ruined Stefan's party in the process. Don't you just love her? (Complete sarcasm, please don't hurt me). The question is, how will these two crazy kids overcome this obstacle? Hope you stick around to find out! Love you guys!
