Feeling the fabric beneath her fingertips, Elena starts to become aware of her surroundings. Hearing Caroline's animated voice, she opens her eyes, her mind filling in the blank spaces of the last several minutes. Throwing her legs over the side of the couch, she now notices Caroline standing in the doorway, her arms gesticulating wildly as she reams the guy a new one.
Groaning, she forces herself to sit up. Dropping her face into her hands, she splits her fingers and it's then that she sees the papers lying on the end table. If she wasn't so devastated, she could almost laugh at the hysteria of it all. Turning her head to Caroline again, she forces herself to her feet and walks over to them. The guy actually looks terrified, his eyes are dancing all over the place.
"Look lady, I'm just doing my job," he says, trying to explain himself.
"Well maybe you should get yourself a new job," Caroline snaps, shoving him out of the door.
"I can't leave until she signs this," he adds, his stare glancing over Caroline's shoulders to meet Elena's.
"Where do I need to sign?" she asks, trying her best not to break down in front of the messenger. When he hands her the clipboard, she signs it. Just as Caroline is about to lambaste him all over again, he practically leaps to his car, jumps in and drives off without looking their way again. After Caroline pushes the door closed, she wraps her arms around Elena and brushes a wisp of a kiss to her temple then leads her back into the living room to sit down. All she can do is stare at the divorce papers. Never ever had she even considered taking such action, even when things were so bad between them. She knew he wasn't himself because of Vaughn but she was determined to never let him go. And now he wants to let go of her?
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looks up, gratefully taking the tumbler of bourbon that Caroline hands her. Taking the seat beside her, Caroline takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Oh Elena, I don't know what to say," she says, taking a swallow from her glass.
"I know you only want to help, Caroline and I love you dearly for it but I'm not in the mood for anything," Elena says softly, wiping the tears that are beginning to form with her forearm. "I can't believe he did this," she adds, unable to hold them in any longer. Her best friend won't judge her for crying.
"My mind is a massive of contradiction of love and anger and wanting to tear him limb from limb," she fumes, taking a long swallow from her glass, relishing the burn as it goes down.
"Elena, I love you and I admire your resiliency. I am not going anywhere until the Elena I know is back. You're so strong, so much more so than you realize."
"It's just that I feel so alone. Damon hasn't been the same since that damn case started. That's when he started retreating into himself, the sporadic behavior, the drinking, his temperament going from one extreme to the next. And then to appease city hall, they convict him for involuntary manslaughter. You know as well as I do that the city was trying to save face. They didn't care who they destroyed, Damon and me being their primary targets."
"I know how hard this is, Elena. But you are made of steel, girlfriend. So you are going to pick yourself up and give that husband of yours a piece of your mind. Deal?"
Determination and anger start to burn white hot inside of her. Squaring her shoulders, she nods, and throws back what's left in her glass.
"That's the Elena I know and love. Now where can I take you?"
It's been an exceptionally busy night at the bar for Damon. He happens to glance up at the TV, smiling when he sees his team winning the baseball game. When someone yells for another pitcher of beer, Damon takes the pitcher from him and refills it. After taking the guy's money, he puts it in the till. Looking up, his eyes meet Ruby's. She's been a regular customer since shortly after he started working here or at least that's what Ric told him.
When she licks her lips salaciously, undressing him with her eyes, he waggles his brows teasingly at her. Although not his type or at least not his type since Elena came into his life, he thinks she's a little too obvious. That said, she's a hot little number, flaming locks of auburn hair, big green eyes, soft ivory skin, curves and endlessly long legs. She's tall but he doesn't ever remember her coming in here without those six inch heels on her feet.
For a moment, his minds drifts to his wife, her stiletto clad feet draped over his shoulder while he pounded her into the mattress. Snapping out of it, he glances up at the clock, happy that it's almost closing time. People are already exiting the premises.
When Ruby raises her glass, he nods then turns to reach the brand of Vodka that she likes. While refilling it, he happens to look over her shoulder just in time to see his wife come through the door. Immediately he notices the stiff set of her jaw and way she carries herself, her fierce demeanor and mile wide stubborn streak all rolled up into a five foot six inch dynamo. As she closes the distance between them, he sees her grim determination. He feels the first tendrils of guilt begin to burn in his belly when he notices that she's literally trembling. Her hair is messy and her eyes red and swollen. He's concerned, wondering what happened to his wife.
Ruby follows his stare, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. Damon can see her puzzled expression in his peripheral vision. As if in slow motion, Elena closes the last few feet between them.
"What...?" he starts to ask, stopped short when she raises her palm, effectively silencing him. That's when he notices the envelope in her other hand. Having captured his complete attention, Elena rips the envelope in half and then in half again before throwing it at him in a fit of rage, her breathing heavy.
"This was a shitty move, Damon. I never knew you to be a coward but clearly I was wrong. You hire a low life attorney to get rid of your annoying wife hoping it will solve all of your problems?"
"Elena, calm down, please. Let's just behave like two adults and end this decently," he starts to say, again shutting up because he doesn't feel good in the face of her anger and determination. He knows he deserves every bit of the venom that she's spewing from her lips.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down you selfish son of a bitch? Have you gone mad on top of everything else? Now why don't you tell me, tell everyone here what I did to deserve to be treated like this?" she seethes her face red with anger and irritation, her fuse burning white hot.
Grateful that only Ric, Ruby and a couple of stragglers are left in the bar, he takes a breath and tries to placate her. "Elena?" he starts to opine. Daring to take his eyes off of hers for a moment, he glances at Ruby and then at Ric before turning back to her.
"Come upstairs with me, we can talk about it."
"Not a chance, Damon, you don't get to have a mature conversation now, not after this. I have no interest in hearing your excuses because I know exactly what you're doing. You're pushing me away because you have some sort of insane idea in your head that you're doing this for me. I do not need to be protected from you or anyone else for that matter. I got used to living alone, doing everything by myself," she spits, her resolve softening ever so slightly.
Her eyes never leave his when she adds, her voice still venomous, "Even though I can take care of myself doesn't mean that I don't need or want you. You don't get to decide who I can and cannot love." Feeling herself on the brink of tears, she somehow steels her spine and maintains her stares without so much as a blink.
Beneath the surface, Damon is both impressed and astounded. She's more beautiful than he's ever seen her despite her frumpy appearance. But his years in prison taught him how to hide his feelings and so he stands his ground, crossing his arms over his chest. He will not allow her to be swallowed up by the darkness that surrounds him, vowing that he isn't going to let her win this war.
"Do your worst, Damon because I'm not giving up on you. I don't believe that you suddenly stopped caring. I won't. I don't care how many new sets of papers you have me served with, the same thing is going to happen again and again. I won't sign them," she hisses, gesturing at the torn pieces of paper that litter the floor between them. Damon stands perfectly still when she steps up on a bar stool, putting her face within an inch of his. He can feel the hot puffs of her ragged breaths.
Raising her eyes, she adds, her voice now low but still deadly sounding, "For better or worse, Damon, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." With that she turns around and walks away, leaving a shaken Damon behind.
He always knew he married a spitfire but hell, this was thermonuclear bomb that detonated on him tonight. Snapping out of it when hearing a noise, he looks at Ruby who has no clue what just happened. His mind is whirling a mile a minute. Seeing her words "Do your worst" flash like neon signs behind his eyes, he smirks at the red head and waggles his brows playfully. With a plan forming in his mind, he knows exactly what his worst will be.
Walking into her house after her classes, she drops her gym bag on the floor and then collapses onto the sofa. It's been a few days since her confrontation with Damon. She's been ignoring everyone's phone calls not that he's called or even attempted to reach her though. She is tired and beaten down. Nothing tastes good, her skin looks sallow and the hollows below her eyes are dark from fatigue. Laying down on the couch, she throws her arm over her forehead and lays there for a few minutes. When she happens to notice the dusty bookshelf and end table, she sighs heavily then pulls herself up to get some cleaning supplies. Old habits die hard she thinks to herself. Just as she bends over to reach the Pledge, the doorbell rings.
A part of her is afraid to answer in case it's Damon smarmy lawyer having her served with a new set of divorce papers. And as much as she loves Caroline, she's just not in a mood for anymore of her today either nor is she in the mood to chit chat with one of their neighbors. As quietly as she can, she tip toes over to the window, barely pulling the curtain away so she can get a glimpse of who's here. An audible gasp leaves her lips when she recognizes the person.
Rushing over, she yanks the door open and falls into the woman's arms, "Mama," she cries, tears immediately filling her eyes knowing that seeing her is exactly what she needs.
Since the night that Damon's wife barged in here, Ric has been watching his friend. His behavior is more aloof and he sees to have newly discovered devil may care attitude. Although he does a stellar job at work, he notices that Damon has been flirting with Ruby more so than he ever did before the confrontation with that woman.
Up until that moment, he was absolutely certain that she was at fault for the dissolution of their marriage. She struck him as someone who ran roughshod over Damon's life, making him miserable and instilling a lack of self worth in him. It dawns on Ric that he's projecting his own ex wife's failings onto Elena and that maybe he was very wrong in blaming this all on her.
Sipping his cup of coffee while he goes over the books, he can't help but rethink his opinion of her. The way she stomped in the bar the other night, baring her soul and not caring that there were bystanders. It seemed all too genuine to him. That kind of emotion can't be faked.
Hearing Ruby's laugh, he looks up, not surprised when he sees Damon flirting with her yet again. Frowning, he sets his pencil down, links his fingers and stretches them out. Even though he hasn't known Damon all that long, he's never blatantly flirted with the opposite sex, he's always been polite in his refusal but it was a refusal nonetheless.
What is the matter with you, Ric, he thinks to himself, since when do you care about an employee's sex life? It's none of his business but for some reason, he can't get the gnawing feeling out of his mind his friend is on the cusp of making a mistake that he may not be able to rectify. Shaking his head, he stands up and picks up his books and his coffee cup. Walking around the back of the bar, he offers to relieve Damon for awhile.
In no hurry to disappear into the kitchen as he normally is, Damon nods. Turning back to Ruby, he winks at her, "I will be back." With a waggle of his backside just for her, he disappears down the hall, leaving a stunned Ric and an excited Ruby behind.
"Thank you, mama," Elena says, smiling when the older woman hands her a cup of tea. After pouring herself a cup, Janie Salvatore sits down beside her daughter in law. Picking up one of the cupcakes that Elena set on the table, she bites into it, licking her lips when she sets it back on the saucer. As she chews, she looks around and everywhere she looks, her son is still present as if he'd never left.
There are pictures of him alone, in his police uniform, the two of them rafting on their honeymoon, a newspaper clipping announcing the opening of she and Caroline's aerobic center. On the little shelves on either side of the kitchen window are little trinkets including one of Damon's trophies that he won playing little baseball when he was a kid. She remembers how proud and happy he was before life did things to him. Her eyes drift to Elena. Her eyes are downcast, staring at the ripple in the tea as she stirs it with her spoon.
She's such an amazing woman, Janie thinks, through everything, she's never wavered even the slightest in her support of her husband. Her loyalty is something so honorable that it touches her deeply that her son found a woman like this. Picking up her tea, she takes a swallow to rinse down the cupcake. Her eyes again drift to a picture of Damon. There's no doubt in her mind that Damon knows how lucky he is to have found this beautiful woman to make his wife. It kills her to see Elena so despondent.
The more she stares at Elena, the madder she gets because her son is stubborn ass who needs a swat on his backside. She's also confident in her belief that Elena isn't going to just let him go and he certainly is smart enough to know that too. Sitting in companionable silence, Janie takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. When their eyes meet, she says, "Elena, I want you to know that I'll always be your mama. You can come to me with anything. No matter what my idiot son does, I will always love you."
"Did you know that he had me served with divorce papers?"
"I know child. Bonnie told me. That's why I'm here. And let me tell you something, I do intend to have a few words with my son. That man, Vaughn, he and prison changed him. He's lost and despite everything, he thinks he doing the right thing. I cannot tell you what to do, Elena. Not many women would have stuck by my son. I don't want you to give up on him now but if it becomes too much, I understand. So please when I tell you that I'll always be your mama, I mean it from the bottom of my heart."
With tears trailing down her cheeks, Elena lets Janie take her into her arms again, rocking her gently as her body shakes with spasms of pain and fear.
Cleaning up the kitchen, Damon could not help but notice the rather disgruntled looks that Ric was shooting at him before he walked in here. Pausing for a minute, he leans back against the counter. Feeling his temples beginning to throb, he rubs them with his fingertips. Turning around, he pulls a bottle of Advil out of the cupboard. He pops a few in his mouth then swallows them down.
When he sees her reflection on the water's surface, the glass slips from his hand, glass shards flying when it crashes to the floor. Even though what he has to do hurts, he is not going to ruin Elena nor her view of the world any more than he's already done so. He can't tell her about Charlotte or Luka so their faces can terrorize her in her dreams too. Nor can he share the horrific things he saw and had to do to survive in prison. He knows it's not right to use Ruby but in the choice between her and Elena, there's no contest, Ruby means nothing to him, she's simply a means to an end.
She's been here every night, apparently convinced that he's done with that spiteful woman as she calls her. Ruby is not going to let him slip through her fingers so Damon knows he has her right where he wants her. Bending down, he picks up the bigger pieces of glass, yelping when a tiny one pierces his skin. As a droplet of blood beads up on his fingertip, he can't help but stare, his mind taking him back to that rooftop and little Faye as she bled out in front of him.
Hearing the kitchen door, he snaps out of it. Standing up, he pulls a broom out of the closet then sweeps up the glass, throwing it away in the recycle bin. When he's done, he walks back out to main part of the bar, giving Ruby an almost genuine smile when their eyes meet.
This is your life now Damon, merry unmarried life, he thinks to himself, strutting over and taking the bar stool beside her.
Hearing a throng of people walk in, Damon turns around, surprised when he sees Enzo walking towards him. Taking the seat beside Ruby, he orders a mug of beer.
"Enzo," Damon quips, adding, "My sister allowed you a night out?"
"Some of us have responsibilities like children and a pregnant wife. We can't all spend our nights hanging at the bar like a bachelor."
Smirking, Damon takes a swallow of his bourbon, saying "Just like a bachelor."
Looking at him curiously, Enzo tilts his head slightly wondering what the hell Damon is up to. He came here to spend some time with him, maybe try to talk some sense into his brother in law but..
"Ruby, this is my brother in law, Enzo. Enzo, Ruby."
Smiling brightly at Enzo, Ruby starts rubbing herself against Damon. Knowing how weird this is, Enzo gives a questioning look to Damon but he's unreadable tonight, different somehow. He promised his wife he'd come here to try to have a quiet chat with Damon but even though he isn't going to have that opportunity, it does feel kind of good to get out of the house a little bit.
The crowd is packing into the place, music is blasting on the stereo, people are playing pool and darts, lonely guys are wallowing in their brews and lonely girls are here to try to find someone to go home with. When he turns his attention back to Damon, he notices that he's not just flirty with Ruby but with all of the female clientele. Ruby is hanging on every word almost as if Damon hung the moon. He finds Damon's behavior both surprising and disturbing. He seems to be eating up all the attention the red-head is giving him? Damon suddenly gets up and walks out, winking at Ruby before disappearing down the hall.
With his eyes nearly popping out of his head, Enzo looks at Ric, mouthing, "What the hell happened?"
"Don't even ask," Ric replies, rolling his eyes. "I think it was his wife's visit..." he starts to say, watching as Damon returns, standing beside Ruby with a plate full of French fries.
"Elena, she came back?" Enzo says under his breath, hoping that Damon won't over hear.
Ric frowns when sees Ruby snaking her hand under his apron, her hand grazing over his thigh and drifting closer to his junk. Following Ric's line of vision, Enzo's mouth drops, not only does Damon not remove her hand but he returns the gesture with his hand closest to her. When Damon looks up, he's immediately greeted by Enzo's stunned face. Ignoring him, Damon continues to flirt and touch Ruby till she's rubbing herself against him like a dog in heat.
When the crowd starts to thin out, Ric invites Enzo to join him and Jenna in a booth. It's close to the bar so he can jump behind it when someone needs something. If not for Damon's completely inappropriate behavior, Enzo would be having a good time. He doesn't know how the hell he's going to keep this from his wife. She always, always knows when he's hiding something.
Even though he starts to relax a little bit as the evening wears on, enjoying Ric and Jenna's company, he still occasionally glances over at Damon whose behavior is distracting to say the least. The woman, Ruby is pretty but she's not even in the same league as Elena. He.. he's having a hard time believing what's right in front of his very eyes.
Playing his part as if he's in contention for an academy award, Damon feels their stares but refuses to let it affect his actions. Smiling and laughing it up with Ruby, brushing his hand against her breast at times, he leans in and whispers something in her ear, pulling the lobe in his mouth then brushing his lips along her jaw line. When she touches his package, he groans low in his throat.
It's been a very long time for Damon. So long in fact that he and a bar of soap are intimate shower friends... Glancing up at the clock, he looks over his shoulder at Ric
"Hey boss, I'm off as we talked about?" Ric waves then turns his attention back to Jenna. He's not going to let Damon ruin his fun with her. He's worked too hard trying to get her to agree to a date.
Taking Ruby's hand in his, he looks over his shoulder at Enzo once more, "Sorry bro, we're calling it a night. Say hi to Bon-bon for me."
Damon catches Enzo's shocked and disappointed expression when he puts an arm around Ruby's shoulders and walks down the hall towards his room. Opening the door, he lets go so she can walk up the stairs. As he watches her pert bottom swing from side to side as she goes up, all he can hear in his head is Elena's voice blaring loudly,
"Do. Your. Worst."
I know you all want to stab Damon about now... Trust me.
Huge thanks to my sister, Eva. You're are brilliant and insightful and so very generous with your time.
Massive thanks to all of you for reviews, follows, favorites, encouraging words and endless support and friendship. You're all the BEST.
Chapter title: 'Hell Is Living Without You' by Alice Cooper.
I did update "Tomorrow" yesterday.
I hope you all have a fabulous day. Thank you all again. We'll see you next time.
