Chapter 10 - The One

Damon joined Stefan and I outside, leaving everyone else back at the house. "So you really can't choose between us?"he asked me, approaching us. I looked between the two of them and shaking my head. Maybe Katherine was right. "You both don't seem to understand what you do to me." I told them both. Katherine joined us with a smirk on her face and arms crossed against her body. "Who do you see yourself with five years from now Elena?" she asked me. I haven't been in college that long and now I hardly thought about my future due to the fact that I'm a vampire. I didn't really know what else to do after college besides getting a job. "Katherine, don't make her choose." Stefan said.

"No, let her choose." Damon said, crossing his arms. I shook my head, not wanting to be in this position. "Don't make me choose between you two." I said, then left. I went back to the boarding house where everyone was still waiting. "Solved your problem yet?" Matt asked with a smirk as I rolled my eyes. I poured myself a glass of bourbon and drank it down. "I'm guessing that's a no." Bonnie said as I set the glass on the table. They were asking me what I was going to do now and I simply said that I didn't know yet. "Leave Elena." Katherine entered the boarding house and we all turned to look at her. "What?" Caroline asked.

Katherine rolled her eyes, walking up to me. "Leave Mystic Falls. Go to a place where you can just let yourself be free of the Salvatore brothers and come back a whole different person. Leave Elena." she smiled.

"What are you getting at Katherine?" Matt asked.

"Look, if she leaves now, then she can have some time to herself. I'm helping her here." she answered. Bonnie scoffed, slightly shaking her head and raised an eyebrow. "You, help Elena?" she asked Katherine. "You are always wanting to kill her."

"She would be dead by now if I wanted to kill her. Trust me, I'm helping you Elena." Katherine said. I wasn't sure on whether or not that I should believe Katherine, but a part of me was just itching to leave. Without another word, I went upstairs and started packing. I zipped up the full suitcase and carried it downstairs. "Where are you planning to go?" Caroline asked me.

"I have no idea yet, but I'll let you guys know." I said, then walked out the front door. I put the suitcase in the back of my car, got in and drove away. Driving away from the boarding house, so many thoughts ran through my mind. Most of them were memories, but only some had stood out: the ones about Damon and Stefan. I remembered the first day that I came here and met with Damon for the first time. I remembered confronting Stefan about what he was and him telling me that he was a vampire. I remember spending the night with Stefan, spending the night with Damon. The time that Stefan was locked in the basement.

Then there were the memories of the guys at my house when Stefan was making dinner and Damon came into my room many times, especially the one when he told me that he loved me. Sure there were times when I hated Damon, but he showed that there was some good in him that not too many people saw. I was leaving Mystic Falls behind me as I drove through the empty town. I was going to come back a different person. I was going to come back and know exactly what I wanted, who I wanted it.

. . .

New York City. I have been here for three months. I have finally settled into a new apartment with a gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean. The sunrise was going to be gorgeous. I opened my phone and suddenly all the notifications popped up - the missed calls, the text messages. They were all from Damon and Stefan. Yes, they were worried about me and have every right to be but I didn't want to go back to Mystic Falls just yet until I had everything sorted out in my head. A knock came at my door and I answered it. "Hey." Caroline smiled, entering the apartment and Bonnie followed behind her. Caroline and Bonnie were visiting me for the week. It was good to see my best friends again. "Nice place. I approve." Bonnie smiled.

"I'm really loving it here." I smiled, closing the door behind them as they sat down on the couch. "Want anything to drink?" I asked them. They both told me that they were fine and I joined them on the couch to catch up on the news about the Salvatore brothers. "They are searching everywhere for you." Caroline said.

"When are you coming home?" Bonnie asked.

"Until I figure out which brother to choose." I sighed. My phone rang and I checked the caller ID to see that it was Stefan. He calls five times a day, asking the same question. "It's Stefan." I said to my friends. Caroline grabbed my phone out of my hands and answered the phone. "Elena can't come to the phone right now." she said into the receiver.

"Caroline, why do you have Elena's phone?" I heard Stefan ask. Caroline looked at Bonnie and I, then lightly laughed. "Funny you mentioned that. Elena gave me her phone to borrow because I'm visiting my aunt." Of course she lied.

"Where?"

"I gotta go. My aunt is calling me for lunch." Caroline hung up and gave the phone back to me. "Lunch?" Bonnie asked. Caroline just shrugged and told us that she couldn't really come up with a better lie. "Speaking of lunch, let's go out to eat." I suggested and the other two agreed. I grabbed my bag and we headed down to the parking garage where my car was. We got in and drove to a nearby food place to eat lunch. While talking over whether or not I am going back to Mystic Falls, the door to the restaurant opened. From the corner of my eye, all I saw was a tuft of dark brown hair and I immediately knew who it was. Caroline caught my eye, also seeing who had entered. None of us spoke a single word.

"I'm looking for Elena Gilbert. Is she here?" Damon had found me. When I thought I could just be alone with my friends, he comes along and ruins everything. Within just a few seconds, he approached our table and joined us. "Think you could hide from me?" He sat down in the empty seat beside me, looking down at a menu. We were just about to order some food before he had walked in. "Damon-"

"You left without saying a word. We were worried about you." he interrupted. "Katherine told us you left. Why didn't you say where you were going?"

"I wanted some time to think Damon. You and Stefan couldn't leave me alone for just one minute to think about my decision." I said. A waiter came over and ask us for our order. We ordered our food and drinks, then gave the waiter our menus. "Have you decided yet?" he asked. I didn't answer him and my phone immediately rings. I checked and saw that Stefan was calling me. Damon took the phone out of my hands and answered. "Hello brother." he said. "I found our little runaway." He glanced at me with those piercing blue eyes, knowing that I couldn't really do anything but sit quietly in my seat.

"She's with you? Is she safe?"

"Of course she's safe. She's with Caroline and Bon-Bon." Damon smirked, still continuing to talk to Stefan on the phone. Our food and drinks were served to us. The three of us sat quietly while Damon was busy chatting away on the phone. Finally he handed the phone back to me as I put it into my pocket. "What did Stefan want?" I asked Damon.

"I told him that you were here in the Big Apple." Damon smirked, taking a bite of his food. Caroline and Bonnie both rolled their eyes. My actions exactly. "How could you?" Caroline asked. Damon shrugged and didn't say another word. I thought that I would be having a good time with my friends, only to have the situation about Damon and Stefan be brought to me. I just can't stand the fact that Damon had to be arrogant at times. "It's not like he's on his way here." Damon smirked. I didn't even want to be in the restaurant right now. I wish I had decided to stay in the apartment. I knew that going out was a bad idea.

We all finished eating and walked in the direction of where my car was parked. "How did you even get here?" I asked once we reached my car. Damon shrugged and said, "You know, back then as a new vampire, I traveled by foot. I had to wait around just like everybody else to get in line for a 'new car.'"

"We don't want none of your sarcasm Damon. How did you get here?" I asked again, this time demanding an answer from him. With a nod of his head, he pointed us in the direction of his blue Camaro. Stefan was leaning against the side of the car. Classic. I rolled my eyes, slightly shaking my head. They were never going to leave me alone. "All we want is an answer Elena." Damon said as the three of us approached Damon's car. My car was parked a few spaces down from his. I told the girls that I would meet them there after I'd get this Salvatore brother situation sorted out.

"If you want to know my answer, here it is: the brother that I choose is who I'd like to call 'The One.'" I smiled, then walked over to my car where my friends were waiting. The three of us got in my car and drove off down the street to my apartment. "So who's the one?" Caroline asked. I just smiled, keeping my thoughts to myself and only thinking about the confused looks on the brothers' faces.