Chapter 10 - "Nightmare Before Christmas"
Now: Elena's POV
Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up
All the best of what we've done is yet to come
Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up
Just remember who I am in the morning.
December 24th. To most it's known as Christmas Eve. But this year, to me, it's known as Christmas Eve and the day of the Pierce Family Ball. I don't know why I'm so nervous. Maybe it's because I'm meeting the rest of Liam's family tonight. Sure, his parents and sister like me but who's to say that his strict aunt or stern uncle will? What are they going to say when I tell them that I have a daughter? People are quick to judge before knowing the whole story.
Caroline and Tyler went home for the holidays. Since Matt and I are too poor to afford plane tickets home, we decided to make the best of our little Christmas that we'll be sharing together. We strung lights around the outside window of our apartment. Well, Matt did. I was too busy screaming at him to be careful of his footing. One misstep and I'd be scraping his body off the ground. Neither of us wanted anything too spectacular for a Christmas dinner so we agreed on Chinese food. What better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus? We even set up a pathetic Charlie Brown Christmas tree in the living room. Aubree thinks it's the prettiest thing the world and stares at the sparkly lights and bright round ornaments.
While I'm preparing Aubree her lunch, there's a knock at the door. Really, Matt and I aren't expecting any company. It's probably Liam but then I remember that Liam is helping his family get all ready for the ball. Even though it's well past noon, Matt comes in the living room with his pajamas still on and squinting his eyes from the shock of the bright lights. "Who's that?" He asks, a yawn interrupting him halfway through.
"I'm about to find out," I mumble and head to the door. When I open it, I think it's the best surprise I ever got.
There are Jenna and Jeremy, smiling merrily and decked out with Santa hats. Immediately, they engulf me into a tight hug. They weren't supposed to be here. They had said that money was tight and because of that, they weren't able to get plane tickets. Tears pool in my eyes when I see them. I didn't see them since July. "Oh, I'm so happy you guys could make it!" I smile wide, sniffling.
Jeremy laughs as he pulls off his Santa hat, revealing a turf of messy hair beneath. "What? Did you think we'd actually miss spending a Christmas with you?" He says, plopping the Santa hat down on my head. Aubree runs over to us, smiling a smile that seems too big for her face. Jeremy scoops her up quickly, holding her above his head. "There's my favorite girl!" He laughs, pulling her down just enough to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Uncly Germy!" Aubree squeals with delight. Then she orders him to go take a look at our little Christmas tree.
I turn to Jenna and see that she's getting teary eyed too. "Of course we came. I can't believe you actually believed us when we told you we weren't. It was all Jeremy's idea to surprise you. I wouldn't miss your ball for the world." She says, pulling me into another tight hug.
"Oh, Jenna." I smile, taking in her familiar scent of lavender. It reminds me so much of home. "Wait until you meet Liam. You'll like him," I say, pulling away from our hug.
"I sure hope I do." Jenna says. "And I like his family too, from what you told me. Dad owns a major business and his Mom and sister are models. Imagine the huge wedding that you two would have." She smirks and I'm grateful she didn't mention Damon at all.
"Speaking of that model sister, you have to introduce me to her." Jeremy butts into the conversation.
Matt laughs. "Don't even try, bro. I already asked."
I shoot them both a glare. "She has a boyfriend, you idiots."
"So?" says Jeremy. "Most girls have boyfriends and that doesn't stop us, right Matt?" Matt nods in agreement. Did I ever mention that men are pigs?
[...]
Liam shows up at my apartment with a limo. A limo. Then again, what did I expect him to show up in? A soccer mom mini van? Jenna tried taking pictures of us standing in that typical prom pose. I had to remind her that this definitely wasn't senior prom, which I didn't attend anyway.
"You look gorgeous, you know that?" Liam whispers in my ear once we're in the privacy of the limo. I feel a cold, wet sensation on my ear and freeze a little. Did he just nibble on my ear? We haven't done anything more than kiss, hug, and hold hands really since we started dating.
From the experience I had with Damon, I know that a nibble on the ear is suggestive. He wants to take things farther than they already are. We're plenty old enough and it's obvious that neither of us are virgins. I don't know why, but the thought of having sex with anyone other than Damon terrifies me. I like Liam a lot, but him going into No Man's Land is just daunting.
Then I have a take a deep breath and remind myself: Elena, you are no longer in a relationship with Damon. You haven't seen him in over two years. He probably moved on, you have to too. Liam is a great guy and you know that he's going to be gentle with you. He respects you. You are over Damon Salvatore. You are over Damon Salvatore.
So, I look at Liam and give him the biggest smile I possibly could. "Thank you. You're so sweet." I say and kiss his cheek lightly. I don't know what else to do. Should I nibble on his ear too? Nah, that be awkward. I could just let him pull all the first moves and go along. Yeah, that sounds good. "Are your parents and Katherine already at the ball?"
He nods. "Yeah. Katherine had a royal meltdown apparently when she couldn't find her mascara." He chuckles, shaking his head. "That's my sister for you."
"Hey, I like Katherine." I say, in Katherine's defense. "All girls had at least one meltdown in their lives when they couldn't find their favorite mascara." I grin.
The limo comes to a stop. I look at the windows at the tall, gorgeous skyscraper in front of me. Liam smiles, kissing me gently on the lips. "We're here."
Now: Damon's POV
Call all your friends
Tell them I'm never coming back
'Cause this is the end
Pretend that you want it, don't react
Long silky chocolate brown hair that smells like strawberries. Creamy, vanilla skin. A laugh that makes your insides tingle. Lips that are shiny and juicy and taste of cherries. A cute little button nose that matches with the cute little voice. But that cute little voice can turn into a seductive sexy voice on demand. Skinny hips, beautiful breasts, long legs. Doe-like brown eyes that make you feel like your knees are going to give out. Cheeks that blush up at even the smallest compliment. Tiny hands that entwine between your fingers. A head that fits in the crook of your neck perfectly.
Elena.
I sit up bolt right, sweat trickling down my forehead. I wipe it away with the back of my hand. I look over at the sleeping beauty next to me. Katherine, with her curls spread out in a circle surrounding her head, sleeping peacefully. I almost feel guilty having a dream about Elena on the day that I'm proposing to Katherine. It wasn't just any dream either.
I head to the bathroom and take a cold shower. Forcing the wonderful Elena thoughts out of my head, I start thinking about Katherine. Her face when I take out the ring, when I get down on one knee, when I ask her. I'm not nervous about it because I know for a fact that she isn't going to say no. Of course I already asked her father for permission. He gave it to me and so did her Mom, tears ensued.
As much as I try to think about Katherine, I just can't get the Elena dream out of my head. I love Katherine very much, couldn't imagine a life without her, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't wonder about how Elena is doing. How Aubree is doing.
I get this strange aching whenever I think of Aubree. Aubree, eyes like her father and hair like her mother. A perfect combination of genes. I remember seeing her for the first time. Elena, with bags under her eyes and messy hair, still gorgeous despite the fact that she just gave birth, holding Aubree, her skin tinged pink and wrapped in a matching blanket. Then I remember holding her for the first time, how she just knew that I was her Daddy, and she curled up against me, her hands curled up in tight fists. So little, so beautiful. And I promised Elena that I wouldn't let a single boy hurt her. Like I hurt her.
I flinch, realizing that I'm never going to get a chance to live up to that promise.
[...]
Katherine's parents really outdid themselves this time. The ballroom is huge, with large paned windows that show a spectacular view of the city. Plenty of round tables decorated with the finest red and green cloths money could buy. Katherine's arm wraps around mine as we walk around the ballroom, greeting members of her family, business partners of her parents, friends of the family. The ring in my pocket feels heavier than ever.
She guides me over to where her parents are. Her Mom smiles eagerly at me and I return a smile, hoping it doesn't look too insecure. Me? Damon Salvatore insecure? That's definitely a first. No, maybe I'm not insecure. I'm just nervous. Yeah, yeah, nervous. Mrs. Pierce wraps me into a tight hug. I hug her back as loving as I possibly can. When she pulls away, I see the glisten of tears in her eyes. She's happy for both of us and I know she isn't concern for Katherine, not anymore. To the Pierces, I'm a great guy for their daughter, I'll be a perfect husband and a perfect father. They just don't know that I am actually a father. And a rotten one, at that. They don't know that I really am a terrible man and I did such a terrible thing to two unbelievable incredible girls who should be the whole focus of my life right now.
I keep telling myself that I'm only thinking of them because of that meaningless dream.
"Oh, Liam's here!" Mrs. Pierce says, looking over my shoulder in the direction of the grand entrance door.
Then: Elena's POV
Remember the day
'Cause this is what dreams should always be
I just want to stay
I just want to keep this dream in me
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. As a child, I used to bake cookies with my Mom everyday leading up to Christmas, right after school let out for the year. We made everything from gingerbread to ricotta cheese to candy cane crisps to, my personal favorite, sugar cookies topped with layers of icing and sprinkles. While we were baking, my Dad and Jeremy would often try sneaking into the kitchen and stealing a cookie or two form us. But my Mom and I always managed to shoo them away.
"Damon, stop eating all the cookies!" I scold him, pulling half-eaten ricotta cheese cookies from his flour-covered hands and stuffing it in my own mouth. What can I say? I'm starving and Damon already ate a thousand cookies while I've been feverishly working to restock our cookie jar.
He laughs. "Oh, so I can't eat them but it's perfectly fine for you to?" He reaches out and wipes a crumb or two leftover from the cookie from the corner of my lips.
I nod. "Yes because I'm the one who's actually baking them." I retort swiftly.
"I helped!" He scoffs, wrapping his arms around my not-so-slim waist. Pregnancy weight gain hasn't been so kind to me over the past few months and I'm only going to get bigger, that's what Jenna says. But I don't care. I'd rather a healthy baby and a weight gain of a thousand pounds than a sick baby and no weight gain at all.
"Helped?" I blink. "Oh, that's right! You cleaned up the chocolate chips. You know, the ones that I spilled. In the bowl. With the dough in it."
He chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm hungry, okay?" He kisses my cheek. "And guess what else I am?"
"Uh...a psychopath that steals cookies?" I offer, arching an eyebrow at him.
"What? No." He rolls his eyes. "I'm in love with this beautiful girl who bakes the most amazing Christmas cookies." He whispers in my ear.
I erupt with laughter. "Damon Salvatore, that was possibly one of the cheesiest things you ever said."
His cheeks flare with redness as I continue to laugh at him. Eventually, he joins in too. "Yeah, yeah, shut it, Miss Gilbert."
Then before I know it, he lifts me up on the counter. I wrap my legs around his waist, my hands on his shoulders. His strong arms wrap around my waist. My swollen stomach is the only thing separating us but we learned to work around that over the few months. Damon's lips taste like mint, probably from the candy cane crisps cookies. My fingers tangle themselves in his silky hair, the color of night.
I love it, the feeling of being so close to someone. I feel so safe, so comfortable, like nothing in the world can harm whenever I'm in the presence of Damon. Being in his arms, I get a sense of paradise. Of protection. Like everything else in this world can go wrong but I'll be okay because I have Damon right next to me.
After a few minutes, he pulls away. Both of us are breathing heavy by now. But I still have an urge inside of me to want more. I look up at him and he's smiling down at me. "I have something for you." He says and he pulls out a small black box out of his pocket. For a second I think he's going to propose to me. But that's silly, I'm still just in high school. There's no possible way he's planning on marrying me while I'm still in school. "Merry Christmas."
He hands me the box. I open it slowly. In there, attached to a delicate silver chain, is a heart shaped silver necklace. On the left side of the heart, is a strip of eight small but gorgeous diamonds that shine in light of the kitchen. My eyes start to water. I can't help but, my doctor says that hormones are going to be raging inside of me for the next few months.
I look up at him and smile, a tear or two rolling down my cheek. "Thank you, Damon. It's beautiful." I hug him tightly. He hugs me back, cocooning myself in his arms. He smells of bourbon, probably left over from his father. Damon doesn't drink unless it's at parties, which he didn't attend one since we found out I was pregnant.
By the way he talks, I can picturing him grinning. "Anything for you."
Now: Damon's POV
The damage is done
The police are coming too slow now
I would have died
I would have loved you all my life
Liam and whoever he brought is swarmed with people at the door. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce go over to them, apparently eager to see the them together. So, Katherine and I go over to another table where her Uncle Zeke is. I hate Uncle Zeke and he hates me. But I try to be as polite as I can. After all, I am proposing to his favorite little model niece in just a few minutes. Katherine has her arm wrapped firmly around me, never wanting me to go. I want to assure her that I'm not going anywhere.
Finally, as the crowd around Liam settled down and people were now roaming freely around the room or are seated at their tables, a glass of champagne in their dainty little hands, I decide it's time. I am not nervous, my hands don't shake, my heart doesn't beat more than normal, my palms aren't sweaty. This is exciting, I remind myself, I am proposing to the girl of my dreams today.
People around making small talk. Chatting about the weather, the latest scandal in New York, about their pointless jobs. The only thing I'm scared about is that maybe right now, right this moment, maybe it isn't the right time. Then again, my father always used to say, "There's no time like the present." Isn't that the truth? I look over at Katherine, my girl, and she looks gorgeous. Katherine is wearing a deep plum color gown, one that clings to every curve of her body. On her lips is a satin purple, the same color of the dress. Her hair is down in it's flawless corkscrew curls, falling to the small of her back. The darkness and deepness of the colors create a perfect contrast with her skin, pale from the harsh New York City winter.
Picking up an empty champagne glass from a nearby table along with an expensive silver fork, I gently tap the fork against the glass, creating a sound that makes everyone in the room silent. Katherine, along with everybody in the room look over at me. She tries to pretend she's confused, curious, but she's not stupid. I know that she knows that I'm proposing to her.
"Hello, everybody!" I say and then I realize I don't even know how to propose to someone. Do I have to get done on one knee? Eh, I'll just go with it. "As you all know, Katherine and I have been dating for quite some time now. I love her." My tone is confident. "And...I have something I want to ask her in front of all of you, her family." I look over at Katherine, who's smiling and looks like she's on the verge of tears. Slowly, I get down on one knee and pull the little black velvet box out of my pocket and open it, showing her the ring I bought with Stefan for her. "Katherine Lynn Pierce, I love you, obviously otherwise I wouldn't be doing this. You're beautiful, smart, you accept me for who I am. Spending the rest of my life with you would be an extraordinary honor. So, will you marry me?"
I barely hear Katherine say, "Yes!" because the whole room breaks out in applause, cheering for the newly engaged couple. I'm grinning at the realization that I'm going to grow old with her, the love of my life. Everything seems so perfect right now. I stand up and slip the ring on Katherine's slender finger. She looks at me, smiling. "I love you so much, Damon." She tells me. "I cannot wait to spent the rest of our lives together." She kisses me. Our kiss is interrupted though because plenty of Pierces come over to congratulate the newly engaged couple. Some, like her grandmother, are crying. Some admire the ring for what feels like years. Some threaten me that I better be an amazing husband and treat her well. Katherine's response to that is a giggle and, "Of course he will."
Now: Elena's POV
Where have you gone?
The beach is so cold in winter here.
And where have I gone?
I wake in Montauk with you near.
Apparently, I miss the proposal of Katherine because I was in the bathroom, calling to make sure Aubree is okay. She's fine, Jenna assured, saying that she was all bundled up, eagerly waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus. I put my cheap phone back in my clutch, one that I borrowed from Caroline, and go back into the party. Everyone has huge smiles on their faces when I get back. Directly, I go over to the table where Liam and I were before along with his parents. Liam was on his phone and his parents were absent. I sit down next to him and whisper, "Did he propose?"
He nods. "That's what all the commotion is about." He puts down is phone and looks at me. "Everything okay with Aubree?"
I smile and nod. "Yeah. She's sitting on the couch, expecting for Santa to walk in the door any minute." I chuckle, thinking of my little girl and how naïve she could be.
Liam smiles too and wraps an arm around me, kissing the top of my head. "She's adorable."
Then, his Mom comes over to us. She has the biggest smile on her face, like nothing could make her any happier. I can't help but wonder how she's going to be if Liam ever proposes to me. Hey, she'll get an instant granddaughter and isn't that what all woman want when their children get married? "Oh, Elena, it's so unfortunate you missed the proposal. He was so sweet." She says.
"I know. If I knew he was proposing now, I would've waited to call and see how Aubree's doing." I say, glancing over and between heads and shoulders, I sees Katherine's face, glowing from excitement. "I'm so happy for Katherine. She looks so excited." I comment.
"Oh, she is." Mrs. Pierce nods. "Anyway, Cheryl and I have already been planning the engagement party. It's on January 2nd."
Liam looks at his Mom questionably. "So soon, Mom?"
She nods. "Of course! You know Katherine, she likes to get things done as quickly as possible. I'm sure the wedding will only be in a few short months." Then she turns back and looks at me. "Do you think you'll be able to attend the party?"
I smile. "Sure, Mrs. Pierce." I say after quickly racking my brain to see if I have any plans that day. It's a Saturday and I'm not working.
"You're already like family, Elena." She says sincerely. "Oh, and if you wouldn't mind, bring Aubree. Do you think she would be okay at the party?"
I nod. "Yeah. She can be a little shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she won't stop talking." I smile softly, wishing that Aubree could've been here tonight. Although this occasion is much too formal for her.
"Yeah, Mom," Liam joins in. "You'll like her a lot. She's adorable, like a mini Elena." He looks over at me and smiles.
[...]
Mrs. Pierce has been seated at the table with us for a while, chatting endlessly about things that I barely have any knowledge about, like Louis Vuitton and what she should get Katherine for her wedding and that she'll have to help her set up a wedding registry. Mr. Pierce comes over and sits down next to his wife, kissing her temple. "Dinner is about to be served." He tells all three of us. "Salmon, Elena. I hope you'll like it. It's sort of tradition in the Pierce family when it comes to balls like this."
I plan on saying something about how much I like salmon, when I really don't care much for it, but that's when Katherine and her fiancé come towards us. Katherine's beauty is enough to make someone's heart stop, especially with her lovely purple gown, showing off all of her perfect clothes. But it isn't Katherine's looks that makes my heart stop. It's her fiancé. He always looks so handsome in a suit. His raven black hairstyle hasn't changed. Even from where I'm sitting, I can smell the scent of his cologne. The same scent that it's always been, the same scent that his bed smelt like the first time we ever slept together. It's so strong that I can almost taste it. His skin looks so pale and so smooth like it always did.
Damon.
He sees me too because his eyes go wide. I don't know whether to scream or cry or vomit, maybe I could do all three at the same time. I just can't believe that Damon is sitting right across the table from me. Two years of wanting him to come back, those endless nights I spent sobbing over him in my bed, and he's about two feet away from me. He doesn't say anything to me or about me so I don't either. And the Pierces are too caught up in the excitement over Katherine's engagement to notice our reactions.
Engagement!
My eyes grow large and my heart is pounding so fast that I think it's going to burst out of my chest. Damon is getting married. Oh God, no. Damon and I could possibly be in-laws. It's so hard to keep in my bitter laugh. It's bad enough getting your heart torn out by someone you're in love with, but then having to attend their wedding and then possibly having to spend the rest of your life with them as in-laws.
I can't take it anymore. A million thoughts are racing through my mind, making me feel like that's going to burst too. I think of our poor little girl at home, who's oblivious to the fact that her father is just across a small round table from me, too eager with the excitement of Santa Claus giving her presents because she' been such a good little girl. I want to just stand up and scream at him, yell at him for everything he did to cause me and her such pain in these past two years. I feel like I just got the wind knocked out of me, like Damon just punched me in the stomach. I can't breathe. Oh God, I can't breathe. I'm going to die. I can't breathe!
I'm clutching onto the edge of the tablecloth so tightly that my knuckles turn white. Finally, the Pierces must've noticed something because they're all looking at me, all looking concerned. Damon is looking at me too, his expression is unreadable. "Lena, are you all right?" Liam whispers to me, his face so close to mine and he's brushing a lock of hair out of my face.
My bottom lip is trembling and my throat hurts the way it always does before I'm about to cry. My eyes are pooling with tears too. Slowly, I let go of the strong grip I had on the table cloth and realize that my hands are shaking violently. I nod, trying my best to somehow form a small smile on my face like I did all the times someone asked me how I was doing without Damon, only this time it's not working because I do have Damon. He's right next to me. Only in a different way then he was before. He no longer loves me, he just proposed to Katherine. "I-I just need some air." My voice cracks on the final word.
Without further explanation, I get up quickly and rush out of the ballroom. I run until I'm out of the building and into New York City's somewhat fresh air. I don't have a jacket on so I start shaking for a different reason that I was before. Liam bursts out of the doorway a few seconds later, I knew he was going to follow me. He looks at me sadly and envelopes me into a tight hug, rubbing circles on my back as we hug. I can't help but break down in tears, sobbing wildly.
Wordlessly, he escorts me back into the limo we arrived in. He holds me tightly the whole way back to my apartment. I wonder if he knows that Damon is the one that I was madly in love with during high school, that Damon's the one who fathered Aubree, that Damon's the reason why I can never fully trust another man again because I constantly fear that one day they're just going to up and go again like he did. I'm glad, though, that Liam doesn't ask me any questions. I don't even know how I'll be able to answer them.
We get back to my apartment and he helps me out of the limo and up to the door. I'm crying silently now, the initial shock starting to decrease and it's replaced by misery. Liam kisses the crown of my head, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" He says and I just nod. He goes back down to the limo without saying another word and I go into the apartment. Jenna and Jeremy are passed out on the couch, they were probably up and waiting for me to get home. Aubree's gifts are already underneath the Christmas tree. I had them all wrapped and ready to go in storage in the basement. Matt probably got them all ready for me.
I go into my room and step out of my dress, leaving it in a crumpled ball in the middle of my floor. I don't care. I hate that dress anyway. I look at myself in the mirror, some of my curls are already starting to come undone. Mascara is running down my cheeks, staining my crystal clear tears. My eyes are red and my face is puffy from crying. I look like a nightmare. No wonder why Damon left me.
Damon. My breath hitches in my throat and I have to gulp it down. This wasn't supposed to happen, this wasn't part of the plan. Did Damon know that I'm dating Liam? Would he really be that much of an asshole to propose to Katherine knowing that I was also attending the ball? I don't know and I really don't want to find out the answer. Even if he did know, he isn't supposed to talk with me or have any contact with me, that's what the contract said. The contract I only signed to get the damn child support. That's right, Mr. Salvatore made me sign that contract. Damon was leaving no matter if I signed it or not. But the only reason I agreed to never having any contact with Damon again was to get the child support. Messed up. It's so damn messed up.
I don't care about how ruined my makeup is or how I look or even if my heart is going to burst out of my chest. Quickly, I don my pajamas and go into Aubree's room. She's asleep, bundled up in blankets, clutching her teddy bear tightly. I lay down next to her, wrapping my arms around her and covering us both with a big blanket. I got the better part of the deal, no doubt. I got Aubree.
I don't know how I'm going to explain to Jenna, Jeremy, Matt, Caroline, or Tyler that I saw Damon. Maybe I won't even tell them at all. I'm not mad or jealous of Katherine, okay maybe a little jealous, but it's not like she knew that I dated Damon and gave birth to his daughter. She never mentioned anything about her boyfriend's daughter and I'm sure that she would've said something to Liam or I about Damon. I'm mad at Damon even though I shouldn't be. It's not like he wanted to leave us, he had to. I'll never forget the look in his eyes when he said he had to leave. But he could've always fought back against his father. He shouldn't have left me and Aubree to pick up the pieces of our already fragile lives.
Taking a shaky breath, I know that this is only the start. There's going to be so much more pain to come. Like seeing Katherine walk down the aisle towards Damon, when I should've been the one walking down the aisle towards him. Maybe even seeing Damon and Katherine have the first child of their own. It's not like I can just leave them, not when I'm with Liam. I really love Liam and I can't just breakup with him because of who is sister is dating. Just because my life can't classify as fair doesn't mean I should be unfair to anyone else.
Now: Damon's POV
You're losing your memory now
You're losing your memory now
You're losing your memory now
You're losing your memory
The glass shatters against the fireplace, tiny pieces like sharp daggers scatter across the hardwood floor. Katherine is asleep, tucked away in our bed without a clue about what I'm going through. What Elena must be going through. Goddammit, I should've said something to her! Apologized for all the shit that I put her through! But no, I just sat there looking at her like a bastard. That's because I am a bastard. A selfish bastard who doesn't deserve Elena or Aubree. I don't even deserve Katherine. I don't even deserve shit for what I put Elena and that little girl through.
I sit down on the expensive leather couch, head in hands. She look so beautiful, though. More beautiful than I remembered. Of course she'd find someone like Liam. No matter how much Liam and I tease each other, he's a great guy and he deserves a great girl. But Elena is more than great, she's perfect, amazing, all those words fit into the category of how Elena is.
I flinch. I don't love Elena anymore, I can't love Elena anymore. My future wife is sleeping in our bed, the ring on her finger. The ring seals it. The rest of my life is destined to be with Katherine. My father is happy about it, her parents are happy about it. I'm happy about it. But no matter how much I try, I just can't get the imagine of Elena, with her doe-like brown eyes glistening with tears as she looks at me, the man who destroyed her belief in all men, the man who left her at her front porch and walked away, just like that. What was she even doing in New York anyway? I would've never expected small town Elena to move to the Big Apple.
Getting up, I pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. I know Elena and Elena isn't just going to break up with Liam because I'm with his sister. No way. I saw how close they were tonight, right before Elena ran away. She wouldn't let someone get that close to her, physically or mentally, if she didn't trust them. Trust. She trusted me. I was the one who pulled broken Elena back after her parents died, that was me. Who pulled the broken Elena back together after I left her?
Aubree. Of course it was Aubree. Elena would do anything for that little girl of ours. Suddenly, I perk up and a smile forms on my face without my permission. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get to see my little girl again. Not a day goes by when I don't think about her. I don't like to talk about Aubree or Elena, but that doesn't mean I don't love them. For the first time in a long time, I sit down on the arm of the sofa and bawl my eyes out. The last time I cried was when I had to leave Elena. I didn't let her see my tears, of course. I sat in the car and cried and drove away from her and from our little Aubree.
I wonder what she looks like. I hope she got all her traits from her mother because there shouldn't be another person on this earth who acted like me. If she looks anything like Elena, she must be gorgeous. I can picture a mini-Elena, running around with little doe brown eyes, her hair a tangled mess like Elena's used to be if she didn't comb it often.
I take another sip of the bourbon, picturing Elena playing with Aubree running around the backyard together as I laugh at them, taking pictures. The way it should've been. I fall asleep to the imaginary sound of Aubree's giggle.
How did you guys like it? It's 6,407 words, the most I ever wrote for a single chapter. I didn't want you guys to hate Damon for proposing to Katherine. He had no clue Elena would be there. He's not that much of an asshole, guys!
I'm not going to check my reviews until I'm in DC and standing in front of the White House or somewhere important because when I was at the beach and sitting watching the water, I checked my reviews and I don't know why, but it was awesome. So, yeah, DC, anyone been there? Anyone know good places to see, eat at? I really want to go see Ford's Theater, The Declaration of Independence, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Smithsonian Museum because...history freak right here.
Anyway...ready to hear the exciting news?
DRUMROLL, PLEASE!
I made a blog on Tumblr!
And I mean, I already have a blog on Tumblr but it's quality and this one is a writing blog. I already wrote a blog entry about my other story, "Right and Wrong" and why I hated it and how I should've ended it. To get to that post, just click on the box to the right called, "Blogs about my other Fan Fictions".
The link to my blog is on my profile.
Okay, so now for more exciting news regarding my upcoming story "Alia and Hunter". One of my favorite writers on here, bukibuki, she had this blog where she would post pictures with her characters and designs of their houses, etc. So that's what inspired all of this because I could read a chapter of her story, "Not Like the Movies" then look at pictures of that.
I'm probably going to start my story in Septemberish. I do not know how long it's going to take but it's going to be a long story, possibly breaking it up into sequels or one long story. It basically fits with most of the themes in this story and "Right and Wrong" which I think you can probably guess what happens. I've been thinking of this story and these characters all summer and my friend, Madi, helped me with most of the plot.
So, thank you thank you for waiting this long for the chapter. I tried writing at the beach but I was on vacation and our days consisted of being at the beach all day, came back to our hotel to get showered and dressed, then went out to dinner with my whole family (a bunch of us went) and stayed out pretty late.
We went to Ocean City, Maryland which is right next to Fenwick Island and since it's the beach I thought of Finnick and ugh...Hunger Games... We went to Hooter's for the first time and guys...oh my God. So it was me, my 10 year old sister, my Dad, my Mom, and my older cousin, Cory. We get there and there's a bunch of motorcycles in the parking lot. IT WAS BIKE NIGHT. It's my family surrounded by a bunch of these older guys with leather jackets. They had a live band playing and no one could hear what anyone was saying. But we weren't the most out of place ones there. There were Amish people there, complete with bonnets and long beards. Now, I'm from Pennsylvania. I'm used to the Amish. But it was just so strange seeing them at a place like Hooter's. And I went on a slingshot ride that shoots you up in the air 200 feet and I was so proud of myself that I got a "Dauntless" symbol henna tattoo on my arm, from Divergent.
PLEASE REVIEW AND THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP SHORTLY. THANK YOU!