Author's Note: Not as intense as usual. This chapter is mostly setting things up. Sorry for the delay. Lately, I don't know whether I've needed a hug, or a couple shots of vodka.

"When's the last time you cleaned up in here?"

"Caroline, what do you want? It's seven in the morning, and you're cutting into my jogging time."

Matt looked on as Caroline sat down on his leather couch and made a face.

"Well, excuse me for attempting to invite you to something knowing damn well you won't come anyway! I'm just trying to be a good friend."

Matt sighed as he sat on the edge of the couch.

"Alright, Care. What would you like to invite me to?"

"Bonnie's—"

"I'm good. Thanks."

"Matt! Please come! It would mean so much to Bonnie."

"Sit there and watch her drool over Damon Salvatore? No thanks, Care. Like I said, I'm late for my jog." Matt stood up, and Caroline mirrored his actions. "So, if you'll excuse me, I have to cut this visit short."

As Matt went to open the door, Caroline grabbed onto his forearm as her expression became angry.

"When are you going to tell her?"

"Tell who—"

"When are you going to tell Bonnie that you're fucking in love with her?"

Matt paused.

"I mean, you are in love with her, right?" Caroline let go of Matt's forearm as she waited for him to make eye contact with her. When he did, she had to stop herself from gasping.

Matt Donovan's baby blue eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears, and in them was a deep sadness Caroline couldn't even begin to grasp.

"Matt…" Caroline moved to touch his hand, but he flinched away.

"Care, do you have any idea what it's like to look into someone's eyes and realize you are not the reason for their happiness? To realize that when her eyes light up, and her smile widens...that you aren't the cause of it?"

Caroline was silent as Matt walked back over to his couch and sat down. He raked his hands over his face before he spoke.

"I've been in love with Bonnie Bennett since the moment I saw her."

"Then why not tell her that, Matt?" Caroline's voice was soft as she took a seat beside of her friend.

"It's too late, Care. She's all Team Salvatore now."

"Okay, Matt, I'm going to need you to never say that again. You're coming to dinner tonight. Let me handle the rest." Caroline hopped up and started to make her way toward the door.

"Wait, what?"

"See you at seven!"

As the door closed behind Caroline, Matt let the silence envelope him.

..

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear Bonnie! Happy Birthday to you!"

Bonnie Bennett let the laughs escape as Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes tightly held her hands and sang off-key. She couldn't help but look across the table at Damon as he smirked in her direction.

This morning, Bonnie had woken up determined not to acknowledge her nineteenth birthday at all, but her roommates seemed to have other ideas. Reservations booked at Bonnie's favorite restaurant in the town over, and a hotel suite reserved for her and the girls, Bonnie was quickly dolled up and whisked away.

"Thanks, you guys!" Bonnie's voice trembled, and she hoped no one else noticed. As voices babbled around her, she knew they hadn't.

Until she met Matt's eyes at the far right end of the table.

Bonnie knew Matt was the only one that understood she'd rather be anywhere else in the world but here.

All Bonnie could think of was the fact that today was her mother's birthday. A birthday that Abby Bennett never got to see.

"Everyone! If I could get your attention, please."

Matt's eyes quickly snapped away from Bonnie's and took in the view of Klaus lightly tapping his fork against his champagne flute while smiling.

"As you all know, it hasn't been that long at all since I first laid eyes on my dear Caroline, but it seems like I have loved her forever…"

Matt felt his eyes go wide as Klaus trailed off, and quickly got up out of his seat while pulling something out of his pocket. He felt his breath turn shallow as he saw Klaus get down on one knee beside of a surprised Caroline. This really couldn't be happening, could it? Matt saw tonight as the night he finally could tell Bonnie how he felt, the night where everything he had dreamed of would fall into place.

But now as Klaus and Caroline stole the show, he knew that wouldn't be happening.

"But you see, forever isn't long enough. No time we could ever endure would be long enough to show you just how much I love you, Caroline, but I'd rather spend that time…" Klaus looked into Caroline's eyes as he slowly flipped open the small, suede box, and finished his sentence. "Calling you my wife. Caroline Beula Forbes. Will you marry me?"

Matt watched a teary-eyed Caroline fervently shake her head in the affirmative, then immediately throw her arms around Klaus as they both stood to their feet. It sounded as though the whole restaurant clapped as she and Klaus released each other and settled back down into their seats. Klaus delicately slipped the thin, feminine engagement ring onto Caroline's fair-skinned finger.

As things began to quiet down again, and everyone was absorbed in their own conversations, Caroline finally made eye contact with Matt. To his own disbelief, she muttered a silent "I'm sorry."

Matt angrily shifted his eyes from Caroline, and as he let them linger on Bonnie for a second more than necessary, he was sorry, too.

..

"Oh, God. Bonnie, you have no idea how bad I've wanted to be inside of you. It's all I've fucking thought about as soon as I caught a glimpse of you."

Bonnie gasped as Damon entered her. She finally felt full; finally felt complete.

"It seems like you get tighter every time I fuck you. I love it."

Damon let his hand drift down to Bonnie's warmth. He started to run quick circles around her clit with his index finger.

"That feels so good, Damon. Don't stop! Please, don't stop."

Bonnie immediately felt Damon's soft lips over her own, and his tongue felt perfect as it connected with hers. He grunted softly into her mouth as he pushed himself deeper. He could never get enough of Bonnie's wetness on his hard dick.

As Bonnie felt her pussy begin to contract around Damon's dick, she couldn't stop the yell of curse words that left her lips. She was in pure ecstasy, and as Damon's grunts became louder and more aggressive right before he pulled out of her delicious heat, she couldn't stop the drooping of her lids as her head immediately found Damon's pillow.

..

A glowing orange behind Bonnie's eyelids told her it was morning. Although she already knew Damon wasn't beside of her in bed, she couldn't stop the slight loneliness she felt as she rolled over and found his spot empty.

"Did you get them?"

Bonnie heard Damon's muffled voice coming from behind the bathroom door. He paused as the person on the other end of the phone responded.

"Carnations? I didn't send fucking carnations. When the fuck do I send carnations? I have sent roses every year for the past eight years. Why the fuck would I send carnations all of a sudden, Lor?"

Bonnie's ears perked up as she heard the pleading tone in Damon's voice. Who was Lor? Could it be short for Lauren?

"Okay, well I'm going email that shitty florist company and have them send roses this time. Let me know when you get them."

The sudden silence told Bonnie that Damon had obviously ended his conversation with Lauren. It wasn't long before the bathroom opened, and Damon stepped out. He looked surprised that Bonnie was awake.

"Good morning, beautiful. How'd you sleep?"

In the past five years, Bonnie Bennett had become one of the world's best actresses. As she slightly stretched and yawned, Damon seemed to relax at her lack of knowledge.

"I slept well. How about you?"

"You know when you're here, my sleep is perfect."

Bonnie smiled lightly.

"I know."

..

"Are you sure he said Lor, and not Thor?"

As Elena asked her question, Bonnie watched as she made a disgusted face at the array of tiny cupcakes in front of her and Caroline. Only engaged a week ago, Caroline had already began to drag her friends hors d'oeuvre tasting with her.

"Okay, Elena, why would Damon have a friend named Thor?"

"Because it's a common name, Care."

Bonnie made a face as Caroline rolled her eyes. She knew she had heard the name Lor.

"Anyway," Caroline took a bite of a coconut cupcake and grimaced, "I'm actually reading this book where one of the main characters, who is a male, is named Lor. I mean, he's like a millennia old, though, but the name could still be in circulation."

Caroline's reassuring smile slowly disappeared as Elena stared her down.

"Guys, it's fine. Maybe I'm just jumping the gun here. Lauren might not even exist."

"Or she could, and you need to leave Damon immediately."

"Elena, if it were King Stefan could you easily leave him? No." Caroline scoffed as she bit into a vanilla cupcake.

"If Stefan was cheating on me—"

"Elena! We don't know if Damon's cheating!"

"We don't know that he's not either."

Caroline sighed as Bonnie took a bite of her cupcake sample. She was ready to be back at home in her bed, surrounded by her own thoughts.