"Stefan, I've missed you so much. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to call you just to vent. Where the hell have you been?" Caroline asked, still hugging Stefan, her tears for Nik momentarily forgotten.
Stefan smiled a little, "I've been taking care of Nik. If I had known you were still alive, I would've come here sooner…" He said to her as he pulled back slightly to stare at her some more.
Her eyebrows raised a little, he shook his head, "I would've brought Nik to you sooner." He added, hoping that it covered up his slip. She couldn't know…Not yet.
"Well, he came on his own. Him and Rebekah…So, how's Filiz?" She asked with a smile.
For the first time since walking into the house, his smile faltered, "She's good. I mean, when I heard you were still kicking, I kinda bolted and left her at the hotel, but I'm sure she's fine."
"You left her at the hotel? Manners, Stef." She scolded with a laugh.
"I had to know you were really here." He said honestly, with a shrug.
"Well I am. Now you better go back to the hotel and apologize." She said, crossing her arms.
"No. I'm going to sit here and catch up with you. It's been seven long years without you, seven long years of venting that needs to happen." He said, wanting to be near her.
"But Fil-" He interrupted her quickly.
"She's fine." He said with a smile, while she sighed and nodded.
"As long as you're sure…" She said, already caving.
"I'm sure she's fine."
The weeping coming from the young woman echoed in the bar, many of the patrons gave her sympathetic looks, most of them being in her place before.
Heartache. Betrayal. That's what her sobs were screaming to them all.
"Honey, should I call someone to come and pick you up?" The bartender, Bree, asked from behind the counter as she came up to the girl.
Filiz looked up and shook her head, trying to calm her tears, "I'm not going home yet…Can I have another please?" She asked, gesturing to her empty glass.
Bree sighed and took the glass and refilled it with the strongest bourbon in the house. "Last one, kid." She said as she set the glass in front of her.
Filiz nodded a little and took it, gulping it down, a few tears escaping her eyes.
"Might want to slow down. Don't want Stefan to have a panic attack when we have to rush you to the hospital for alcohol poisoning." Nik said as he sat beside her.
"I don't care if Stefan has a damn panic attack." She snarled back, becoming an angry drunk at the mention of Stefan caring for her.
"Ah, what did he do now?" Nik asked as he gestured to Bree, wanting a beer.
"He's in love with someone else, that's what he did." Filiz said, staring at the, once again, empty glass.
With those words, Nik nearly choked on his beer, "In love with someone else? Who?"
"Your girl. Caroline. Or at least, that's what Rebekah says. And it makes total sense now. I mean, whenever there was even a mention of Caroline, you both would tense up and have an inner battle with yourselves. Like you were trying not to cry or scream. And whenever her birthday came, you both would sit in your rooms and cry over a damn picture of her. I'm so stupid to not see it! I'm a fucking idiot!" Filiz ranted, wanting to pummel someone.
Nik just sat there and listened, she was right…it all made sense…To say he felt betrayed and hurt would be an understatement.
"When did you figure this out?" Nik asked.
"When Rebekah told us that she was alive. Stefan practically ran out of the hotel and sped down the road to her. God knows what they're fucking doing right now." She rambled, drunk and not at all sparing Nik's feelings.
"Caroline wouldn't do that…" Nik said, hoping he was right as he drank more of his beer.
"How do you know? She's been out of our lives for years. People do change, Nik…Look at Stefan. Eight years ago, he promised me there would be no one else…Now, he's in love with her…He wants her…" She said, starting to cry again.
Nik sighed, he didn't want to believe her…but she had a good point…
"So you tried to kill yourself?" Stefan asked, trying hard not show how much that thought hurt him.
Caroline nodded a little, "I was in a bad place…I hated the baby…I hated that Nik wasn't here so…I tried to end it all. You can yell at me if you want, Nik did."
"I'm not gonna yell at you…You were sick…I can't exactly blame you for that. But if you do it again, I will have to yell at you." He told her, his serious broody face practically smoldering her.
She smiled a little and nodded, "I know…Damon already told me. So I won't do it again. I promise." She swore to him.
He nodded, believing her, "Then that's all that matters…" He said to her as he looked at her again.
"Stop staring. You're making me feel like some science experiment." She chuckled, looking away from him with a blush.
"I can't help it. I just can't believe you're really here." He laughed with her.
"Well I'm here. See?" She said, putting her hand on his cheek. "I'm not a figment of your wild imagination. I mean…You can't imagine all this beauty." She teased, making him laugh.
"But I can try." He said as he touched her cheek.
She looked at him, she involuntarily leaned into his touch, "Stef-" She tried to ask him what he was doing, when he pressed his lips to hers.
He shocked her tremendously, her shock causing her to freeze while he kept kissing her.
Neither of them noticed the voyeur standing outside, peering in through the window.
It took Nik a few tries, but he finally convinced Filiz to let him take her home.
As they stood from the near empty bar, one Tyler Lockwood walked in, looking beat up but angry.
"Do we have to have a rematch tonight, Mate? I need to get my friend home." Nik said as he crossed his arms.
"No, not tonight. I just wanted to tell you that you can have Caroline. Just know that she's nothing but a lying cheater." Tyler sneered as he turned back around, prepared to leave the building.
"What do you mean?" Nik asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I went over to her house to apologize for pretty much ruining William's birthday, when I saw her and some guy snuggling up on the couch and making out." Tyler said, turning and glaring at Nik, "Looks like she played us both." He said before leaving, hoping that he believed him.
If Caroline embarrassed him, lied to him and wanted to leave him, he'd be sure to make her have nothing to leave to.
Nik and Filiz both stood there, feeling their hearts break into a million pieces.
Filiz looked at Nik, "I'm gonna…go to the hotel…" She whispered before running off.
Nik knew that Caroline's house was no more than two minutes from here. If he ran, he would know if Tyler was telling the truth or not.
Quickly, he ran out and rounded the corner, he prayed that Tyler lied just to hurt him. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her to his best friend.
That would be just his luck…
"Stefan!" Caroline finally exclaimed, pushing him away, "What the hell is wrong with you? You have Filiz! I have Nik!"
"No…Don't think about them…I don't love her that way anymore, Caroline…I don't think I ever have. It's always been you."
"No! I'm sorry but no…I love Nik." She said to him, horrified that she may be the cause of Filiz's coming heartache.
"But I love you."
She shook her head, "Stefan please…Don't do this…Don't ruin what all of us have…"
"These past seven years have been hell for me. I missed you so much. I needed you…Please just let me have you…Please." He said, practically begging her.
Before she could respond, he was kissing her again and she squeezed her eyes shut, when did this happen? When did he fall for her?
Those questions kept repeating in her head, this was all just insane! When was she going to wake up from this crazy dream?
She felt like Alice in Wonderland…All her dreams and nightmares coming true in a matter of hours…
She opened her eyes, feeling another presence…his presence.
She saw him, standing there in the doorway with an expression of hurt embedded to his face.
As quick as she could, she pushed Stefan away and jumped up, "It's not what it looks like, I swear, Nik!"
Stefan stood too, cursing his near non-existent self-control. "Nik…"
Nik just stared at them both, tears dancing in his eyes. "Stefan, I don't ever want to talk to you again. Caroline…I'll stick around…But only for William." He said before leaving once again.
"No! Please, just listen to me, it's not what it looks like, Nik!" She said, running after him.
"I don't have the time or energy…or strength to listen to your lies, Caroline." Nik said as he kept walking away, tears falling down his cheeks.
Caroline stopped and started crying, realizing he believed what everyone else said about her…She heard the snide comments from everyone in town.
They branded her a slut and now…now he has too…
Now she only wanted to die…To truly have died in that car accident…
He desperately wanted to go back to her and believe any lie she spouted, but he knew deep in his heart that he wasn't what she wanted anymore. He had to respect that…No matter how much it killed him.
Stefan watched all of it from her porch, realizing what he did…He destroyed them…In his own selfishness, he forgot that they truly loved each other…He hated himself now…He hurt the two people he cared for the most…His best friend and the woman he loves…
A/N:
Please leave a review...don't kill me! don't flame me! this all needs to happen to make them that much stronger!
Yana...I am awaiting your rant...Love you Baby Bear...Don't be too harsh on me!
I love you all!
-WeirdOne