AN: I finally managed to update, hah! I've been wanting to upload this chapter for a couple of days but I kept re-reading it since I'm not really sure about it. So you let me know what you think please, LOL! :)
However, I'm pretty sure you're going to be satisfied at the end of it anyway. Ha. ;)
Thank you for reading & Please review!
She stood there, phone in her hands and her head spinning as she took in the moment. I knew that it was just too good to last, she thought.
She had let herself be fooled by Damon and his act. But who knew that he could be this good at it? And most of all that he actually hated her so much? She would have appreciated more if he'd kept his early behavior, just ignoring her and being an ass to her. But now he had just succeeded in what he had intended on doing; he broke her heart. In tiny little pieces. And it hurt. God, if it hurt.
All the happiness and the excitement seemed to be fading piece by piece. Each time reminding her what a bitch Karma was and how awful was to be played by the ones you loved and believed in. How could she have been so naive? He had seemed so honest and sincere in everything he told her just a few minutes ago. Even his face spoke it. It was disturbing how quite the opposite it was in reality.
She stood there numb and thoughtful when she suddenly heard footsteps and all the rage and betrayal that she had just felt surfaced again. She would stay calm, though. She would not lose her temper and dignity.
"Here's your drink." Damon said with a smile as he approached her and handed her the paper cup.
She took a silent deep breath before turning around and facing him, not wanting to show him how really hurt she was.
"You lost this." She said quietly as she held his phone up, her glare indifferent and distant.
"Oh thank you sweetheart." He said taking it, somehow still oblivious about her change of mood.
"Let's just cut the crap, Damon." She said shaking her head with a little grimace.
"What?" He asked knotting his eyebrows in confusion.
"You know, you may be a very great actor, but next time tell your 'partner in crime' not to send you such obvious texts." She said with an humorless chuckle.
"Elena I'm not following you." He said, his tone a bit firmer as he crossed his arms over his chest looking at her with a wary expression.
"You can stop playing dumb." She said. "Why don't you take a look at your last text and stop treating me like I'm an oblivious moron. Which well…I have clearly been until now." She said, her voice shaking a little in the end.
She was putting all the effort she could to sound and look tough and indifferent. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her bursting into tears but it was so hard.
He glanced at her in confusion one last time and his eyes widened in shock and understanding when he started reading the text.
"Oh, Elena..." He started saying while shaking his head. "You really should stop reading my texts, damn it." He said with a sigh.
"I wasn't even sure it was yours to begin with when I picked it up." She said harshly as she crossed her arms. "And I'm just…I don't know, disappointed? Pissed? Surprised? Yes. But most of all Damon I'm just hurt, because I really thought that this could work out. And I hate how you made me believe it until the very end. Boy if I was wrong." She said as she shook her head and bit her bottom lip to keep herself from having an outburst.
"What did you expect, honestly? For me to come back and get all cozy with one of the people who humiliated and hurt me the most in my whole life? Of course I was still angry and bitter at you when I first came back. But maybe it's just Karma you know. Maybe now you understand what being played means and how freaking much it hurts." He spat.
She flinched a little as she took in his words as if they were a huge slap in the face.
"I can't change what I did six years ago. I apologized to you and I thought that you understood how sorry I am. But you just manipulated me on purpose, willing to go way further than I ever did with you. You made fall for an illusion." She said as her voice cracked a little in the end and her eyes started filling up with hot tears.
He immediatly looked regretful and his face softened.
"I haven't talked with Katherine in weeks, Elena. I had planned on being an ass to you and making you suffer before coming back and seeing the proud strong woman that you've become. I meant it when I said that I want to give this a shot and that I regret having been so harsh on you." He said.
"Well I don't anymore. I don't want to give 'this' a shot." She said firmly as she started walking away.
"You are an hypocrite and a coward if you walk away from me now." He said and his voice stopped her on her tracks.
As she listened to his words, deep down she knew that he was probably right. She was hurt and in denial right now. She didn't believe him. But she also knew that she owed him a chance just like he did with her.
As she kept walking away and never looking back, she could feel that it was the wrong decision each step more away from him.
She stepped into the loud and massive crowd again but she felt more lost than she'd ever felt in a long time. As she went to head upstairs, she felt someone grabbing her hand.
"Elena." Mason said with a grin.
"Mason. You made it." She acknoweledged forcing a smile.
"Is everything okay?" He asked.
"I…I know that you just got here but would you mind taking me away? Bring me home, please." She said, her eyes silently begging him.
She didn't want to be here with Damon. Facing him and looking at him in the eyes would cause her to lose it and she couldn't afford that. She would leave her gift for Caroline in her bedroom and explain everything to her in a text or a call.
"Okay, no problem. Are you going to tell me what's wrong though?" Mason asked.
"I'm just not feeling very well and I don't want to ruin Caroline's party, that's it." She quickly lied as she headed upstairs to take her stuff.
She didn't even mind to change outfit as she threw in the bag the few things that she'd packed out when she arrived. She then looked at the bracelet that she was wearing and she couldn't stop a few tears from escaping when she thought about how good she had felt when Damon gave it to her. She had felt so special and taken care of. She thought about taking it off but something didn't let her. She was already fond of it even if she had been wearing it for only a few hours.
She went downstairs again and looked around trying not to be spotted by anyone she knew. She gave Mason a weak smile that he returned and they headed outside towards his car.
As he stood there by the garden he felt every fiber of his being about to explode in anger. Just when things were going good something had to screw them up. Not only he had made a promise to himself to win Elena over and show her how he truly meant well with her, but also how did Katherine have the nerve to just text him all of a sudden and creep into his life again when he hadn't heard from her in weeks? He cursed himself for having talked about it with her in the first place. She was such a snake when it came to these things.
Most of all though he was hurt. He did wrong by acting like a jerk with Elena and deep down he'd always known that he wasn't worthy of her, but why couldn't she understand that it was in the past too? After all he did with her. Couldn't she do the same? Maybe he didn't mean to her how much she meant to him.
He held his phone tightly in his hand for a few seconds and then immediatly dialed Katherine's number. He was done with her. He was done with all of them. He knew that letting himself care was going to bite him in the ass.
"Hello, lover." She purred seductively.
That's all she ever did anyway.
"Let me get to the point; I don't want you to call me or even text me for that matter ever again. We're done, Katherine." He cut her off bluntly.
She gasped baffled and he was tempted to just hang up on her already.
"I beg you pardon?" She asked with a scoff.
"You heard me loud and clear, lover." He said nonchalantly.
"Why is that? Your insignificant little hometown is keeping you in chains?" She said with an evil little chuckle.
"Far from that. I just have my own reasons for wanting you out of my life. Goodbye Katherine." He said.
As he was about to hang up, she spoke up again.
"Oh..." She said knowingly and he could swear he could see the evil smirk on her face. "I think I've got this. It's because of that little bitch you told me about, isn't it? She made you fall for her bullshit all over again and you drowned in it like the fool you are." She provoked.
"The only bitch I know is you, and as I said, I don't to hear from you ever again. Have I made myself clear?" He threw back.
"Sure. But don't come and crawl back to me when she's going to break you heart all over again. Because you know it will happen. Goodbye, Damon." She said as she hung up.
She already broke it, he thought. And damn if he missed her already.
Were they over for good? Did that mean that she wouldn't be talking or looking at him anymore? Because just the thought of it was scaring the shit out of him, the pang in his chest confirming it.
He suddenly started walking towards the house searching for Elena. He headed upstairs racing in her room and his face fell when he saw that there was no sign of her whatsoever. Her bag and her stuff weren't there anymore and he wondered where she could be. Maybe she had changed room? He started walking in all the possible rooms to see if she was there but nothing.
Suddenly someone popped up in his mind. Mason.
Damon almost growled at the thought. She had probably ran into him and went away with him. He couldn't believe that she would do that after all they had just shared. The emotional talk and intimate moment.
He immediatly headed downstairs, in need of a drink. Something strong preferably.
He wanted to eye a pretty girl and fuck her until she saw stars, because that's how he usually lashed out when he was upset. Distracting himself just like he did with Andie the first few days he came back was his usual way. What was a better comfort than an attractive woman and some good sex?
The more he thought about it though and the more the thought just didn't do it for him. He realized that this time it probably wouldn't work out anyway. What was the point? It wouldn't change his feelings and his hurting.
He just wanted a woman and that woman was Elena.
As he noticed girls looking at him flirtly and giggling with their friends, he knew that he would usually feel cocky about it and pick one of them to have fun with. But for all he cared right now they could as well have been men. He didn't see them. They didn't do it for him. He just wanted to be Elena and see if she was doing okay. If he could fix it somehow.
He shouldn't have been so vengeful and resentful. She was one hell of a woman and he should have seen it from the start. Screw the past if it was going to ruin their present. There must have been a reason why he came back and they found each other. He usually didn't believe in this crap but with Elena he did. He felt uncomplete knowing that they weren't even friends anymore, let alone what they could have become.
He then spotted Jeremy in a corner, talking and laughing with a brunette.
"Jeremy?" He said as he approached them.
"Hey Damon what's up?" He asked casually. As he said it he noticed the brunette's eyes widening in understanding.
"You are Damon Salvatore?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. Why?" He asked checking her out warily.
"Oh my god." She hissed. "I'm…I'm Bonnie. Bennet. Do you remember me?" She said with a little smile.
"How could I not. You're part of the holy trinity." He said, spilling it a little sarcastically.
"Elena told me about you before. Lots of things." She said with a knowing smile.
"Have you seen her?" He immediatly asked.
"She left the party about twenty minutes ago. Mason picked her up." Jeremy said.
Damon's eyes widened in shock even though it really wasn't. He knew Mason had something to do with it.
"Oh. Okay." He just said, trying to sound unaffected.
"Go to her." Bonnie mouthed, surprising him.
He acknoweledged it silently and nodded a little.
"Have fun guys." He said as he sped off upstairs.
He went into his room ready to pack his own bag and reach Elena's place when he realized that he didn't even have his car here. Shit. Damn Caroline and her idea of coming all together.
"Shit. Shit shit shit!" He muttered as he started pacing around the room.
Now what?
There had to be someone who could give him a ride to Mystic Falls. He had never thought in his life that he would reach such a low point of asking some drunky stranger to give him a ride from a random party to his own town, but there was a first time for everything, wasn't it?
He tried to call Stefan but he obviously wasn't answering. He headed downstairs once again to see if someone was already leaving and he was both surprised and hopeful when he saw Matt pulling his jacket on and bringing some stuff near the front door.
"Going somewhere?" He asked casually.
"Yeah I gotta get back to Mystic Falls and bring some stuff there. I need to get rid of some of Caroline's gifts and leave them at her place or there won't be room for anyone in that car tomorrow." He said with a chuckle. "Why?" He then asked when he noticed Damon still unmoving and serious.
"I need a ride. I have to get back too." He said.
"Of course man. But can I ask you why? Are you feeling sick?" He asked.
"No nothing like that. I just need to…take care of some things." He said with a shrug.
"Okay then." Matt said a little confused. "I'll wait for you outside in five minutes."
"Perfect." He said.
"Thank you for the ride Mason." Elena said with a smile as she unbuckled her belt. "But…I actually need talk to you." She then said hesitantly.
"It was no big deal Elena. I would do a lot more than you can imagine for you." He said as he smiled taking her hand. "Sorry, go ahead."
She sighed a little as she eyed their hands and slowly pulled it out of his grasp, earning a confused look from him.
"Mason, you are a great guy and I like you. But this can't go on anymore and I'm really sorry if I'm hurting your feelings." She explained quietly.
His eyes widened in shock and his mouth fell open a couple of times but anything came out.
"You're kidding, right?" He then asked with a hard laugh.
"I'm not." Elena said with a sad expression. "I've been thinking about it for the whole way here and I just want to be honest with you. I don't want to deceive you."
"Is there someone else?" He suddenly asked.
She gave him a guilty look and his face angered instantly.
"I wish you could have told me earlier, don't you think?" He suddenly spat. "I mean you ask me to bring you home just so you can dump me? Screw you, Elena."
She gasped a little in surprise and her expression hardened.
"I said that I'm sorry, okay? What else do you expect me to do pretending to act on something that isn't there?" She said sternly.
"Talk for yourself!" He yelled making her flinch. "You set me up. You used me and then dumped me like dirt. You little whore." He then said, his eyes full of anger.
"Goodbye Mason." She quickly said as she went to get out of the car.
All of a sudden he seemed to have lost it and she started feeling scared of what he might do.
"You're not going anywhere." He said harshly as he grabbed her arm tightly.
"Let go of me!" Elena said as she struggled to get out of his grasp.
"No you listen to me. No one plays with me, do you understand me? I'm Mason freaking Lockwood and you're a little piece of crap who thinks of having everyone wrapped around her little finger." He said as he held her arm tigther. "So you're not going to treat me like I am shit. You're not dumping me, I am dumping you."
"You've got issues Mason. Now get off me before I start screaming." She said firmly giving him a harsh look.
He slowly let go, still glaring at her angrily.
She quickly took her bag and as she got out of the car and reached the door her heart was beating so fast that it almost hurt when she started fumbling through her purse to find her keys. Luckily Mason had already driven off and as she finally found the keys she opened the door, immediatly closing it behind her.
Her arm was still aching and throbbing from his strong grip. She had let herself be fooled by a worthless douchebag who even manhandled her and she had walked away from the person she should and wanted to be with right now.
She clutched at the bracelet that Damon gave her and brought it to her heart, letting a few tears escape as she sobbed quietly.
Matt dropped him off at his apartment and Damon thanked him more than once, letting him know that he owed him one. He had really come in handy. Luckily by the time they drove off the lake house it was pretty late and the road was almost empty, so they had managed to get back in Mystic Falls in nearly fifty minutes.
He just had to leave his stuff inside and then he would go straight at Elena's. He knew that it was late and that she would still be upset, and that maybe she probably didn't even want to hear from him anymore, but he had to give it a shot. It had only been a few hours and he already felt miserable without her.
Damon realized that she would always have a major impact on his feelings and in his life no matter where they ended up, and that both scared and thrilled him.
As he headed inside and looked around he felt like he didn't want to be there at all. It was a pretty cool and comfortable apartment, but suddenly the lonliness that he'd never minded during all those years started affecting him. Or maybe it was just the fact that he'd rather be with Elena right now.
He left his stuff in his room and took a quick shower changing in fresh clothes before he headed out again.
"So you're home." A sudden voice made him jump as he stepped outside.
He turned around just to find Andie leaning against a wall, dressed in her usual and impeccable reporter outfit.
"What are you doing here Andie?" He asked warily.
"You didn't return any of my calls." She said in a stern tone, stepping in front of him.
"No kidding." He said sarcastically giving her a tight smile as he tried to walk past her.
"I just took off from work and I thought about stopping by. I really thought that something happened to you and I was worried…but apparently you're more than fine." She said a little annoyed.
"I am." He nodded. "Now if you will excuse me…"
"Why didn't you return my calls? I believed you liked me." She said crossing her arms.
"You're annoying me." He suddenly said with a big roll of eyes. "We had sex. It was fun. Now it's over." He scoffed matter of factly as he started to walk away.
"Oh, really?" She said as she brought her body closer to his, her face inches from his as her hand dared to go lower.
For a moment he was tempted to go back to his old ways and just say screw it. So far caring and opening his heart gave him nothing but pain, so why even bothering? It would be much easier to give in and just forget about everything. But the truth was that he couldn't. Not anymore. Even just the thought of having a meaningless one night thing didn't appeal him at all.
For Christ's sake, he was a man and Andie's hand was pratically reaching his crotch. Still all he could think about was Elena. Elena. Elena.
Would it ever stop?
"Really." He said firmly as he pushed her away.
She looked baffled and surprised as she stomped her foot.
"You're seeing someone else aren't you?" She asked, her voice high.
"It's none of your business." He smirked.
Elena was right when she kept telling that Andie was nothing but a fake bimbo. She was also right about her boobs being fake, anyways…
"Then I guess I'll see you around, asshole." She said as she walked away in her high heels and her chin up.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her being so dramatic. He walked towards his own car and as he stepped in and started driving, his only hope was that Elena was willing to hear him out.
They still had their issues that obviously wouldn't disappear in a heartbeat. But they could work on it and make them work.
He was relieved when he saw that her car was there, meaning that she probably was home. It was nearly midnight but at the moment he couldn't care less. He had to see her now.
He rang the doorbell firmly and he noticed that a soft light was on upstairs. She had to be up.
He kept ringing and he then sighed when she wouldn't open.
"Elena, I know you're here. Open up please." He shouted calmly.
He rang again growing impatient and he growled in frustration.
He then felt his phone buzzing and he knotted his eyebrows when he picked it and noticed that it was a text from Elena.
- The spare key is in the pot on the left. Take it. -
He kept feeling confused but he was glad that she was at least letting him in. He found the key right away and he then hesitantly opened the front door.
"Elena?" He called once in the house, frowning when he noticed that it was completely dark downstairs. "I get that you're mad at me but this is not the right time to play hide and seek to be honest."
He put his hands on his hips and sighed quietly trying to look around.
"I'm up here." He heard her voice calling.
He headed upstairs and as he entered her room he found her in her bed, curled up on her side and her face looking numb as she stared ahead of her.
The only light that was on in the room was the one on her nightstand.
He approached her quietly and hesitantly as he then kneeled in front of her.
"Hey." He said smiling softly.
"Hey." She said back, attempting a smile.
He frowned a little when he saw her puffy eyes.
"Have you been crying?" He asked as his thumb gently laid on her cheek.
"A little." She admitted.
"I really am an immature jackass, aren't I?" He said frustrated with himself. "I'm so sorry."
The smile on her face suddenly became a little brighter as her doe eyes stared up at him.
"No you're not. And I'm sorry too…I overreacted." She said as she placed her hand over his on her cheek.
He smiled at her as he started caressing her hand with his thumb and he then leaned in tentatively to give her a soft peck on the lips. He rested his forehead against hers and thought that he could stare into her beautiful big doe eyes all day long.
"I've been miserable ever since we fought. Forgive me?" She said shyly.
This time he kissed her more firmly and rapidly, craving to feel her lips on his again. She kissed him back and they just lost themselves in the moment.
"No you forgive me, silly. I'm the screwed up one here." He said as he rubbed his noise against hers.
"We really can't stay away from each other though, can we." She said chuckling a little.
"We're needy like this I guess." He said with a shrug as he chuckled too.
He just stood there for a few moments, staring into her eyes and occasionally stealing a kiss.
"Are you okay? I don't like seeing you upset." He said frowning.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." She said as she tried to straighten herself up a little.
He noticed her arm giving up a little and her face grimacing in pain as she tried to do so, but he decided to shrug it off.
She kept looking at him with a happy content smile though and he couldn't help but grin back at her.
"Come here." She said patting the spot next to her on the bed.
He grinned like a chesire cat at the thought of being so close to her and he didn't think about it twice. He quickly took off his shoes and his leather jacket and slipped in next to her.
He wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled close to him, lying her head and her hand on his chest.
"I'm so glad you're here Damon." She said, looking up at him intently. "I can't believe you left the party just to get here. How did you come back anyway?" She asked with a chuckle.
"Matt gave me a ride. He had to come back too so I took the opportunity." He said with a shrug.
She chuckled a little and he started stroking her hair softly. They stayed quiet for a few minutes until he spoke up again.
"Do you want to talk?" He asked quietly.
"Who is Katherine?" She then asked hesitantly after a few moments.
"An acquaintance from Chicago." He said casually.
"By the text she sent you she seemed to be a little more than an acquaintance." Elena said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.
"Well...that kind of acquaintance, you know."
"You're such a gigolo." She said with a giggle.
"I'm not." He defended with a scoff.
"You are, but you're my gigolo. Deal?" She said kissing the crook of his neck.
"Deal." He said with a smile, facing her.
"So you don't want to talk about her? Is she someone important?" Elena then asked, all of a sudden worried about his response.
"There's nothing to say about her." He started saying. "We met about an year and a half ago at a conference and since then we started dating on and off. It's never been something serious though, believe me. I made a mistake when I told her about my life in Mystic Falls…and you." He said quietly.
"Oh. Okay." Elena acknoweledged not really knowing what to say.
He said that it was nothing serious but still he would go back to Chicago and Katherine would be there. She didn't want to rub more salt on the wound tonight, but it was something that they definitely needed to discuss. She couldn't allow herself to start loving him if she knew that they weren't going anywhere.
"What about you and Matt? Didn't you two date in highschool? It must be awkward to see him with Caroline." He said thoughtfully.
"Oh no, trust me." Elena said chuckling. "Matty and I were kind of an innocent first love. He and Caroline are the real deal."
"And you never found your real deal?" He then asked, his eyes glimmering as he looked into hers.
"Maybe I did." She whispered looking up at him with the same glimmer.
She then yawned a little as she wrapped her arms tighter around his chest and closed her eyes breathing in his scent.
She purred like a cat when he started stroking her hair and he chuckled softly.
"We've come so far." She suddenly said. "You were cold as ice with me and now here you are warming me up." She said chuckling.
"I was wrong." He said.
"You were keeping yourself from getting hurt and I respect you for that. I know what it feels like. But I kinda hated how stubborn and arrogant you were at first." She said raising her eyebrows as she started caressing his arm lovingly.
"Yeah…I can really be awful when I want to." He said regretfully.
"Well I didn't buy your shit, so here we are." She said with a content sigh.
"I get that you're in bed with Damon Salvatore and all but don't get too cocky now." He said with an amused tone.
"Oh shut up." She groaned rolling her eyes.
He did shut up by cutting her off with an urgent kiss and she lingered a little on top of him kissing him back and running her hands through his black hair, earning a satisfied purr from him.
Kissing Damon was addicting and she already couldn't get enough of him. They finally pulled apart and they looked at each other with knowing smiles.
"I'm glad we cleared things up. I'm so sorry Elena." He whispered as he kissed her cheek tenderly.
"You already said that." She said with a soft smile as she stroked his cheek with the same tenderness.
"And I really really mean it." He said now kissing her hand.
She settled her head onto his chest again and sighed quietly. She suddenly felt her arm still being a little sore but she decided not to tell Damon. He would probably freak out and pick up a fight with Mason and that was the last thing she wanted.
"Will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone." She then asked timidly.
His heart skipped a beat when she said it and he looked down at her with a reassuring smile and a nod.
"Of course." He said kissing her forehead.
As she fell asleep into his arms he realized that maybe he had found his real deal too.