UPDATE! Sorry for the late update. It's finals week and I've been busy studying, but I managed to write another chapter and I started the other so look out for that one! Please enjoy!
Chapter 10
Bonnie lightly traced her lips with her fingertips. She was trying to recreate the tingling feeling she felt hours earlier, a feeling Stefan's lips produced. She brought her knees closer to her chest as she lied on her side on the warm quilt of her bed. The silence of the room, with the exception of the rain, made her feel alone, despite her father being in the room next hers. It was 12 am and she could not sleep; reasons for that-a moody, fickle, strange vampire.
She wondered what had caused him to flee.
Was it my breath? She huffed air into her palm and smelled it. Toothpaste.
Duh you just brushed your teeth.
She sighed and rolled over onto her back. She stared blankly at the ceiling.
"It was wrong," she thought. "Stefan and I… Oh, no Elena…" she groaned and rolled over onto her stomach, her face squeezed into the pillow. What had she done? She had just locked lips with her best friend's ex who she stilled loved.
"But he kissed me," she thought aloud, rolling again onto her back.
Why?
Why? It was question that ran through her head in school the next day.
She wanted to avoid Elena, but doing so would only make matters worse. How could she explain to her friend that the growing distance between them was because of Stefan, her supposed missing ex?
So when Elena caught up to her today in the halls of Robert E. Lee high she made conversations brief and avoided as much eye contact as possible.
"Hey, you okay?" Elena's soft voice loomed above her. The guilt was setting in.
"Hey! What's up?" she replied, keeping her eyes directed towards the end of the hall.
"Nothing…just been practicing my fighting with Damon."
Bonnie stopped for a moment and raised a brow at her, "Really?"
"Oh come on! You know Damon's been training me," she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I know and I'm glad you are. You need to protect yourself."
"But what?" Elena sensed judgment coming from her end.
"Nothing…just, are you sure you and Damon aren't like really close?" she questioned and it caused Elena to sigh.
"Please Bon. Damon and I are just friends. Why does it seem like more?"
"I don't know…forget it!" Bonnie smiled at her and awkwardly put an arm around her shoulder. Elena smiled back.
"So dinner at my place tonight," Elena let go from the embrace and was now facing her.
"Um…"
"Look I know it's awkward between you and Jeremy, but I promise it won't be weird."
Oh no, not weird at all… not like Jeremy answering the door once she had arrived that afternoon…
"Hey," he said in husky voice. Bonnie didn't know how to react, but instead gave him a tight smile before sliding past him through the Gilbert's doorway.
"Hey you came!" Elena excitingly gave her a tight hug then jogged back into the kitchen. Alaric appeared a mad scientist with his white apron and the steaming bubbling liquid before him.
"Hey Bon," he said giving her a quick glance as he added spices to the meat.
"Hi. Smells good," she complimented and he smiled, "I hope it does!"
Bonnie slid her hands into her pockets. Turning her head slightly she caught a glimpse of Jeremy standing by the kitchen doorframe.
"Did anyone order a sexy vampire?" a voice caught her attention. Damon emerged beside Jeremy, his squinted eyes expressed seduction.
"Damon…" said Elena rolling her eyes.
"Witchy…you're here," he strode up to her.
"Yes…I'm here."
He made facial expressions as if to warn her that that Jeremy was there. Bonnie rolled her eyes. She already knew it would be awkward.
"That was great Alaric," said Bonnie whipping her lips with a napkin.
"Yea, that's if you like this human stuff," said Damon, turning things sour as usual. Bonnie flashed him a glare.
"Wine anyone?" he said sliding out of his chair. Now Alaric was glaring at him.
"Oh, that's right. We're the big boys here…" he spun around on his heal after giving them a mocking smile.
"Would you like more water?" Jeremy had spoken up for the first time in the dinner. Bonnie didn't want to look at him, but for the sake of being cordial she nodded and said "No, thanks." A hint of sadness appeared on his face.
Suddenly the door bell rang. "I'll get it," said Damon setting the wine glasses on the table.
"Did you invite someone else?" Elena asked Alaric and he nodded no.
The sound of the door opening could be heard from the end of the hall and a silence followed. Elena stood up and made her way towards the front door. Bonnie followed. They found Damon standing still in front of the doorway.
"Damon who is it?" Elena asked sticking her head out to see over his shoulder. Bonnie tried making out the figure, but couldn't see past Damon's shoulders and Elena's head. Suddenly, Damon stepped aside.
"Look what that cat dragged in."
Elena stood up straight. Bonnie could sense her heart racing, for her own heart was also doing so.
Standing underneath the porch light with the dark night backdrop was Stefan.
"You're back," Elena whispered.
He's back….
"I hope this isn't a bad time," Stefan leaned forward not yet stepping in.
"It's not," said Damon crossing his arms.
"May I?" he asked.
Damon looked at Elena; it was her decision to let him in.
"Yea, come in."
Bonnie didn't know what made him return. She believed it had to do with what had happened between them and frankly that annoyed her. Was their moment so bad that he had to somehow forget about it by coming back?
"I'm sorry I haven't stopped by. I was getting things togeth-" Stefan began but was quickly interrupted by Damon, "Where's Klaus?"
"Uh…I don't know. I haven't seen him since the dance."
Damon gazed upon him questioningly. He wasn't buying his words.
"So he's not with you?"
"Nope"
They were all sitting in the living room. Elena sat next to Damon, who sat opposite Stefan. Bonnie stood behind them near the far end of the room. She didn't want to get involved, but most importantly, she didn't want to give away that she had known all along. Jeremy suddenly appeared next to her.
"Can you believe he's back?" he whispered to her.
"I do," she refuted. He's eyebrows narrowed in confusion.
"Really?"
His tone made Bonnie's stomach jump. It's like he knew that she knew something nobody else did.
"Well…he was supposed to look after Elena. Maybe that's why he's back."
"Maybe…" he whispered back. "I don't like it."
"Why?" she kept her eyes looking ahead.
"I just don't. He hurt Elena. He's still the ripper too."
"No he's not," she refuted, but suddenly realized she had revealed too much.
"What? How do you know that?"
"Well, he looks remorseful," she made up.
"Are you going to tell Klaus I'm still alive?" Elena asked, her eyes glistening with the vulnerability she kept hidden with anger.
"I don't respond to Klaus anymore. He freed me," he replied looking at her compassionately.
Bonnie felt her stomach turn. She suddenly felt dumb. Dumb for believing that they had something between them.
"Elena can we talk," Stefan asked and she slowly nodded yes.
Stefan's dark green eyes quickly gazed upon Bonnie. He looked somehow upset, but it was barely on the surface. Bonnie felt this rush of heat and overwhelming anger surge through her. Once they left the room, she quickly snapped around and marched into the kitchen.
"Hey, you don't have to do that," said Damon who found her a few minutes later cleaning the table.
"No it's fine. I don't mind," she replied furiously whipping the table with a rag.
"No seriously…Jeremy will do it."
She chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Can't believe he's back," Damon poured himself another cup of wine after chugging the first one.
"I know…" Bonnie leaned against the kitchen island counter.
"Now what" Damon leaned next to her.
"Exactly…well I guess things go back to the way they were…" Bonnie replied.
Damon appeared to be angry-his dark blue eyes hid beneath the shadows of his narrowed eyebrows. Bonnie watched his jaw clench and unclench as he took another swig of wine. He was hurt.
"Yea…too bad the way things were was boring…"
Bonnie gave him a tight smile, but when his dark eyes met hers they caused her leg to jerk.
"Uh…I wonder what they're talking about?" she quickly diverted.
"Catching up…like lovers do…" he chugged that last bit of wine before angrily strutting out of the kitchen.
Like lovers do…
Bonnie quickly shut the bathroom door after spotting Elena and Stefan coming out of her bedroom. She figured she'll wait before leaving.
"Hey Elena, I'll meet you downstairs," she heard him say. Then a knock appeared on the door. She held her breath.
"Who is it?" she called out, slapping her palm to her forehead.
"Bonnie it's me," she heard his voice, muffled by the door between them. Cracking it open, she let him in.
"Hey," he said sliding in and shutting the door behind him. Her heart was racing again; perhaps it was the proximity of their bodies determined by the limited space in the room.
He now stood before her. His eyes, the beautiful dark green they were, intense and sweet looked onto her.
"What?" she angrily said.
But he didn't reply. He just stared at her.
She sighed and went for the door.
"Wait, Bonnie listen," he said grabbing her arm. The touch, like that around her face and waist as they caressed each other that day in the back of her car, made her stomach flutter.
"I'm sorry for running out like that the yesterday."
"Don't worry about it," she said, though she really, really, really wanted an explanation.
"I came back. Like you said," he continued.
"I'm glad. Now things can go back to the way they use to," she went for the doorknob again.
"Wait," he stopped her once more.
"You were the one who insisted I come back."
"I did. So what are you getting at Stefan?"
"Well I sense you're not too taken by my effort."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not up to me Stefan. You said it yourself; you would come back when you were ready."
"Bonnie I'm sorry," he said. They were now face to face.
"Why did you do it then?" she couldn't help herself any longer.
"What?"
"Oh my God… forget it. Stefan I was in this to help my friends not you, don't forget that. Look, I'm out. Come and pick up the bullets when you have time," she firmly said and could feel the heat within her ears indicating her level of anger. Right now she was about one hundred.
"Bonnie I know why you're upset-" he tried explaining but the turning of the doorknob hushed him.
"Oh, and don't worry, I won't mention anything about the plan. That is, if any of their lives become threatened, then I wouldn't think for a second before opening my mouth."
"Bonnie-"
Outside, they heard the scurrying of footstep and a door slam. Bonnie moved quick enough to find Jeremy's door sign swinging.
"Oh no," she whispered.
Hope you guys liked it. I want to thank everyone for reading. I also want to thank those who've favorited the story and those who've reviewed! I appreciate it. :)