And here we are with the 11th chapter. This may start off slow again, but it's only going to build up from here. I think this may be a shorter story than what I expected. But I promise that I will finish this off with a bang. After this, there may be at least another 3 chapters. If there's anything you would like to see before I end this story soon, let me know! Enjoy :)


Three Weeks Later (Damon's POV)

Damon talked to Kerry and worked things out. She apologized for everything and came up with the excuse that she was just confused and stressed out at first. She was confiding on a long time friend and things "happened". Damon didn't really believe the entire story, but he brushed it off. It was only fair to her since he cheated on her too. He didn't feel the need to tell her that though. He just thought he would see it as a memory, not worth remembering. It was a huge terrible mistake and he'll be sure not to let that happen again. So he just accepted her apology and they both moved on. The wedding was still on.

With only about a month away from the wedding day, he knew the next couple of weeks would be hectic for him. Kerry was already bombarding him about with which color should the bride's maids dress be.

"How about this pale pink color", she asked him showing him a picture of the dress in a book full of dresses. Damon was already not paying attention anymore as he was getting annoyed about this.

"I don't know. Isn't that the reason why we have a wedding planner", Damon asked her annoyed.

"Yes, but she's not here right now so I figured I'd just get started on a few", she explained.

"I thought you were supposed to have this down packed a long time ago", he said taking a gulp of his bourbon drink. Damon knew that no amount of alcohol would help him get through this day.

"I had an idea, but now I'm changing my mind. I'm finally going to go pick out my dress today and I have to make sure that the bride's maid dress makes sense!" Damon saw that Kerry was starting to become frustrated from her little outburst right now. She was at the stage where she can lose it at any minute.

"And that's my cue to leave", he said getting up leaving the room.

"And where do you think you're going? I haven't decided yet", she called out to him.

"Not my problem", Damon said out loud still walking out the room. Damon was not in the mood for this at all.

Cecelia's POV

"We forgive you", Elena said on the other line.

"But we're never doing this again", Caroline stated on her end.

"That was just a big headache all together", Bonnie said next at her line. Cecelia couldn't help but smile widely when she finally heard her friends accept her apology.

"You guys really mean it", Cecelia asked excitedly clenching her phone in her hands.

"Yes", the three girls said at the same time. This was probably the best phone conversation she's had with them in awhile. It took three weeks for them to be normal with Cecelia again. She did say some hurtful things to them before and all of it was uncalled for, so she understood that. In the beginning, they weren't so fond of Caroline either. Stephan and Damon blamed her for the mess, but they all quickly came to terms with her than they did with her.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me", Cecelia told them. They all giggled and laughed together as they were all happy to be friends.

"Let's all have a girls night out soon", Bonnie suggested. They all agreed on this. Once they settled in good terms they hung up and ended the conversation. Cecelia sighed deeply. She was happy that everything was starting to fall back into place. Her friends are good with her, Stephan was no longer mad at her either, thank god Joshua, her brother wasn't involved much. She couldn't bear hurting her only family member that was around. Tyler and Matt were the ones that went easy on her. They didn't see the reason to be mad at her for so long. She was her old self again, but not necessarily the same person before she turned. And it wasn't the fact that she was still a vampire. She just learned to cope and come to terms with her feelings. She felt stronger and that she can handle her emotions in a better way. The time she spent alone did help her and she was glad that she was able to do that on her own. She focused a lot on herself. However, there was only one person that she still hasn't been able to talk to.

Damon.

Damon was a tough one. She kept fighting with herself whether if she should talk to him or not. She wasn't even sure if he wanted to see her. If she was going to talk to Damon she had to do this right. She had this plan to spill everything. To tell him herself how she's been feeling for these past couple of years. Cecelia wanted him to know why she did this, and why she was telling him this now. The truth is she still loved him. That wasn't a shocker. It was just a matter of getting that in Damon's head. He needed to know this. He needs to know that Cecelia never stopped loving him. He needs to know that she made a mistake of letting him go. She didn't want him to get married. She still wanted to be with him. She needed to be with him. Her heart knew that. Marrying Kerry will probably be a terrible mistake.

She was once told by her mother to always follow your heart. To always do what your heart tells you. If you don't try something you will live the rest of your life wondering and that's the biggest torture you can possibly experience. The worst that can happen is that it didn't work out, but at least you knew. It's better knowing it didn't work than wondering if it ever would or not.

Cecelia walked out the school building where her class was being held and walked to her car. She got in her car and looked at her phone. She then went to her contacts and started scrolling until she got to Damon's name. She promised herself that she would apologize to everyone for what she did and if Damon was one of them, then that is what she was going to do. She tapped on his name and started calling him. She placed the phone on her ear nervously waiting for his voice to come to life at the other end of the phone. The phone kept on ringing and ringing and ringing. She didn't think he was going to pick up. After a few long rings, she decided not to wait for his voicemail and was going to hang up. But before she had the chance he finally picked up.

"Not the person I was expecting to call me", was the first thing Damon said on the phone. For a moment, Cecelia lost her words. She didn't think he would actually pick up. She knew he had caller ID. Even then she's sure he knew her number by heart.

"Um, I'm sorry. Is now not a good time", she asked a little nervous.

"I suppose I can spare some time", he said calmly but sound not interested in talking to her at the same time.

"Right. So..how's everything going for you", Cecelia started terribly.

"Alright. Getting ready for the wedding..you know", he replied. That's something she didn't really want to hear. The constant reminder of Damon getting married would always make her more upset, but she would brush it off every time she heard that.

"How's that going", she asked trying to sound composed.

"Busy. Annoying", he said simply. Damon wasn't really trying to have much of a conversation with her. She better make this quick.

"Listen, I was just calling because...I...just wanted to apologize...", she stumbled upon her words.

"You don't have to. I don't want to hear that right now C", Damon started.

"No, you have to hear this. I'm sorry for everything and-", she was cut off by Damon.

"Cecelia, please. I don't want to do this right now. Let's just move on and put all this behind us okay", Damon interrupted her. Before Cecelia could get another word out he hung up. Cecelia's jaw dropped not expecting him to end the conversation like that and so quickly. A little voice inside of her head was telling her to not let Damon end it like that. So, she quickly set her phone down and put on her seat belt. She turned on her car and pulled out her parking spot quickly. She was going to let him know everything whether he wanted to hear it or not.

She drove straight to the Salvatore's house and stopped at the beginning of their driveway. She was now starting to become frustrated. Everytime she tried talking to him he will never let her speak. He was as difficult as ever. She wasn't going to miss out on a chance to change everything for them. In her heart she knew that they were meant for each other and she was at least going to give it another shot.

As she marched up to the house Stephan and Damon were coming her way leaving the house. Stephan stopped, but Damon immediately turned the other way to walk back inside the house.

"Don't you dare run away from me Salvatore", Cecelia yelled out to him. Damon stopped at his tracks and leaned his head back, closing his eye, annoyed. Stephan looked back at Damon and then at Cecelia.

"What do you want from me", Damon yelled back at her turning towards her now.

"I just need you to shut up and listen", she demanded stopping in front him now. He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything.

"All I've been trying to tell you is I'm sorry", she started.

"Yes I kno-"

"Shut up Damon! Look, I am sorry. I am sorry for what I did two years ago. I am sorry I let go of everything we once had. I am sorry for not trying after all these years to make things better with you. I'm sorry for what I said to you this past month. You know I had my humanity off so my instinct is to say and do whatever I can to keep you away from me. I should have told you a long time ago that I still loved you."

"Well, you didn't. And I get that you don't. I don't need everybody to keep reminding me that!"

"But that is where you are wrong Damon! I do love you! I am still in love with you! I never stopped. I just didn't know how to handle your kind of lifestyle when you came into mine", she finally admitted to him. Damon just looked at her, not knowing what to say. Should he admit his feelings to her too?

"You and I could have still been together if I just took a second and come and tell you that I wanted to still be you", she said a little calmer now.

"And again I say, you didn't. Cecelia, I am done with this. I am getting MARRIED. This is really the worse time to be discussing about past relationships. I just can't do this anymore", Damon told her. Cecelia squinted her eyes at him.

"So why did you sleep with me", she asked bluntly. Damon clenched his jaw together and looked to the side when she asked this question. He wasn't going answer that, but Cecelia wasn't letting him drop that question so easily. She moved her head in front his so she can look at him right in the eyes again. Stephan was just standing at the side watching them intensely with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Why Damon? You did it for a reason", Cecelia pressed.

"Why the fuck you think I did it Cecelia!? Don't play dumb", Damon snapped. "You want to hear me say it? Fine. I fucking love you Cecelia. I love you like crazy. I never stopped loving you either. I can even say that I love you more than Kerry. But she is the woman I am going to marry. I am not abandoning her. This relationship you and I have is not healthy. And according to you it wasn't before either. So with that being said, me and tormented confused heart is ending this conversation now", Damon demanded.

Cecelia got into his face now.

"Then don't marry her Damon. Give us another chance", Cecelia said softly to him. Cecelia searched into his eyes. Those blue eyes that are so cold and hurt now. She wanted to see the life in them again. Damon's face inched closer to her, their lips not far apart.

"I can't...", he said just as softly. "You desearve to be happier."

"Forget what I said to you before. It wasn't true. None of it was true. What I am telling you now is true. I want to be you again Damon...please. Let's work this out", she pleaded. Damon thought long and hard about this. If he really loved her he would let her go be happy with someone else. He had to learn how to do that. It would be selfish of him to keep her with him when she wasn't going to be happy.

"I'm sorry", he said very quietly to her. Tears started to pile up into Cecelia's eyes. Why is he trying so hard not to be with her? Damon stepped to the side of her and walked away leaving her standing there in tears.

"Damon", Stephan called out to him, but he didn't stop. He just kept on walking away. Stephan looked at the lost Cecelia. He slowly walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders but she seemed to not notice him.

"Hey...everything will be alright", he said to her. Cecelia just looked up at Stephan trying to understand everything. Then she shrugged him off and turned around to leave as well.

Her mother also once told her, that once you find out the truth, it may not always be what you expected. It can make or break you. It may or may not work out. And it may or may not hurt. In this case it hurt. And it hurt like hell.