Chapter Eleven

It's been the longest winter without you
I didn't know where to turn to
See somehow I can't forget you
After all that we've been through

Going coming thought I heard a knock
Who's there no one
Thinking that I deserve it
Now I realize that I really didn't know
If you didn't notice you mean everything
Quickly I'm learning to love again
All I know is I'm gonna be OK

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
And even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

Better In Time- Leona Lewis

Enzo was standing in the receiving area as a booking cop takes pictures of his tattoos. Not sure why. It's pretty evident that none of them were gang affiliated. They were more art than anything else. Unless they thought he had some gang code hidden in the dragon sleeve on his arm—maybe the Latin on his chest threw 'em off.

Hell, maybe they took pictures of everyone's tattoos. Enzo didn't know. He was the only one being processed, and the last time he was arrested was for some high school, no-trespassing bullshit. No ink back then.

They moved him over to the desk and took his fingerprints.

"Step over here, please," the cop says. Time for his mug shot.

Enzo was gonna kick Jeremy's ass when he got out of here. Sure, that's what he was in here for, but Jeremy deserved it. It was a while ago Enzo beat his ass, but as soon as he saw Bonnie curled under Enzo's arm, happy, now Jeremy wanted to report it. Fucking dick.

They took him into a bland, white room with a stack of orange jumpsuits on metal cabinets and had him strip. Sucks to have another man cup your balls. Enzo even had to shower with lice shampoo, which reeks to high hell.

He rinsed and got out as quickly as he could. Enzo threw on a jumpsuit, and now he was in a cell with four other guys, waiting for Matt to bail his ass out.

Enzo should be at home right now, lying skin to skin with Bonnie. She had to be scared, or worried, or both. If she wasn't afraid of him before, she has to be now.

The longer he was here, the better the chance that little shit Jeremy would try to get to her, to tell her Enzo was here because he was physical with him. And it'll sound more terrible than it was because that bastard sure as hell isn't gonna tell her what he did to deserve it.

And what if she feels sorry for him and they get back together?

Enzo hoped she's with Matt instead, on their way to come get him. He could do nothing but wait, so he focus on the guy across the room who's tripping. Or coming down off some high. He looked miserable. His cheeks are sunken, and he's jabbering to himself as he rocked back and forth, agitated and clicking his fingernails together.

"How long has he been doing that?" Enzo asked the guy closest to him.

He looks up and over at the guy. He shrugs. "A while."

Shit, shouldn't someone give him something? Or put his ass in detox? This was fucked up.

Enzo slided across the bed to rest his back against the concrete wall. This angle gave him a full view of the cell. He was not so worried about the other guys, but who knows what the hell trippy-tripster over there is likely to do.

Probably an hour later—he can't be sure because there are no clocks in the cell and they took his watch in booking—a cop comes down the hall. "St. John, you made bail."

Enzo slides off the bed like a kid who'd just been told he gets to go to the zoo. He was so ready to be out of here and explain to Bonnie what happened.

The cop led him to a room to get changed back into his own clothes and gave him personal items. Wallet. Enzo checked inside to make sure nothing's missing. They're not supposed to take anything, but who was he supposed to complain to if they do? Ring, check. Bike and house keys, check.

Enzo's relieved Bonnie wasn't going to see him walking out of here in that jumpsuit. And hopefully seeing him leave of his own accord should help replace some of whatever will stick after seeing him taken away in cuffs.

The cop opens the door into the front area of the station, and he found Matt sitting in one of the chairs against the wall. His anxiety thickens. "Where's Bonnie?"

He stands and comes over to Enzo before he spoke. "I dunno man, but she seemed pretty shaken up. She said for you to call her."

Shit! "Well, thanks for bailing me out." They clapped hands.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but first you're straight-up refusing to go to the strip club—"

"I didn't refuse."

"And now you're getting arrested for … what is it that you did?"

They climbed into his car. "I clocked Jeremy in the face. Twice. And I'm spending time with Bonnie—he didn't take kindly to the last part."

"And he reported you hitting him?" Matt asks surprised.

"Looks like it. Asshole."

Matt steers them toward his apartment. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to call Bonnie. Talk this out." Sounds easier than he had an proclivity it will be, though.

Matt pulls into the lot and idles his old Camaro.

"Thanks, bro. You want to come inside for a beer?"

"Nah, I'm cool. Go talk to your woman."

Enzo grinned. No one had ever referenced Bonnie as his girl in such a natural way before. He liked the way it settles in the air, the way it spins in his gut. "Thanks," he says again, closing the door.

Enzo jogged up the walkway, hoping he didn't see Jeremy right now. He wanted to beat his ass, but not now. First, he had to talk to Bonnie.

Enzo made it to his apartment without incident and go in search of his phone. All of Bonnie's things were gone. And the movie player's still open—she took the movie out. He was going to take it back. Maybe she wanted to watch it some more before then. God, he hoped that's what she was thinking.

He found his phone on the bed and click in the unlock code. Enzo had to put a code on it when women kept adding their numbers, and taking sexy pictures and setting them as his home screen wallpaper. Surprising how many of them thought that'd appeal to him. Fuck that. If he wanted that, he'd ask for it.

Enzo rang Bonnie's phone, but it goes to voicemail. He tried her dorm room next.

Caroline answers.

"Hey, Caroline. Bonnie there?"

"No, she's at work."

Shit. "What time does she get off?"

"Six, but I wouldn't go over there if I were you. She's pretty rattled about what happened. Give her a bit to relax first."

Fuck that. That's exactly why he had to go over there. He was not waiting until after six, either. He thanked Caroline and grabbed his keys, running down the stairs and hopping on his bike before tearing out of the complex.

Bonnie walked around the bridal shop in a daze. She's been trying to talk herself out of it, but she thought she was actually falling in love with Enzo. This scares the shit out of her. Sometimes when she's with him, it makes sense. She's just herself and he's just himself. And he does these things, things like getting her the dance flyer and paying the first couple of classes, or creating a metal beauty all from the way he feels about her, from how he sees her. In some alternate reality, they'd probably be really great together.

But then something like the manager at the bank eying his sleeve tattoo reminds her that Enzo will have a hard time getting a job or being promoted in the corporate world—he was getting his degree in finance.

Or him getting arrested.

Bonnie frowned because that last one really disturbs her. She imagined she'd have a loving husband who was clean-cut and respected in their community, a great father with values to pass on to their children. In some ways Enzo fits into that. But in more ways, he doesn't, and him getting arrested just reminds her of that.

She had no idea what they were doing. What she was doing. How far is too far? And have they already reached it?

Bonnie was grateful they're slow today because she was not nearly as chipper as she needed to be to help these women with their perfect weddings.

Zoning out and peering through the front display window as she hung new veils when she saw Jeremy's white Lexus pull into the lot.

What the hell is he doing here?

Bonnie watched until she saw him get out and head for the bridal shop's front door.

"Monique?" she called to the other girl working with her. "Can you cover for me for a second?"

"Sure," she says and Bonnie head out the front door.

"What do you want?" she asked Jeremy. He is the last person she wanted to see. "And what nerve for you to come here to try to get it."

"Bonnie baby," he says in the same tone he used to be cute with her, and she's not sure how she could of ever liked it before. She hated it now. "I just came—"

"No, I am not your 'baby' anymore." Bonnie started walking toward his car and tick her head to the side for him to follow her. Whatever he's trying to pull, she didn't want it done in front of the shop. "Whatever you're here to say, you better say it quick because I am about to turn around and go back inside."

"I know I messed up—"

"Yeah, you messed up real good."

He puts his hands out and wraps his fingers around her crossed arms. "But I miss you."

Oh God. The whine. It's so annoying. Bonnie pulled back from his reach. "Well, I don't miss you."

He flinches, and she was taken aback by how true those words were. She didn't miss him. At all. In fact, with that pouting face, she was not sure what she ever saw in him.

"Regardless, I came here to talk to you about Enzo."

Bonnie stepped back, putting up more defenses. "You know nothing about him."

"He's not a good guy, Bonnie. He's slept with almost every girl on campus, and—"

"And what about you? I don't know how many people you've slept with, but sure as shit, it's a lot more than I'm aware of. Hell, you could've slept with even more than he has."

"There's more. He's violent."

Her face grows serious. "Jeremy, you need to leave."

"Just hear me out. Please."

Bonnie glared at him. "And why should I?" The guy doesn't deserve any more of her time.

"I'm serious. He was arrested because he punched me in the face. Twice."

Bonnie's jaw drops. She was hoping the charges were a mistake, or Enzo got into a bar fight or something stupid and somewhat manageable. She never expected him to be violent against someone she actually knew.

He steps up to her and rubs her shoulders. She was in too much shock to move away from him. "You shouldn't be around someone like him. You deserve better. And you could get hurt."

A heavy rumble grows louder before Enzo's bike pulled into the parking lot. Enzo parks in the spot next to them and cuts off the engine. He does not look happy. The arch in his eyebrows disappears and his lips tighten into thin lines. He climbs off his bike and she takes a step away from him and Jeremy. She didn't know what to believe.

He frowns at her and then shoots Jeremy a cold, threatening glare. "What the hell have you been telling her?"

"The truth," Jeremy says, unfazed.

"The truth, my ass!" Enzo focuses his attention back to her. "Did he tell you why I punched him?"

So he admits it. "The charges? They're real, then?"

"They're real, but—"

"Shit, Enzo. What do you expect me to do with this?"

"Jeremy here didn't seem to have much of an issue with it until he saw us going up to my apartment last night, did you?" he asks, turning to Jeremy.

Bonnie turned to Jeremy, her brows furrowed. "How long ago was this?"

"Assault is assault," Jeremy says, as if everything else was irrelevant.

"A couple of weeks ago," Enzo answers.

Bonnie didn't know what the hell is going on anymore. She looked from Jeremy to Enzo.

"And yeah, dipshit, go ahead and tell her what you said to cause me to punch you."

Bonnie glared at Jeremy. What did he do now? "Jeremy?"

"He's a bad apple, Bon."

Enzo grits his teeth. "Bullshit." He turns to her. "I am repeating what he said word for word: 'Did Bonnie tell you her mom was a slut? I guess she tells that to all the guys she sleeps with.'"

Bonnie gasped and lunge at Jeremy with an open hand.

Enzo holds her back.

"I was only speaking the truth," Jeremy says as Enzo pulled her away.

Enzo lets her go and turns around, punching Jeremy in the face. "Go ahead and report me again, you bitch. Every time you open your fucking mouth about her, I'm socking my fist into your face. You wanna fuck with us, let's do this."

This was nuts. Bonnie glowers at Jeremy. She hated his guts. "You need to leave now."

Jeremy wipes his bleeding lip. "You're both fucking crazy. You deserve each other," he says and then got into his Lexus and drives away.

Enzo wraps his arms around her. Bonnie was shaking from the adrenaline. "It's okay," he says and rubs his hand down her hair.

She should've known Enzo had a good reason to hurt someone. She felt guilty for being so disappointed in him. Bonnie was ready to whale on Jeremy, more so than when he cheated on her. "I can't believe he said those things." It hurts even more because of how deeply personal they are.

"I couldn't, either. He got what he had coming, though."

"What the hell is his problem? He's the one who cheated on me." And he's trying to tell her, she deserve better than Enzo, like he's so much better. What an ass.

"He's a damn idiot."

Bonnie looked up at him, worried. "What if he calls the cops again?"

"Then I'll deal with it."

Bonnie placed her hand on his chest and pat where she thought his shark tattoo rests underneath his shirt. "Thank you for defending me, but you have to understand that getting arrested is a big deal. Hell, I've never even shoplifted before. And the next thing I know, you have police knocking on your door, cuffing you, hauling your ass off. Then I find out it's because you were violent with someone. Someone I know. I don't hang out with violent people, Enzo, and I can't deal with a criminal record. Especially one in the making."

He frowns. "So you'd rather he say those things about you?"

"No, but I don't want to see you get in trouble over me, either. I'd rather he just leave me alone."

The relief on Enzo's face is clear.

"Did you think I'd want him back?"

"I hoped not, but you guys have so much history together it's a possibility."

Bonnie shook her head. "No. No way in hell."

He chuckles and pulls her tight to his chest, his stubble catching some of the strands of her hair.

She looked up at him again. "I have to go back inside, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't there when Matt bailed me out, and then Caroline said you were really upset. I had to come explain it to you … set things right."

Bonnie grinned. She can't help it. "I was pretty shaken up." she rested her hand on his chest and step back. "Just don't do things to get arrested anymore. It's much too radical for this girl."

His lips curve up on one side more than the other. "So we're good then?"

Bonnie takes a few steps backward toward the shop, thinking about it. "For now," she says and turns around, not stopping until she's inside.

After the door shuts, she glances back.

Enzo watches her with a smile on his face before he cranks his bike to life and drives off.

She still had no idea what the hell she doing or how far she could take this without getting burned.

AN: Last TVD episode was a disappointment. Enzo showed up twice. No plans to bring him back I see. Only good thing is that Stefan made a promise to Bonnie to make things right with her no matter what. And Katherine is going to wreck shit this week. I'll try to update this weekend. Only about four more chapters left.