There are ways I've fallen
There are times I've been so weak
There are moments when I hear redemption calling
But I'm too far down to speak

There are scars that I've been hiding
There are ghosts that I do not claim
There are closets I do not care to open
They open all the same
-Come Undone by Jackson Waters

"Damon! What the hell was that?" Elena burst into the boarding house taking me surprise. I was almost amazed with how fast she got here. I only left the witch's house minutes ago.

"Was what?" I tried pulling off the innocent look as I stood next to couch, trying to casually pour my self a drink but stopped when I realized my hands were slightly shaking. I felt trapped in a way I never thought I would. I didn't want to be vulnerable and the look on Elena's face showed she wasn't scared to cut me open and attempt to spill out all my emotions.

"Don't you give me that look! I know that look too well and it stopped working a long time ago." She pointed a finger at me and I now realized she was mad at me. "You lied about something! What was it?"

"I did not lie." I said while purposely being over dramatic because I knew it would piss her off and maybe distract her before I could think of an escape route.

"You did too lie." She said in the same tone which was almost laughable. Almost. "I now know your lying face and there is nothing you can say to take back that little eyebrow quirk that gives you away!"

"My what?"

"You quirk your eyebrow. It's your tell."

"How would you know my tell?" I was actually only halfway trying to distract her and halfway wanting to know how she knew little things like that.

"Oh I don't know... maybe because I've spent almost everyday around you for the past two years."

"We've only known each other for a year and two hundred and seventy days."

"You know how much I hate it when you correct me! Wait... you are counting?" She gave me a disbelieving look. I smiled at the fact she completely forgot about the little confrontation at Bonnie's. But I knew it wouldn't last long so I had no choice but to keep going.

"Well I hate it when you are wrong all the time." I swear for a moment I thought I saw red flash over her eyes. "And yes, I do count. I'm a vampire, it is what we do. Haven't you heard of Count Dracula?" I started snickering at my own horrible joke but stopped when I saw her face completely unaffected.

"Are you done?" She asked in a cold voice.

"Am I ever done?"

"Stop trying to distract me, it isn't working anymore."

"Is that a challenge? I can keep trying, don't think I can't." I watched as she took a huge deep breath and to tell you the truth I was even starting to annoy myself. When my phone started ringing I almost jumped for joy. It was sitting in the kitchen and I practically ran to get it.

"Where are you going?" I heard Elena as she followed after me. I basically pounced on my phone and answered it, with my back facing towards Elena. I didn't need any eyebrow give always.

"Hello."

"Hey Damon. I was wondering-"

"Wait! Are you okay? What happened?" I cut him off while putting on a show. Alaric was my life saver.

"I'm fine...what are you talking about?"

"Okay, just stay where you are and I'll be right there." I said in a calm voice and I glanced over my shoulder to see my show wasn't really impressing Elena.

"What is going?" She asked as I hung up.

"Alaric needs my help. I have to go."

"Bullshit." She said right as I grabbed my keys. "You sounded so sweet and I know you wouldn't act that way even if I was dying on the side of the road. You'd say something like don't bleed out on me before I get a taste." She said in a fake deep voice.

"I would not." I faked being insulted as I slowly crept backwards.

"Where do you think you are going?" She said as I turned around and started going down the long hallway towards the door.

"Alaric needs me!" I said while shouting over my shoulder as I jogged at a human pace to the front door, just so it didn't look like I was completely running away. I only stopped when I heard a weird noise and then something hard hit the back of my head. I saw a shoe laying at my feet and then looked up to see Elena in mid throw of the second one and I barely dodged out of the way before it would have hit me. "What the hell?"

"Stop avoiding this! The Damon I thought I knew wouldn't desperately try to get away." The Damon she knew also tried to hide everything, he was just good enough to now let that show. What happened to me? I didn't want her to think I was running away, even if that was what I was doing. I finally accepted that we needed to talk. I went to close the door that I had slightly open but she took that as me trying to run again and I felt her pounce on me as we tumbled to the floor. The only reason she accomplished it was because I let her. I could tell she was so tired of this when she sat on top of me with the most exhausted expression. "We are going to talk! We are going to communicate!"

"I'll talk now."

"No, you are going to listen and then you can talk."

"Okay." I was slightly scared by her determined side. She had all the control over me and I didn't like it that she knew it as well.

"What we had in that other world, was good. And it was also bad and I never thought I'd admit this, but I've missing it." This was not what I was expecting. "I've been trying to deny the fact that it actually happened. It was easier when they were just dreams and we thought you were being stubborn locked up in your room. But I now realize what happened, it was real. It was our moment." I watched as she took a deep breath and started playing with buttons on my shirt, trying to distract herself from looking at me. "You said some things and I don't want you to think I'm using them against you, but when Bonnie's cousin said... when she said you were upset about Stefan marrying the girl you loved... I just couldn't put it off and ignore this anymore. I can't ignore the fact that I'm hurting you." She took another deep breath and I saw the faint exposure of tears in her eye. "I don't want the fact that I'm marrying Stefan hurt you and I don't know what do."

"You aren't hurting me..."

"Shut up. I'm talking." She snapped at me. "You don't love me Damon. You like the idea of me, I even like the idea of you. Love is a mighty big word and I'm not sure you know the difference between an obsession and love yet." I never thought the moment Elena would be straddling me and talking about my love for her would be so tortuous. I don't think I even realized how deep I was in till now. "Things are better off this way." There was a burning desire in me to say something. To deny every wrong thought coming from her but I kept my mouth shut. I couldn't tell her I loved her. I just...couldn't do it to myself. I knew it wouldn't change anything. She was only mine in a different world. She was never and will never be mine in this one. I watched as she stared at her hand and simply slid the ring that belonged to my mother off her finger. "This is yours. I hope one day you will find someone who is worthy to wear it as a symbol of you... it was never Stefan's to begin with." She put the ring on my palm and held my hand. "Now, you are going to explain what happened." I sighed, knowing I had no other choice.

"That girl... I don't even know her name but she did something to me."

"Did what?"

"I had no idea what she was till be were together alone in my bathtub." I tried not to read too much into the slight grimace on her face. "The next thing I know she is yelling at me and saying she about to give me all I've ever wanted, and then take it away. And you know the rest."

"And you were yelling at each other tonight because?" This is what I didn't want. I didn't want to admit how badly I wanted to back to a world where she would love me.

"I wanted to..."

"You wanted to go back to the world you didn't feel so lonely in." I knew she let it slip out and by her facial expression she was surprised it came out of her mouth as well. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She caught me off guard again for what felt like the millionth time.

"That you don't have that here." She suddenly got off me and I almost groaned at the loss of contact. I was standing in seconds next to her as the door behind us was suddenly being opened.

"Hey guys." Stefan said while walking past us. "What are you doing here?" He said to Elena.

"I was looking for you." She said instantly and I wasn't going to question why she lied. "Are we cool?" She said while turning in my direction. I simply nodded.

"I'm going to go." I said and pointed to the door and for a moment I thought I saw a look of pain flash through her eyes.

"See you around." I was about to leave and I unconsciously wrapped my arms around her in a way that I only did in the other world but it seemed just as natural to her as well.

"Umm?" I looked over my shoulder to see Stefan standing there. We immediately pushed each other way, after realizing that we were indeed hugging each other goodbye.

"I was-uh.."

"He was sad." Elena added and after that Stefan just shrugged it off. It was a good thing that Elena liked to hug everyone or that could have been awkward. I gave her one last glance and left the house to leave her alone with Stefan. I already knew I couldn't stay in town and watch their love just grow. I just needed to know if I was strong enough to leave because I knew it was going to rip me to pieces. How was I going to live through that?

I suddenly stopped in my tracks as the idea just hit me. I think I may just know what to offer that little witch. I wonder how much my life is worth...

AN: Okay my chapters never go as I plan so I'm just going to stop promising things. For this story I'm not completely sure but I'm assuming there will only be around 4 chapters left. Tell me what you think:)

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