Hello, sorry for my terrible updating skills but here is a little something. I took inspiration from an episode of Hart of Dixie which I love also! Enjoy!
Caroline was 19 and visiting her aunt who was in a care home with dementia. She didn't have a lot of time left and didn't remember Caroline majority of the time but Caroline refused to give up on her. She stood at the doorway watching her aunt who was sat on the sofa staring out her window. As if sensing Caroline's presence she started to talk.
"I love someone once. I remember the day my life fell apart." Matilda said, waiting and watching as Caroline moved forward and sat opposite her on the couch.
"Jackson spent the whole night at work. He didn't even call." Matilda recounted.
Caroline walked into the Grill searching for his blonde curls but couldn't see them, she noticed Bonnie and Kol sitting at a booth together eating breakfast. Bonnie was laughing whilst Kol spoke animatedly. She walked determinedly towards the both of them noting how the both looked worried and lost their happiness but tried to mask it straight away when they caught sight of her walking to them.
"Hey. Have you guys seen Klaus? He's been gone all night and hasn't called." Caroline asked and watched as they looked at each other.
"Maybe he ended up meeting with Stefan and crashing on his couch?" Bonnie offered.
"Yes love, and maybe his phone died. I know he's had the useless thing for years and refuses to change it." Kol comforted.
"It's just. He's never done this before and so for him not to come home or at least call. It's just so unlike him." Caroline reasoned.
"Don't worry yourself Care." Bonnie smiled reassuringly at her but Caroline saw the sadness and the pity in it.
Caroline nodded and spun around leaving the Grill only she ran into Damon who for once in his life held sorrow and pity in his eyes.
"I saw him Barbie at the bar last night. Those two are too scared to tell you but I know you're strong." Damon started and continued when Caroline nodded.
"I saw him leaving with this brunette on his arm. He was pretty drunk and so was she. I had seen them around each other for quite a while before they left. Sorry." Caroline willed the tears to keep at bay, nodding and walking out.
Once outside she leant against the wall and held onto her chest as she felt a dull ache niggle it's way to the front of her heart. No. She reprimanded herself. Klaus wouldn't cheat on her… Would he?
"He came up with some lame excuse."
Caroline walked back into their apartment and found Klaus stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hand shaking his hair to get rid of excess water.
"You're here?" Caroline sighed with relief at the sight of him. He looked up surprised to see her then smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, where else would I be?" Klaus asked, looking at her quizzically.
"I don't know! You tell me. I came home and waited up for you for hours and nothing. Not one call." Caroline yelled, upset at his blasé-ness.
"My phone died okay." Klaus mumbled, sitting down on the edge of their bed anticipating her rant.
"And coming home?" Caroline asked, looking at him with eyes, pleading for the truth of his disappearance.
"It's not what you think." Klaus said defensively.
"Apparently you left with a girl on your arm." Caroline spoke softly, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall.
"I walked the girl to her car, she said she needed a jump start. Her battery died." Klaus lied smoothly and Caroline believed him.
"Okay. I believe you. It's just I was so worried Klaus." She whispered before walking over and kissing him. Klaus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. He hid his face in the crook of her neck, cursing himself for his stupidity. Couldn't he see that she was the perfect on for him and yet he cheated.
"I wanted to believe him so I made myself ignore the fact that he was acting weird, distant."
Caroline walked around the town square telling everyone where to put the things for Rebekah and Matt's impending marriage. She had asked Klaus if he was still going to keep her company today and help her out but he flaked and said that he was needed in the Grill as he was manager and there was a rush to get everything prepared for the wedding party after the ceremony. It truly was going to be the talk of the town.
"Those don't go over there!" Caroline yelled walking over to the server and telling him the right spot to put it.
"There she is! My wedding planner slash maid of honour extraordinaire!" Rebekah cooed as she walked over to Caroline bringing her into a warm embrace.
"What's up? I thought the bride was having a day inside being pampered and primped?" Caroline asked, looking at the schedule of Rebekah's day.
"I am. It's just I wanted to tell you myself! You won't believe what I'm about to tell you!" Rebekah told Caroline the news and cheered, laughing at the surprise on Caroline's face.
"But at the same time, too sweet, too accommodating."
Klaus was talking to Damon at the bar when he felt two arms encircle his waist and Caroline's kiss on his neck that followed.
"Hello love. Done outside already?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow and peering around her to look at the people rushing about.
"Nope, I just heard from Bekah." Caroline replied. Eye's shining with happiness but they also held confusion and doubt.
"What's that?" Klaus wondered.
"You agreed to be Matt's best man." Caroline said, smiling radiantly.
"Well, I thought it would be quite romantic walking down the aisle with you and stuff." Klaus shrugged, but really it was the guilt. He felt that the more he did they could just forget about it and move past it.
"That's so sweet and strange. I swore you hated the idea of them." Caroline argued slightly, she still couldn't get past her confusion and the feeling that him offering was out of guilt.
"But I love the idea of you." Klaus smiled. Caroline returned it before placing a kiss on his lips, one he was hesitant to return but returned nonetheless.
"See you later." Caroline whispered before walking out.
"Then he couldn't make any real eye contact anymore."
They stood at the last rehearsal before the ceremony. Caroline stood opposite Klaus who was dressed in his jeans and Henley. They had just walked down together and Caroline although she wished to ignore it felt the pull and separation between them. She looked up and caught eyes with Klaus who immediately cast his eyes down to his feet then focused on Rebekah and Matt.
He avoided eye contact with her the rest of the rehearsal ceremony and bolted once it concluded.
"I made myself busy. Determined that I wasn't going to see…" she let out a humourless laugh, "what my heart already knew."
Caroline walked into the coffee shop to grab a latte. She had been on her feet for hours now and decided for a much needed caffeine break. She looked out the window and saw Damon glaring at a brunette who was talking to Elena. Damon caught eyes with her and he immediately looked away and excused himself. But not before turning back to look at the brunette then Caroline then mouthing "Sorry."
Deciding that sitting and festering and mulling over would do her no good she took it to go then went to the hairdressers to get her nails and hair done.
"But the doubt just started to eat away at me. Until I couldn't stand it anymore."
While she sat there letting her nails dry in the salon she heard the town's resident gossip Jessica speaking loudly behind her.
"Did you see that girl Klaus was with last night?" Jessica asked and was answered with a bunch of agreements.
"I've never seen someone all over someone else like that." Jessica continued.
"Absolutely no dignity that one." One of them added before they all quietened down.
Caroline stood up and let out a shaky breath. She tried to berate herself for thinking that it was Klaus who was all over the girl. It could've been the other way around. Of course it could. But Klaus never did things half heartedly, so if he was flirting with another girl. He would be all over them. And then get them under… She willed the thoughts away and focused on getting ready.
"What did you do?" Caroline asked shakily.
"I asked him and he told me what I'd known all along."
Klaus and Caroline sat on a bench outside. The ceremony had been perfect and Rebekah had looked flawless.
Caroline had pulled Klaus over to the bench to finally get it out. Klaus knew she had figured it out, she was smart and that was one of the things he loved about her. They sat there in silence for a while before Klaus took the leap of faith and started speaking.
"Earlier today when you asked me. I wanted to pretend it didn't happen. I couldn't even admit it to myself, love. But I…" Klaus shook his head, running a hand through his cropped curls, "I did a stupid thing." He admitted the weight on his shoulders bearing down but at the same time lifting off as he finally admitted to her what had happened.
He watched as a tear fell down Caroline's face.
"And it meant nothing to me sweetheart. I promise. I was drunk and I was in a dark place. Mikael had called. I screwed up." Klaus apologised, his excuse flowing out his mouth smoothly.
"And my world just. Stopped."
Caroline's breath hitched and curled into herself as she felt the pain in her heart slowly pierce it's way through and expand until she felt like the only way she could go on was if she were to die.
"Caroline, love?" Klaus asked, looking at his broken blonde angel beside him who was yet to say anything.
"Sweetheart, please say something. It's eerie when you don't talk." Klaus begged, looking over at her and longing to wrap his arms around her but knew that she would just move further away. He could feel her slipping through his grasp just like sand.
"What do you want me to say Klaus?" She asked robotically, all feelings had been drained from her.
"I want you to tell me you forgive me. That everyone makes mistakes, please Caroline. I will do anything to make this up to you." Klaus reached out to her but realised his mistake when she moved further and stood up and looked down at him.
"As much as we don't want to admit it, we're both to similar to have worked together." She said, her voice detached. Long gone was her bubbly and friendly nature, she was now an empty void.
"I'm sorry if I pushed you into doing something or being something you're not. I thought we could talk to each other about anything. I told you about when I lost my baby. I confided in you when my parents got divorced because of my dad cheating! Did that mean nothing to you? But most of all, the way you reacted? You had to have known that what you did… That would be the one thing, I could never forgive." Caroline wiped a traitorous tear that slipped down her face and plastered a fake smile on her face.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go celebrate and congratulate the newly wed couple." Caroline walked away leaving Klaus alone on the bench where he sat there kicking himself and beating himself over and over again for ruining the one perfect constant in his life.
As Caroline walked away she remembered what her aunt told her when she was 19 and naïve to the fact that someone would do that. And now she fully understood her aunt and why she was so reluctant to have someone around. You would inevitably fall in love and falling in love with someone gives them the power to absolutely destroy your world. She closed herself off and willed herself not to fall apart the way she was dying to inside.
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