Damon didn't know what to feel once he left Elena's condo. He told her to call him when she was ready right before he walked out.
He couldn't blame her. Both of them had hurt each other deeply. He had tried so hard not to think about her, or to remember her, or to feel anything before he met her again in Atlanta. He had torn her out of his mind and heart, and he wanted to keep her out permanently. But he had failed miserably.
He didn't go back to Zach's condo. Instead he drove to the gym—the only place he could go when he felt like this. He let himself in and locked it back up. Rose didn't usually mind as long as he remembered to shut everything down when he was done.
Damon hit the bag hard, working on kicks and punches as the music blasted through the stereo system. When he had had enough, he moved to the treadmill and ran five miles. Before he got into kickboxing, he began working out a lot and really got into running. It was soothing and helped clear his head, however now, his head was anything but clear.
He drank some water and recharged, not yet done. His body was buzzing as the pain intensified, but he didn't care. It was not enough. He went to the weight room and worked on his arms, legs, and abs. His blood was pumping fiercely through his veins, his body burning with pain.
Damon finally collapsed on the floor, panting for air as his chest raised and fell rapidly. It was the most intense workout he had ever had, and he still couldn't get the taste of her out of his mouth.
That was ten days ago.
And not one word from Elena.
He wondered what Elena was doing now.
Was she thinking about him?
Would she call him?
He couldn't keep on waiting for her forever, could he?
He still have to run Salvatore Enterprise.
x x x
Damon's words made Elena's chest ache.
When the hell did he fall in love with her? Why did he never tell her?
God, this was such a damn mess!
She collapsed on her bed, her eyes sore and bloodshot. She didn't want to cry anymore. She hated crying. She just wanted to crawl into a ball and have her father make everything better.
Her father had been on her mind more and more as the 'date' got closer. For two years, since Damon had told her about her father's gambling addiction and opening the lock box after ten years, her life had been in limbo—just waiting for the day until she could get all the answers that she had been begging for. At least, she had hoped that was what she would get. There had to be something in that box that put all the pieces together.
Elena woke up the next morning not feeling any better. She was not even sure she had slept. She wondered what Damon was doing now and if he was waiting, hoping she would call.
Could she let him back in?
She told Matt all the details and he flashed her his mischievous grin, silently telling her 'I told you so," but he didn't rub it in her face.
"Just take a few days to yourself. If Damon really loves you, he will wait. He will wait until you're ready," Matt reassured her.
"What if I'm never ready?" Elena asked. "What if I forever live with remorse and guilt?"
"You won't. You just need some time to adjust and to really think about what is going to make you happy. No distractions."
"Are you sure?"
"Elena, you are in love with him. He is in love with you. Why not just make it that simple?"
"Before Damon, I never even thought I could love someone. I didn't feel any of those emotions with the boys I had dated previously. So why did Damon have such an impact on me? Why is he different?"
"You don't always get to chose who you love. Sometimes love chooses you and you just roll with it. Don't question love, or fate butts his ugly ass in and messes everything up."
Could it really be that simple? Could she just say yes to Damon and they would be happy?
Elena took Matt's advice and had some time to herself. Not speaking to Damon allowed her to clear her head—just focusing on what she wanted.
Damon was right.
Either you wade in and risk everything to play the game, or you don't play at all. And if you don't play, you can't win.
Elena woke up refreshed and decided today was going to be the day. She was going to go to Damon and tell him that she had been in love with him, and she had never stopped. She was going to tell him she wanted everything he had to offer—whatever that might be.
Her nerves were making her shaky and anxious as she drove into the gym parking lot. It had been ten days since she had last seen Damon, and she couldn't help the giddy feeling that overcame her with seeing him again.
Elena hadn't been back to her kickboxing class in the last ten days, but she knew he hadn't left Atlanta yet. And this was something she needed to say to his face, not over the phone.
She swung the front door open and scanned the place for any sighting of Damon. There were fewer cars in the parking lot than usual, so she knew there weren't any classes going on right now.
Elena walked past the studio and some of the workout rooms thinking Damon must be in his office if he was not out on the floor. She hadn't been back here before, but there were three different offices leading to the back.
Out of a sudden she heard a woman's laughter—one she had heard before—coming from the first office. The other gym instructor. She could recognize her laugh for miles—nasally and loud. She always found something so funny as she was clawing her nails into Damon's bicep.
Elena jumped at the sound of the door opening, but before she could quickly walk away without being noticed, it was Damon's face that made her froze.
His left arm was wrapped around the woman as he was looking down at her, smiling. She was perfectly tucked into his arm, her right arm wrapped around his waist.
His face finally tilted up, and when he noticed Elena, his smile dropped. "Elena…"
Elena could hear the shock in his voice, but it did nothing for the ache that was brewing in her chest.
The woman's eyes flashed between them as a grin formed on her face. She released Damon's hold as she pushed her hand out in front of Elena.
"You are Elena? Hi, I'm Rose. I have heard so much about you."
Elena's eyebrows raised, wondering why Damon told his new fling of the month about her.
She finally took Rose's hand aggressively and shook it. "Hi, Rose. Sorry I haven't heard anything about you. But it is clear it hasn't taken Damon long to move on." She released Rose's hand and looked up at Damon, her eyebrows narrowed at him. "It has been…what, ten days?"
"Elena…" Damon began, but Elena cut him off.
"Ten days!" Elena yelled, unable to control the fire that was building inside her. "You couldn't even wait ten days! Or was she before, during, and now after?" she snapped.
"That's enough," Damon scowled, his mouth forming into a firm line. Elena looked and saw a knowing grin on Rose's face. She hated Rose.
"Go ahead. Have him. He is good at ruining lives."
Elena scowled at both of them not even hiding the anger and hurt she was feeling. She spun around to walk out the door.
She felt Damon directly behind her, but she continuing stalking out. She felt him gripped her elbow, grabbing her and turning her to face him.
"Let me go."
His lips curled up into an angry scowl, his eyes hooded and a bit amused.
"I'm not letting you go, Elena. Not now, not ever."
"Sorry, but I'm not into the whole ménage à trois thing. Plus, I don't share." Elena tried to yank her arm out, but Damon gripped it firmer, pulling her closer to his chest.
Damon leaned in close to her ear as he growled, "She is not interested in me. Rose is just a friend."
"What?" Elena asked, confused. "I saw her hanging all over you. I saw her hanging all over after each class. I'm not blind."
Damon pulled back, grabbing her hand in his as he walked them into an empty studio. He slammed the door and pressed her into it, his body weighted firmly against her.
"You are either blind or ignorant." He pressed both of his hands flat against the door right above her shoulders, towering over her.
"And you are an asshole." Elena tried to ignore the rush of feelings that were consuming her from having Damon this close to her, but it was hard considering she could feel his arousal against her hips.
"Rose is married," Damon said with amusement. "Even if I were interested, she won't be interested because she loves her husband. I have known her for over a year, so yes, I have spoken some about you."
He pressed himself into her harder, telling her exactly what was on his mind. This whole time…Elena thought he was a manwhore, flaunting Rose around like some prized possession just to piss her off.
"Are you done accusing me of being a dirty player now?"
Elena looked up at him, not really sure what she should be feeling right now. "I never called you a dirty player," she retorted.
"It was well implied." His voice was no longer filled with anger, rather he sounded amused by the fact that she thought Rose was after him this whole time. He smiled wide, leaning in closer towards her. "I have missed you."
Damon nuzzled his nose into her neck, her body staying frozen as Damon consumed her—his scent, his touch, his body fully reminding her of everything she had been missing the past two years.
"Did you come back for me?" His mouth landed below her earlobe, his lips making a path down her neck. "Otherwise, this may get awkward."
Elena smiled wide as she felt him smirked against her flushed skin. Goose bumps appeared, butterflies took over her stomach, and soon, she was holding the door just to keep her balance.
"Yes…" she whimpered. "Of course, I came back." Her eyes closed as his lips sucked on her collarbone, heat rushing in between her thighs as she thought about how amazing his lips were.
"Come on."
Damon grabbed her hand and led her to the other side of the studio, pulling her into a back-stretching room.
"What are we doing?" Elena asked, his hand gripping her. Their fingers were intertwined, firmly holding each other as if their lives depend on it. Her emotions were all over the place, but one thing she knew for sure was that Damon was the only one that made her feel this way—the control he held over her body, the intense ache she felt when she was around him, the disappointing loss when they weren't together—she had never felt these things with anyone before.
"We needed some privacy. I wasn't about to give every guy out there a free show." Damon shut and locked the door behind him. "And we need to talk."
Elena stood anxiously, wanting to get this awkward conversation out of the way so she could finally tell him what she needed to say.
He cupped her face, leaning in, but he didn't kiss her. "Ten days." She heard his pained tone deep within his voice. She made him waited ten painful days without knowing what was going on…
"I'm sorry. I just…needed time to deal with things. And to think."
"And?" His brows rose in anticipation. One of his hands lowered to her hip, forcing their bodies closer together.
"And I realized that you are it for me." Elena looked up at him, watching the expression in his face. "No matter how much time has passed or how much hurt we have felt—it has always been you. And I woke up this morning not wanting to spend another day apart from you." He smiled so wide it practically reached his eyes. "I love you, Damon. I always have."
Damon had been dying to hear those three words for what felt like a lifetime. God, even the way her voice cracked was sexy. Elena was looking up at him pleadingly, begging for him to take control.
He pressed their bodies together, cupping her face so she looked directly into his eyes when he repeated those very words back to her.
"Elena…I love you. I love you so much, it has pained me to not to say those words every single day to you. I knew I did, but I didn't know how to handle it. Once I found out the truth, it freaked me out, and no matter how hard I tried to push thoughts of you out, I couldn't completely. I never could. And I never will."
Elena sniffed back the tears that were threatening to flow over. Who knew Damon could be so tender and sweet, yet domineering and hot. He was a triple threat that held all the qualities that she loved and wanted. He was her perfect other half and that was something she was not willing to let go of again.
"We had messed up," she muttered, hardly believing the rollercoaster ride it had taken to bring them here. "I hate that I hurt you so badly. I hate that I made you wait, that I left, and that I ever thought you were someone you aren't."
"Stop." He placed a finger over her mouth, not letting her continue. He leaned down and brushed his lips gently against hers. "Never regret what brought us right here, right now. We had to struggle to get to where we are, and I'm quite enjoying where we are right now."
It had been too long.
She didn't want to wait a second longer.
She wrapped a hand around his neck, pushing his mouth against hers finally. His hands held firmly on her hips, moulding them together. She moaned and panted against his lips, not wanting to ever break this kiss. His taste consumed her, heating every part of her body that begged him to touch her.
She whimpered when Damon tore his mouth away from hers.
"Let's get out of here."
Finally!
What do you guys/gals think?
Sorry for the delay in updating the chapter. Unfortunately I had to work during the Christmas period. I will try my best to keep up with my writing in the next few days. Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter:) And thank you again for all the support and wonderful reviews.