Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. However, I do consider the plot line as mine. Don't be a thief!


Starcrossed Lovers

Chapter 27

Elena POV

Work had been long and dreadful today. It was six ten when Elena finally arrived home. There had been meetings all day with both Rebekah and other directors at the office. This was the busiest period of the year. New book releases were arriving daily. They still had tons of work to do to make sure they were ready for publication.

The long hours and busy schedule barely left her anytime to phone Damon, let alone spend any quality time with him. Even now, although at home, she had the impossible task of reading six manuscripts to turn in by tomorrow morning. It's also had been nearly a week since she saw Damon. That alone was making her grumpier than she'd ever imagined she could be.

She'd grown so accustomed to having him around and missed him greatly. They tried to squeeze lunch into their busy schedules, but Damon ended up having to cancel. An important client had shown up unannounced and he couldn't throw the guy out of his office. It sucked big time, but she understood his priorities. Work was very important to Damon. He loved his job and wanted to excel at everything he did, including being a badass lawyer.

As Elena sat down at the kitchen table to drink a cup of highly needed caffeine, she looked through one of her new magazines. She needed to relax for a few minutes before she could dive into work again. She mindlessly skimmed through the articles, not finding any of them interesting. Maybe she should have perused a newspaper instead. Suddenly, she noticed Damon's picture along with a full page article about him. It had been a while since he made headlines.

Has New York's most famous Casanova reunited with his old flame? Yes, we believe he has. Last week Damon Salvatore was spotted having lunch with former fling, Katherine Pierce. My sources tell me sparks flew. The couple ended their on again, off again, relationship just over a year ago. My spies tell me it certainly looked like the flames had been rekindled. Did Damon finally dump his little writer fling for Kat, one of New York's hottest lingerie models? This story will certainly be continued...

Elena's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, tears forming as she scanned the photo of Damon and Katherine holding hands outside the courthouse. They were the picture perfect Hollywood couple.

Elena refused to believe Damon would hurt her like that. How could she ignore what was right in front of her though? The picture obviously was real. Why would Damon hide the fact that he'd been with Katherine if nothing was going on? Only people with a guilty conscience hid stuff like that. Were the paparazzi right? Did Damon cheat on her with Katherine Pierce? Or was this just circumstantial evidence without any basis in fact. One thing was for sure, she needed to know the truth, no matter how painful.

She couldn't live with these nagging doubts. Although she desperately wanted to believe that Damon hadn't done anything wrong, her trust in him was wavering by the second. Each time her eyes caught sight of the picture, she felt her hopes crumbling.

Sighing deeply in frustration, she took her keys from the cupboard and decided to find out the truth. There was only one way to know for sure. She would have to confront Damon and demand an explanation.

Fortunately, the moment she stepped out of her apartment, a cab was dropping off a customer. After the man exited the vehicle, she stepped in and uttered the address. Damon's apartment was only about ten minutes away. After paying the driver, she exited the vehicle and made her way into Damon's building.

Damon had given her a spare apartment key a few days ago, granting her access whenever she wanted. As she arrived at the penthouse floor, she released a deep breath. Deep down, she was praying this was all a mistake, that nothing had happened. It would break her heart if her relationship with Damon failed before it even properly started.

She knocked on his door with two short raps, her heart beating wildly against her ribcage as she patiently waited for Damon to open it. She could have easily used the key and walked in, but decided against it just in case. It wasn't as if she'd caught him cheating, she simply suspected he was hiding the truth from her.

Less than ten seconds later, Damon swung open the door. A bright smile appeared across his face, his eyes shining with happiness. She tensed under his gaze, her proud stance wavering a little. He didn't look one bit guilty. Clearly, he didn't have a clue she found out he was seeing Katherine behind her back.

Fury rose inside, her blood pumping rapidly through her veins. How could he hide something like that and act as if nothing was wrong? She thought they had a mutual understanding, hoped he would always be honest with her. Maybe that had been false optimism on her part. Damon didn't think it was important to mention he went out with his ex-girlfriend, his only ex-girlfriend!

When Damon noticed the hardened look in her eyes, his smile fell and his shoulders slumped. His face twisted in worry and confusion as he watched her closely. "What's wrong?" he asked startled, stepping aside so she could come in. She refused to look him in the eye and stared at her feet as she walked inside. How dare he act like everything was just fine? Did he not have a guilty conscience?

"You know damn well what's wrong, Damon. Don't play dumb with me. It's all over the newspapers," she stated coldly, making fists of her hands as Damon closed the door. Elena could handle a lot of things. How could he lie straight to her face? That was a serious deal breaker. She'd gone down that road many years ago and wouldn't go down it again.

"What do you mean?" he questioned in astonishment, his eyes widening. She couldn't decipher any dishonesty in his voice, but then again, how could she be certain? For all she knew Damon had been lying to her from the start. A haze of fury clouded her mind as she angrily stomped her foot on the ground.

"How dare you even ask that? Just be honest with me, Damon. That's all I'm asking. Don't be a lying scumbag," she threw in his face, shaking her head in disappointment. Was the truth really too much to ask for? He was only making things worse with his denial.

"Elena, seriously, I have no idea what you are talking about," he choked out, laying his hand on top of her shoulder. She immediately jerked away from his touch as if she'd been electrocuted. His eyes flashed with hurt at her obvious aversion, but she couldn't let herself care. He deserved this after lying to her face.

"How can you even say that?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "How dare you lie to me like that?" she cried out, her cheeks bright red with fury. Why couldn't she be happy for once? Why was fate so cruel to her? She finally thought things were falling into place and now this.

"For fuck's sake, Elena, tell me what I did wrong!" Damon shouted, his entire body shaking as he tried to catch her eyes. He looked pissed off beyond measure, his eyes wide as saucers. She shook her head and released a humorless laugh.

"Read those damned gossip magazines," she told him. "What on earth were you doing with Katherine Pierce, Damon? Are you already tired of me? Did you need a quick shag?" she snapped, pointing her index finger at his chest.

Realization downed on him as he inhaled deeply and shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness. "Damn you, Elena," he said softly, the words barely audible. "How could you think that? After everything we've been through, how could you believe I could cheat on you that easily?" Damon questioned, his voice calm and laced with disappointment.

All the anger disappeared from her body the moment their eyes met. Tears were shining in his blue orbs. A pang of guilt shot through her spine as she realized she'd judged him far too quickly. It was clear she hurt Damon with her assumption. But what was she supposed to think when seeing published pictures of them together? If he'd mentioned his meeting with her, there would've been no issue.

"What was I supposed to think when I see a picture of you and Katherine holding hands? How would I know that you're not cheating on me when you failed to mention spending time with your ex-girlfriend?" she retorted, hurt. She desperately wanted to have faith in him, but how could he expect blind trust if he was keeping things from her?

"Yes, I should have told you. I realize my mistake now. I didn't think it was important since I only saw her briefly as I was leaving the courthouse. We only talked for about fifteen minutes. It's not like we share every minute detail of every day with each other. You shouldn't have just assumed I cheated on you. I thought you knew me better than that, Elena," he sighed, looking like a kid who dropped his ice cream cone.

Damon turned around, facing the window, looking at the rain as it hit the glass. Winter was just around the corner, the temperature dropping with each passing day. Before they knew it, Thanksgiving would arrive.

"Can you really blame me for immediately assuming the worst?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow. Faster than a bolt of lightning Damon turned around, his expression hardened. In that moment she felt like a child being lectured by her father. She'd never seen Damon look more frightening.

"Of course I blame you for immediately assuming the worst! How little do you really think of me? I would never, ever, cheat on my girlfriend. If I wanted to fuck someone else, I'd fucking tell you! I'm not a heartless jerk," Damon growled angrily, his hands shaking as he brushed his fingers through his messy hair.

Elena's stance staggered as she looked down at her feet in shame. She'd wounded Damon deeply with her accusations. Her anger and insecurities overruled all rational thought and turned her into a machine gun. She'd been firing barbs at the one person she should have trusted. Still, no matter how wrong she was, part of her wasn't surprised she'd lashed out that easily. Her reliance on their relationship was still very fragile.

The battle scars, left by Matt, were still raw. It made her question her future. She knew Damon was nothing like Matt, but the pessimist still lurked inside of her. Constantly comparing the two men, she was scared to death that Damon would betray her just like Matt. Even though she knew Damon wasn't a cold-hearted bastard, her fears were still very real.

"I'm giving my all to make this relationship work, but it can't be one-sided, Elena. If you don't trust me, how can we ever have a healthy relationship?" Damon questioned sadly, his voice lacking its usual warmness. "I'm fighting every one of my demons to commit to you. I'm doing the one thing I swore I'd never do. Give me some credit, will you? If I still wanted to fuck other women, I wouldn't have asked you to be my girlfriend."

She nodded. "You're right." The words uttered so softly, it was a wonder Damon heard her. The truth was, Elena did know she acted impulsively, but she couldn't help it. Their relationship was still so fragile. She was so damned afraid that something, anything could go wrong. Her insecurities would be their death knell if she didn't learn to trust Damon and soon

"I would never do something like that to you, Elena. If there's ever another woman, that'll mean we've broken up," he promised, sighing deeply.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she nodded. "I better get going," she muttered before fleeing. Damon called her name several times but she didn't turn around. She needed to get away from him, needed time to think. As soon as she was in the safety of the elevator, she slumped down as a loud sob escaped. She may have just ruined the perfect relationship by letting her inner demons take control.


"Poor baby," Caroline cooed as she stepped inside Elena's apartment and enveloped her friend into a tight hug. After Elena had fled Damon's place, she immediately dialed her best friend, sobbing. Knowing how broken and hurt Elena was, Caroline had immediately dropped everything and sped to Elena. Elena desperately needed a shoulder to cry on, depending on Caroline to be just that.

"I fucked up," she whimpered, hot tears sliding down her face. "I completely fucked up," she repeated brokenly, her voice wavering. "Instead of giving Damon the benefit of the doubt, I accused him of cheating." Caroline reassuringly rubbed Elena's back as she held on for dear life.

"It's going to be okay," the blonde assured convincingly. "Just sit down and wipe away those tears, will you?" she smiled softly as she pointed to the couch. Elena followed her suggestion and plopped down on the soft cushions. Without another word, Caroline disappeared into the bathroom, only to reappear a few seconds later with a soaked washcloth in hand.

"We're going to clean up that smudged mascara," the blonde clarified as she walked closer, a worried frown casting across her face. It was clear Caroline was trying to be strong for her to ease the tension.

"You look like one of those scary ghosts in horror movies," Caroline joked, carefully wiping away Elena's tears and removing the evidence of her break down. A tight smile appeared on Elena's face, one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"So tell me, what happened to make you fall apart like this?" she asked curiously once she was done with her task. Caroline sat back down next to Elena, her eyes focused solely on her.

Elena had tried to explain what happened over the phone. She suspected her sobbing had made their conversation pretty indecipherable. "I saw some pictures of Damon and his ex-girlfriend in the papers and immediately suspected the worst. I convicted him without benefit of a trial, even acting like he cheated on me. Damon couldn't believe I thought so little of him. He was so incredibly hurt, my heart still aches when I remember the pain on his face."

She would never get over the look of sorrow and utter devastation in his beautiful blue eyes. He'd looked like someone who was just told a favorite pet died. The intense pain felt suffocating and was making her crumble in deep shame.

"So he didn't tell you he ran into his ex. The paparazzi took some photos. When you saw them, you immediately concluded that he was fucking that woman behind your back?" Caroline summarized. When Elena nodded, her friend sighed deeply. "That's pretty sad. Believe me, I understand why you don't blindly trust Damon given his track record, but you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions either. Not only did you take a wrecking ball to his ego, you showed you have zero trust in him."

"I realize that now. I didn't even give him a chance to explain. I just went ballistic when I saw that picture. Why didn't he just tell me he ran into her if nothing happened?" Elena replied, trying to hold back another stream of tears. Everything would have been so much easier if Damon had just told her about his run in with Katherine. She wouldn't have made such a big deal out of this. She certainly wouldn't have practically ruined the fundamentals of their budding relationship.

"I don't know, Elena. He should have told you, but men don't always see how important those things are. Seeing her again probably didn't mean that much, so he didn't think it was important enough to mention. He probably didn't see the harm in not telling you," Caroline guessed. It was a pretty decent explanation, one Elena would have never contrived herself. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

What if Caroline was right? What if Damon really didn't care whether he'd seen Katherine or not? She had made a big mess, one that she desperately hoped she'd be able to fix. Damon earned the right to have her trust and believe in him. He certainly deserved better than the way she treated him. Logically she knew that. Unfortunately, her heart wasn't always rational.

"Come on, pouty, let's watch some silly romantic movies to cheer you up. You deserve a break after all the drama you've been through this evening," Caroline quipped, effectively ending the conversation and changing the topic.

"I can't, Care. I still have a bunch of work to do. Rebekah won't be happy if I show up at work without the manuscripts," she argued. A pile of unread scripts were still waiting for her. She needed her job. She couldn't afford to fuck up now that she finally found a job she enjoyed.

"Nonsense. You've been working your ass of for days. You need to relax. Do you honestly believe you'll be able to concentrate? Just take a break and read a few manuscripts in the morning," Caroline retorted, shaking her head. The stubborn blonde had arisen. Elena knew there was no way she was going to talk her friend out of it. Once Caroline made up her mind, it was impossible to convince her otherwise.

"Go pick a movie while I get the Ben & Jerry's out of the freezer," Caroline winked as she cheerfully made her way to the kitchen. Elena sighed deeply as she realized she'd lost another argument. Obeying, she rumbled through her heap of brand new movies. Damon had downloaded several films and put them on disks for her.

Holding the DVD's in her hand, her thoughts wandered to a certain blue eyed lawyer. He could be so thoughtful when he wanted to be. Much to her surprise, he'd downloaded all her favorite movies and a few new ones too. It only served to remind her how horrible she'd been to him today when he'd done nothing to deserve it.

"Ooh, Safe Haven! I wanted to see that one," Caroline cheered loudly as she plopped down on the couch with two containers of ice cream. "Make that sullen face disappear and put the movie on. We're starting girl's night right now," she added as she playfully pushed Elena towards the DVD player. It was going to be a long and exhausting night.


Damon POV

Damon still couldn't believe Elena had judged him so easily. Had she even given a thought to the repercussions of her hurtful words? He would never break her trust by cheating on her. He damn well knew she deserved better than that.

It was true, he'd never committed himself to a relationship before - but that didn't mean he was a cheater! His lifestyle was different before he met her. There were a lot of despicable things that could be said about him, but cheater was not one of them. If he wanted to fuck someone other than Elena, he'd break up with her first.

Slamming his fist against the marble of the kitchen counter, he cursed loudly. Why could nothing ever go easy with them? Why did everything need to be so fucking difficult? Shaking his head and sighing deeply, Damon reached for his phone and dialed a number he should have called much sooner.

After the third ring a cheerful female voice picked up and greeted him warmly. Damon kind of lost touch with Rose, his old secretary and close friend. After this horrible day, he felt the need to catch up with her. Not only had Elena shown him just how little faith she had in him, he'd also had a fight with Mason. On top of everything else, he managed to find a way to fuck up his current case.

"Hi, long time no see," he greeted awkwardly, not really knowing what to say after such a long time. When he quit his CEO position at Salvatore Inc., Damon had a difficult time finding a balance between work and his social life. He lost contact with many of his friends. Guilt rose in his throat as he realized that he'd abandoned Rose too. They used to be pretty tight.

"Damon Salvatore," Rose mused. "It's nice to hear from you, stranger. I was beginning to think you lost my number," she teased, her voice giving away that she wasn't really mad at him. Realizing that he hadn't fucked up yet another relationship, relief washed over him. No matter how much time had passed, Rose still considered him a friend.

"Nope. I still had it in my phone," he joked, his confidence refueled.

"So what makes the great Damon Salvatore call little old me?" Rose questioned sardonically. Their easy conversation and silly banter was what he'd missed the most. He deeply admired her strong, yet fierce spirit and always loved talking to her.

"I guess I finally realized what a horrible friend I've been. That and the fact I've had a horrible day and just needed someone to talk to," he admitted sheepishly. Usually he was pretty good at hiding his true intentions. Today was an exception. He just needed to vent without feeling the need to beat around the bush.

"It must've been quite a disaster for you to think of me," Rose teased, before turning serious. "Tell me, which asshole or bitch should I pay a visit to?" He laughed at her question, loving her protectiveness. No matter what, he knew he could always count on her. He must have a few redeeming qualities if a woman like Rose considered him worthy of her friendship.

"I mainly screwed myself, so don't get your claws out just yet. Apparently, neglecting to tell my current girlfriend that I came across my old girlfriend is a big no go," Damon cracked, trying to sound cheerful but failing miserably. He was far from over the fact that Elena had judged him so prematurely.

"I presume your girlfriend wasn't too happy when she found out and concluded that you were probably cheating?" Rose guessed, hitting the nail on the head.

"You assumed right. She wasn't just pissed, she was fucking furious. She kept throwing accusations at me despite the fact that I didn't do it Rose. Kat and I have been over for a long time. I'd never take her back. Certainly not now that I have Elena. She's got nothing to worry about. She's all I want, all I need," he confessed, hating that he sounded like a love sick puppy. That was exactly what Elena did, turn him into mush.

"Elena? As in the Elena I had to track down for you that day in the office? Damn, Damon, I didn't think you would ever convince her to give you a chance," Rose muttered in astonishment.

"Way to boost my ego, Rose," he smirked, as he shook his head.

"You know what I mean," she sighed, undoubtedly rolling her eyes. "I'm just surprised you're actually thinking about finally settling down. I was certain you'd be in your forties before realizing how much time you'd lost. You put everything on the back burner. Now you need to get your priorities in order."

"I don't know for how much longer this relationship is going to last, Rose. I hate to break it to you, but if there's no trust, there's no relationship," he sighed somberly. As much as he loved Elena, he couldn't handle constantly having to fear he might fuck up. Trust was a big issue to him. If she didn't have faith in him and their relationship, he didn't know how much longer he could be with her.

"Damon, don't get all gloomy now. You've come this far. I'm sure if you keep fighting for what you want, you'll get there. Just imagine that you were Elena for a second. Wouldn't you have doubts about your ability to stay faithful? I know you're hurt because she immediately assumed the worst, but can you really blame her? She's putting a lot on the line for you. Not every girl would give a guy like you a chance, manwhore slash commitment phobe."

"I would never cheat, Rose. Sure, I've slept with a lot of women, sometimes more than one at the same time. You know I'm not a liar. If I give my word to stay faithful, I will stay faithful," he plighted. He was a man of his word. Damon didn't often make promises, but when he did, he always came through.

"But Damon, I've known you since kindergarten. How long has Elena known you? A year? Maybe two? Give the poor girl a break. I'm on your side, you know that, but try to look at things from her point of view. She was wrong to judge you so quickly without asking for an explanation first. Yet you have to understand where her doubts are coming from. She's seen up close how you treat women. I do believe you've changed. You'll have to back up your words with facts and prove to her that she can trust you. It's going to take some time," Rose tried to explain.

Damon did understand where Rose was coming from. His past with women wasn't exactly stellar or anything to be proud of. It is what it is, he couldn't change the past. That lifestyle made him happy at that time in his life. That didn't necessarily mean that he would never want something different, something more substantial.

"I guess you're right. It still hurts like hell though. Elena is the first woman I've ever wanted to call my own and she doesn't trust me," he sighed, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster he had been on all night. Right now all he wanted was some peace of mind and some rest. All this thinking about Elena was making him feel worse than he already did.

"I know it hurts like a bitch. But it won't always feel like this, Damon. Just be patient. There will come a time when all of this will be just a memory. An obstacle that you and Elena have overcome. Elena will learn to trust you and have faith in your relationship, just give her time," Rose advised. Damon nodded, forgetting she couldn't see him. He would forever be grateful to have Rose in his life. She never failed to make time for him when he needed a shoulder, even when he whined like a little girl.

"Can we catch up over lunch tomorrow? It's been such a long time since I've seen you. Now you know pretty much everything that's going on in my life, but I want to know how you are doing," he proposed. With everything that had happened today, he'd been too consumed with anger to consider making sure Rose was okay.

"I'm doing great actually. Slater and I have been together for a year and a half now. I'm really happy, Damon. He makes me happy. Of course I'd like to chat some more over lunch. What time do you get your lunch break?" she asked.

"I can take my lunch break whenever I want as long as I'm back within an hour. I'll pick you up at one? You still work at the same firm right?" Damon suggested, already looking forward to tomorrow. He really needs to learn how to be a better friend. Why did he always have to fuck things up with anyone and everyone who was important to him.

"Sounds great. And yeah, I still work at the same firm. It was so nice to hear from you, Damon. Don't make yourself so scare. I really miss our days at the office," Rose stated, sounding melancholy.

Damon knew the feeling well. As much as he loved his new job, he would never forget his CEO job. No, he hadn't enjoyed working with his old man, but he left a lot of good friends behind when he went to work at Lockwood Law.

"You too, Rose. I miss my badass secretary who always kept my office organized and made sure things ran smoothly," he grinned, half teasing. "See you tomorrow," he added before hanging up the phone. That night he went to bed satisfied. He reconnected with one of his oldest friends. Yet, he felt sadness too because the woman he loved didn't have more faith in him and their relationship.


A long, quite emotional chapter. I hope you liked it.

Sadly, I do have to tell you guys that I completely lost interest in The Vampire Diaries. I just can't seem to get inspired. I once loved DE, but that seems to be a long time ago. I'm sorry if the chapters are less well written, but I'm trying my damned hardest to finish this story. I've contemplated just leaving it unfinished a billion of times, because I just don't feel connected to my characters anymore. That said, I've decided to continue the story. I sincerely hope it doesn't show that I'm having such a hard time finishing it. Starcrossed Lovers will be my final DE story. It's been an amazing journey, but after this story I will solely focus on my Wattpad stories.

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