Chapter 29:

Gentle Harshness

Caroline had gone back upstairs where she found her bags of new clothes, changed into a yellow sundress with a denim jacket and flats, and went back downstairs, only to realise she had absolutely nothing to do. There was no T.V and no magazines for her to read. And because the naturally nosy Caroline was ridden with curiosity over where Klaus was, what he was doing, and what the hell the deal was with that necklace, she was desperate for a distraction.

Really desperate.

So when Rebekah had started striding down the staircase into the main room, Caroline was almost grateful. It would have been better if she was Elijah, but hey. Beggars can't be choosers.

Rebekah, still in her red silk dress pyjamas, turned and looked at Caroline with superiority. She placed her hand on her hip and arched a brow. "What?"

Caroline sighed and slumped onto the antique seeming red couch. "Klaus is gone."

She cocked a brow. "Beg your pardon?"

Caroline just looked at her, not even bothering to hide her disappointment over this – or her disappointment over the fact that she was disappointed. God, Caroline hated her mind right then. Rebekah just stared at her for a few seconds, contemplating what to do it that situation. When Caroline looked away and down at her lap. Rebekah sighed and rolled her eyes, but not because she was irritated with Caroline so much as herself. Because Rebekah was a hopeless romantic, as Klaus liked to always point out.

Rebekah walked towards the coffee table and stared at her. "Are you falling in love with my brother?"

Caroline averted her eyes while Rebekah's went wide. "Oh my god." She shook her and scoffed. "You're a fool... You know that, right?"

Caroline looked up at her with self afflicted shame. "Believe me: I know." Caroline then looked down at her hands which laid in her lap. She opened them up and began to caress her (newly bought) silver ringed thumb over the shiny black claw.

Rebekah didn't notice. Instead, she sighed heavily yet again and slumped into the couch next to hers that looked onto the rest of the room seeing the idea of sitting next to Caroline was far too intimate. "Listen," she said, looking at her nails instead of at Caroline. "No one knows more about terrible love experiences than I do." She looked at Caroline for a second before turing back to her nails. "And even though I tell myself I will never fall in love again, I still do. Every time."

"Why?" Caroline croaked, still staring down at Klaus's necklace.

"Because..." Rebekah breathed then took a beat. "Because what's the point of living if not for love? Or with love?"

Caroline shook her head and looked up at Klaus. "Yeah, but, like... Klaus doesn't seem to think the same way."

Rebekah laughed,. "Depends who you ask." The two girls looked at each other. "If you ask me; Klaus is incapable of such an emotion – or receiving it," she said, looking Caroline up and down. "But if you ask the doting Elijah, you'll get a different answer."

Caroline snorted and shook her head. "You are so full of it, Rebekah."

"Excuse me?" She sneered.

"Duh! Of course you believe your brother can love! He loves you. That's the reason you're still here – by his side all the freaking time! Because you love him despite all the crap he's done to you."

Rebekah immediately jumped to her feet, fuming. "You have no idea what you're talking about, you stupid girl!"

Caroline widened her eyes, raised her hands in defeat with the necklace entwined between her fingers, and leaned back against the couch, crossing one leg over the other. "God, relax." She scoffed. "You seriously need to work on your anger issues."

"Little girl," she growled through her teeth, "You'll know when you see me angry."

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe Klaus left you to protect me." When she saw Rebekah smirk evilly, Caroline added, "And before you get any psycho-sister ideas – Klaus also said Elijah would protect me from you," she said with a sickly sweet smile.

Rebekah laughed bitterly. "Just so you know, darling, my dear brothers won't be there to protect you forev—" She stopped herself when she saw Caroline's hand more clearly.

The necklace.

"What are you doing with my brother's necklace, you bitch?!"