The night air is humid, sticky, but it was otter in the bar then out on the back deck. Inside the bar, I could hear people laughing, singing, having fun, things I wish I was doing. But of course, that wasn't going to happen. My best friend Caroline Forbes and her boyfriend of five years, Stefan Salvatore, were off visiting Caroline's mother for the month back in our home town in Virginia. Caroline had offered to take me along with her and Stefan, but I hadn't been able to get off work at the time. But thanks to my asshole ex boyfriend Matt Donovan and his jackass friend Tyler Lockwood, not only had I been fired from my job at one of Malibu's small deli's, I'd been banned from ever going back to the deli again.
"Happy twenty-fifth birthday Elena. Sorry no one else is here to celebrate it with you." The bar tender at "Savannah's" night club and bar, Kol Mikaelson, says, giving me a warm smile as he hands me my second Jack Daniels and Cherry Coke.
Oh, did I forget to mention that today is my twenty-fifth birthday? Sorry, it must have slipped my mind after the shitty week I've had.
"Thanks Kol. Just put it on my tab, I'll pay you before I leave." I reply to Kol, who gives me a nod before going back inside the bar.
Sighing, I take a long drink of my drink, unlocking my phone screen and opening an unread text from Caroline.
"Happy 25th Birthday Elena!
Mom & Stefan said Happy Birthday as well, &
I promise to bring you back something. Hope you're at
least having some kind of fun. Have a Drink for us.
Love you! See you in a week!
3333333"
I smile at the photo attached to the text, saving the photo before texting Caroline, thanking her, Stefan, and her mother Elizabeth, we all call her Liz. I lock my phone screen and put it in the back pocket of my black jean shorts. Lucking the rum-soaked cherry from my drink, I bite it off the stem, laying the stem on my napkin and picking my drink up, going into the bar and ducking into the bathroom to give myself a quick once over. I set my drink on the sink beside me as I look my reflection over in the mirror. My waist length dark brown hair hung in beachy waves down my back, parted more to the right side so it framed my face. I had done my make up a little darker then I normally would; dark purple and black smokey eye shadow and black winged eyeliner on my eyes, along with my normal black mascara, and dark maroon lipstick, the colors complimenting the tan I had gotten, though my cheeks were a little sun burnt, so I had forgone foundation and blush. My dark purple cropped camisole, black denim vest, black jean shorts, black and purple dangle feather earrings, and my favorite pair of black platformed three inch booties completed my outfit, my neon blue belly button ring and neon blue tongue ring the only bright colors I had on tonight. I quickly wipe away the eyeliner that was smudged under my eyes before leaving the bathroom, taking a seat at the bar. One of the other bar tenders, I think his name is Phin; I just know he's Kol's brother, comes over to me and hands me a fresh drink. I give Phin a confused look, and Phin just shrugs.
"Some guy said to give this to the girl here on her birthday, and you're the only girl here that's here on her birthday. Happy birthday by the way." Phin tells me, smiling. "And don't worry, I made the drink myself, so no one spiked it with anything."
"Thanks Phin." I say with a smile, taking the fresh drink and stirring it with the straw, taking a sip as Phin takes my other drink and dumps it down the sink behind the bar.
I turn and look out over the crowd of people in the bar, watching them dance, drink, be merry. Out of the corner of my eye, a flash of dirty blonde hair goes by, and my heart speeds up. I turn in the direction I saw the dirty blonde hair go, cursing under my breath when I see not only Matt, but Tyler as well, talking to a few of the waitresses. One of the waitresses points towards the bar, and I curse again. Laying a fifty dollar bill on the bar, I get up from the bar stool and duck out the back door, back outside on to the deck. I spot Kol wiping one of the tables down, and head over to him.
"I left a fifty on the bar, here's another fifty in case someone snatched it before your brother got to it." I tell Kol, handing him another fifty, my hands shaking.
Kol takes the money and pockets it, a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong, Elena? You're shaking like a leaf." Kol asks, worry in his voice.
"Matt and Tyler are in the bar, looking for me. I gotta go before they catch sight of me." I whisper, my eyes darting to the back door of the bar and back to Kol's face. "If they ask you if I was here..."
"I'll tell them you weren't here, that no one had heard from you today." Kol replies, looking over at the bar door, then back to me. "Now get going. I'll distract them if they come out here."
"Thanks." I thank Kol, who nods in return.
I quickly head down the steps off the deck and duck down, cursing silently as I hear Matt asking Kol about me. Still hunched, I run towards the front of the bar and out into the parking lot, ducking behind a large black Suburban, my heart pounding in my chest. I pull my phone from the the back pocket of my shorts, swiping the emergency call app and dialing 9-1-1, locking my screen with the number still dialed as I dodge in and out of the cars, breaking into a run towards the woods behind the bar when I hear the bar doors slam open and Matt screaming my name.
"ELENA! Elena I know you're here!" Matt calls out, his loud voice echoing.
"Shit!" I curse aloud, dropping to my knees in the grass, crawling behind a large shrub. Gravel crunches near by, and I could smell Matt's aftershave, he practically bathed in the shit. I wait a moment for Matt to pass me before getting to my feet, silently walking towards the sidewalk, staying close to the trees. "Leave me alone you Jackass! We're through, and I told you I didn't want to see your ugly face ever again after what you did today!" I yell back, knowing full well I was poking the bear by responding, but I couldn't stop myself.
"You're only saying that because you got fired from that stupid deli, Elena. I know you still love me, and besides, it's your birthday, you still haven't opened your present from me yet" Matt yells, his footsteps coming closer towards me.
I turn to run out onto the sidewalk, only to run straight into Tyler. Tyler chuckles as he engulfs me in a bear hug, one hand going over my mouth to cut off the scream that left me, dragging me kicking and struggling into the open picnic area of the bar. Tyler reeked of beer, and I knew that he and Matt had been drinking and were most likely shit faced right now. I bite Tyler's hand hard, causing Tyler to loosen his grip on me. I slip out of Tyler's grasp, backing away from the two of them until my legs hit a picnic bench.
"I fucking hate you Matt, and I don't want any stupid present from you." I retort, my voice edged with fear.
I hear the bar doors open and shut, footsteps crunching on the graveled ground. Someone had come outside, which meant I wasn't alone outside. Matt takes a step towards me, and I slide around to the opposite side of the picnic table, putting it between Matt and I. Matt chuckles, jumping up on to the picnic table. I yelp and back step, slipping in the wet grass and landing on my ass. Tyler and Matt are both on me in seconds; Tyler grabbing my arms and pinning them behind my back, Matt, crushing my legs as he sat on them.
"Well, you may not want my present, but you're still getting it." Matt sneers, the smell of his breath making me gag.
Matt grabs me by my hair and crushes his mouth against mine, causing me to struggle against both him and Tyler. I attempt to free my hands, raking my nails against Tyler's hands. Both men had hard-ons, and that alone made me want to throw up.
"Who the fuck do you think you are, and why are you attacking my girlfriend?" A deep, angry voice growls out.
Matt and Tyler both look up, and I suck in deep gulps of air. Matt fists my hair tighter, keeping my head still. I glance to the side, and all I can see in the dim moonlight is a pair of black boots and long legs covered by black jeans. Matt whispers something to Tyler that I'm unable to catch, when suddenly Matt swings his free hand right at my face, punching me in the jaw. My head snaps to the side, and I can feel blood running from my bottom lip.
"You're girlfriend? I think you've got the wrong whore dude." Matt snarls, getting to his feet.
I groan in pain, blinking bleary eyes as I make out a tall, muscular, dark haired man standing in front of Matt, his arms crossed over his chest. The man looks at me, his ice blue eyes telling me to play along.
"Baby! Thank god you came!" I cry out, playing along with whoever was trying to help me.
I struggle against Tyler, throwing my upper body backwards into Tyler, knocking him on his ass. I scramble to my feet, wiping the blood from my lip. Matt turns to come after me but the man grabs him by the back of his shirt. Matt snarls out something incoherent, turning and swinging at the other man, who lets go of Matt's shirt, catching Matt's fist in his hand. Tyler gets to his feet, and I duck as Tyler takes a swing at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matt and the blue eyed man struggling, well, more like Matt struggling to land a blow on my blue eyed Knight. Tyler grabs me by my arms and yanks me against him. I kick Tyler in the shin, spitting in his face when his grip tightens on me. Tyler backs me up against a tree, causing me to smack my head against the damn tree. I close my eyes as my head begins pounding, curse loudly and kicking at Tyler's legs, Tyler pinning me by my arms to the tree, his face in mine, when his weight is suddenly pulled off me, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh fills the night. I open my eyes, gasping when I see both Tyler and Matt laying on the ground, out cold. My blue eyed Knight holds his hand out to me, and I take it. Without another word, my blue eyed Knight walks with me out into the parking lot, and over to a black Jeep Wrangler, the top off of it. My Knight opens the passengers door and I get in without hesitation, sighing in relief when the man shuts the door and gets in the drivers side. He starts his jeep and backs out of the parking lot, taking off into the streets. Once we were a few blocks away from the bar, the man, my Knight, turns to me and asks,
"Who were those Jackasses, and where do you live?"