So, I was laying in bed looking at Instagram reels. One came up of Richard Gere aging. They showed a glimpse of him as Edward in PW. My initial thought was to Delena-ize the movie but everyone's seen it so I decided to write their story after the events of the film.
This is dedicated to Morgan, aka jmfangs, for all the help she gave me with 'Someone Knows Something' and a couple of other things. Thank you, Morgan. I hope you like it.
This hasn't been beta'd although I did run it through 'Grammarly'. All mistakes are my own. Once upon a time, I did get an A in senior and college English.
Pretty woman, won't you pardon me
Pretty woman, I couldn't help but see
Pretty woman
That you look as lovely as can be
Are you lonely just like me
It's a warm late summer afternoon. A golden blanket of sand outlines the ocean's unworldly blue hue, creating the perfect image for an artist. The topaz-colored sun is perched high in the sky, blazing like Titan's fiery wheel. It beats down on the calm ocean as a gust of wind whips around, carrying the unmistakable but enjoyable aroma of salt. Seagulls fly around in an uplifting rush, occasionally swooping down to snatch up tiny morsels of food.
The view of the Pacific Ocean from his enormous seaside estate is extraordinary. Some people believe that there is nothing beyond the horizon; just a place where the moon, stars, and sun hide until it's time for them to return. Whispers of warm sea air blow through his hair as it skips over the lulling waves.
Damon stands on his balcony staring down at the endless expanse of blue.
His snow-white limo comes up the street. A necktie has been tied to the antennae-like a knight's token. The music from La Boheme is blaring from the car's stereo. Damon is standing on the car's seat, his head and body up through the open sunroof. The wind blows at his hair. He is smiling.
The vehicle comes to a stop in front of Elena's building. Damon disembarks from the limo by coming up through the sunroof. He leaps nimbly to the ground. He crosses to the entrance of the alleyway, looking up at Elena who's staring at him from her window.
"Princess Elena! Come down!" Damon calls out.
He smiles when she walks out onto the fire escape.
"Had to be the top floor, right?"
"It's the best," Elena quips, looking down at him.
"All right. I'm coming up." Damon bites down on the stems of the roses he's carrying and begins to climb.
Elena's laughing. Her smile blossoms like spring flowers kissed by the first morning light.
"So what happens after he climbs up the tower and rescues her?" Damon asks as he hands her the red roses.
"She rescues him right back."
Damon leans closer and his mouth is on hers. Little shivers of pleasure shoot through him as he deepens the kiss, parting her lips. He pushes her to the wall, sealing the tiny space between them. Damon's heart swells to the point of near bursting.
In that moment of the kiss, their chemistry becomes an ever-bright flame...
A raucous peel of laughter pulls him from his musings. Damon looks impassively down at the group below. He feels tired; the kind of fatigue that can't be cured by a night's sleep. When he notices Ric's approach, he turns away.
"You're being a rotten host," Ric remarks as he brings his glass to his mouth.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Damon dismisses him with a wave of his hand.
Ric moves in front of him before Damon can make his escape.
"You hired me to help run your business. If you don't start engaging, you're going to lose it," Ric counters, raising his chin defiantly.
"Have you heard from Enzo?" Damon asks, changing the subject.
"He called. Said he'd call back in an hour which should be about now in your office."
Damon gives him a nod and starts to walk off.
"You have guests!" Ric keeps pace with him.
"Would you relax? I'll be out as soon as I talk to Enzo."
"I don't know why you don't just go out and find someone else? She left you, man."
"I'm not going to dignify that with a reply!" Damon shoots him a frosty glare. He knows he got his point across when Ric raises his hands in surrender and backs away. "That's more like it," Damon calls over his shoulder as he distances himself from his friend.
As Damon walks toward his office, he catches a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror. When he looks at it, he doesn't recognize the person who's staring back at him. Who is he? Where are the sparkles in his eyes? Every time he smiles, it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
Damon wakes up every day knowing that she is not there and probably never will be again. He misses her and wishes he knew what exactly it was that made her leave.
Time heals everything is an absurd lie. Life goes on is the absolute truth...
"Damon?" comes a voice from behind him. His eyes meet Andie Starr's face over his shoulder in that same mirror.
"Andie, whatever it is, now is not the time. I have a very important call waiting."
"Surely you have time for me!" Andie runs her nails along the angle of Damon's jaw with a slight smile and a slow seductive glance.
Damon removes her hand from his face while gripping her wrist. "Andie, I've told you many times I'm not interested. Stop embarrassing yourself."
He maintains his stare while freeing her wrist. Damon doesn't even blink when she slaps him so hard his head snaps to the side.
"Go to hell," Andie fumes and stomps off.
"I'm already there," Damon calls after her. He notices her palm print on his cheek when he looks in the mirror again. "Fuck," he mutters to himself as he hurries to his office, hoping for no further distractions.
Damon leans back in his office chair and finds his eyes drifting towards a drawer he keeps locked. Feeling sentimental, he pulls it open and takes out a small, ornately carved wooden. Inside is a photo booth strip of Elena and him making funny faces and a big yellow diamond he was saving for that special moment.
It isn't long before a smile forms on his face as he loses himself in the memories. He can't help but wonder if she's as happy as he is miserable? Does she miss him with the passion of 10,000 burning suns like he does her or has she found someone new? He longs to see her radiant smile and the way it lights up her whole being. He's never been able to drop his walls completely until she came into his life.
Just as he tucks the photo strip back into the box, the phone rings. Damon picks it up with ease. "Yes?"
"Damon, it's Enzo."
After Elena packed her things and simply vanished, he hired a private detective with the hopes that he could locate her. "Enzo...do you have anything for me?"
"That's what I called about." There is a pause as Damon hears the shuffling of papers. "She hasn't withdrawn any money."
Sitting upright in his chair, Damon lets Enzo's words take hold of him. "So what's she living on?"
"I can't answer that."
"Do you have any clue as to her whereabouts?" Damon threads a hand through his hair.
"Yes and no. You mentioned she had a job offer but so far the company has been less than forthcoming."
"Did you tell them who you're representing?"
"I know your name carries a lot of weight but personnel records are private. I have contacts in Europe too; do you think she could have left the States?" Enzo probes.
Damon is silent for a moment. "I don't know, Enzo. The only thing I'm certain of is that I have to find her."
"I'll make sure to keep you posted if I find anything."
"Thank you, Enzo."
"Anytime, Damon."
Damon hangs up the phone and feels his body tense. The only thing that kept him going the past few months is this search. Elena could be anywhere in the world. It's going to take a miracle for Enzo to find her.
He doesn't know why she hasn't tried to contact him. Surely she'd know he's worried sick about her? What had caused Elena to walk away from her life and disappear seemingly into thin air?
Steam clouds the room as Elena pulls Damon into the shower. The spray is warm on his back as Elena begins to massage shampoo into his hair. He releases a satisfied purr when she rubs the pads of her fingers over his scalp.
When the water begins to run cold, Elena shuts off the shower and wraps him in a fluffy towel. He watches rapt as she dries herself and then slings his towel around her breasts.
Everything inside of him clenches in anticipation. Damon loosens her towel, letting it fall to the floor while his fingertips glide over her stomach and the outside of her breasts.
Damon picks her up and lays her on the bed. He covers her body and begins to devour every inch of her bare flesh down to her toes.
"I need you, Damon," Elena breathes as her hands slide down his lower back. He positions himself and sinks into her. Her back arches off the bed, and it's so perfect.
Damon pauses and his breath is choppy as Elena trails her lips over his shoulder, up to his neck, pressing them to the angle of his jaw.
"I love you, Elena," Damon groans as he starts to move. He sets a slow pace, building the burn a little at a time.
"I love you, too. So much." Elena replies as she tangles her legs around his.
Damon feels the building beginning to intensify with every move he makes, and when he adjusts his angle, Elena cries out. He listens to the sounds of their lovemaking, the rustle of the sheets, their heavy breathing, their bodies moving against each other.
"Damon," Elena moans, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.
He can feel her climax and he cries out her name as every muscle in his body tightens as he loses himself to the exquisiteness of this woman.
Damon collapses on top of her as the last of the pulsing inside of him subsides. They're both breathing hard, covered in a sheen of sweat...
Damon awakens with a start. It takes a few moments for the haze in his brain to clear enough to realize it was just a dream. He glances at the clock – 3:30 am. With an exaggerated sigh, he rolls over and buries his head in the pillow.
Damon wakes up thirsty so he slips on his robe and pads to the kitchen. He freezes in his tracks when he hears an unfamiliar yet sinister voice tone. Damon peers through the crack in the door.
"We meet again, Mr. Salvatore," the man sneers, brandishing a gun.
"Please don't kill me. I'll give you all that I have," he pleads with his would-be assassin.
"Too late!" His mouth lifts into a sinister smile. "It's your turn to die." With a grin on his face, he aims the gun at his head… BANG!
Damon startles awake a second time. "Shit," he says to himself. "Where in the hell had that nightmare come from after all these years? He wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. After tossing and turning for several moments, Damon finally surrenders and sits up. Sleep is not going to be an option.
He stares blindly for several seconds before dragging himself out of bed to get ready for the day.
"Mommy!" James screams and runs over pell-mell into Rebekah's arms.
Elena laughs watching the little boy squeeze his mommy's neck with his little arms.
"I love you too, little man," Rebekah kisses his forehead before setting him down. "Now why don't you go find daddy," she gives his little behind a nudge and watches him run out of the room.
"He's sure a momma's boy," Elena comments as she picks up the Legos that are scattered on the floor.
"It's the way it's supposed to be. This little girl will be the apple of her daddy's eyes!" Rebekah runs her palms over her burgeoning belly.
"I was always a daddy's girl."
"My father was horrible. That's why I ran away and got caught up in the business...I was one of the lucky ones. And you are too."
Elena locks eyes with Rebekah. "I'm not sorry to be out of that world...I'm still waiting for the fairytale."
"You know Damon cares about you; a great deal I might add!" Rebekah sits down to take the shoes off of her swollen feet.
"I thought so too..." Elena puts the lid back on the Lego box and tucks it in its place. "I don't want to talk about him right now."
"I understand but you know you can talk to me...about anything!" Rebekah posits as she spreads her legs out to rest on the end table.
"I know and I appreciate everything you and Marcel have done for me...if you don't mind, I'm going to go to my room for a while. James can be a handful!"
"Sure."
"If you need anything, you know where I'll be," Elena calls over her shoulder as she walks out of the playroom.
The air is thick with condensation and a dull roar, much like a snare drum, reverberates across the sky. Trees cower from the harsh wind while leaves soar through the air. A steady drizzle of rain begins to descend from somber clouds.
Elena comes out of her bathroom wearing her robe and with her hair up in a messy, still wet bun. Noticing it's getting darker, she sits down in her window seat, draws her knees up to her chest, and rests her head against the glass. Thunder rolls overhead like the fury of the gods. It tumbles toward her through the ever-darkening clouds, spreading out into the late afternoon.
The boughs of the trees sway in the strengthening gusts. Elena focuses on the hills surrounding Marcel and Rebekah's property. A jagged bolt of white-hot lightning splits the sky followed by another and another as if playing notes in an operetta of light and sound.
An airport limo pulls to a stop in front of the San Francisco Opera House. The driver walks around back and opens the passenger door. Damon emerges and helps Elena out. They walk toward the building past a beautifully lit fountain with several graceful statues in its center. Elena's in awe. Never has she been anywhere quite like this. She's enthralled as she watches the crowd of people milling around the lobby, heading toward the theater. She smiles when Damon places his hand on her elbow as he leads her inside.
"You like opera?"
"Some people say that opera is an acquired taste. I think it's something you're born to. But I don't mean that in an elitist sense. Highborn, lowborn, you can always tell when someone goes to the opera for the first time. Some love it, some hate it. Those who love it will always love it; those who hate it might force themselves to appreciate it, but they'll never love it."
Elena smiles at Damon. "Even if I hate it, I'm glad you brought me."
"So am I." Damon splays his fingers against her lower back and urges her into their box, high above the stage.
Elena looks at the program while waiting for the curtain to open. "If it's in Italian, how will I know what's going on?" she whispers in a low voice.
"I'll whisper some of the main parts of the story for you. But you'll be surprised at how much you'll understand by the way they sing. The music conveys their emotions more powerfully than any words." Damon's voice trails off when the lights dim and the orchestra begins to play.
Elena watches it unfold on the stage, lights dancing across her face. Damon occasionally leans over and whispers intimately into her ear, commenting on the actions below. Her eyes focus intensely on the stage as if a new world is being revealed to her.
Damon leans toward her ear. "Here he tells Aïda how much loves her but…"
Elena raises a hand and gently covers Damon's mouth. She nods, eyes fixed on the stage. She understands what is happening. As her hand slowly lowers, he takes her hand and gently strokes her fingers.
As the music is reaching its tragic climax, the emotions building inside Elena swell. As the opera ends, she is profoundly moved. A single tear rolls down her cheek. When it's over, Damon and Elena stand at the top of the elegant staircase leading down from the balcony.
She sways slightly as if weak. Damon has a firm hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? Can you make it down?"
"I just stood up to fast. Give me a second."
Damon holds her tightly as other patrons move past them and down the stairs. "You liked the opera, didn't you?" he comments with a smirk.
Elena nods. "Yeah, I liked it so much. It...was sad." As she thinks about it, she feels the urge to cry again but manages to control her emotions.
Damon gives her a warm squeeze. She looks up into his eyes. "I'm okay now. Thank you for taking me tonight. I'll never forget it. Never."
"You're welcome. It was my pleasure, Elena. Thank you for joining me."
Elena snaps out of her musings when tiny, soft needle-like droplets begin brushing across her face and arms. After closing the window, she smiles as she reflects on that magical night with Damon.
"Here you go." Rebekah hands Elena a cup of coffee. She sits down adjacent to her friend and stares at her for several moments. "You look like you were somewhere else. Do you want to talk about it?"
"I love him, Rebekah. It's going to take some time, maybe a lot of time," Elena admits, her hands tightening around her mug.
"Tell me about it."
"Things were wonderful at first. We had so much fun together. Every day was a new adventure."
Damon straddles his Harley, and Elena climbs on behind him. Her chin rests on his shoulder, while her hands wrap around his middle. They ride through the back roads of the Mohave desert on the motorcycle, the wind whipping through their hair.
"As you know, he's a billionaire and a workaholic. But those times when he'd just let go, those were the best times...Cracks started to appear, subtlety at first..."
Elena's standing in front of the sliding glass door. Her attention is drawn to the gardens when she notices Damon. She watches in curiously as another woman abruptly appears. She's tall with shoulder-length blonde hair. She's wearing a grey pencil dress with a kick pleat in the back to show off her long, svelte legs.
Damon shoves his hands in his jean pockets. He looks at her with that tantalizing smirk of his.
To Elena's astonishment, the woman cups the back of Damon's neck pulling him closer and whispering something in his ear. He laughs as he says something to her ear return.
"Bitch!" Elena grits out, feeling like a voyeur as she observes the intimacy between the two of them.
"Did you find out who she was?" Rebekah asks as she cocks her head slightly.
"Andie Starr. She works for Damon. But I don't want to talk about her or Damon anymore," Elena replies, emptying her coffee cup.
"I know there's more." Rebekah shoots her a pointed look.
"There is and I'll tell you, just not now. I promised to take James to the park and I need to study for my GED exam. I've thought of cosmetology school perhaps? I've always liked to write. All I know is that I'm never going to go back to the streets and that no one is going to ever make me feel inferior again!" Elena declares with a pound of her fist on the tabletop.
"If I can go from being a hooker to this..." Rebekah starts, spreading her arms out over the palatial estate, you can too."
"Does Marcel know?" Elena asks, curious.
"Yes, I've been honest with him from the beginning. My past is the kind of thing that can wreck a marriage if the secret is revealed. I knew there was a risk I could lose him by telling him the truth but I wanted to go into this relationship with a clean slate. It was a shock for him. I didn't hear from Marcel for a few days...I was sure we were done when he showed up with dozens of roses. It was one of the best nights of my life."
"I'm so happy for you, Rebekah." Elena smiles genuinely and squeezes her hand.
"Everything's going to work out for you too, Elena..."
"I hope so..." Elena's words drift off as she stares into the swimming pool, its azure blue color the same as Damon's eyes.
Damon's doing laps in his pool, barely hearing the creaking of the metal gate. Assuming that it's Ric to discuss business, he continues to swim, his arms and hands cleaving the water. He barely causes a splash as he cuts the water in clean strokes, heading for the front of the pool. When he reaches it, he dives quickly beneath the surface, only to re-emerge heading toward the opposite end.
Damon finally slows his pace as he reaches the end nearest the patio furniture. Pulling himself up out of the water, Damon sits briefly on the side of the pool to catch his breath before rising to his feet. He towels off and drapes it around his neck. Snatching another one, he wraps it around his waist and finally turns to see his guest.
"You're not Ric," he remarks, surprised to see Enzo instead.
"Sorry, for coming unannounced."
"It's fine." Damon sweeps an arm toward the wrought-iron table. "Do you want to join me for breakfast?"
"I already ate but I'll have another cup of coffee. You swim like you're competing for the gold medal," Enzo remarks as he sits down.
Damon takes the towel from around his shoulders and rubs his hair briskly. "I like to swim, it helps me see things more clearly sometimes."
"I like to nurse a good bourbon when I need to think," Enzo quips, nodding his thanks when Damon pours him a cup of coffee.
"So, what brought you here this morning?" Damon leans back in his chair.
"I can't find any record of Elena Gilbert taking a job anywhere on the West Coast for that matter. I have talked to a few of my people in Europe and that's a blank too."
Damon sets his mug down and reaches for a napkin. "It's like she's simply disappeared! How is that possible?"
"It's not. We're just not looking in the right place. Do you know where she grew up? Any friends or acquaintances you haven't previously mentioned?" Enzo asks as he reaches for a piece of Danish pastry.
"I know she ran away from home after the 11th grade. Someplace in Louisiana, I think?" Damon states, steepling his fingers as he stares at Enzo.
"Well, that gives me a little more to go on." Enzo writes the information down and sticks his notebook back into his back pocket. Thanks for the coffee, Damon." Enzo empties his cup and makes his retreat.
"Just find her," Damon calls after him. Once Enzo is gone, he drops his forehead into his hands.
Ric sits back in his chair and folds his hands in his lap stubbornly. "Mr. Fell is suddenly starting to have some reservations."
Damon doesn't answer. It's been several days since he returned from New York, and he had been tied up almost sixteen hours every day with meetings about this acquisition. He's frustrated beyond belief, and he misses Elena something fierce.
"Did you hear what I just said?"
Damon shakes his head. "I just don't seem to be able to concentrate much today."
Ric sits back in his chair and rests the steeple his fingers make against his lips. "It's Elena again, isn't it?"
"She's just...I'm worried about her," Damon admits as his eyes close briefly.
"You knew this would be the inevitable outcome. I don't know why you're surprised. And besides, she may or may not have taken some sage advice."
Damon sits up straight. "Spit it out, Ric. What did you say to her?" Then his eyes widen. "Or did Andie say something?"
"You know that Andie has real feelings for you, and she was just trying..."
"Damn it, what did she say to Elena?" Damon raises his voice.
"Andie told Elena that she's in love with you and that the two of you share a past. And that she's more suited to your lifestyle and the circles you run in...And that the romance is on the verge of being rekindled."
A vortex of anger swirls inside Damon. He looks like he wants to break something.
"Perfect. Just perfect." Damon's face is flushed with barely controlled anger, his words lacing with sarcasm. "Andie admitted this all to you?"
"She loves you and enjoys making Elena squirm. She was only trying to protect your interests."
Damon sits back in his chair, shooting daggers at Ric. "That's such bullshit. There's no way in hell that Andie and I will ever be a thing again. She knows that and God help me the next time I see her."
"Would you calm down?" Ric looks at him pointedly.
"Calm down? No, I won't calm down so you would do well to give me a few moments!" Damon draws in a long breath as he points to the door.
Ric rolls his eyes and walks out of the office.
Damon rises from his desk to walk to a window overlooking the beach. He shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at the waves breaking on the sand.
Sunlight filters slowly into the bedroom, creating slanting shadows across the wooden floors. Damon opens his eyes slightly, squinting at the bright sunlight and coming face to face with curious brown eyes.
Elena leans her chin on her folded arms as she lay on her stomach.
Damon smiles sleepily, his eyes bright against the sharp contrast of his messy dark hair as it falls roughly across his forehead. As Elena shifts onto her side; he moves close enough to feel her breath on his face.
"What are you thinking?" he asks as his hand trails over her soft skin. When he reaches her waist; he pulls her closer to him.
"I wish we could stay like this," Elena murmurs, her eyes half-closed as his fingers draw patterns on her skin.
Damon brushes his lips softly against hers. "Me too," he agrees and pulls her into his arms. His fingers dance along her spine and he presses his lips to her hair.
"You ruined me for other men, Damon Salvatore, I was just fine before you picked me up at that corner!" Elena's gruff face melts into a radiant smile almost immediately.
Damon sighs softly, running his fingers through the ends of her hair. "And I was fine before you ruined me," he retorts playfully as he kisses her like she's the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world...
"Your phone!" Alaric calls out as he returns to the office.
Damon locks eyes with Ric as he picks up the device.
"That girl has knocked you off your game," Ric snaps, his hand balling into a fist.
Damon glowers at him and turns his chair so the back is facing Ric.
"I'll give you a few minutes," Ric calls over his shoulder as he stomps out, slamming the door closed behind him.
"Damon, it's Enzo. I'm going to have to put the search aside for a couple of weeks. Bonnie's water broke, she's not due for another month. Her doctor admitted her to the hospital. I can't fly to Louisiana right now, not if my kid might be born."
"Louisiana? You think she's there?" Damon sits up straight.
"Yes, I believe she's likely in NOLA."
"I'm in the process of acquiring a big company...however, I do understand your dilemma. I'm just going to have to clear my schedule and fly there myself...maybe I'll get lucky?"
"I'll continue to do what I can from here; I just can't leave now; Bonnie will never forgive me if I miss the birth."
"Understandable. Give me what you got... and do tell me the hospital so I can send some flowers," Damon adds as he relaxes into his chair as Enzo details what he knows.
Damon's dressed in Balmain jeans, Balenciaga button-down, and has his leather jacket under his arm.
"Going somewhere?" Ric asks icily.
Damon nods. "As I was just about to explain."
"Well?"
"Enzo called. A family matter came up so I'm going to New Orleans to look for Elena."
"What!? Ric spits. "We're in the midst of this deal that we've been working on for months and you're going to fly off in search of that hooker?"
Damon yanks back with his right arm and a snapping sound follows. He's standing above Ric, panting, his hand still curled in a fist.
"What the fuck, man? You busted my nose!" Ric grunts and pinches his nostrils to stop the stem of blood.
"That's not all I'm going to bust if I ever hear that word coming from your mouth again. You've treated her as less than human since the day I told you what she used to do. It stops now!" Damon fumes as raw anger shoots through him.
"She's ruining your life and you're too blinded with lust to see it!" Ric rants as he presses a handful of tissue to wipe the blood off of his lips.
"Ric, we've been friends for a long time. I'd hate for this to be the end of it but if you want to continue to work for me, you'll zip it where Elena's concerned."
"You're pathetic!" Ric spits and walks away...
Damon crooks his neck to look out the window as his pilot glides his private plane over the Grand Canyon. Carved by nature over millions of years, the sheer magnitude of the canyon is hard to fathom.
Major John Wesley Powell was right when he said "The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail."
Damon marvels at the sight of it. The diverse, beautiful colors of the mile-deep canyon are a sight to behold. The canyon runs 277 river miles and varies in width between 600 feet and 18 miles.
The earth and the sky revolve in a blur of tilted horizons, greens, blues, and rushing noise. Lightning arcs down out of the top of the cloud bank. Distant thunder cracks loudly, trailing off in a rumble.
"We'll be gone before the storm hits," the pilot's voice comes over the intercom.
"Good to know," Damon replies as he leans back in his luxury seat. His mind takes him to Elena. He thought she loved him as much as he loves her so why would she leave.
Damon, I never thought our story would be over, but it is. I thought and hoped we would last forever. I didn't see this as our future. I still believe we are soul mates.
Losing you feels like losing a part of me. I will always love you, miss you, and want you.
I am in so much pain right now that I dream of a time in the future when missing you won't hurt so much. I cherish our good memories and hope those always stay on my mind.
When I decided I had to move on, I was afraid. It meant I was losing us and therefore losing you. Since I am stronger from my time with you, I do want you to know that you are a great person. We weren't right, but that doesn't mean you're not right for someone else.
Again, I wish this weren't the case, but I wanted to write you and tell you that above all else—I love you.
Elena.
Raking his hand through his hair, he knows he should go over those figures again for the acquisition but he can't bring himself to. Leaning his head back, he can't shake the feeling that he should know why she left.
Damon takes the file from Andie. He reads them for a few minutes and then looked up at her with a huge smile. "These numbers are better than I expected. Good work, Andie," he remarks as he sits down at his desk.
"It took a while but I wore him down," Andie replies as she sits in the chair in front of him.
Damon drops his eyes to the papers. As he reads, she reaches out and places her hand over them, interrupting his concentration. "Damon...we were great together once, we could be again."
He shakes his head. "I'm with Elena now..."
"And I'm telling you how much I still love you." She moves her hand to cover his. "I know you think you're in love with her but don't you see, she knows nothing about your business or the circles we run in. Elena's nothing more than eye candy. Can't you see that?"
Damon's head shoots and he pulls his hand away. "My relationship with Elena is none of your concern."
"How can not remember what we had?"
"I remember that you broke up with me." Damon shoots her a pointed look.
"I was wrong," Andie says bitterly.
Damon's face becomes grim. "No, Andie, you weren't wrong."
Andie's voice is cold. "Yes, I was wrong. You and I could conquer the world. Instead, you're sleeping with a streetwalker!"
Fury vibrates from his being as Damon slowly turns to face her. "That's none of your fucking business."
Andie moves to stand in front of Damon. "I won't let her win, Damon. And when your relationship inevitably runs its course, you'll realize that I'm right." She walks dramatically to the door, but then pauses and turns to face him one last time. "I'm not going to stand around and let her rob you blind. You should have left her on that street corner."
Damon's livid, pointing Andie to the door. She slams it shut so hard that one of the photos on his office wall crashes to the floor, shattering the glass.
Could Elena have overheard that or another conversation? Did she believe Andie's threats were anything more than a delusion on her part? He needs to find Elena he just has to, he needs answers and he needs to tell her that he loves her.
"Mr. Salvatore, prepare for landing."
The captain's voice pulls him from his thoughts. After buckling his safety belt, he looks out the window to see a gorgeous view of New Orleans as the ground comes close and closer. He relaxes when he feels the jolt as the wheels touch down on the runway. As soon as the plane taxis to a halt, Damon walks to the cockpit and pokes his head in.
"Thanks, Kol. Great flying as always. I don't know how long I'll be here. I'm staying at the Hotel Monteleone if you need me."
"Sure, Mr. Salvatore. I have some family here. Just let me know when you're ready to go back to Los Angeles."
"Will do!" Damon nods at him and trots down the steps just as his limousine pulls up alongside the plane.
"Sorry, I'm late!" Elena calls as she slips through Rebekah's front door. She follows the sounds of giggling to the living room where Rebekah and Caroline are having a glass of sparkling cider since alcohol is off-limits to her pregnant friend.
"No worries." Rebekah remarks when Elena walks in and flops down onto the couch. "Help yourself," she points at the bottle.
Elena leans over to the coffee table and pours herself a glass before settling back into the couch with a contented sigh.
"What's with the smile?" Caroline asks, eyeing Elena.
"What smile?" Elena lifts the glass to her mouth.
Caroline's face lights up. "Oh my God, you got some, didn't you?"
"Caroline!" Elena hisses, shaking her head.
"You did too!" Caroline declares with a finger point.
"Actually, no; I didn't. I've only been gone for a few hours."
"You know as well as I do that it takes minutes," Rebekah mentions with an innocent shrug of her shoulders.
"Not you too!" Elena groans with a glare.
"What's with that smile then?"
"This smile?" Elena presses the tips of her index fingers to the corners of her mouth.
"Yes, that smile," Rebekah confirms.
"I passed my GED test! Now I can apply to cosmetology school or whatever college I want."
"That's fantastic. You deserve to have that look on your face more than anyone I know," Rebekah professes as she squeezes Elena's hand.
Caroline claps excitedly. "Congratulations, Elena. I'm proud of you."
"I love you both," Elena responds, her voice thick. She pushes up from the couch and inserts herself in between her two best friends. They laugh and sip their cider for a while before moving into the kitchen to satisfy Rebekah's chocolate cravings.
Elena watches as James slides sand from his bucket. For that tiny moment, the waves hush, and the birds hold their chattering.
The corner of their castle crumbles as if it were a raisin cake at the hand of a hungry child. James laughs. Now the sandcastle has character; it's free of the walls that made it, breathing in the seaside air.
"Remember when we watched Narnia? We can pretend it's Cair Paravel, the castle of the Narnian Kings and Queens."
"I get to be King Peter," James waves his play trowel as if it's a sword. Soon he's creating a story, one of bravery and love, one of the strong and open hearts.
Elena laughs as the young boy plays. Her eyes drift to the sky above. Seagulls arc above as masters of the salty updrafts.
The cool water laps at her feet, fizzing and bubbling like brine. Even though the sun is beating down on her back, beaming in her eyes, She can't help but smile as the wind caresses her face. Waves ahead roar and roll down, crashing onto the shore with a soft hiss; peeling away at the deep bronze sand beneath her feet.
The ocean shore lies jagged, the rocky outcrops a torn piece of paper where the water rushes up to meet it. Eyes open, there is every shade of blue before her. The ocean's music takes command of her ears with crashing waves and the cries of the gulls.
"Can we go in the water?" James asks abruptly.
"Yes, we can go in the water but we can't go too far out. Your mommy will worry." She takes his hand and they plunge into the blue-green water. Small swells lap against their legs.
James squeals as he splashes around.
"Wave at your mommy!" Elena tells him.
"See mommy, we in the water," the little boy gesticulates wildly with his arms.
"Look what I found!" Elena shows the boy a sand dollar."
"Can I have it?" he asks, his eyes wide. "Let's go show mommy."
"Okay," Elena follows him onto the sand, laughing as he runs to where Rebekah is resting under a beach umbrella.
"You're in a good mood today," Rebekah remarks when she returns from the restroom. "He fell asleep. Thank goodness. I can't keep up with him right now."
"That's what you have me for!" Elena winks at her friend. "Should we leave?"
"He's in the shade so let's let him sleep for a bit. He'll be raring to go as soon as we wake him." Rebekah rolls her eyes playfully.
"Indeed!" Elena laughs as she leans back in her lounger.
"Elena, can I ask you something?" Rebekah looks at her.
"Sounds serious?"
"What happened with Damon? Now's as good a time as any to tell me."
"Why not?" Elena shrugs. "I love him, I do but he's from a completely different world, Rebekah. I thought I could fit in, I did but then things started to change."
"Let's go to my office, we can look at the numbers there." Damon finishes his coffee and walks off with Andie who shoots Elena a smug look.
"I'm going to see if Damon needs anything," Elena stands up.
Ric puts his hand on Elena's arm, stopping her. "Leave them alone; it's business."
Elena's eyes narrow for a few moments as she stares at Ric. "You don't like me much, do you?"
"What makes you say that?" Alaric shrugs his shoulders slightly.
"Oh, just little things. Sometimes I see you staring at me as if I'm not good enough. And right now, the way you held me back just now so that Damon and Andie could be alone."
"I've known Damon for a long time, Elena." He raises his icy blue eyes to meet hers. "You're a hooker."
Elena shifts uncomfortably in the chair, but Ric leans closer. "If people find out what you are, it will destroy his reputation and his livelihood. Is that what you want?"
Tears start to run down Elena's cheeks and she's silent for a few moments. "And you're delusional if you think he wants Andie!" She looks at Ric venomously and wipes away her tears with the back of her hand.
"Andie loves him. She knows his world. And most importantly, she doesn't have a past that could annihilate everything he's worked for."
Elena rises angrily and Ric does the same. He catches her by the arm as she starts to leave. "Go back to your street corner, Elena."
Elena's chest is heaving. Fury vibrates through her very being. Without saying a word, she reaches for the water pitcher and pours it over his head.
Ric yelps and jumps out of his chair to grab a towel to wipe the water off of his face.
"You stay away from me!" Elena locks her stormy eyes with his for several seconds to make her point. When he breaks the stare, she walks out of the kitchen.
"What an asshole! What right does he have to insert himself between you and Damon?" Rebekah fumes, angry for her friend.
"He's an asshole alright but it wasn't him that drove me away..." Elena looks out towards the beach as her fingers sift through the sand...
Damon spins his chair to gaze out of his hotel window. The sky is consumed in numerous shades of grey, white and black. It looks like the sun has given up on trying to break through this iron curtain of clouds that it has become content to lounging out behind them. Thunder rumbles in the distance and a bolt of lightning cracks the dark sky into two. Jagged flashes of pure light cast a glow against the monochromatic background.
Soon rain is cascading in diagonal sheets. There is a certain rhythm to the downpour that he catches amidst the wind unleashing a torrent of its own. Seagulls are tossed like paper in the storm, flashes of white in the grey, tumbling as they struggle against the gale. Beneath them, the sea rises as great mountains both turbulent and unforgiving.
Damon can't help but realize the storm matches his mood and then his mind drifts to Elena. Is she even in New Orleans?
The sound of the phone ringing snaps him out of his reverie. Taking a breath, he gets up and answers it.
"Damon, it's Enzo. I have some good news."
"I'm so glad you asked me to join you." Elena bites into a beignet and has a ring of powdered sugar coating her mouth when she sets it back on the plate. "Everyone's heard of this place but I never actually ventured down here. Even if it's a rainy, dark day, I still love the atmosphere of New Orleans."
They're having breakfast at the world-famous Cafe Dumonde to partake in their signature French-style doughnuts.
"I asked Rebekah to come too but she didn't want to take James out in this weather," Caroline remarks and takes a big swallow of coffee.
"She doesn't want him to get sick. She'd likely catch it too if he gets ill. And then Marcel. It wouldn't be pretty," Elena quips, smiling at the waitress when she refills their coffee.
"What do you say we go shopping when we're done here? We can get you a nice outfit to check out the cosmetology school."
"That sounds good. Ideally, I'd like to get accepted at the Aveda Arts and Sciences Institute. I love their products too."
"Me too," Caroline agrees and excuses herself to use the bathroom. When she returns, it's not difficult to notice that Elena's lost in thought. "What is it?" Caroline asks and she waves the waitress off when she returns with another refill.
"Do you ever feel like someone is watching you?" Elena asks, scanning the street outside the cafe.
"Why do you ask?"
"I just have this sense of unease..."
"Let's get out of here, we have some serious shopping to do!" Caroline announces with a wink.
Nodding, Elena throws some change on their table and follows her friend outside where she opens her umbrella to shield the two of them from the rain...
Damon has nowhere to even begin looking for Elena. All he knows is that she's somewhere in this city and he's not leaving until he finds her. Opening his umbrella, he steps outside and flags a cab to take him to Decatur Street. He's never had a beignet before and intends to try one. After paying the cab driver he steps out and breathes in the city despite the gloomy weather. New Orleans has a certain ambiance, one unique to it...
A flash of brunette hair catches his eye and he looks up just in time to see Elena entering a vehicle with a smile on her face.
"Elena," he gasps.
As if the wind carries his words, her eyes find his just as the car pulls into the flow of traffic. He stares until he loses sight of her. Slowly, a small smile begins to pull at the corners of his mouth, and with an imperceptible shift, his shoulders rise and fall. After what seems like hours, he finally begins to move. He doesn't even begin to know where she might be staying but he saw her and for now, that's good enough for him...
"What is it, Elena?" Caroline asks after glancing over at her friend.
Elena jerks her head, briefly meeting Caroline's eyes. "I just saw Damon...I can't believe it."
"Oh my god! Really? Maybe he came to find you?"
"I...I don't know." Elena's chest is rising and falling in rapid breaths.
"Do you want me to turn around?"
"Yes, please!" she bobs her head anxiously.
Caroline nods and squeezes Elena's hand. "I hope everything's going to work out for you."
"Me too, Care. Me too," Elena says softly, her face resting against the window and her breath making little clouds of condensation on it.
When they reach Cafe Dumonde, Caroline parks the car. Elena jumps out, runs across the street, and begins to peruse the customers. She's crestfallen when she doesn't see him. Letting out a harsh breath, her shoulders slump as she walks back to the crosswalk. For a fleeting moment, a tiny wisp of time that hung in the air like fireflies in summer skies, she wonders if he's still in love with her. Just as the pedestrian light flashes, Elena turns around.
Damon rushes to embrace her. They kiss, deep and long.
"How are you here?" Elena asks when they part.
"I had to find you, Elena. I love you."
"I love you two, Damon, I do. But there are other things to consider."
"None of that matters right now. I promise we'll talk; I'll do whatever you want me to do."
"And what is that?"
"Spend the day with me?"
"As much as I want to, I have some things I need to take care of."
"What could be more important than us?" Damon replies, his hands gripping her shoulders.
"Don't do that! And it's things that are important to me. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'm staying with Marcel and Rebekah Gerard." Elena takes a piece of paper out of her bag and writes down her number. "Here. Call me this evening."
"I'm sorry, Elena. I have no right to demand anything. I didn't mean to upset you." Damon offers, his blue eyes boring into her brown ones.
"I know that, Damon," she admits. Elena brushes her lips against his, holding for several seconds. "Goodbye," she calls over her shoulder as she crosses the street and returns to Caroline.
"Nice place this is," Damon remarks when Elena greets him at the door of Marcel and Rebekah's mansion.
"It's very nice. Come in." Elena steps aside to allow him to pass. "I want you to meet them before we go." She takes Damon by the elbow and leads them into their living room. "Everyone, this is Damon," she smiles at him. "This is Rebekah, Marcel, and their little boy, James."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Damon says and offers his to Marcel.
"The pleasure is all mine," Marcel replies. "I've heard of you."
"And who hasn't heard of Marcel Gerard!" Damon smiles. "Maybe we could talk business sometime?"
"I'd like that," Marcel admits and steps aside when his wife waddles over.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Salvatore!" Rebekah shakes his hand.
"Congratulations to you and Marcel. Is the baby due soon?" Damon eyes Rebekah's belly.
"Six weeks and it can't come soon enough. I'd offer you a drink but I know Elena said you had plans," Rebekah states, smiling at her friend.
"Yes, but I'd like to take you all out to eat before I leave New Orleans. I hope that can be arranged? And do call me Damon."
"That would be lovely, Damon." Rebekah smiles at Elena.
"You ready?" Damon turns to Elena.
"Yes. I'll see you later," she calls over her shoulder as she and Damon walk away...
When Damon stops the car, he sighs heavily and turns to face Elena. "Look, I know we need to talk. You left me for a reason and I want to know what is and correct it if I can. But right now, I just want to spend a peaceful afternoon with you. Is that okay?"
His words are spoken with such sincerity that she knows he isn't trying to avoid anything. Elena reaches over and touches his hand, hesitantly, gently, amazed that after all these months he had somehow known exactly what she needs to hear. When their eyes lock, she once again realizes how special Damon is.
"I'd like that."
"Thank you, Elena." Damon steps out of the car, and opens her door, taking her hand to help her out. They approach the office and Damon pays to rent a canoe.
Once they're on the water, she watches as he rows. Damon exudes sexuality in everything he does and everything he is. Elena tries not to stare, but the easy way he moves his body makes it hard to keep her eyes from him for long.
Elena sits on the seat looking up to the sky at the beautiful white birds that fly over them and the stunning grey sky that appears too gorgeous to be real. The wind rushes through her hair, swaying the trees back and forth. The scenery is as striking as paradise. It's impossible to feel anything but tranquility in a place that covers itself in pure beauty.
"Here we are," Damon says as he guides the canoe around a tree, and both of them have to lower their heads to keep from bumping into it.
"Close your eyes," he whispers, and Elena does, bringing her hands to her face. She feels the movement of the canoe as he propels it forwards, away from the pull of the creek.
"You can open them now," Damon says and stops paddling.
They sit in the middle of Yellow Jack Bayou fed by the waters of Lake Ponchartrain. Elena is surprised at how spectacular this place is. Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and Brown pelicans surround them.
"How did you find this place?" Elena asks softly, "it's beautiful."
"I asked the clerk at the hotel if there were any truly romantic places here. She mentioned a few, I chose this one." Damon winks at her. He takes out the bread he brought in his bag and hands it to Elena. "Feed them."
She scatters it, favoring the little ones, laughing and smiling as they swim in circles looking for food. They stay until thunder booms in the distance- faint but powerful.
Damon paddles hard as dark clouds roll directly overhead. Soon the rain begins to fall, light sprinkles at first, then gradually harder. Lightning...a pause... another clap thunder, a little louder now.
More rain as Damon paddles even harder, his muscles tightening with every stroke.
Elena watches as the rain falls diagonally from the sky as it rides on westerly winds that whistle over the trees. The sky darkens a little more. Leaning her head back for a moment, Elena lets the rain hit her face and she runs her hands through her hair, feeling its wetness. It feels wonderful, she feels wonderful. She can hear Damon breathing hard, and the sound arouses her.
A cloud bursts directly above them and the rain comes down harder. Elena looks upward and laughs, giving up any attempt to keep from getting drenched.
When they finally reach the dock, Damon helps Elena up, then gets out himself and dragged the canoe up the bank, tying it to the jetty. As he's tying the canoe, he looks up at Elena and stops breathing for just a second. She's so incredibly beautiful as she waits, watching him. She doesn't try to keep dry, and he can see the outline of her breasts as they press through the fabric of the top that clings tightly to her body.
When he finishes, Elena takes his hands in hers, surprising him. Despite the downpour, they don't rush towards the canoe rental building.
Damon moves his hands to her hips and lifts her as if she weighs nothing. Elena's legs wrap around his waist.
"Elena," Damon starts.
Elena pulls him down to her, and the rest of his words are lost against her mouth. She knots her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. Damon groans softly, low in his throat. He gathers her against him, and they roll over on the grass, tangled together, still kissing.
As soon as they reach Damon's hotel, they stagger into the lobby soaking wet. As soon as they reach his door, Damon unlocks it and picks her up, carrying her over the threshold. After setting her down, he turns on the electronic fireplace to warm them up.
"I love you, Damon. There's no one else."
Damon is silent as he turns away. Elena feels warmer as she watches the fire. She leans into him and feels the heat between them and the way his arm tightens around her. Everything feels right. The fire, the storm—it couldn't be more perfect.
They give in to their feelings. Elena lifts her head off his shoulder, looks at him with hazy eyes, and Damon kisses her softly on the lips. She brings her hand to his face and touches his cheek, brushing it softly with her fingers.
Damon leans in and kisses her tenderly, and she kisses back. Elena closes her eyes and parts her lips as he runs his fingers up and down her arms, slowly, wispily. He kisses her neck, her cheek, her eyelids.
Elena takes his hand and leads it to her breasts, and a whimper rises in her throat as he gently touched them through the thin fabric of her top. She pulls back from him, as the flames set her face aglow. Without speaking, she starts to undo the buttons on his shirt.
Damon watches her and listens to her soft breaths as she makes her way downward. He can feel her fingers brushing against his skin, and she smiles softly at him when she finishes.
Elena slides her hands inside, touching him lightly, exploring his body. She kisses his neck as she pulls the shirt over his shoulders, freeing the sleeves.
With that, he slowly reaches for her. He lifts her shirt and runs his finger slowly across her belly before raising her arms and slipping it off.
Elena feels short of breath as his hands gently caress her back, her arms, her shoulders, and the way their heated bodies press together, skin to skin. They lay back, close to the fire, and the heat makes the air seem thick. Elena runs her hands through his hair as he holds himself above her, his arm muscles taut from the exertion. She tries to pull him closer, but he resists, instead he lowers himself and lightly rubs his chest against her, and she feels her body respond.
And when they finally join as one, Elena cries aloud and presses her fingers hard into his back. She buries her face in his neck and feels him deep inside her. Opening her eyes, she watches him in the firelight, marveling at his beauty.
By the time the rain stops and the sun has set, her body is exhausted. They spent the day in each other's arms, alternately making love by the fire and then holding each other as they watch the flames curl around the wood. Damon tells her what he's been doing in her absence and how his life seems empty without her.
They join again and he murmurs words of love between kisses as they wrap their arms around one another. When they're both sated and exhausted, they sleep in each other's arms.
Occasionally Damon stirs. In the moments before daybreak, he opens his eyes to make sure she's there and he's not dreaming. Elena's eyes flutter open and she smiles and reaches up to touch his face. He put his fingers to her lips, gently, to keep her from speaking, and for a long time, they just stare at one another.
"I don't know how I could have lived without you for as long as I have. I love you, Elena, more than you can ever imagine."
"Damon!" she pulls him to her. She needs him too; now more than ever, like nothing she's ever known. "I love you too, that's not the issue."
"Then what is it? Please tell me."
"I will. I promise but right now, let's just enjoy this moment," Elena says as she burrows into his side and closes her eyes when Damon's arms wrap around her.
"You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em!" Ric bloviates as he sits back in his chair and folds his hands in his lap. "I always did say that sometimes there comes a point in a deal when it's just better to leave the table than keep beating your head against the wall."
Damon murmurs a string of colorful metaphors under, tosses a piece of paper aside and starts rooting through another file. "I've been dreaming of this opportunity for too long, I'm not about to let some two-bit attorney with his head up his ass spoil all of my plans." He continues to push papers around on the small table, swearing again occasionally.
Finally, Ric leans forward and placed his hand over Damon's. "Maybe we can try when you're not so distracted."
Damon slams the paper in his hand down and yanked his other hand away. "Me? Distracted? What makes you think that something is distracting me?" Damon shuffles the papers again but then sat back in his chair as he stared down at his lap with a guilty expression that he tries his best to hide.
"You've lost your place in that particular file three times already." Ric tries to gentle his voice as Damon lifts blue eyes that are streaked with red to meet his. "Your eyes look like roadmaps because you can't sleep..."
Damon opens his mouth to object but Ric holds his palm up, stopping him. "I've known you for a long time, Damon, but I don't think I've ever seen you like this before." Ric leans towards Damon and lowers his voice. "Wait a minute; is this about Elena?"
Having heard her name, Elena approaches the door and listens.
Damon sighs loudly. "She's just so different than anyone else I've been with."
Alaric props his elbows on the chair in exasperation and puts his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
"Maybe provide some other kind of incentive, like a promise to provide financing for the city's pet projects? Damon?" Alaric calls his name, "Did you hear what I just said?"
Damon looks at him but says nothing.
Alaric shakes his head. "Listen, Damon. You're not going to like what I have to say but I'm going to say it anyway. Whether you want to admit it or not, she going to go back to her old ways eventually."
"No!" Damon raises his eyebrows. "That's not going to happen."
"You keep telling yourself that but you and I both know she doesn't belong in your world or your life. Now you take, Andie. She loves you, Damon, and she knows how to carry yourself. She'd make a fine wife."
Damon doesn't respond. Instead, he merely gets up and walks over to the window.
"Your silence spoke volumes to me. You said nothing when Ric told you I don't belong in your hoity-toity world. I may not be an uptown girl but I'm not a class snob either. Even when I was on the street I never felt bad about myself but I did then. That's the moment I decided I had to leave. You hurt me, Damon, and I won't let you or anyone else make me feel like that ever again."
"I'm so sorry, Elena. I had no idea that I made you feel less than you are."
"I believe you but I am not going back to Los Angeles. I'm going to beauty school and truthfully, I like my life here. Yes, I have missed you every minute of every day but I won't go back and subject myself to the ridicule of your employees."
"Andie and I had words and so did Ric and me so I don't know if they're still my employees," Damon admits as he rakes his fingers through his hair.
"I won't ask you to fire them. You've known them longer than me..."
"And you mean more to me than anything. What do I have to do to have you back in my life?"
"That, Damon, is something you need to figure out on your own." Elena stares at him for several seconds before rising from the table, grabbing her jacket, and leaving him behind to consider her words...
"Thanks for coming to the airport with me," Damon says as he steps out of the cab, followed by Elena. He gives the driver some cash and tells him to wait while he pulls her aside.
"I'm sorry for making you feel bad about yourself. It was never my intent."
Elena lays her fingers across Damon's lips. "I understand. Apology accepted." She swallows hard as he nods once quickly. She raises her eyes, but this time they don't get any farther than his lips. She realizes that he's staring at her mouth, too, and he moves closer. She sighs his name as his lips finally touch hers.
When a passerby brushes against her, they part and Elena steps back.
"I have to go but this isn't over, Elena," Damon states with conviction. "I love you and I'm not going to give up."
"I don't want you to..." Elena remarks as her eyes begin to well up.
"Goodbye," he says softly and starts to walk away.
"Goodbye...and, Damon, I love you too," she calls after him.
Damon spins around and closes the distance between them. He kisses her forehead, letting his lips linger for several seconds before turning and losing himself among the hustle and bustle of the airport crowd.
Damon exits the taxi and nods a quick thanks to the driver. The cabbie tips his cap, allowing the tiniest hint of a smile before he pulls away, gliding effortlessly toward the stream of light that waits beyond the end of his long driveway.
Tired after his flight, he sets his Louis Vuitton Keepall on the foyer table. From there, he goes to the bar to pour himself a glass of bourbon. After kicking off his shoes, he plops down on the couch and extends his legs on the coffee table. Resting back against the cushions, he savors his drink.
Damon feels drained; he wishes more than anything that Elena would have returned with him. If he were to put himself in her place, he understands her hesitancy. Despite everything, he doesn't feel defeated, she loves him and that's the most important thing in the world. He'll do whatever he has to do to make her feel like she's the most precious person in the world to him.
Determined, Damon rises to his feet and takes the stairs two at a time to reach his room. After taking a hot bath, he slips out of his robe and crawls under the covers. It takes mere moments for sleep to overpower him.
Enzo finds him staring through the window of his swank high-rise office building. He can see his face reflected in the large pane of glass, his eyes stormy, his expression firm. He comes to stand beside Damon who doesn't even notice him.
"You know," Enzo says, breaking the silence, "You look miserable for someone who just found his girl."
A wry smile finally graces Damon's grim face. "There's more to it, Enzo. She doesn't want to come back to LA."
"Do you love her?" Enzo posits, staring down at the traffic below.
Damon shifts to face him. "Yes! I love her more than anything."
"What's to stop you from moving your business to New Orleans?"
Damon takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "It's complicated."
"If you love her, and want her in your life, what's so complicated about that?" Enzo remarks, shrugging his shoulders.
Damon's eyes narrow with purpose. "That's pretty good advice, Enzo. Who knew you were such a sage behind the black leather?"
"You keep me on retainer for a reason," Enzo quips and steps back from the window.
"You afraid of heights too?"
"Maybe a little." Enzo presses his thumb and index together.
"There is so much to consider. I have employees here that depend on me."
"Well, why does it have to be either-or? You're a billionaire, Damon. Hire someone you trust to run this office and you go to your girl."
"I did trust Ric but we had a falling out. You, however..." Damon lets the words trail.
"Me? I know nothing about your business." Enzo protests, shaking his head back and forth.
"I can teach you. We've known each other a long time, Enzo. You're smart, quick on your feet and I trust you implicitly. I did some snooping of my own, I know you have a business degree."
"This is insane."
"It doesn't have to be permanent. If you hate it, say the word and I'll hire someone else. Just don't say no now, give it some thought..." Damon holds his stare for several moments before excusing himself and walking away, leaving a speechless Enzo behind...
It takes almost an hour for Elena to unpack her boxes. She has the quilt Rebekah gave her spread out on the bed although it's not quite big enough for the huge bed Damon brought with him from LA. Her clothes are hung in the closet and her toiletries are put neatly away in the luxurious bathroom. The small dish of seashells she's collected at the beach sits on her bedside stand along with a wooden frame. It's a strip of pictures of her and Damon from a photo booth.
She's grateful for the fact that Damon is at work, allowing her to settle into their new home. She lays back on the bed, her eyes traveling over her walls that started as empty, are now covered in pictures of a life lived. A life that Elena's living with Damon.
There's a picture of herself, Caroline, and a very pregnant Rebekah on Halloween. Next to it is a photo of Elena with James and Allison, born not soon after the Halloween photo was taken. Elena's holding the baby girl in her white christening dress, grinning with joy as the newly appointed godmother.
In a cluster nearby are a collection of pictures of Damon and Elena, lounging at the beach, canoeing on Lake Ponchartrain, their night at the opera among many others. Feeling nostalgic, she texts Damon but he doesn't reply.
A half an hour later, she hears a light rap. She opens the door to reveal Damon who's waggling his brows in that sexy way of his.
"Sorry, I'm a little late. Enzo needed to go over some numbers with me. He's the best hire I ever made- aside from you of course!" Damon winks.
"Ha-ha!" Elena extends her middle finger toward him.
Damon laughs and kisses her hair. "You know...I could've helped you put your things away."
"I wanted to do it," she assures him, stepping back. Looking into Damon's eyes is like looking through a fragile piece of turquoise sea glass that lays in the sand glistening in the sunlight. He's wearing a dark grey Armani suit with a pale pink geometric print tie and he looks hot. Elena tangles her fingers in the ends of his hair as he leans forward to kiss her.
"I can't believe we're finally here," Damon says softly against her lips.
"Me either," Elena admits because after more than a year apart aside from a few and far in-between visits, they're in the same city again, this time for good.
He rests his chin on top of her head, not quite ready to let go of her yet.
"So this is home?" he asks and she can practically hear him smirking.
"Yep," she confirms. Elena pulls him impossibly closer. Her eyes twinkle mischievously as they lock with his. "What happens after she climbs up the tower and rescues him?"
Damon's gaze lowers to her mouth and she feels her lips part. "He rescues her right back."
And his lips sink onto hers.
Thanks so much for reading. Let me know what you think.
Thanks to Eva. You're amazing and I love you dearly. Her author page is siberia21.
Watch out for 'Dreams of Fireflies' and 'Once Upon a December' for DE holidays 2021.
Have a wonderful day.