Officially updated this chapter! One more to go before I continue the story. Thank you for your patience!

Several days had passed since the Founder's party and I still struggled to process what had happened, my mind in a constant haze. Elena, as expected, was worried about me and continued pestering me for more information, but it felt impossible to explain something I couldn't even comprehend myself.

It became a challenge for me to focus on anything, so I decided to take some time off of school - Aunt Jenna was surprisingly onboard since she knew my grades were solid. Aside from the obvious fact that I needed a break, I wasn't ready to face Stefan yet. No matter what he said, the guilt I felt was suffocating, like an obstinate straitjacket choking whatever sense I tried to make out about what had transpired that night. I had not only hurt Damon, but I had also left Stefan to deal with the mess I had left behind. Elena had mentioned that he hadn't been around at school either, which only worsened my concerns about what really transpired that night…

While I kept to myself most of the week, I found out that Vicki and Jeremy had apparently started dating the night of the founder's party - she'd been around the house a lot, but surprisingly it wasn't too awkward seeing her. I still had some concerns about whether she was a good fit for Jeremy, not to mention the awkward past with Tyler, but ultimately I knew it wasn't my place to dictate who he spent his time with… that was Elena's job.

Besides… I was pleasantly surprised to see that Jer was a different person with Vicki around. He was smiling more, and had even helped Stefan organize a surprise dinner for Elena that would be taking place tonight. I was supportive of the idea since Stefan seemed to have owned up to his mistake of shutting Elena out. He wanted to use tonight as an opportunity for Elena to ask whatever unanswered questions she had. I was, of course, assigned the easiest job, get out of the house so they could have some privacy. So I packed my stuff and headed over to Bonnie's for a sleepover.

Upon arriving at her house, Bonnie was quick to answer as soon as I knocked. Swinging open the door with a huge smile on her face, she beamed, "Well well well, look who emerged from her cave."

I stepped through the door and bumped her with my shoulder before responding, "Hey, I've been going out!"

She scoffed and flashed me a grin, "The gym doesn't count."

My eyes narrowed playfully as she motioned me to follow her upstairs. We made it to her room and comforting memories of my favorite sleepovers flooded my mind. Bonnie never failed to make people feel at home, and without asking, she already prepared her room with snacks, candles, and our favorite movie, Clueless. Without hesitation I took my place on the lounge chair she had next to her bed, folding my feet underneath me before grabbing a blanket and a large bowl of popcorn. Bonnie jumped onto her bed and propped herself up against the headboard before she turned her head towards me with an expectant stare.

Grabbing a handful of popcorn, I groaned, "What is it, Bon Bon…"

She laughed, "Oh come on, Rae, it's been a whole week since you've talked to me… Fess up!"

Her emerald eyes pleaded with me before I cracked and smiled, "Okay fine. Is this about the Founder's Party?"

"You already know the answer! The last time I saw you, you could barely get a word out, so obviously I want to know what happened between you and Damon. I already talked to Caroline…"

I raised a brow as I asked, "You talked to Caroline? What did she say? Is she okay?"

Her eyes shot to the floor, avoiding my gaze before responding, "You have to promise to not tell her I told you, she wanted to wait until she was 'ready'. She's still a bit in her head about things, but she'll be okay, you know how Care gets."

"I won't say a word, I swear. Would you feel better if I told you my side first?"

She nodded as a grin stretched across her face, "Yes!"

Placing the popcorn on the nightstand that sat between us, I sighed, "Okay… So where do I start… Well, after we saw Caroline I went to confront Damon and It's still a little blurry because of the drinking, as you already know, but we argued for a bit. He tried to convince me that he never hurt Caroline, but by that point I was already so far gone, I snapped. Without a second thought, I threw Caroline's drink on him."

Bonnie raised her hand, covering her mouth in awe, "No. Way. You're kidding me! That is so badass, Rae!"

"Yeah… it was until he fell over screaming in pain. Next thing I knew, he was passed out on the floor and Stefan rushed over to help me. He told me to go look for you while he took Damon home… but Bonnie… Stefan hadn't been at school, what if I messed up? What if I actually hurt him and he's not okay?"

She paused for a moment, clicking her tongue before responding, "Ah, that does sound like a lot… I see why you were so shaken up now. Although, I must say that all sounds pretty weird, are you sure you're remembering things correctly? How much did you have to drink, Miss Gilbert?"

I grabbed a piece of popcorn and threw it at her, "Bonnie! It's not funny!

She picked up the tiny kernel that had bounced harmlessly onto her lap and tossed it in her mouth, "Oh come on, it's a little funny! You need to stop worrying so much, it's Damon we're talking about, you know Stefan would have told Elena if something serious happened."

For a moment we sat in silence while I processed what she had said, "I guess you're right… So then what did Caroline tell you?"

"Okay you'll never believe this, but she said that she let Damon leave whatever those marks were on her and that he made sure they didn't hurt. Don't ask me how that makes sense, because I don't know, she wouldn't give me any details. But anyway, she said it all started when Damon approached her asking if she'd be interested in playing a role in some grand scheme of his to get back at Stefan for whatever unsettled business they had with their ex, Katherine. He offered to pose as her trophy boyfriend if she agreed to bring him around Stefan and Elena. In typical Caroline fashion, despite knowing their relationship was fake, she ended up falling for him and hoped that he would end up feeling the same way about her if she gave him enough time. Then... the other night when she noticed you two dancing, she saw the way he looked at you and knew at that moment he didn't want her… he wanted you. I wish I knew sooner because I would have told her that all of this was a horrible idea, but here we are."

Bonnie's words hung in the air, silence filling the room. Is this what Damon kept trying to tell me? None of it made sense at the time, but now… it was all perfectly laid out in front of me. Caroline was willingly in on his plan, which meant he wasn't lying to me… But why couldn't he drop his petty plans and tell me? Or was I just another part of the puzzle? It didn't matter if his relationship with Caroline wasn't real, I still wouldn't want to be involved in whatever it was he was doing.

Just as I began to spiral deeper into my thoughts, Bonnie's gentle touch snapped me back to reality. She had leaned over the nightstand to rest her hand on my knee, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry… I'm even more confused now, but I'll be okay. Is it crazy that I want to clear things up with Damon? I have so many questions…"

Bonnie picked up the remote and leaned back against the headboard, "You're not crazy, I think that's a good idea. You two clearly have some unresolved… feelings… that need to be addressed, but I'd recommend going ASAP. Stefan told Elena and I today that Damon's leaving town soon."

My eyes widened and my heart dropped - he's leaving?!

"What? That's so sudden! Where could he be going? Ugh, could you please try to cover for me at the car wash tomorrow? I need to see him before he goes."

She nodded and clicked on the movie, "I'll do my best! It shouldn't be too hard since Caroline will assume you're still trying to give her some space."

–

The sleepover was just what I needed, and the next morning, Bonnie left to meet Elena for the car wash. The Sexy Suds Car Wash was a fundraiser Caroline organized every year to raise money for the school's extracurricular activities and we all had been tasked to help support her as usual, but given the situation I doubt she'd miss me much.

Despite the pressing urgency I felt to see Damon and clear things up, my body moved sluggishly while I got ready, the guilt I had repressed rearing its ugly head once more as I felt plagued with dread. I couldn't help but question, 'Is he leaving town because of me?' He was the one that got himself in this situation, yet I couldn't help but feel like the one to blame.

After I had finished adding some final touches to my makeup, I grabbed my favorite blue crop hoodie and threw it on over my sports bra. After a final check of the room for any items I may have forgotten, I picked my bag off the floor and headed downstairs, yelling a goodbye over my shoulder to Bonnie's Grams on the way out, "Bye, Grams! Don't forget to lock the door behind me!"

–

As soon as I stepped outside to head to the Salvatore Boarding house, it became painfully clear just how slow my day had started. The sun was already hanging just above the mountains, signaling that dusk was just a couple of hours away.

The sluggishness of my afternoon meant that in order to make it to the Salvatore's before Stefan got home, I'd have to drive faster than I cared to admit. The drive was a breeze, as usual, so I arrived quickly, the wheels of my car slowing to a complete stop outside of the house. It was a large two story building that stretched across an expansive plot of land, covered in red brick with brown planks that accented the exterior walls. People had gossiped about how extraordinary it was, but words seemed to fall short of describing just how breathtakingly beautiful it was in person.

I climbed out of my car and gently closed the door. The fallen leaves crunched beneath my feet as my legs pushed me forward. The entryway sat beneath a covered patio, framed within a brick archway. I walked up slowly before I stood in front of a gorgeous, painted black door, the large golden knocker resting right about chin level.

Hesitantly, my hand reached for the doorbell, but suddenly strange noises rumbled from inside of the house. My limbs froze, but I managed to lean forward just enough for me to hear some muffled voices followed by loud thuds. It sounded like there was a serious struggle going on, propelling me without a second thought to reach for the doorknob. I slowly turned the handle until I heard a click - confirming it had been unlocked.

The door creaked open until there was just enough space for me to peer into the dismal house. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dimlit interior. Some time passed before I could make out a low moan coupled by Damon stumbling into the view of the entryway. He groaned as he made his way to the parlor's entrance and leaned against the wall, his back facing me as his shoulders heaved in obvious pain.

My feet remained frozen, my breath caught in my throat as I continued to watch, unsure of whether I should intervene. I nearly screamed when a crow startled me, soaring overhead barely missing me as it flew through the doorway, landing on Damon's shoulder.

My eyes remained transfixed in horror as I watched him grab the bird and pull it out of sight. After a moment of brief ominous silence, black feathers began floating to the ground, a dark viscous liquid pooling onto the floor. Damon's breaths came out in ragged spurts, the now lifeless body of the crow falling from his hands to the ground.

I was filled with utter terror as a chill ran down my spine, a barely audible gasp escaping my lips. He quickly turned towards me, our eyes locking - my body ran cold with what stood in front of me. A man I did not recognize stared back at me, no trace of the beautiful cerulean eyes I had grown fond of. The whites of his eyes were gone, pooled with red, while prominent scarlet veins splintered out from his lower eyelids and down his cheeks. His lips were smeared with blood, the light from the doorway illuminating the unmistakable canines that protruded from his gums.

Adrenaline suddenly coursed through my veins as my senses regained clarity. I pushed off the doorframe and launched myself towards the car, my feet flying down the porch kicking up leaves behind me. For the first time since I had started running, breathing didn't come easy, my instinct to hurry grappled with the debilitating shock of what I had just witnessed. From behind me I could hear a thundering voice calling out to me, "Rhea, let me explain!"

Ignoring his demands, I scrambled into my car, clutching my steering wheel with one hand while the other fumbled with my keys frustratingly until I was finally able to slot it into the ignition. The car roared to life as I whipped it into reverse, peeling out of the driveway. The house slowly faded into the distance as I continued forward, not daring to look back in fear of what I might see behind me.

After driving for what seemed like forever, I pulled off to the side of the road. As I turned off the ignition, the engine fell quiet, my heart thumping louder in the sudden silence. I fought to stabilize my breathing, my chin trembling as I clenched my jaw. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to take deep breaths, feeling the tension expel with each breath I took.

Even with my heart rate stabilizing, my thoughts remained convoluted as I struggled to digest what I had just seen. Time stilled as a dull light flashed to my right as my phone vibrated softly on the passenger seat, Elena's name appearing across the bright screen. A wave of relief passed over me knowing I'd needed to hear a familiar voice to help calm my nerves. Suppressed feelings clawed their way back up my throat as I picked up, trying my best to sound neutral, "Hey Elena."

Her words immediately spilled over the phone, laced with genuine fear, "Hey, Rhea. Can you please come get me from the news station? Hurry, I need you."

"Of course, El. I'll be right there."

Elena said nothing else and hung up. Wiping a bead of cold sweat from my forehead, I revved my Mustang back to life.

–

Elena was waiting for me outside of the news station, pacing back and forth along the edge of the curb, biting her nails. As soon as I pulled up, she flung the door open and climbed into the passenger seat, her face looking panic-stricken as she blurted out, "Stefan's hiding something from me. This old man saw us at the Grill the other day and said he recognized him from the 50s, but Stefan brushed it off and called him crazy, but then - "

She was speaking so quickly, it was hard to understand her through her flurry of words as I interjected, "Hey, El, slow it down. You're safe now, tell me what's going on."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Well, it was impossible to ignore what this old man said because of what happened last night at our dinner, so I dug into some old news footage to see what I could find and I found a news report with him in it… from the 50s!"

My brows furrowed as I tilted my head to the side, "Wait a minute, what happened last night?"

"We were cooking dinner and I cut my hand while cutting some vegetables… and when I was rinsing the blood off, I could see his reflection in the window and I swore Stefan's eyes were… black? With veins? He noticed I saw and turned around, refusing to look at me, and once he'd finally looked at me, everything was normal. I know I sound crazy, Rhea, but I know what I saw."

Black eyes? The image of Damon's dark, crimson eyes flashed in my head as she continued on, "So then it got me thinking about how the night at the football game I swore he cut his hand, but there was no wound to show for it. Or the inexplicable animal attacks that have been happening all around Mystic Falls. Do you remember when Vicki told Matt that she was attacked by a vampire? What if she wasn't lying? What if Stefan's a vampire?"

A breathless whisper escaped me, "Vampire…"

She threw her head into her hands and exclaimed, "There's no way right? Vampires can't be real."

The word struck a chord inside of me… vampire . If they had been real this whole time, then my father must have known something about them… anything. He always said there were things about the world that I'd never believe unless I saw them myself… Was this what he meant? Why couldn't he tell me? Why did he leave me in the dark on this, after everything?

Elena placed her hand on my shoulder and shook me out of a trance, "Rhea?"

Shaking my head, I looked back at her, "Sorry… It's just… it's a lot to digest. I believe you, Elena. I went to see Damon and… I saw it too."

"You saw Damon? So that's why you didn't come today… we need to get home, I need to talk to Stefan."

Every part of me fought against Elena talking to him, but no matter what I said it was clear that she would slip out of the house at some point in the middle of the night to see him. While Damon was a huge red flag, maybe I could trust Stefan… He hadn't hurt her and a part of me still believed he was good.

After taking a moment to mull things over, I said weakly, "I'm not crazy about you seeing him, but I know I can't stop you. Call me before and after, no exceptions."

She tossed her arms around me, leaning over the center console, "Thank you! It will be quick, I… I need to know."

"I'll stay awake waiting for you."

–

Despite the fact that things were crazier than ever, it all felt easier the next day once I took some time to process everything. Elena had agreed to meet up with Stefan and give him a chance to explain things, so instead of sitting back, I decided I'd do what I could to find out what our father knew. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated that he kept these things from me, but I remained hopeful that there'd be an answer for everything tucked away somewhere.

I headed up to the attic where all of my dad's belongings had been stored away. After the accident, I hadn't bothered actually looking through any of his things since it had been easier to put them aside and ignore their existence while I was too raw with grief to remind myself that he was really gone. Now though, I was intent on rummaging through his old book collection - thankfully Aunt Jenna had neatly organized all of his belongings so they were an easy find.

I began pulling thick, musty books out of the box - fictional books, biographies - I coughed and wafted the air, trying to clear the cloud of dust swirling around me. I was growing disheartened when I finally spotted it - an old, weathered leather bound book with a tattered cover, one I had seen dad carry around with him.

Picking it up and sitting down on another box to my right, I slowly leafed through the stained pages, tracing my fingers along the strokes of handwritten ink. It was clear this book was much older than father - it must have been passed down through multiple generations of the Gilbert Family. As I kept perusing through the creased pages, I stopped as I finally landed on a chapter titled Vampires .

Feeling like I was onto something, I closed the book and headed downstairs, settling down onto the living room sofa to dig in, comforted by the sounds of Jeremy eating lunch in the kitchen. Adjusting my position to be as comfortable as possible, I finally re-opened the book to the chapter I had dog-eared. As I began to read, I was taken aback by the matter of fact tone of the words… The writer seemed to not only believe vampires were real, but know everything about them. My eyes stopped at a section talking about vervain.

Vervain - this medicinal herb was brought over to the Americas back in the 11th century. Witches knew of its unique power to repel vampires, and shared this secret with friendly humans so that they may protect themselves from the devils of the night. It is inherently poisonous to vampires, and can be most easily mixed in with drinks or worn on you. Brief contact with the herb can cause debilitating pain for a vampire.

I instantly thought back to when I had thrown Caroline's champagne onto Damon - he had begun writhing in pain, falling to the floor. Vervain must have been added to it beforehand… But who would even know to do that? Did Caroline do it? Was it Stefan? Continuing on, the book read:

Anyone who consumes vervain or has it on their body will remain immune from a vampire's ability to mind control them, otherwise known as compulsion. Consuming vervain can also cause the subject's blood to be toxic to vampires.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I looked up to see Jeremy walking out of the kitchen to answer the door. It swang open and Vicki's angry voice immediately filled the house as she began angrily stalking toward the kitchen.

"I'm so hungry, Jeremy! Stop, I need to get something to eat Jer, I feel like I'm going to die. UGH!"

Vicki had always been a little erratic, but this was so unlike her… She had come over many times at this point and she had always been sweet, never raising her voice at Jeremy. Was she high on something…?

Not wanting to stick around to find out, I clutched the book close to me and headed upstairs. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with whatever fight was about to occur between Vicki and Jer when I was busy enough trying to figure out my own issues.

Closing my bedroom door behind me, I tossed the worn book onto my bed before heading to the bathroom for a quick break. After a swift rinse, I patted my face dry and returned to my room, when my eyes suddenly noticed a white envelope hanging out of the book's back pages.

My brows furrowed - I hadn't noticed it before, but realized it must've jostled out when I had thrown the book haphazardly onto my bed. It was clear the envelope was a recent addition, as the perfectly crisp envelope stuck out in sore contrast to the yellow-tinted pages it was sandwiched in.

Feeling slightly unsettled, I pulled it out and turned the envelope over. My heart stilled at the words written in all too familiar pen strokes… To Rhea Gilbert .

I immediately gasped upon realization, clutching the ivory slip to my chest as I felt my eyes burn. The delicate cursive lettering was so distinctive, I had admired it my whole life growing up… my father's.

Taking a seat on the bed, I carefully slipped my fingers inside, pulling out the handwritten letter as I braced myself.

Rhea… If you're reading this, you've probably uncovered the world I tried so hard to shield you from. I'm sorry you didn't get to hear it from me… There was so much I needed to prepare you for before I could show you. But most of all, I'm so sorry that I'm not able to be there for you right now. This world is a dark, scary place, and I know it must be terrifying to learn about the creatures that exist in the night, but if anyone can handle it, it's you my dear. If you ever doubt yourself, remember that I believe in you - I always have and always will. If the darkness creeps in, let the light inside you guide your way. You've always been that for me, and for your mother. I've always loved how brightly you shined, with courage and poise, and you have no idea the strength you gave me as a result. My biggest regret will be my decision to wait… I only wanted to protect you and give you as much time and innocence as I could, but my heart breaks at the thought that I have left you unprepared. I only wanted the world for you Rhea, I hope you know that.

I'm not sure what path led us here or what took your mother and I away from you, but never forget how proud we are of you. Please take care of Elena and Jeremy, just as you always have… and don't forget your training. You are so much more capable than you think. I love you so much Rae. Always and forever.

Your Father

I could barely read the last few words as my vision blurred, my hands falling limp to my sides as I finally broke. All of my questions… The anger and regrets I felt towards my father's passing were finally answered. It wasn't that he didn't want me to know, he just wanted to let me enjoy a care-free life before things got messy.

I felt a tumultuous storm of emotion as my ever present guilt and heartbreak over his death grappled with a newfound mixture of feelings… Fear for the confirmation that there really were monsters out there, and this world was now so much larger than I had realized, gratitude to my father for choosing to leave such precious words for me to find, relief to know he had left me some answers to what had felt like impossible questions, and an intimacy in knowing that even in death, he believed in me.

He knew me so well, and even posthumously, he seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear. Despite the uncertainty that came with learning what I know now, the strength and courage he had specifically called out in his letter ballooned inside me in response, subduing the doubts in my mind. I felt a renewed invigoration as I stood up, drying the remaining tears from my eyes.

I was finishing composing myself in the mirror when I suddenly heard heavy footsteps make their way up the staircase and stop outside my door. A fist knocked twice before Elena's voice called out, "Rhea, can I come in?"

Checking myself in the mirror one last time, I made my way to the door to let her in. She stood outside with Stefan, who was looking at me cautiously. Elena walked by me over to the couch, motioning him to join her inside. He paused and glanced at me as I eyed him warily, before waving him in and closing the door.

I crossed my arms and gazed at the two of them intently, waiting for one of them to explain what was going on. Elena began, "So, I have some… news."

The letter laid upright on my bed so I discreetly pushed it under a nearby pillow, and sat down, "...And?"

She gulped, "Vicki is a vampire. Well… I mean not officially, but she's transitioning."

I briefly closed my eyes in exasperation before opening them to ask, "What do you mean transitioning? How the hell did this happen?"

Stefan answered, "We don't know what happened, but it most likely involves Damon… He got out last night, but we can assume she died with vampire blood in her system. In order to complete the transition from human to vampire, she needs to… feed… Within 24 hours."

A pit deepened in my stomach, "And what happens if she doesn't feed?"

Elena and Stefan flinched at the venom in my words, responding simultaneously, "She'll die."

I sighed, using my fingers to massage my temples and remedy my growing migraine. After a moment, my eyes shot open, "Wait, but Vicki's here… With Jeremy."

Stefan replied assuredly, "We know, Matt is with them in Jeremy's room."

As if on cue, we heard Jeremy yelling as loud footsteps stomped into the hallway and down the stairs, "Vicki. VICKI! Where are you going?!"

The three of us immediately rushed out of my room and down the staircase, only to find Jeremy and Matt staring out the wide open front door. Jeremy sighed, "I-I don't know what's gotten into her. She just ran off."

Stefan mumbled something to Elena and headed out the door. Jeremy looked stunned as one hand was still clasping the door, his shoulders sagging in defeat. Elena wrapped her arm gently around Jeremy, turning him around to guide him back toward the kitchen.

Matt looked at me weakly, "I'm gonna go wait at home and see if she shows up. Let me know if you see her, okay?"

I nodded sympathetically, "She'll turn up eventually. I'm sorry, Matt."

He feigned a smile and headed out the door.

–

Time ticked by slowly as we waited for Stefan to return with some sort of news. Elena said that he could "track" her, but hours passed and we hadn't heard a thing. The big question on everyone's mind was how Vicki ended up dead, but Stefan seemed sure that Damon had to be at the root of it. It seemed we couldn't catch a break, as the last day or so had been especially trying, but I tried to focus on the silver lining that I would never have found my father's note otherwise.

Feeling especially nostalgic, in honor of our tradition, I grabbed a cup of Gilbert tea and sat outside on the patio swing to watch the sunset while I waited for an update. A frayed, comforting woven blanket kept me warm. It was the same blanket my father and I had shared in our previous conversations on the same bench.

Looking out, you'd almost believe things were normal - crickets were chirping, nature's symphony filling the quiet of the evening air. The sun eventually set behind the mountains, leaving the soft glow of the candles I had prepared to illuminate the patio porch around me.

Leaning my head against my arm, I was starting to drift off into a tranquil state when the sound of a twig snapped in the darkness to my right. Immediately sitting up, I squinted into the shadows, hoping to see Stefan's silhouette appear with some answers.

My heart sank when a figure grew closer, the subtle light of the candles finally bringing his features to light… Damon . My fingers subconsciously gripped my mug tighter as I stared at his face. It felt striking to see how normal he looked now… his previously blood-red eyes were clear, his regular pale blue eyes glinting back at me. His cheeks were unmarred from any veins, looking smooth as alabaster. And his lips… his lips were smooth and unstained, his fangs tucked safely away.

He stopped at the foot of the patio stairs, waiting for my acknowledgement. Despite what I had seen, I felt emboldened enough to say quietly, "Hey."

He cautiously took each step one by one before he leaned against the wooden pillar, stopping a couple of feet away from me, "Hey."

His eyes moved from mine to the mug I clutched rigidly in my hands, "You're not going to throw that on me, too, are you?"

My eyes narrowed on his as I responded with loaded words, "Don't give me a reason to. Why are you here?"

His eyes widened at my tone, "So I take it you're not happy to see me, then? So how much do you know?"

Remaining resolute, I hissed, "This isn't the time or place for your sarcasm, Damon. I know enough."

"I'm impressed, you're being rather bold for someone who knows what I am… what I'm capable of."

Glaring back, I continued, "Tell me about Caroline… Did you compel her to help you? Why didn't the bites hurt her?"

"Caroline agreed on her own. The only thing I compelled away was the pain, with her approval. Any other questions?"

With my tongue in cheek, I scoffed, letting my fingers relax from the porcelain glass. "A few."

His lips widened to a familiar, heartwarming smile, seemingly pleased that I was leaning into the conversation, "Ask away."

After a brief moment, I spoke faintly, my words barely audible through the evening air, "Was I also a part of your game?"

His face immediately dropped as he was quick to respond, "No. Meeting you wasn't part of the plan. I kept running into you unexpectedly… All of our interactions were real. Well, aside from finding you at the football game, which in hindsight caused more pain than good."

It was getting harder to keep a straight face so I lowered my head, staring into my mug, avoiding his gaze, "If everything was real between us, did you ever think of letting your revenge plans go?"

I heard him slowly step forward, his feet coming into eyeshot as he kneeled down in front of me, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Pausing, his hand reached up to softly cup my chin, his thumb gently swiping across my bottom lip, "I love being around you. You aren't afraid to speak your mind and stand your ground. You're smart, you're witty… And when you look at me… You try to see the good. The problem is, Rhea, I'm not a good person, you know that and so does everyone else."

Disappointment welled inside of me as I pulled away, breaking from his touch, "Is that why you turned Vicki?"

His brows furrowed with a genuine look of confusion, "What do you mean?"

Looking into his eyes to try to sense if he was lying, I responded, "She's transitioning. Stefan is out looking for her."

He looked lost in thought for a moment as he stood up, taking a seat on the bench next to me. After a few more seconds in silence, he finally replied, "I did see Vicki last night, she was in the forest by the graveyard with her friends. I went out to feed since I had been locked away by my brother, as you may know. I was still so out of it and it was only afterward that I realized it was her. Admittedly, It hadn't been our first run in, but I gave her my blood to heal before I left. If she died and triggered her transition, it happened after I left."

I felt my heart begin to beat uncomfortably at the grave realization of what he had just shared. I crossed my legs beneath me, creating a bit more distance from him as I asked pointedly, "So what about her friends?"

Silence hung over us as he stared down at his hands, unable to answer. Sensing my growing distress, he shifted his body towards me as he looked at me with pleading eyes, "This is what I mean, Rhea. I've done horrible things to a lot of people. For a very, very long time, I've walked around, fueled by hatred of my past, taking it out on the people around me. And I know you won't believe me when I say this, but I hate knowing you're disappointed… seeing you afraid of me."

I was frozen as his hands carefully lifted the mug out of my hands, placing it on the floor before he clasped my palms between his. He stared imploringly into my eyes, looking just as sincere as he had the night of the party, "Nothing I say is going to change what I've done, or who I am… but I want to make it up to you… Whatever it takes."

His words trailed off weakly as he desperately sought an answer I couldn't give. He was asking for too much right now, not when he had just shared the enormity of his sins.

Steeling myself, I calmly pulled my hands back from his, retreating from his touch. His expression fell as I collected my blanket and my cup, standing up to face him one last time.

I said resolutely, "I'm not sure if I can ever forgive you, at least not tonight." Reaching my hand to the side, I gripped the door handle, "And Damon… you should change for you , not me. Goodnight."

I caught a brief glimpse of his crestfallen eyes as I turned around, opening the door to step inside the house before closing it firmly behind me.