Bonnie inhaled a deep breath as she continued to remain seated with her eyes straight ahead as a makeup brush lightly passed along her cheeks for a pose, the cameras of the photographers flashed, and she held her hands together tightly in her lap. She couldn't ignore the persistent bounce of her foot against the plush rug beneath her and would have sent the artist applying her powder an apologetic glance, had she actually been here in the moment, but she wasn't.
She was far, far away, deep within her thoughts, which should have been about the ceremony slated to take place in two hours and twelve minutes.
But they weren't.
As the makeup artist put on her finishing touches, Bonnie was broken out of the very loud inner monologue happening in her mind by the sound of her Maid of Honor, Caroline Forbes, reappearing into the bridal suite to announce the updated timeline with her clipboard in hand, happily grinning from ear-to-ear because they were running ahead of schedule thanks to her coordination with the wedding planner.
Caroline made her way though the hustle and bustle of the room—conversing with the photographers, checking in on the mother and grandmother of the bride, accounting for each bridesmaid, before she powerwalked her way over to Bonnie in her beautiful sweetheart chiffon mauve spaghetti strap gown, and her golden blonde hair in an elegant braided updo.
Her smile pierced through Bonnie's concentration—or lack thereof—as she giddily was at her service.
"Can I get you a mimosa? Or a muffin? Or a muffin and a mimosa? We also have Bloody Marys, Prosecco, Sangria—"
"Actually," Bonnie stopped her and Caroline was all ears, "Would it be too much trouble to get me a bourbon, or something? The sugary sweet drinks just… make me nauseous, sometimes," Bonnie admitted and Caroline noticed the distant look in her eyes, to which she hesitated and studied her face.
Bonnie didn't notice for a good twenty seconds that Caroline was just looking at her, to which she cleared her throat and forced her best smile.
"Hi Caroline."
"Hey, Bon," the blonde took a step in, as the makeup artist finally finished up and Caroline settled into the seat besides her, "You doing okay?"
Bonnie finally exhaled the breath she'd been holding in since what felt like this morning, and she nodded quickly as Caroline's brows furrowed and she bit her lip.
"Of course I am—why wouldn't I be? Just… pre-wedding jitters is all," Bonnie admitted and that wasn't a lie; she was scared shitless that this day that she had seemingly been planning for all of her life was finally here and in close to 2 hours, she'd be married to the love of her life, Enzo St. John.
The whole thing had been a fairy tale, really—the way they met, their first date, his proposal, and now this; their wedding day, set to be a momentous occasion in front of 150 of their closest friends—Bonnie didn't even know that she knew that many people until they sat down and compiled the guest list—on the warm fall day, at the beginning of September.
It was a beautiful day in Virginia, and the Crescent Hills Country Club served to be the perfect venue, as the massive property stretched on for acres of beautiful greenery and the staff made sure to tend to the every need of the bridal party where they could—when Caroline wasn't getting things done, first, of course.
Bonnie glanced down at the sizeable canary diamond on her left hand—where her wedding band would soon be—and she inhaled again, swallowing a huge lump that sat in her throat, as she watched Caroline prepare a bourbon neat for her and immediately hand the glass tumbler over.
Bonnie's heart continued to thump within her chest as the familiar scent settled into the air and she took a long healthy sip.
Caroline figured this would be the right time to be a voice of wisdom and reason.
"When Stefan and I got married, I thought I was gonna puke walking down the aisle," Caroline admitted as Bonnie looked up and the blonde offered a smile, "I mean, in hindsight, it was probably because I was 5 weeks pregnant with twin boys and didn't know it, but I digress… it's okay to be nervous, Bon… this is the start of forever… Your forever," she beamed.
Bonnie licked her tongue over her teeth and forced a smile as Caroline threw her arm over her shoulder and hugged her tightly—briefly subsiding her fears for just a moment, before she released her and looked deep into Bonnie's gold speckled green eyes.
Caroline was right—it was normal to be nervous. Hell, it would have been abnormal not to be.
But she wasn't quite sure Caroline could quite understand this type of uneasiness Bonnie Bennett felt, as her hands shook and she gripped her tumbler even tighter just to be able to mask it.
Caroline's fear had been a joyful fear; an excitement to delve into the great known and unknown that was love, with her now husband, Stefan Salvatore, who she had been happily married to for two years, and raising a lovely set of twins with. She was fortunate enough to be in love with her best friend, and when asked if she would've liked to wait a little longer to have her boys Zachary and William—to enjoy her marriage—Caroline always quickly and earnestly answered no. Because her kids were the next big loves of her life next to Stefan, and with the three of them, she felt complete. Her marriage and her family made her feel whole.
Bonnie hoped that to be what she would gain from a marriage to Enzo.
They'd always been happy enough, sure, and Enzo was a fantastic fiancé—and quite possibly the most romantic person she'd ever met to date. He was a worldly man, who was born and orphaned in London, England before moving to the United States to attend university after traveling the world. He knew about art, literature, and music—he even owned his own museum right here in Virginia. It felt like fate the night that she met him, after going on an awful blind date with some guy she met online—she should have known just from the screenname Cobrakai1972 that he might not have been the most well-adjusted—and Enzo had been at the next table over, getting stood up by his college sweetheart, Maggie James, to which he later considered a blessing in disguise when he locked eyes with Bonnie.
The two hit it off immediately.
Bonnie appreciated Enzo, just because he had been so different than any of the guys she'd dated here in Virginia. He helped her to broaden her horizons, not only from her taste in food, but in places to travel, as they traipsed around the globe for the better half of their relationship—seeing Spain, Japan, Portugal, and more, before he predictably proposed to her in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, just like he'd always claimed he would.
She FaceTimed everyone—literally everyone—to show off her 4-carat pear shaped ring and she was met with squeals, wistful sighs, and hearty congratulations from everyone she knew, friends and family alike.
Well, nearly everyone.
Bonnie itched uncomfortably as her mind played on a loop, over and over again, one reaction she just couldn't get out of her head the more she thought about, and she cursed herself for not seeing it sooner—for not realizing it sooner—because she'd been so wrapped up in her own bliss to realize the weight of it was crushing him.
It'd been crushing him since the moment Enzo swept her off her feet.
Bonnie gulped down her bourbon and she was drawn out of her thoughts once more when she realized Caroline was at the tail-end of her motivational speech and giving her a gentle but assertive squeeze on the shoulder.
"You've got this, Bonnie Bennett—you are the most badass woman that I know."
Bad? For sure. An ass? Most definitely. But she wasn't so sure about this "badass" thing, anymore.
"How about another round?" Bonnie asked without waiting for an answer and pouring herself a glass this time as Caroline only blinked in response and the bride-to-be gulped down another sip.
This was going to be a long day.
XXXXX
"Isn't it a little early for bourbon?" Stefan chirped as he fastened his tie, glancing back at his brother in groom's suite, taking a swig from his flask before meeting his eyes in the mirror. "I'm just saying—you've gotta give a speech at the reception, and you don't do your best work not sober."
Damon scoffed at that as he took another sip before replacing the flask to the inside of his grey suit jacket and plopping down on the couch behind him.
He kicked his feet up as Stefan gave him a cocked brow.
"That was one time, Stefan."
"Yeah one time, at my wedding," he quipped, just as another groomsman, Alaric Saltzman, walked in, hair neatly styled, while he fastened his boutonniere.
"Yeah and mine, too now that I think about it… Can someone explain to me why three of us made the mistake of asking this drunk jackass to be our Best Man," he smiled to which Damon instantly flipped him the bird, but not without accompanying it with a wink.
"You're a glutton for pain, you wouldn't be the first person in my life to admit it," Damon said sweetly to which Stefan sneered and Alaric rolled his eyes. "Two things it's never too early for—bourbon and innuendo."
"You would have sex on the brain, this early in the day, which reminds me—where the hell were you last night? Don't think I didn't hear you sneak back into the room this morning," Alaric stated and Damon lazily shrugged, though he felt his chest get a little hot and his eyes laser focused on Alaric. "The bartender from downstairs, I'm guessing, gave you the two-for-one special? What was her name?"
"Hayley," Marcel Gerard, another groomsman, chimed in from the other room and the men laughed as Damon bit his lip and shook his head.
"A gentleman never kisses and tells," he said simply, before sitting up and clearing his throat to change the subject. Immediately. "Where's Enzo, by the way?"
"You're the Best Man, isn't that your job to keep tabs?" Alaric asked, as he cracked open a beer from the mini fridge.
"He's out on the balcony, working on his vows—he said he needed to make a few tweaks," Marcel announced walking into the room, snapping on his cuff links, "He's afraid Bonnie's gonna outdo him."
She has, Damon thought, before quickly snapping back into the conversation—his palms suddenly sweaty as he slid them across his pants. He stood up to pace for a moment and Stefan watched him carefully in the mirror, though he remained silent as he observed his older brother.
He'd been quiet and disheveled all morning, which couldn't have come at worse timing than at his best friend's wedding. Damon had always had his moody bouts growing up—his times when he just wanted to be left alone and needed to keep to himself—and it seemed like today was one of those days, unfortunately enough for Enzo. He needed to be able to count on Damon to deliver a solid speech—to be his best friend while he married the love of his life—and for some reason Damon couldn't have seemed less prepared, as Stefan noted what Alaric said was true about him ditching the rest of the bachelor party last night, disappearing for a few hours, and not coming back to the suite until the wee hours of the morning, just before the breakfast from the wedding staff and wedding planner arrived.
Stefan knew enough that Damon loved Enzo and Bonnie; after all, they'd grown up with Bonnie right here in Mystic Falls and he was her best friend for what felt like his entire life. And after meeting Enzo when the two started dating, he formed a deep bond with him as well, which later earned him the honor of being asked to be their best man.
Stefan wondered if seeing Elena Gilbert, his longtime ex, and one of Bonnie's bridesmaids and best friends, had rattled his nerves—after all, Damon and Elena had dated on again-off again for several years—and had even talked about marriage , albeit disagreed on it— before finally calling it quits right about the time Bonnie and Enzo got engaged and began to plan their wedding.
He figured Damon should have been over it though, and he seemed to be like he was when Stefan and Caroline got married a little over 2 years ago and Elena was in that wedding, too. Afterall, they remained in the same friend's group even though their relationship had several nails in the coffin. He'd even been cordial enough to have a drink with her at the bar as they caught up for a few before going their respective ways at the and not interacting for the rest of the night.
Stefan exhaled at the thought and shook his head.
No, it couldn't be Elena.
So what was it? Or who?
He was snapped out of his thoughts when the black-haired gentleman walked back into the room with a piece of paper in his hand and a smile on his face, before he let out a sigh and reached into the fridge to get himself a drink.
"I've done it—the vows are done, they're perfect, and I can finally breathe," Enzo announced and Alaric gave him a quick pat on the back, as his grin met all of their faces. "How about a toast? With all of my best mates?" Enzo's British accent rang through the suite and the men all complied as they rose their drinks and looked to Damon to lead them off into a speech—his first of many today.
"What more can I say other than the fact that I am extremely proud of you and Bonnie for taking the next step in your relationship; you're an inspiration to us all and we will all make it our duty to make sure this day goes off without a hitch… Enzo, you're my best friend and I love you—we all do. Cheers to the beginning of the rest of your life."
"Cheers!" the men all joined in, clinking glasses and exchanging smiles, though Damon's was just a slightly bit more jaded than usual.
If only he could crawl into a hole and die in this moment.
XXXXX
"Are you ready?"
Bonnie looked up from the vows she was studying in her hand to meet the soft chocolate brown eyes that belonged to none other than Elena, as she stood in the doorway and offered an easy smile towards her before approaching the vanity.
The bride looked up and offered a smile of her own as Elena locked the door to the bedroom behind her and her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she handed Bonnie a glass of water before sitting down beside her.
"I know Caroline insists on plying you with alcohol to help you settle your nerves, but the last thing we need is you vomiting on the ring bearer," Elena joked and Bonnie laughed gently before taking a sip and sighing once she placed the glass down.
There was a brief silence between them, but it was deafening, as Bonnie found herself toying with the delicate sapphire diamond pendant of the necklace around her neck as Elena watched on; her hand met her cheek and stroked it comfortingly.
"You've been practicing those vows for 6 months, you're going to crush it you know," Elena smiled and Bonnie nodded, unconvincingly, while she looked to the ground.
"I know—I know them like the back of my hand," she admitted and the brunette silently agreed, continuing to brush her cheek.
"Good! Because even if you read them from the paper I'm sure Enzo would appreciate them, either way, everything you do makes him happy… Bonnie?"
Elena's brows knitted and her thick black lashes fluttered as her eyes continued to roam Bonnie's face—her skin a perfect shade of brown with hints of gold, but her cat-like green eyes duller than they normally were. Her jet-black hair was perfectly curled and loosely pinned in a half-up half-down hairstyle, ordained with a graceful silver hairpiece, that snaked like a vine throughout her tresses.
Her soft pink lips parted to say something and she stopped—swallowing hard, as she felt Elena's soft palm massage her shoulder blade and she tried to rid the feeling of razor blades and golf balls that suddenly filled her throat.
"Day of anxiety is normal, Bon," Elena eased in a soothing voice, as Bonnie blinked back tears and her best friend bit her lip, "But you're going to be okay—everything will be okay—"
"How could it?" Bonnie finally asked as she looked up—water threatening to stream down her cheeks as it pooled within her eyes, "I-I screwed up, Elena, really bad—"
"How? Bonnie… Tell me what you need me to fix and I'm on it," Elena replied with desperate eyes before quickly rising to her feet. "Is it the caterers? The music? I can go find the priest, just let me know what you need—"
"You're not listening," Bonnie said softly and Elena cocked her head with genuine concern. "I screwed up, Elena—me. A-And there isn't anything I can do to fix it… it's too late…"
"What's too late, Bonnie? What happened?" Elena asked, as she knelt before her and took both hands into her own. "Are you… having second thoughts?" she asked, immediately regretting the fact that she had to put that out into the universe.
As far as Elena was concerned, Bonnie and Enzo were the ideal couple; one she aspired to be like someday if she met someone. They loved each other unconditionally, they always respected one another, and they remained full of love, stability, light, and passion even after the newness of their relationship wore off; they were the epitome of an epic romance to everyone.
Or so it seemed.
Bonnie had never seemed unsure about Enzo—not once had she voiced a semblance of doubt—yet here she was, on the verge of tears and about to say the unthinkable, and Elena couldn't quite understand how they had gotten here. What had she missed?
"I have to go through with it at this point," Bonnie nodded, tugging at her bottom lip with her teeth to hold it in. "I can't just… walk away."
"Bonnie—you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do," Elena declared, much to her dismay. "But I can't help you make that choice without understanding why you feel this way."
Before Bonnie could say anything else, the door suddenly swung open to reveal a bubbly Caroline with her bouquet in hand, and a huge grin plastered across her rosy cheeks, as Bonnie quickly rose to her feet and Elena let out a deep breath she'd been holding in for ten minutes straight.
"It's happening! It's all happening! They're ready for you Bonnie!" Caroline squealed, and Elena took the maid of honor's hand and spoke in a low tone only the three could here, as the suite filled with the voice of the wedding planner, the other bridesmaids, Bonnie's mother Abby and her grandmother Sheila, all talking excitedly in the living room.
"Maybe we should give Bonnie a few more minutes," Elena said softly in effort to alert Caroline to the fact that there was a problem at hand.
The blonde immediately came down from her high and caught on, as she turned to face Bonnie, who looked like she was itching to crawl out of her own skin. She moved forward with a hand on her cheek.
"Bon?"
"I'm okay—I'm fine, let's do this," she forced a smile onto her cheeks and Elena frowned before lowering her voice into a small whisper that was audible only to Bonnie and Caroline.
"Bonnie, you don't have to go through with this if something isn't right—"
"Wait, did something happen? Bonnie, are you okay?" Caroline's eyes darted towards her and Bonnie bit her soft pink lip and offered a weak nod before stepping past her two best friends out of the room and scooping up a champagne flute from the passing tray with a smile on her face, but panic, nausea, and despair bubbling in her belly.
"I just want to thank everyone here for being a part of my journey," Bonnie said loudly enough to gather the attention of everyone in the room—her other two bridesmaids, Camille O'Connell-Mikaelson, Caroline's step-sister, and Sarah Salvatore, Damon and Stefan's half-sister, stepping in with smiles, as did her mother and grandmother, while the photographers continued to snap away at the photo-op. "Thank you all so much for being such a huge part of this love between Enzo and I and I couldn't have asked for a better group to share my laughter, my tears, and my joy with other the past few years. Let's finally go do this," Bonnie finished as a round of applause and cheers filled the room, Elena and Caroline clapping along though they both remained uneasy at the eyes when they glanced at one another.
"I'm ready," Bonnie said in their direction, before she downed the champagne to the last drop and the wedding planner adjusted her veil before handing her, her bouquet of white roses and sunflowers, "I'm ready," she repeated to herself.
As ready as she would ever be, and even then, she presumed that would never be enough.
XXXXX
Damon walked out into the massive courtyard property of the country club and he found Caroline Forbes speaking in a hush animated whisper to his ex-girlfriend, Elena Gilbert, beneath the awning of the entrance to the common area and his fluffy brows rose as they both whipped around to glance at him and call him over, though if he were perfectly honest, he wanted to run the other way.
He'd known Caroline and Elena virtually all his life; Caroline now even had the pleasure of being his sister-in-law. But he still knew better than to walk into the lion's den when those two were up to something, because most people—especially men —usually didn't make it back out.
He spun on his Giorgio Armani heel and did just that—walked the opposite direction.
"Damon, get the hell over here," Caroline gritted between teeth and he let out a long sigh before turning back around and obeying her orders.
There were few women in his life he knew to never cross; Caroline Forbes was number 2 through 30.
The minute Damon was over he felt like he was inundated with 21 questions.
"How is Enzo doing? Is he okay? Any pre-marital jitters? Has he spoken to Bonnie? What the hell is going on?" she asked and Damon shrugged flippantly as his hands met his pockets.
"I can't get inside of his head, Matilda, but he seems okay… why? What's wrong with Bonnie?"
"We're worried about her," Elena said, as her brown eyes met his blue ones, "she's been acting weird all morning, and she said something about 'screwing up,'" Elena quoted to which Damon went completely rigid and bit his tongue. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about? I can't imagine she'd get cold feet suddenly, when she's wanted this for so long," Elena explored and Damon didn't have an answer to that, as it was now Caroline's turn to question him in tandem.
"You saw her last night, right? When you gave her your Mom's necklace?" Caroline asked, suddenly recalling the Salvatore's had been responsible for Bonnie's 'Something Blue' article in the wedding. The sapphire diamond necklace Bonnie had been wearing was straight from the vault of jewelry that belonged to his late mother, Lilian Salvatore; it was a family heirloom Damon had guarded with his life. "Did she say anything when you saw her? Did she seem like she had second thoughts? It just doesn't make any sense," Caroline huffed and Damon's tongue rolled over his teeth, before shaking his head.
"She said… thank you for the necklace," he responded to which both girls exhaled defeatedly and he felt the grip of his fingers tightening beyond the mask of his pockets. "Look, I'm sure she's just feeling the pressure of everything finally happening but it'll all be fine," he added, speaking to the fact that Bonnie was his best friend, and there had never been anything he didn't witness her see to the finish.
No matter how self-destructive it could have been.
Before Caroline could say another word, the wedding planner called everyone over to assemble in line with their partners to prepare for the walk down the aisle and Damon stood comfortably next to Caroline, though out of the corner of his eye he could still see the blonde taking in deep breaths and trying her best to remain composed. In front of them was Elena beside Stefan, Sarah beside Marcel, and Cami with Alaric. His eyes caught a quick glimpse of Enzo with his cousins Alex and Virginia who he'd been able to track down through a simple inquiry, offering quick hugs before he returned to his place to walk Sheila Bennett, Bonnie's grandmother down the aisle, as soon as the processional music began.
Damon took in a deep breath as he extended his arm towards Caroline and she hooked her own through it easily, as they both stared straight ahead at the dazzling courtyard that was filled with dozens of guests on both sides; friends and families from near and afar.
Damon became so lost in his thoughts as the music played on, he almost missed their cue to go as Caroline nudged him with a huge smile on her face, and they walked down the aisle in uneasy silence, while photos snapped and they caught sight of familiar faces in the blur of the crowd.
Caroline attempted one more time to seek the truth.
"We're family now, Damon," she whispered still staring ahead, as they neared the altar, "You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"
Damon inhaled a deep breath—his heart suddenly leaping out of his chest and into his throat as they made it to the end and faced each other—his hand taking Caroline's into his own and kissing the top softly, just as they had practiced. He looked her in the eyes and her glossy blue orbs threatened to fill with tears. He pulled her into a hug and neared her ear so he could speak quietly enough so that no one else could hear him.
"She's okay. She's going to go through with this."
Caroline nodded before they separated and Damon found his place next to Enzo, who was beaming like a man who had just won the jackpot—because he pretty much was about to—and Damon formed his best smile for the cameras while they continued to flash, until the inevitable shift in the music caused the mood to change.
Everyone arose from their seats in the audience on cue, and Damon's eyes watched on as the flower girls—Alaric and his wife Jo's 5 and 6 year old daughters, Josette and Elizabeth, came skipping down the aisle happily peppering the way with white rose petals everywhere. The two girls garnered the laughs of the audience as they excitedly bounced their way through the ceremony tossing flowers into the air, until Alaric knelt and waved them over to which they ran into their father's arms and hugged him.
It only distracted Damon for a moment—until he then saw her.
And it was when he finally admitted that his life had been changed forever by Bonnie Bennett, whether he wanted to ignore it, forget it, or pretend that it had never happened.
He watched, in a sudden cloudy daze, as Bonnie made her way slowly down the aisle, accompanied by her father, Rudy Bennett; her eyes fixed straight ahead on Enzo and his smile growing wider by the moment as he saw her for the first time in her wedding gown and he was absolutely enchanted by her.
Bonnie's strapless white gown made her look like a princess, as Damon's eyes committed to memory every single bead along the fabric and he shamelessly raked over the sweetheart neckline and her bare shoulder blades; imagining his fingers coursing over her smooth skin and unzipping the gown, until it lay in a puddle on the floor.
He didn't have the right to imagine that—to crave her, anymore—because after all, he didn't say a goddamn thing about it when she told him she'd gotten engaged and she and Enzo wanted him to be the best man.
No, he didn't speak up when he had the chance to and he waited—too long and too late—to make his move and let her know how he'd truly felt about her for all of these years, even though he and Elena wasted that time on each other.
He didn't have the right to be here, on her wedding day, like some phony who was happy to watch her marry somebody else, when deep down, he knew the jokes about it "being him someday" that they all exchanged were never ever really jokes to him.
Damon Salvatore knew what she meant to him; he knew that Bonnie Bennett was his best friend, sometimes his rival growing up, and ultimately the woman that he loved—he was in love with her, despite how wrong, or late, or ridiculous that made him.
And standing here, watching her get ready to devote her life to somebody else just felt like a stab in the heart, as he tried to meet her eyes but failed—she refused to look at him, rightfully so—and he was tasked with the burden of watching the love of his life slip away, just like that.
But what more could he do, that he hadn't already done at this point? He hated himself for what he had done.
Bonnie found her place at the altar—her father kissed her cheek softly and shook Enzo's hand before taking his seat in the front row next to her mother and her grandmother. Damon watched as her parents held hands and held back tears at the sight of their daughter—their baby —finally getting everything she'd ever wanted and then some.
How could he stand in the way of that if he truly loved her?
And because he loved her, he wouldn't. He couldn't say a damn thing.
He vaguely listened on as the priest took them through one of many speeches and his hands itched as he slid them into his pockets and looked down at his feet for most of Father Kieran O'Connell's words about love finding us when we need it the most—about it being at the right time when God believed it so. He wanted to laugh at the irony of that.
Damon felt Bonnie and Enzo's wedding bands gripped within his palm and he held onto them so tightly, he was sure he could've crushed them if he wanted to. He didn't have the chance when he was snapped out of his thoughts by Father Kieran's voice and was asked to hand them over.
He watched on silently, still feeling the weight of Bonnie's wedding band in his hands—the last shred of hope that he had to hang onto, literally—even though it was gone as the priest continued to take them through this.
Father Kieran smiled at the couple before turning to the audience and asking the fateful words Damon had longed to hear all morning despite how much of a shitty person that made him.
"If anyone objects to this union to be formed between Enzo St. John and Bonnie Bennett, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Damon looked up and swallowed hard, completely stoic as he glanced at all 150 guests and everyone remained bright eyed and bushy-tailed. It seemed even Caroline and Elena had gotten over whatever was plaguing them just 15 minutes before as both girls appeared to don looks of relief that this was actually going to happen and Bonnie Bennett was going to get her happy ending.
Damon's eyes roamed to Bonnie, as he held onto Enzo's hands before hers and her husband-to-be smiled at her so brightly, his grin could have engulfed them all into the sun.
"Since there are no objections, we shall proceed—"Kieran continued only to be interrupted by a small voice that finally had the courage to speak up and it shook Damon down to the core just when he saw who it was.
"I do," Bonnie said and Enzo smirked as he gripped her hands tighter and shook his head.
"We haven't gotten to that part yet, love," he responded and the audience tittered at that, though Bonnie's face remained serious while she looked into his eyes.
Damon was suddenly holding his breath.
"No I—I mean I… I can't, Enzo… I…" she sounded breathless as she looked up at him and his face turned to immediate disbelief once he realized what she was saying; a small murmur dispensed through the crowd as everyone was sure they heard what she had just said but they didn't quite believe she had said it.
"Bonnie—" he started and her eyes immediately filled with tears and in seconds they were running down her cheeks as she removed her hands from his grip and reached for her canary diamond ring to which Enzo stopped her and drew her in closely. "Bonnie, I understand if you're afraid but we can do this, okay? Hold on just a little while longer."
"I can't marry you, I'm sorry," she said choked up in tears, as she regained her hands, removed the ring and held it in front of him, though the shock and disappointment in Enzo's face already let her know he was not going to take it, "Enzo, please."
"No," he shook his head as his brows furrowed and Bonnie hiccupped back a tear as she watched his eyes filling with their own, "I need to know why—what's happening?"
Bonnie didn't offer a response as she spun around and slapped the ring into Caroline's hand, as her maid of honor wore such a look of distress, it looked like she was liable to have a panic attack at any moment. Bonnie stepped down from the altar and all but ran out of the ceremony, leaving behind a room so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
Caroline immediately went after her and Father Kieran urged everyone to remain calm and seated, as this sort of thing "happened sometimes" and Bonnie would be back in a moment, hopefully.
Hopefully.
"I just don't understand what happened," Damon heard, Enzo's voice trying to reason with what just happened, as he spoke to Abby and Rudy who were just as stunned as he was, calmly reassuring him that everything would be okay.
When he looked up and saw Sheila staring at him, however, something in her eyes told him she knew the exact reason why Bonnie Bennett had run off and it wasn't a matter of what happened.
It was a matter of who.
XXXXX
"Bon?" Caroline called as she walked into the bridal suite, in hopes of finding her there. She immediately sighed when she saw Bonnie on the ground, heels already off, packing her things into her bag and wiping away the tears that streamed her face, "Bonnie."
She looked up—a hysterical, disheveled, beautiful mess—and Caroline immediately knelt beside her, arms wrapped over her shoulders and she let her cry; a waterfall of tears streaming onto her while she held her tightly and cried with her as well.
After a few moments, Bonnie finally pulled away long enough wipe her face once more as Caroline handed her a napkin and she spoke in a soft shaky tone, though she was trying so hard to be strong.
"I had to be honest with him—with myself," Bonnie said gently and Caroline nodded in understanding though she truly felt like she still didn't understand. "I couldn't live a lie."
"What lie, Bonnie?" Caroline asked softly and Bonnie looked down again, avoiding her eyes, "You know that you're my best friend and I love you—I always will. And you can tell me anything—even if you think I might not like it," Caroline eased and Bonnie knew it was true.
Caroline may have been stubborn and judgmental at times, but she ultimately just wanted to see the people that she loved happy. And knowing that Bonnie was unhappy enough to call off her wedding just now urged her to want to get to the bottom of this because she cared about her. Bonnie Bennett was one of her best friends—she considered her, her sister. And whatever was hurting Bonnie was hurting her too. She just needed to know once and for all what was really going on.
Bonnie looked up at her with glowing green eyes, now stripped of the false eyelashes she had on before and she nervously exhaled a breath as she shook her head.
"I don't know how to say it."
"You have to, Bon," Caroline eased as she rubbed her shoulder and looked into her eyes, "Because there is a man down there, who was ready to spend the rest of a lifetime with you and… he has to know why that's not going to happen," she said and Bonnie nodded because she knew she was right.
Enzo deserved better than being left high and dry at the altar, after all that he had been through in his life, and though she didn't have the courage to tell him why she was doing this, she had to tell someone.
Starting with the person who would probably take this just as badly as he would, given she ever found the strength to it out loud, ever again.
"I… slept with somebody else," she finally said in a voice so small but so clear, Caroline had to let the silence filter between them for a moment for her to understand just what she had actually heard.
She looked up into Bonnie's eyes and she cleared her throat but was staring straight back at her.
Yes, she really did just hear what she thought she heard.
"Wait, wha—Bonnie? T-This whole time?"
"No, of course not, it was once," she nodded and Caroline sighed, as she watched Bonnie bite her lip. "I… may have had too much to drink and the opportunity was just there and I slipped."
"But if it was a mistake and it was just once, I think Enzo would be willing to forgive that," Caroline said, still stunned, but optimism seeping into her voice. "You can just explain to him you were drinking—you weren't in your right state of mind and you didn't intend for it to happen… Bonnie, he'll forgive you," she said assuredly and Bonnie knew she was right.
If she told Enzo she got drunk, slept with some random guy, and didn't recollect any of it, he absolutely would still be upset but she knew in her heart he would look past it and be able to forgive her; it was just the type of man that he was. And she knew as simple as that, they'd take time, but be able to re-plan this entire wedding and all would be forgotten—as though it never happened.
But she'd know that it did. He would know too. And try as he might he'd never be able to trust her again.
Caroline rubbed both of Bonnie's cheeks with her thumbs and offered an understanding glance as she pieced Bonnie's story together.
"It was a mistake," she repeated as Bonnie met her eyes again and Caroline sat up straighter. "We all make mistakes. But what's important is that you owned up to it Bonnie, and it doesn't mean that this has to be the end—"
"It was last night, Caroline," Bonnie revealed, as her shame sank even further in and she listened as Caroline let out an audible sigh. "I… had sex with Damon."
Caroline's eyes nearly bugged out of her head and she dropped her hands as a look of incredulity marred her perfect features and Bonnie relished in the fact that this was the more appropriate reaction that she had been expecting from Caroline after finding out that she slept with her best guy friend; Caroline's own brother-in-law.
Now the silence was heavy.
Caroline swallowed hard and her forehead wrinkled as she tried to think within reason—the what, when, why, how all begging to be confirmed to her and Bonnie read it all on her face, as her guilt multiplied tenfold within her veins and bubbled like an active volcano threatening a release.
"I'm sorry… did you say Damon? As in… Damon Salvatore? Your best friend? My brother-in-law? The fucking best man at your wedding?" Caroline asked evenly, though the rage in her crystal blue eyes was clear and she looked like she was ready to spin-off into another dimension. "Y-You slept with Damon? How did this even happen?"
Before Bonnie could respond they heard Caroline's cell phone ring and she stood to her feet to retrieve it out of her bag, quickly reading the name across the screen before drawing in a deep breath and placing it to her ear.
"Hey, Stefan," she said as she looked into Bonnie's eyes and she hugged her knees and listened on. "Yeah, I'm with her now, she's fine, just shaken up…"she replied to his inquiry and then Bonnie watched as Caroline swallowed hard and took a pause to whatever it was Stefan had asked her before finally responding, "Yeah, I think it'd be best if everyone just left… Bonnie isn't coming back down… Okay, see you soon. I love you too."
Caroline hung up and crossed both arms over her chest as an uncomfortable silence filled the room and Bonnie tucked her new loose tresses behind her ears and looked down to the ground.
"I'm sorry," she responded softly as she continued to pack, because really, what else could she say?
She'd wasted everyone's time, money, and energy by even waking up this morning and thinking she could still go through with this after what had happened with Damon last night.
She was out of her mind to think that she could scrub it away, as she remembered her shower this morning, eager to wash away her fear, disappointment, and regret that she had with herself.
Bonnie looked up when Caroline sat back onto the ground beside her and began to help her pack her bags before finally saying something in response.
"Do you love him, Bonnie?"
Bonnie nodded as she still looked down, folding her white silk robe that said "Bride" across the back.
"Of course I do—I hate that I hurt Enzo because I love him so much—"
"That's not who I was talking about," Caroline said simply and Bonnie looked up from the garment in her hand to meet Caroline's eyes that were filled with a mixture of unease, sadness, and eagerness to understand as she awaited the answer to her question. "I have to know… because you were willing to risk being with Enzo forever for him… Do you love Damon?"
Bonnie's heartbeat sped up at that and she shrugged looking back at her suitcase.
"It doesn't matter—nothing matters anymore."
"Was it just sex or do you love him, Bonnie?" Caroline repeated more assertively and Bonnie looked up again to see the fire in her eyes as she stared right back at her, now demanding an answer.
"I'm still trying to figure that out, okay?" Bonnie shot back as Caroline's mouth shut and Bonnie shook her head. "Did I sleep with him because I want to be with him? I have no idea. Did I sleep with him because he's so different than Enzo is, and he represents all of things that I can't admit that I want? I don't know. But what I do know is that I did it, I can't take it back, and now I have to live with it," Bonnie zipped her suitcase shut and hopped to her feet. "I just lost the love of my life for something I'm not even sure about and I wish I could tell you why but I can't; I can't explain what came over me. I can't explain why I wanted to kiss him—I don't know why it felt so good to finally kiss him—over and over and over again," Bonnie said as her mind quickly recollected the moment when Damon's lips met hers—the soft but tantalizing warmth that pierced through her senses like a shot of dopamine straight to the veins.
She still felt that kiss lingering on her lips, even just thinking about it.
Bonnie shook her hands to free herself of the memory and Caroline remained silent as she watched on.
"I just need time to figure it out," Bonnie announced as she pressed her hands to her cheeks. "I know that you're angry with me, Caroline—"
"I am, Bonnie but I will take this to the grave if you need me to," Caroline finally stood up as well and neared her, with honesty in her eyes. "I will not tell anyone, Bonnie. Not Enzo, not Stefan, not Elena," she said as Bonnie suddenly realized that if this situation didn't already make her shitty enough, she totally broke girl code. "I'm here to talk when you need to… or when you don't—"
Bonnie interrupted her speech to pull her into a hug and Caroline immediately reciprocated as her arms wrapped around her shoulders and she felt the girl hold her even tighter as the moments passed on.
And they stood like that for the next minutes, without another word passed between them.
A/N: Hey everyone! So I am back with anoooooother story I just couldn't get out of my head once I thought of the concept (I have been on a wedding fic AU kick lately) and I promise this one wont be too long, maybe 10 chapters max? Just something to help with my writer's block as I try to work on Back to the Start and Waking Up in Vegas, if anyone is waiting for me to update those. So what do we think? Yay or Nay on a little bit of a Bamon/Bonenzo runaway bride cheating scandal? I must admit, I did a recent rewatch of TVD and I did absolutely fall in love with Bonnie and Enzo (Boo! Hiss!) so this fic is in no way an attempt to undermine their canon relationship because I did actually really love it. But there's something about Bamon, man, especially AU/AH that gets me back here every time giving y'all more fics to read, which I truly hope you all do not mind. I just really love writing them. With that said, there will likely be some Bonenzo moments in this fic (probably mostly in flashbacks and some in the present) but Bamon is the main pairing and will be the primary focus. Thoughts? Comments? Love? Hate? R/R and as always, thank you. I will be updating one of the aforementioned stories within the next two weeks so please bear with me.