Good Things Fall Apart

A/N: Thank you all so, so, so much for your continued support for this story. Your reviews make me happy & I'm having a lot of fun writing it. My cheeks hurt from smiling.

"Keys, phone, bag, laptop… what else am I missing?" Bonnie said aloud but to herself, as she walked through the living room to the foyer in the boarding house, with Damon behind her, holding her coat.

"I think you've got it all for once, thank God… Because if I find another one of your stupid little 90s scrunchies in my room, I—"

"What will you do?" she taunted as he helped her into her jacket and when she spun around to say thank you, his lips collided with hers, in a sweet, balmy, knee-buckling kiss, as Bonnie felt herself moan involuntarily against his mouth before finally pulling away with a smile as he buttoned her jacket.

"I'm gonna use them to tie you," he dotted her nose lightly with his pointer "to the bed. Then we'll see who's really a tough guy."

"Go ahead, tie me up—you know that I bite."

"I hope that you do," his brows wiggled, and she laughed at with an eye-roll though her smile was expanding ear-to-ear.

It'd been a month since they were still doing this—whatever the hell this was—and Damon had to admit, he'd never been happier than he was now, waking up beside Bonnie every morning, whether it was at her place or his. The curve of her soft body within his hands as he planted lazy kisses along her neck were euphoric, while she chastised him for "breaking the rules again," that she immediately put into place, the morning after he spent the night at her condo for the first time, though if he were honest, they were all such a blur to him anyway the moment he set his eyes on her.

The "rules," which were absurd in his opinion, included no dates, no talking about the future, and positively no more bouquets of red roses or anything else romantic like it. Bonnie also decided that they shouldn't be making any more speeches, as his last one threw her for a loop and until she was ready to explore how she felt, they'd be better off keeping any declarations to a bare minimum. And they especially couldn't be caught flirting in public at all unless they wanted this entire thing to blow up Mystic Falls and the surrounding towns in this county. Which, at this point, Damon was totally fine doing, but he understood why she was hesitant and respected her wishes.

He may not have cared about Enzo's feelings at this point because he was happy, but she still did. And though being with Damon was what made her happy too, she couldn't bear the thought of Enzo finding out this way—or at all, yet—so they would have to be extremely careful about how they appeared in front of people if they didn't want the word to get out before she had a time to give him that talk he so rightly deserved.

But until then she and Damon were untitled. No labels, no expectations, and no promises—they were just having fun, playing Mario Kart and eating Pad Thai, like they always did except now there was sex added into the equation. And it was the best time she'd ever had in her life. Her feelings for Damon caught her in a whirlwind.

Life was all pancakes, foreign films, Scrabble and aged bourbon these days and she didn't mind it— in fact she looked forward to seeing his name pop up on her iPhone screen when she was finished at work and it'd been years since she felt the tingly, nervous, scary, good sensation that she felt within her bones, which marked the dawning of an infatuation for her.

Bonnie Bennett was absolutely enamored with Damon Salvatore and after close to 30 years of friendship she could finally admit it—to herself, to him, and to Caroline at least—that she had a massive crush on him. And there were no signs of slowing down or stopping anytime soon.

As for Damon, things had changed for him too. He was still the same him, but a little nicer and he was having a hard time already not allowing the softness that he exhibited with Bonnie to spill over into other portions of his life. Even Stefan asked him if he was feeling okay when he showed up yesterday to his house unannounced and in a chipper mood—after seeing her, of course—and he'd revealed a shopping bag from a nearby toy store where he had gone on a bit of a shopping spree and got his nephews a bunch of shiny new things for no reason at all.

Stefan knew he loved Billy and Zach, after all, he'd even asked to be named their godfather when Caroline was pregnant. But Damon wasn't ever really the best person with kids—he usually had zero patience after about five minutes—so it was interesting to watch him play with them for hours yesterday before he finally had to head over to the bar, to open.

He told Bonnie about it this morning during pillow talk and she teased him mercilessly at the fact that he could be so sweet when he wanted to be. Especially after reminding him that he was the same jackass who stomped on her sandcastle when she was 5 years old, on family vacation to Myrtle Beach with the Gilbert family.

Damon snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Bonnie grab his hand and rub his palm softly with her thumb. He looked into her electrifying olive eyes as she tried her best to hold back a grin.

Meanwhile, he was full-on smiling. With teeth. She was the only one who could make him do that.

"I'll see you tonight, when you're done with work?" she asked, and he nodded affirmatively, "I've been wanting to watch this Polish-French film I read about a few weeks ago, online—"

"Would that film happen to be named Cold War? Because I… may have picked it up yesterday, when I was playing Santa Claus. I was hoping you'd watch it with me."

Bonnie's cheeks flushed and she couldn't help but beam because she knew he got it because of her and she snaked her free arm over his shoulder, drawing him in a bit closer to her body in a dizzying way, though if he were honest he was already completely intoxicated by her.

"So, it's not a date, right?"

"It's not a date," he answered, and Bonnie smirked before giving him a quick peck on the lips again, spinning around as he grabbed her bag and walked her out to her Toyota Prius.

He opened her door and she rolled her eyes at the chivalrous gesture, before their lips—and tongues—met again, until she was finally in the car and he slammed it shut as the ignition started.

Once she was off he turned around to walk back in, but not before a familiar all black Jeep Wrangler pulled into the driveway and he forged a stiff smile on his lips when the engine stopped and in seconds his brother was out of the vehicle, dressed in a pair of work khakis, black boots, and a maroon Mystic Falls Fire Department t-shirt.

He slammed the door to his Jeep shut after retrieving the two cups in the holder and walked over to meet Damon.

"Morning brother, what brings you here so early?" Damon asked, glancing at his watch and Stefan chuckled as he handed him a coffee and the two walked inside of the house.

"Returning the favor, from your spontaneous visit yesterday. Just here to thank you properly," he motioned at the coffee and Damon smiled at that but didn't respond. "Was that Bonnie I just saw on the road?"

"Sure was," Damon said evenly, as he sat down on the couch and Stefan followed suit. "She was here early, grading papers—something about noisy condo neighbors. So, we had breakfast," he added which wasn't a complete lie.

Except it was her. Bonnie was the noisy condo neighbor, whenever Damon was around. And sometimes they just wanted to have super loud, unapologetic sex without anyone nearby to question it and luckily enough for them he lived in a mansion, alone, on acres upon acres of Salvatore-owned family property.

And they did eat pancakes this morning. He just may have been too busy licking the maple syrup off her skin to put any on his stack.

"Mmm," Stefan offered in response and Damon watched as his brother took a sip of coffee. "She's been around a lot lately for breakfast and grading papers… Does she usually stay the night or…"?

Damon cocked his brow at that as he took a sip from his own cup and gulped some of it down while his brother eagerly awaited a response.

"Now, Stefan—I know it's been a very long time since you were on the dating scene since you locked it down with Care Bear and got her pregnant in 17 minutes flat so you're pretty much a fifty-year old Dad now, but guys and girls can be friends without any funny business going on," except for he and Bonnie, "And Bonnie's been staying here for years—even when you lived here. You had your wing, so you know better than anybody that there's lots of space. Much more than I need. And I like having my best friend around, so it's a win-win."

"Is it? So, I'm guessing with all the fun you and Bonnie have been having playing Scrabble or whatever it is you two do, that's why you've completely forgotten about your other best friend, Enzo? The one who you were supposed to help when it came to Bonnie. They still haven't talked Damon. My impression was that you'd be on top of it. Not preventing it."

"Preventing it, how? Brother— you know as well as I do that Bonnie is a very independent woman. And I, of all people, can't make her do anything she's not ready to do. So yeah, I feel bad Enzo's just twiddling his thumbs waiting around for an answer but what am I supposed to say to her? It's not up to me to make her talk to him if she doesn't want to, yet."

And it wasn't. Damon and Bonnie had, had the conversation about what she was going to tell Enzo when the time finally came, and she often volleyed between one harsh truth that included Damon or another harsh truth in which she told him she fell out of love with him, long before she slept with anyone else and she just hadn't let herself admit it yet.

But whatever Bonnie decided wasn't up to him and at the end of the day, the less time she spent mulling over it, the more time they could have enjoying whatever this was, without complications, interruptions and messy ex-fiancé drama.

But it seemed like Stefan Salvatore wasn't ready to accept that.

"You're right—Bonnie has her own free-will and it's not up to anyone Damon," he agreed.

"Thank you."

"But you haven't even tried."

"And that's why you're here? Not to thank me for the gifts, but to coach me on how to be a better friend to Enzo at the expense of Bonnie's feelings? And here I thought I was just doing the right thing by her."

"No, Damon, you're not. And I'm here to tell you that I've realized you're perfectly content with being a shitty friend. So, I've taken matters into my own hands and I'm inviting them both to dinner tonight, with Caroline and I," Stefan announced, and Damon's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at his brother's declaration.

"What the hell are you on, Stefan? You can't just make her talk to him if she's not ready to— "

"And you can't stop her from doing it just because you're in love with her."

There was a long silence between them, and Damon ticked his jaw as he placed the paper coffee cup down and he spoke quietly though everything inside of him was raging.

"Come again?"

"Oh, cut the shit, Damon. I know that something is going on with you and Bonnie—at least on your end of it, anyway. I've known since that night at the bar with Enzo," he recalled. "And I don't know what's going on—I don't wanna know, actually—but what I do know is that your friend, the guy whose wedding you stood in as the best man, is hurting and you couldn't give a flying fuck because you got what you wanted, didn't you? You've been in love with her all along, and you're actually happy she called off the wedding because couldn't bear the thought of Bonnie being happy with somebody else—especially not your best friend."

Damon's eyes narrowed at that and Stefan's fist tightened around his coffee as a long silence engulfed the living room and the tension between the brother's grew thicker with each second passing.

"I'm not in love with Bonnie or jealous of Enzo. That's ridiculous," he decisively answered, and Stefan remained quiet. "She's my best friend—always has been. I've known her since she was in diapers. We are allowed to spend time together as friends."

"And you don't want it to be anything more, now that she's single?"

"No Stefan, I don't—"

"So, prove it—stop standing in the way when it comes to Bonnie and Enzo, because he needs her, Damon. He needs Bonnie in his life, in some capacity and all I see is you trying to put a stop to that the best way that you can... If you cared about her at all, you'd be able to be selfless about this, but you can't. You can't stop putting yourself first for five minutes to see the bigger picture— "

"And what is the bigger picture, Stefan?" Damon asked vehemently, as he now stood to his feet and his brother glanced up at him with wild green eyes that scorched through him like bubbly lava in a freshly erupted volcano. "Please, explain to me what it is that you think that you know about everything. You were always so good at telling everybody else what's best for them," he shot back, and Stefan stood up as well, letting out a deep sigh as he met Damon's bottomless indigo eyes.

Stefan's voice softened at that, but his words remained just as cruel.

"The reality, Damon, is that they were in love once, okay? He still loves her and I'm sure a part of her still loves him, that doesn't just go away. And you're right—I don't know anything when it comes to you and Bonnie, you two have always been off in your own little bubble, even when we were kids… But I know you, Damon. And I know that you fall hard," Stefan eased as his brother stayed quiet and listened on, "And I… don't want to see you get hurt. Because Bonnie's capable of it, okay? What she did to Enzo, leaving him at the altar like that and moving out two weeks later without even a conversation, he deserved better than that… If she could do that to a guy she was getting married to, what makes you any different?" he asked honestly, and Damon folded his arms over his chest. "I know you want to protect Bonnie, because yes, she's your best friend and you know her better than anyone but… I know that you're doing it for selfish reasons, too. I know that you have feelings for her, Damon. A part of me now believes you always have. Even when you were with Elena."

Damon didn't say anything at that and Stefan took his silence as confirmation before he grabbed his coffee cup off of the table turned around to head towards the door, keys in hand, and only stopping once his fingers touched to knob to look back at his older brother who had been rendered speechless for one of the first times in his life.

"I'm not going to tell Enzo how you feel about her," Stefan said with creased brows as Damon watched on. "I think that's your job—to be honest with him. But I have to do what's right at this point, and you should too… you should do right by your best friend. The both of them… Thanks again for the toys."

And with that, he was out the door.

XXXXX

"Dinner? With Enzo? Tonight? Why would I wanna do that?" Bonnie asked as she pressed her cell phone to her ear as Caroline sighed on the other end of the receiver and Bonnie threw her things into her car as she left Whitmore College for the day.

"Stefan has this crazy idea that you two should finally talk it out, so that Enzo can get closure and move on… or you two will see each other, sparks will fly, and you'll fall madly in love, again," Caroline replied, biting her lip. "And I obviously can't tell him why I think this is a supremely bad idea, considering I'm sworn to secrecy about you and Damon. By you and Damon."

Bonnie sighed at that as she pinched the bridge of her nose as she started up her car and connected her phone to the blue tooth speaker, before she dropped it on the passenger seat.

"Can't I just say no, I'm busy, and I really don't feel like sitting at a table with my ex-fiancé just yet, considering I still don't know what to say to him? Besides, I had plans with Damon tonight to watch a movie. I was actually looking forward to it."

"Yeah, about Damon… Stefan told me he went to see him today—this morning, after you had just left the boarding house and apparently, they got into it about you," Caroline eased as Bonnie's eyes widened. "Stefan, basically more or less, kind of actually accused Damon of having feelings for you, ever since he's been with Elena and Damon didn't exactly do much to ease his suspicions, so... I… think if you don't show up, Stefan will be even more suspicious than he already is. He says he won't tell Enzo about Damon having feelings for you but if he thinks you also have feelings and you're sleeping with him— "

"He'll tell Enzo. Cool," Bonnie said, suddenly feeling her heartbeat racing a little as she clutched the wheel and swallowed hard. "Care, I—he shouldn't find out like this. Not on a fake double-date in your dining room, when I haven't even prepared myself what I am going to say—"

"I know, I agree so I think it'd be best if you just show up, tell him what he wants to hear so he can get his closure—it wasn't him, it was you, blah blah blah—and we go back to pretending like Damon is not in the picture if you want him to live. At least for another decade," Caroline eased and before Bonnie could respond to that she saw an incoming call pop up on her screen from Damon as she let out a sigh and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"Hey Care, can I call you back? That's Damon right now. I guess I should warn him about the shitstorm that's about to ensue."

"Sure thing. Let me know what you decide, and I'll try to get Stefan off of this goddamn witch hunt as best as I can," she exasperated before hanging up and Bonnie cleared her throat as the call switched to Damon and she tried to remain light and bouncy in her attitude, though she now felt anything but.

"Hey, I was just going to call you, actually," she said, and he immediately interrupted her in a brusque tone, she hadn't been familiar with at all, especially coming from him, these past few weeks.

"I'm gonna be stuck at the bar tonight. Is it okay if we cancel?" he asked, and Bonnie clenched her teeth for a second before answering his question.

"Yeah I… actually can't hang out either. I have this dinner tonight. Stefan invited me… I think I'm finally going to talk to Enzo," she said, and Damon remained quiet at that as Bonnie felt like her throat had filled up with ten golf balls. "You still there?"

"I am."

There was a long pause between the two and Bonnie immediately could sense that he was pissed off, even though he was trying to be a man of a few words right now.

"Damon…" she trailed off, trying to find the words to say though she was unsure what those were as she stared ahead at the open road, still tightly gripping the steering wheel. "I know what Stefan said to you earlier—Caroline told me he accused you of having feelings for me. And I know you're worried about this, but you don't have to be. Enzo and I are over. You know that."

"Do I?" he asked, and Bonnie licked her teeth as she waited for him to talk. "Because maybe I haven't been looking at the bigger picture."

"And that is…?"

"You loved him once, Bonnie… you were with the guy for three years, engaged to be married… And overnight—in one night, to be exact—you threw all of that away for me, but what if it isn't real? What happens when you see him again for the first time, in a month? Are you going to leave me, high and dry, too?"

"Is that really what you think of me, Damon? That I'm just some heartless bitch who strings people along for fun? Because it was that easy to break Enzo's heart, for you? I haven't felt remorse, or pain, or anything, right?"

"Bonnie—"

"Honestly? Fuck you, Damon. I hope you have a great night," she ended the call.

Bonnie's eyes remained ahead, and she bit her tongue to hold back the words that would've escaped her lips too soon if her mouth worked as quickly as her brain.

XXXXX

Damon dropped his cell phone on the counter and smoothed his fingers through his hair, as he continued to arrange some glasses behind the bar.

That probably went as horribly as it could go. Because now, not only was he in a shitty mood because he let Stefan's mind-numbing criticism get into his head, but he also couldn't get around the fact that she would be seeing Enzo in a few hours and there was a possibility they could make amends and that stung, like a fresh cut doused in alcohol.

He wanted to believe Bonnie, that things were over, but maybe Stefan was right to imply that they might make their way back to each other after all and he was just the Segway to that. He knew better than anyone that sometimes being over didn't really mean you were over—case and point, his relationship with Elena that spanned over the course of a decade of being on-again, off-again, and back on-again like a toxic tragic cycle neither one of them could breakaway from until he finally dumped her once and for all.

And it wasn't like he was still in love with her by the fourth time they got back together—he knew he wasn't, looking back on how immaturely he acted whenever the two got into a fight about something minuscule—but he had become obsessed with fixing things and making it right even though he would've been better off letting it go—and her go—for good, like he finally worked up the courage to do, the second Bonnie got engaged.

Maybe Bonnie would be like him, he worried. Maybe she would let Enzo back into her life because she liked to see things to the end, like he did. Maybe she would feel like she owed it to him to give him another chance to fix things even though the love was lost and there sometimes was no changing that. Or maybe she just didn't really know what the hell she wanted, and it'd been so hard for her to commit to a real relationship with Damon because he wasn't it. He wasn't The One.

Or maybe he was. And he just needed to give her chance to prove everybody wrong.

XXXXX

"How'd everything come out? And you can be honest with me. I haven't made Caponata in forever," Stefan apologized, and Caroline snorted at that as she dug her fork into the classic Italian dish and gave Stefan a pat on the shoulder with her freshly manicured hand.

"Perfect. As always, honey. I can continue telling everyone that my husband is an iron chef," she joked, and Bonnie offered a soft smile at that, nodding in agreement.

"It's delicious Stefan, thank you."

"It's superb, mate. I appreciate it," Enzo added and Stefan smiled at the compliments—a long silence filling the dining room, as the four sat at the long rectangular table quietly, and awkwardly, as they had been for the better part of this dinner, though Stefan had hoped it would go otherwise.

Obviously, he and Bonnie were friends—they had been for years, and though they weren't ever the closest in the group the two always gotten along well. Especially when it came to having the same ideas, morals, and principles.

And Enzo— though he'd only known him because of Bonnie, the two had become quick and close friends, as they immediately bonded over a shared interest in motorcycles, to which they even routinely took rides together every week. Sometimes even with Caroline and Bonnie on the backs of their bikes.

The four went on double dates often when Enzo and Bonnie started dating and Stefan was thrilled when he found out they had not only gotten engaged but that they wanted him and Caroline to be a part of the wedding. He'd seen it as a huge honor to be able to witness the beginning of forever between two people he believed were perfect for one another, so it was needless to say he was a bit devastated when that didn't happen. Because the Bonnie and the Enzo that he knew were solid; they were unbreakable. And he was undeniably just as curious as Enzo was to know what—or who—had caused this, though he was slowly starting to think he had a good idea after his talk with Damon this morning.

He didn't want to jump to conclusions and assume they were sleeping together—even though that was the easiest thing to imagine, knowing his brother. But he liked to believe he knew Bonnie better than that. And she would at least have some qualms about jumping into bed with Damon of all people—who was supposed to be even closer to Enzo than he was, one month after calling off their wedding, right?

He wasn't so sure, as he watched Bonnie drifting often during dinner tonight—only half answering questions and barely participating in conversation, other than with a simple yes or no answer when she could. He knew she was nervous about Enzo being here, it was the first time they'd seen each other since the wedding and it was as strange as they all imagined, realizing that these two people were supposed to be married and right now, weren't even talking to each other.

But Stefan had high hopes that tonight would solve things, or least put them to rest, so that Enzo could move on just as Bonnie had seemed to.

"Enzo, how's the museum? Anything new to check out?" Caroline asked brightly to break up the silence and he nodded, swallowing down his food before spoke.

"Yeah, I've gotten a few new pieces over the past month… Purchasing, it's been therapeutic," he forged a smile before turning to face Bonnie who was looking down at her fork, laser focused on her food although she wasn't eating it.

"How's Whitmore?" Enzo asked suddenly and she looked up to see to see that his deep chocolate eyes were locked on her and Bonnie swallowed hard as she searched them for a moment—a mixture of anxiousness and unsteadiness beyond his stare.

"It's fine. I've been fine," she said simply, and he bit his lip at that.

"That's good."

"It is."

Silence. Dreary, uncomfortable, stillness filled the room and Bonnie breathed in a sigh as she stood up from her chair and Caroline wrinkled her forehead though Stefan didn't say a word.

"I'm gonna get some fresh air. I'll be back."

Bonnie exited the kitchen before they could say anything, immediately walking outside onto the front porch and inhaling in the crisp air. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and she looked at the screen for a notification but there was nothing, just like she had expected. She opened a text message to Damon and began typing furiously but before she could press send, the front door opened and she spun around to meet Enzo—his stare delicate but still piercing through her like a knife as he shut the door behind him and Bonnie slid her iPhone back into her pocket.

Her arms folded over her chest as she took in a deep breath and she gripped her fingers tightly around her body to keep herself from shaking.

She still was anyway.

He didn't say anything for a moment—he just gazed at her, as if she were ghost; just a memory, of someone who had been, but he knew no more, and rightfully so. She had become a stranger these past few weeks, through no one's fault but her own and she knew it was hard for him too, seeing her, standing here right in front of him, yet things being so far from where they were. But there was still love on his eyes—she sensed it—as the weight of his look held all that he wanted to say but didn't as he looked at her for just a moment longer before clearing his throat and looking to the ground.

Bonnie decided to break the silence first.

"I just needed a break," she said in a small voice as she sat down on the porch swing in front of the colonial home and stared straight ahead out at the driveway, her feet gently grazing the ground. "It's… been a lot."

"You're telling me," he laughed humorlessly as he sat down beside her and looked straight ahead as well, the sound of the metal chain on the swing creaking softly. "It's painfully hard for me, Bonnie, because all I've had this past month is a picture of you, inside of here," he tapped his head with his finger. "But… the picture, even, doesn't do you justice… You look beautiful tonight, love. You always do."

Bonnie respired at that and Enzo nervously fidgeted with his hands. She glanced down at them and noticed he was wearing his wedding band on his left ring finger. He saw her look down at it and he inhaled with a sad smile and offered a light shrug.

"I guess I'm an optimist," he responded, and she didn't say a word. "Or a fool, but I… don't know how to give up on you, Bonnie."

"You should. I'm not… worth that," she referred to his commitment. "I embarrassed you, Enzo. On your wedding day. You should hate me."

"I would never hate you, Bonnie Bennett," he said softly, and she turned to meet his eyes—to see he was telling the truth. "And I'm not angry with you at all, that's not why I'm here—to tell you off or make you feel badly about what you chose. I'm just… heartbroken… because I love you and you broke my heart."

Bonnie sighed and shook her head as water filled her lids and she offered a fragile smile as her voice spoke in such a small tone, he almost had to lean in to hear it.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart. I didn't mean to. And… I'm sorry I wasted your time."

She watched on as he finally stopped fidgeting with his hands and in an instant, he placed one to her cheek—slowly using his thumb to wipe away her tears and Bonnie's breath hitched at the feeling of his soft skin pressed to hers. She closed her eyes for a moment as she let herself relish in this; his gentleness, as she remembered it quite well, and how many times it had been there for her over the years, when it felt like there wasn't anything in the world that could make her feel any better.

He did—usually with a simple smile, a warm hug, or a touch that felt just like this, along her face when she was at her most desperate and vulnerable to feel something other than pain. He made her feel loved. And it still made her feel like the biggest asshole in the world that she destroyed what they had—and him in the process—because it'd taken her several years to realize what she wanted.

To know that it wasn't him—it never would be. Not so long as Damon Antonio Salvatore walked this very Earth.

She ripped Enzo apart; tore him up from the seams when she left him, and he was still here. He still wanted to comfort her.

Bonnie shook her head at that and finally reopened her eyes to his; the familiar scent of his woodsy cologne filling her senses and his hypnotic brown eyes coursing over her repeatedly—as if he were afraid she could slip away any moment and leave him once again high and dry without a reason at all.

And he just couldn't have that again. He refused to lose her, once more.

Little did he know, he already had.

"I forgive you," he said gently, and she frowned at that, his fingers now crawling to her black hair and brushing it away from her face. "I know that you would never hurt me purposely Bonnie. You were never the type."

"I think… that I might be a worse person than everybody else thinks."

"That's absurd," he answered, and she bit her rosy bottom lip. "You were there for me, Bonnie, when I had no one else. You gave me a happy life with love and friendship that I had barely ever known, being an orphan… You helped me to connect with relatives I never knew existed and meet a new family in your own, that I never could've dreamed would have accepted me the way that they did," he eased and she nodded at that because it was true; Rudy, Abby, and Grams immediately loved and accepted Enzo as the man that she loved and invited him to every single holiday, as a part of their family. They saw him as a part of their future as much as she did. "And your friends…" he continued on and she gulped as one face filled her head, "Caroline, Elena, Stefan, Ric, Marcellus… Damon, especially… they never once made me feel like an outsider because I didn't grow up here with you all. They've always made me feel welcome—like a part of this world. A part of your world."

"You are, Enzo. You're not just in my life but all of theirs, too. And that doesn't just go away because you and I aren't together anymore. They still care about you."

"And do you?" He asked softly and her hands trembled as he looked into her eyes again, "Do you still care about me? Because if you don't—if we are truly over, Bonnie—I need a reason. I need you to be honest with me, it's all that I ask at this point… I have nothing else left."

Bonnie's heartbeat raced and she shook her head as she felt the tears coming back, through she was doing her best to try to hold them in.

"Of course, I care about you, Enzo. I always will. But… there are a lot of reasons why I couldn't do this anymore. I-I don't know what to say. I've changed— "

"You have. I can tell that much," he answered, and she tightened her lips. "But what made you change, Bonnie? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No," she said as her stomach spiked, and he remained on edge. "You didn't do anything to hurt me, Enzo. I'd like you to know that."

"What, then?" he asked firmly, and her cheeks suddenly felt hot as he pressed her. "What changed? Did you fall out of love with me? Were we moving too fast? —"

"I met somebody else," she finally said, and his brows scrunched as Bonnie looked away, wiping a tear from her eye as it rolled down her cheek. "I… met someone. Someone I really liked and I just… I couldn't go through with the wedding because of how I felt... Because of him."

Enzo didn't say a word as he looked forward again and Bonnie fought back tears all the while as it finally felt like her entire world collapsed.

Like she was finally going to lose everything just like she deserved. And it made her feel like shit because she hadn't even told him the half of it.

"Who… who is he? Have I met him?"

"No," she lied immediately, and Enzo licked his teeth. "I know him from work… He works at Whitmore."

"And were you… involved with him, during any part of our relationship?"

"Not physically, no," she lied again, and he looked to his boots as she frowned and felt the water filling her eyes too quickly for her to stop it or even care at this point. "But we had a connection; we both knew it and… it got harder and harder to fight it until I couldn't anymore… I'm so sorry," she said gently, and he swallowed hard without a response. "I never meant to hurt you. It just all happened so quickly…"

"Are you with him now? Are you seeing each other?" he asked directly, and she shrugged.

"No, I—he isn't my boyfriend— "

"So, three years, Bonnie; three years and a home, our wedding, our friends and family, everything we built— you're willing to throw that away for a stranger? Because I'm not. I would fight for you! I want to fight for you," he said grabbing her hand and she shook her head.

"You can't, Enzo… You shouldn't— "

"Give me one good reason why I wouldn't, Bonnie. Why wouldn't I fight like hell for the love of my life to come back to me? Why would give up, just like that when I love you so much and you hardly know this man— "

"Because I had sex with him," she shot back and his eyes instantly hardened as his hand dropped hers—pain, fury, and rage multiplying in his stare by the second, all at once. "Enzo, I'm sorry— "

He didn't let her finish as he stood up and walked back inside and Bonnie looked down and closed hers though they were completely engulfed into tears for the next minute or so before the door opened again and Caroline came walking out quickly, immediately wrapping her into a tight hug as her head landed on her shoulder.

Bonnie continued to sob for what felt like an hour straight and then some on the porch.

And Enzo was gone, as quickly as he had arrived.

XXXXX

"I owe you an apology."

Damon looked up from his bourbon as his younger brother sank into the couch—drink in hand as well, in the boarding house living room later that night, after Stefan had sent him a text and requested to have a talk about what he had said that morning.

Damon was half tempted to tell him not to bother because it was all true; he was being selfish when it came to Bonnie and he was afraid of her talking to Enzo not because he feared the truth would come out but because he was scared to lose her. And he suspected that was exactly what had happened because he didn't hear from Bonnie after dinner and he guessed Stefan was here to tell him they were back together; that things were back to normal and he was just supposed to forget her, like the past month—the last thirty years of his life—hadn't happened at all.

"No, you don't, brother," Damon replied, and Stefan clutched his drink as his blue eyes looked up sharply. "You were right this morning; I was out of line when it came to Bonnie. I just… didn't want to lose my best friend, I guess."

"Yeah, well I probably shouldn't have accused you of harboring secret feelings for her and being the one who got in the middle of she and Enzo when she confirmed it was somebody else… it was someone else all along. But you knew that, didn't you? And you didn't say anything, to protect her," Stefan reasoned, and Damon tried to hide the confusion on his face at what Stefan was saying.

Did Bonnie confess or not? He wondered and Stefan's next words confirmed what was said.

"Her co-worker… she told Enzo she fell for a co-worker… and she slept with him, after she and Enzo were done."

Damon's head was spinning at that, and his cheeks immediately warmed though he remained quiet—taking down the rest of his drink in one shot and standing up to head for the bar cart to hide the look of shock on his face that Bonnie had flat out told Enzo she moved on with somebody else but she lied about who, seemingly not only to protect Enzo, but to protect him, as well.

He poured another drink with shaky hands and took a long sip as Stefan still stared off into space, disillusioned.

"This isn't like her, Damon," he said as his brother sat back down beside him, the fireplace crackling in the silence. "Doesn't this whole thing just seem crazy?"

"It is," Damon finally spoke, finger tapping against the glass tumbler. "It's pretty crazy, alright."

"And what, is she just going to start dating this new guy, like nothing happened? I don't think Enzo is going to stop until he finds out who he is. You should've seen him tonight, Damon—I've never seen him so upset. He was on a rampage."

Damon didn't answer that, and Stefan polished off his drink as he stood up and shrugged into his coat, fishing for his keys and giving Damon one last glance.

"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize… I should've known you better than that. I guess it was Bonnie that I didn't know."

Damon watched on as his brother waved him goodbye and left the boarding no more than a few seconds later; his heart still palpitating in his chest as he clutched his glass and downed it to the last drop, contemplating.

He had no idea what the hell to do now. From the sounds of it, it was clear Bonnie had, had a rough night and he wanted to call her, to make sure she was okay and apologize for his words. He regretted being so cold with her earlier, especially now that she had kept her promise and didn't go running back into Enzo's arms the first chance that she had. But they were both still liars, he and her. And Enzo still didn't know the entire truth—perhaps he never would—and for the first time since this all began it weighed a bit on Damon's conscious when he finally let himself come to terms with all that had transpired.

Bonnie left Enzo for him. Bonnie wasn't going to get back together with Enzo because of him. Bonnie had ruined her chance at a perfect life for him; her best friend, her confidant, and—dare he believe it—the man she wanted to be with despite how wrong it was, despite how bad the timing could be.

He grabbed his leather jacket and set down his glass, before swiping his keys off the table and heading straight for her condo to figure this out. Once and for all.

XXXXXX

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? I called Elena, she said she can stop by after her shift at the hospital if you need her to. And I can ask the nanny the get Billy and Zach in the morning for the day so I can stay with you— "

"I'm fine, Caroline," Bonnie breathed, and the blonde offered a frown as she stood in the doorway of her condo, Bonnie's arms hugging herself around her robe with her hair now in a bun. "I'm just gonna put on a movie or something. Maybe have a glass of wine… I don't want you to feel like you have to babysit me."

"Bonnie you're my best friend," Caroline said, and Bonnie smiled sadly as the blonde pressed both palms to her cheeks. "Your hard times are my hard times. And I'm sorry about tonight, about Stefan. He was out of line for setting this entire dinner up and he will fucking know it after I'm done with him— "

"No, don't fight over me," Bonnie shook her head and looked down. "He wasn't wrong, he just wanted to do right by his friend. Just like you've been doing—having my side in this entire thing even though I'm wrong… I'm so unbelievably fucking awful."

"Bonnie…"

"I am, Caroline—no need to sugarcoat it. I…cheated on Enzo, point blank. And I'm so much of a coward, I couldn't even be honest about it, I—gave him some warped version of the truth, just to appease him— "

"To protect his heart, Bonnie… You lied to him because you didn't want to hurt him with the truth. That happens sometimes. Sometimes we lie to the people that we love to help them move on… To be able to move on ourselves."

Bonnie inhaled at that and Caroline tucked a flyaway behind her ear as they remained in silence for a moment before Bonnie spoke again and looked down at her feet.

"It was to protect Damon too," she admitted, swallowing hard as Caroline listened on. "He… didn't deserve to be thrown under the bus like that without a chance to defend himself and I know how much Enzo loves him. He would hate him forever if he found out that it was him, that I… fell for him."

Caroline nodded and exhaled at that, tucking her hands in the pocket of her coat.

"Well, here's to hoping eighty years passes by before he finds out. It's just… probably not the right time for you or Damon to go public. It won't be for a while."

"Will it ever be?" Bonnie asked suddenly and Caroline ticked her jaw at the rhetorical question, not offering an answer. "I mean, I feel like I've been living in an imaginary world for the past month where Damon and I could maybe have a shot at this—at being normal, one day—but what if we can't? Enzo was devastated, Caroline; and that was at a lie. I just… maybe Damon and I can never actually be together, no matter how much time passes. Maybe it will never be right."

Caroline was about to respond to that and they both looked down the steps to see a familiar set of blue eyes approaching, as he stopped instantly and Bonnie's heart skipped when he looked at her; his stare penetrating her deep down to the soul.

Caroline took that as her cue, as she leaned forward to give her a long hug. She pulled away and spoke into Bonnie's ear softly, her final parting words.

"Love is fucked up, sometimes."

Caroline walked away, and stopped only to give Damon a brief kiss on the cheek before disappearing down the steps and he stuffed his hands in his pockets as his eyes continued to wash over her and she felt her heart beating in throat the longer he just looked at her.

Damon slowly, cautiously approached, and Bonnie stiffened up when he finally made it to the door, standing several feet above her as she looked up and drowned almost immediately within his eyes.

He was drowning as well.

"Can I come in?"

"I… don't know if that's a good idea."

"Let's sit in the car then," he suggested, without skipping a beat and she swallowed hard. "If you can't trust us to be alone, in your apartment because you think you know what'll happen."

Every single bone in her body screamed that this was a bad idea—quite possibly the worst one he'd had in a long time.

But she agreed anyway.

She excused herself to go get changed and when she came back out, clothed in a tee-shirt and jeans with her pea coat over it, she followed him to his Chevy Camaro, hands still shaking, when he opened the door for her and allowed her to get in before making it to his side and hopping in the driver's seat.

She recognized the song playing on the radio when her turned on the ignition—it was from a playlist she'd made him a few years ago and she remained eyes forward as he gripped the wheel tightly and didn't say a thing, allowing the music to speak for whatever was between them.

And at this point? Neither of them was sure.

She had no clue what the hell she was doing anymore but she hoped he did.

She prayed he did.

He finally turned the volume down and turned to face her; his eyes pensive before he decided to open his mouth to speak.

She listened without looking at him.

"I'm sorry," he said simply as Bonnie continued to stare ahead, digesting his words. "I'm sorry about what I said, and you had every right to get mad me. I'm sorry about what you went through today. I know it was hard and… I shouldn't have been so short with you this afternoon. I was just thinking about how I felt and not considering what you were about to do… what you had to do."

Bonnie pressed her lips shut at that and nodded, still not meeting his eyes, and remaining focused ahead.

"Yeah, it sucked," she said shortly. "I told him a lie—one I'm sure will come back and bite me in the ass someday—and he took it as horribly as I imagined, so… yeah. It really sucked."

Damon reached for her hand and Bonnie automatically pulled it away garnering a desolate look from his face and she shook her head no, turning back to face ahead.

"Bonnie, I know it's upsetting—hurting Enzo like that—but you had to rip the bandaid eventually. It sucks about the timing— "

"Our timing, Damon—our timing is what's shit. It wasn't him who did anything wrong, it was us; falling into this so easily as if there wasn't so much at stake. As if I wouldn't break his heart."

"He doesn't know anything about us, Bonnie—because you didn't tell him. I know that you didn't tell him because you wanted to protect him. But I know it was to protect me, too. You wanted to protect what we have—"

"For stupid, selfish reasons that don't seem to make any sense to me anymore," she said, and his heart suddenly felt hollow as she looked up and met his eyes. "Damon, we can't do this anymore, in any capacity, without someone getting hurt. Me and you together—it hurts people."

"And what, we're just supposed to continue living our lives for everybody else? Forgetting about you or me or what we want because it hurts people?" he asked, and she sighed, without an answer. "Because I know what I want, Bonnie, and it's you. It always has been."

"Damon, stop— "

"The first time that I knew that I liked you—that I wanted you—was at your senior prom." Bonnie blinked back tears because she remembered that night, but his tone told her he was going to tell her about it anyway. "You called me from the dance in the bathroom stall, hysterically crying, because your date stood you up," he said, and she only breathed in response before he continued. "I was already in college, away at Whitmore, and I got a suit and drove an hour back to Mystic Falls just to see you—to be your date to that dance."

Bonnie wiped the tear that rolled down her cheek at that because it was true; Damon saved her the embarrassment of having to be at her senior prom all alone when he showed up, dressed in a black tux with neatly styled hair and a red rose in his hand, as he extended his hand to hers and wiped away the smudged mascara that stained her rosy cheeks.

And truth be told, she had much more fun with him that night than she could have ever imagined, as they danced on the gym floor all night and she laughed at his ridiculous moves that garnered the cheers and attention of everyone there, because he just wanted to make her smile. And she did, from ear to ear, when they left the prom after Caroline was announced Queen—rightfully so—and they headed to the grill in their fancy clothes for milkshakes and burgers to recollect the night.

Her father Rudy allowed Damon to spend the night—on the couch of course—and she brought out her sleeping blanket to stay in the living room with him, though they didn't sleep at all, staying up until the wee hours of the morning playing board games and trying to hide their laughter, as not to wake the rest of her family up.

Bonnie trembled.

She had no idea that was the night that changed things for him, and she wished he had told her, as she spent so many more years kissing frogs when she had a prince right in front of her. Damon Salvatore had been the man for her, all along.

"I should've told you then how I felt," he echoed her thoughts with a sigh. "Because I just couldn't understand how some guy—some teenage prick—could do that to you because you were perfect, Bonnie. And so beautiful. You looked… so incredible that night. Even with your mascara running down your cheeks… And

I wanted to fight anybody who hurt you. I still would. I always will."

Bonnie breathed deeply at that as she looked over into his eyes and she exhaled shakily when his thumb wiped away her tears—this time not shying away when he touched her, his eyes filling with water on his own though he held it in.

"I never understood it, when everyone would joke around before that, that you and I were 'destined;'" he continued and she watched as he licked his lips, distant in his thoughts. "All the guys that I knew said that we liked hanging out with each other way too much to just be friends—they didn't believe it that I—Damon Salvatore—could actually have a friend who was a girl who was… smart, nice, funny… gorgeous—and not be attracted to her... And I hated that. I hated that they all thought I was so nice to you because I had an ulterior motive. It was why I fought against it for so long and I tried to be happy with Elena… dating her was nice; it distracted me. And if I was dating her, I wouldn't make a move on her best friend, right?" he talked to himself and Bonnie watched as he swallowed hard, staring down at his hand that departed from her jaw. "So, I did my best, Bonnie, for years to make it about anything but that with you but I finally failed the night before your wedding when I saw you—and I knew then just like I know now' It's always been you. It will always be you."

She was full-on bawling by this point.

So much so, she couldn't take being in this car—or being in her own skin—as she opened the door to let herself out. She stepped out onto the driveway and slammed the door behind her breathing—hyperventilating, actually—as Damon shut off the car and climbed out as well; walking around the vehicle to meet her—his stare thick with every emotion he wore on his sleeve as she turned away from him immediately as he stood behind her patiently.

A full minute felt like an eternity before his hand met her shoulder.

"Bonnie, please look at me."

She shivered at the touch but allowed her body to turn around and look at him, though it physically hurt to see him because he was everything.

Every hurricane, every battle, every ounce of happiness she was fighting against inside of herself and she just couldn't bear to lose him, though she knew it was for the best. Closing the chapter of Damon Salvatore would be the best thing she could do for herself and him as well.

There was never going to be a right time.

Losing him would be for the better. Because this was wrong. It was fucked. It was so unbelievably—

Magical, as she pulled him in by the wrist and her lips crashed against his with such force, he was almost knocked off of his feet when her back pressed against the car and body against hers—instantly lapping up her matchless heat, her irrefutable desire, her binding love, when her hands pressed tightly to his jaw like a vice, unable to let him go for fear that she would fall to a million pieces.

She was in pieces with him. She was even worse without him. And God, she had spent 29 years of her life without knowing what this felt like; what it actually was like not being able to break a bad habit, in the form of a blue eyed devil, who may not have been much of a devil at all.

No, he was more like an angel. A wingless angel. But an angel, nonetheless.

Her lips parted from his and she looked at him quietly—she was astonished in fact—and Damon's eyes remained on her in a glittering haze before he leaned in and kissed her again. And again. And again, until he could barely remember his own name, but he could describe the way she tasted, right down to every single taste bud on her fevered tongue, as he swallowed her down and bit his lip just to get enough air to swim back up.

"Let's go inside," she said onto his now swollen mouth and he nodded dumbly at that, as she took his hand into hers, fingers intertwined, and he followed her to her door; lips against her neck and jawline as she fished for her keys in her pocket and pushed them into the lock, while Damon's hands roamed slowly down her hips.

His mouth caught her in another ravenous kiss as they stumbled through the door and shut it quickly behind them—coats, clothes, and reservations lost in the mix, as they barely made it out of Bonnie's living room before he was already inside of her, turning her world upside down.

She gripped his hair roughly when he slammed her onto her back and Damon's mouth remained buried against her neck, as his canine teeth grazed her jugular, biting down tightly when he made it to the carotid artery.

That would definitely leave a bruise. As would her nails dragging down his back and drawing blood where she scratched, though Damon just kept railing into her, as he didn't mind at all. He ached with fever and passion and he didn't care what Bonnie did to him—so long as she was his—as they rolled in her sheets and he landed on his back this time, with her on top of him, pressing his hands down against the bed and grinding her hips fervently against him. He tightly gripped her waist, her ass, and anything else he could while she rode out her orgasm and she didn't stop at one because she wanted more.

She wanted him. She needed him. And found solace in that. He'd found his religion inside of his lover.

And all the while, outside, Elena sat in her Ford Escape, across the street, perplexed by what she had just seen; Damon and Bonnie making out against his car for five minutes straight, so immersed in another, they hadn't even seen or heard her pull up when she did. But she knew one thing for certain—she now had a million questions along with a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for Bonnie, completely melted, as she still held it in her hands.

A/N: So this chapter was a roller coaster ride of emotions and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. Thoughts on what Elena will do with this newfound information? Is Enzo any closer to finding out Damon and Bonnie's betrayal? Did y'all like the Segway from sweet high school memories to hardcore BDSM-type sex? I mean, get you a OTP who can do both, LOLOL. Read, review, comment, whatever you like. Thank you all for your continued support!