Author's Note: I am sorry for the very long wait on this. I actually wrote this chapter awhile ago, but was not entirely sure that I liked it. Then I got busy with school and I am just now able to return to this. This chapter is a little bit shorter than the other two. I wanted to add more, but it just didn't feel right. Tell me what you think!

"Stefan!"

She flushed red at the sight of him, knowing what she had done with Damon moments before. A thought occurred to her then. Had Stefan seen what happened between her and Damon? How long had he been standing there? A wave of guilt crashed into her at the thought.

"Can I have a minute alone with Elena, Damon?"

"Take all the time you need brother." He got up off the bed and walked to the door. He looked back over his shoulder at Elena, but she could not bear to look at him, knowing what they had just done. Then, he was gone.

"Elena, why was Damon here?"

"He was making sure that I was okay." She lied easily. Stefan gave her a confused look, not understanding.

"I went to see Katherine last night."

"You did what?!" The anger was plain on Stefan's face. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't want you to worry about me."

"Worry about you? Elena, I always worry about you!"

Elena knew that Stefan was just trying to keep her safe and that he was doing it out of love, but her temper began to flare. She got up off the bed and went to stand in front of him.

"Would you and Damon stop treating me like a child? I can make my own decisions and I can take care of myself! Katherine was the only person I could talk to, to get the information I need about Klaus. Why is that so wrong?"

"Because you didn't tell me about it Elena!"

"Would you have let me go if I had told you?"

"Of course not!"

"Exactly! That is my point Stefan. You and Damon try to shield me from everything, but you can't protect me all the time. I need to be free to do things my way."

"I can't do that Elena. You are going to get hurt or worse, and I can't bear the thought of it."

Elena was mentally drained from the heated exchange and her patience was gone.

"Please just go Stefan. I need time to think."

"Elena…"

"Leave Stefan." She turned her back to him. Elena didn't want to hurt Stefan, like she knew she was doing, but he was giving her no choice. A moment later she felt the slightest breeze and she knew that he was gone. She let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it.

Elena threw herself back on the bed and buried her head in her pillow. She knew that she would need to clear the air with Stefan sooner rather than later, but it could wait a few days. Right now she just wanted to lay there and forget everything.

As the minutes passed, Elena found herself thinking about Damon. Her mind wandered to the kiss that morning and she instantly regretted it. She wanted to kick herself for getting carried away with Damon. She loved Stefan and the kiss had been a betrayal of that. But Elena couldn't help but think how right it had felt to kiss Damon.

She rolled over in the bed and brought her fingers to her lips, brushing them lightly, remembering how it felt to have Damon's lips on hers. She remembered the feel of him biting down on her lip and the jolt of pleasure that went through her at the sensation. Elena let her hand drop back down to her side, and she thought of their bodies molding together as if they were two pieces of the same puzzle.

Then her thoughts turned back to Stefan. Guilt knotted her stomach. With that sobering thought, Elena decided that she could not let Damon in again. She could not lose herself in Damon ever again. It did not matter that the kiss had felt so utterly right, Elena would stay faithful to Stefan. She would not let things go any farther with Damon.

"I heard the fight."

It was as if Elena's thoughts of Damon had brought him to her. She sighed heavily at the sound of his voice. She could not have a single moment's peace.

She felt his lips on her cheek as he gave her a quick kiss and she felt the give in the mattress as he sat down next to her. Her eyes popped open and she sat up on her bed.

"Damon don't." she warned.

Her statement seemed to catch Damon off guard and he sat there staring at her confused.

"Damon…" Elena started. "What happened between us, well…it shouldn't have."

"What?" He looked as if he had just been slapped.

"I am with Stefan, Damon. I love Stefan. What happened earlier was a mistake and I won't let it happen again."

"You think you can just kiss me like that and then tell me to get lost?" His face crumpled into a hard mask and Elena could hear the hurt in his voice. "You can't just toy with me and then toss me out. But fine, throw me away and live happily ever after with Stefan. Just don't expect me to be around next time you need my help." He stood up and was headed for the door.

"Damon, we both know that what happened was wrong."

At that Damon turned back to face her and in an instant he was at her side, sitting next to her again.

His hand came up and cupped her cheek. Elena's eyelids fluttered closed at the touch. Her breathing became erratic and her heartbeat picked up pace. She knew that Damon could hear the change in pace of her heartbeat.

"Can this be wrong?"

She pulled his hand away from her cheek and drew in a deep breath to try and steady her breathing before responding. "Damon, I can't."

Her eyes were still closed. She was afraid of what Damon's expression was to her words and she was afraid she would give in to him if she looked at him.

"Why not? Just give in."

Elena wanted nothing more in that moment to just give in, but that was the one thing she couldn't do. And she wouldn't. She slowly opened her eyes and looked directly at him before she answered. "I can't be like Katherine. And I will not hurt him, Damon."

"But you will hurt me? By choosing him, you are hurting me Elena. But I guess it's okay to hurt me, isn't it? Because after all I am the bad guy. I hurt people, and I try and steal my brother's girl. So go ahead and hurt me Elena." He spat at her.

This crushed Elena. "Damon…"

"I need to go." He stood up again to leave, but before he could take a step, Elena's hand caught his wrist, holding him in place.

"I don't want to hurt you Damon."

"Then choose me Elena."

It was a simple request and Elena found herself wanting to give in. But she remembered Stefan and she wanted him just as much. In that moment she wanted both brothers, despite her resolve to never be like Katherine. Before she could stop herself, she was saying, "I want you both."

She was not sure if she or Damon was more surprised by this admission, but before she could try to take back her words, Damon was answering her. "You can't have both of us Elena. You need to choose. Stefan or me. In the end you are going to have to hurt one of us."

Elena's hand dropped, letting his arm go. "I can't…"

"Think about it. Just don't take too long. I won't wait forever Elena." With that Damon was gone.

Elena felt despair over the brothers. She had never faced such an impossible choice before. Part of her needed Stefan, but the other part was craving Damon.

Elena knew that someone was going to get hurt when she made her choice and it was probably going to be her.

Author's Note: So there it is. Please review, it is great to hear what you guys think of the story so far. Criticism helps too so tell me any thoughts you have. Also, thank you to those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed, it all helps motivate me to continue this fic, so keep it up! Thanks! :)