After I get dressed, I make my way out of my room, and I see him, staring out the window at Katherine and Stefan, giggling, holding hands and sharing secret kisses. He looks sad looking at them. He looks exactly how he looked when it was me and Stefan. I wish I could take his pain away from him. It hurts to see him hurt. I don't say a word as I fumble with the old timey coffee kettle and coffee grind.

"Good morning Elena, I hope you slept better since I last saw you," Damon says to me pushing his sleeves above his elbows.

"I did, thanks to you. And you? How did you sleep?"

"Well, Elena you aren't doing that right." He says, his eyebrows furrowing as I make a mess. "Here, let me. Have you never used a coffee grind before?"

"No, it's my first time. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, watch me" he says smiling and winking at me. It feels so good to be near him. Hear his voice again. I know this isn't exactly him but it is him. And it's better than nothing. He sneaks a furtive glance towards Stefan and Katherine canoodling. I can't help myself.

"So do you like Katherine and Stefan together?"

"Not particularly, I mean, Stefan is so him. And I'm so me. I wish that was good enough for her. I was good enough for her. It seems no matter what Stefan does, he can do no wrong. Sorry, it's inappropriate that I share that with you but somehow, I feel so comfortable around you."

I nod, "Let it happen."

"What? I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because, I lov-"

"You love Katherine?" I shake my head. "Well Damon Salvatore, I believe in the notion that everything happens for a reason. Don't you?"

"Well yes."

"So then you should let it happen. Damon, if Katherine can't see how good you are, appreciate all that you have given to her, then maybe she doesn't deserve you."

"Maybe you're right Elena."

Later Stefan takes me for a walk, he's so comforting. I'm almost relieved to know this Stefan. This Stefan that doesn't pine for me. This Stefan that doesn't make me feel guilty for loving his brother. This Stefan that's talking to a stranger, even though he is no stranger to me.

"You'd better be careful with Damon Elena." Stefan says looking down at the ground and grinning.

"And why is that?" My dress ruffling against the gravel. The green fabric gleaming against the limestone.

"Because he's-"

"Unorthodox? Flirtatious?" I can't help but to interject.

"Yes. And a hopeless romantic."

"Maybe I am too."

We finished our tour of the Salvatore grounds and head back inside. Stefan prepares the horses to take Katherine for a ride while I make my way upstairs.

"Katherine, run away with me."

I stop in my tracks and brush my hair behind my ear.

"Damon I-"

"Run away with me."

"I can't Damon."

"Can't or won't?"

"I won't."

"Because of Stefan?"

"Yes because of Stefan!"

"Katherine, I love you. Is my love not enough for you?" I can feel those blue eyes gazing into hers hopefully just like they looked into mine when he visited me in my room that day.

"I love Stefan. Damon, it's Stefan, it's always going to be Stefan."

She sounds just like me. I make my way up the stairs and into my room, Katherine passes by me and doesn't say anything. Before I can reach the first step, I hear a door slam. I don't know if it was Damon's door or the front door that Katherine just galloped out of to leap into Stefan's arms. I'm recapping my experiences so far in a journal Stefan gave to me earlier this morning when I notice Damon leaning against the threshold. His hair is messy, and the top three buttons of his shirt are unbuttoned. I can smell the bourbon from four feet away.

"Hey Elena."

"Hello Damon," I angle my body to face his.

"May I offer you some company?"

"You may, and what will we be doing?"

"Anything you want," he begins to unbutton the rest of his buttons.

"Damon, no we can't-"

"Oh don't tell me you're in love with Stefan too," he slumps back against the threshold

with his chest bear and gleaming. I can see his abs are the same, the hairs creeping down his naval are the exact same. I pull my eyes away. Of course I want him, just not like this.

"No Damon. But you aren't going to use me to quell your unrequited love for Katherine. I don't deserve that and neither do you."

He begins to button his shirt, "you're right. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come to you like this. Please forgive me," he says before inching closer to me.

"So Elena, will you tell me about the dream?"

"Mhm, why do you want to know?"

"I want to know because you were calling my name, and crying. I don't mean to be so forward Elena, but are you a medium? Have you foreseen my death and have come to warn me about your premonitions."

I bite back laughter. While that seems crazy, it's not as crazy as the truth. The truth is that I time travelled back to see my dead vampire boyfriend to save him and got stuck here. But I couldn't tell him that. Not now.

"Not exactly Damon, while I want to tell you, I can't. Maybe one day."

"Why then? Why can't you tell me."

"Because you wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't understand? Oh Elena, I understand more about this world than you ever will."

"Is that so? Like what? Tell me Damon."

"I can't you won't believe me, and I don't want to be hanged for heresy."

I can't help but chuckle, "I won't tell anyone Damon, you can trust me."

He looks around, and hesitantly comes close to me, whispering in my ear, "Elena there are-"

"Vampires? In Mystic Falls?"

"Are you?" his eyes widen as he takes a step back.

"No Damon, and I'm not a medium or witch either."

"Then what are you?"

"A human."

"Impossible."

I can't help myself. I cross over to him and grab his face gently in both of my hands. I can feel the slightest bit of stubble against my palm and his eyes are intensely looking into mine.

"Damon, I promise, I will tell you everything one day. Once I find what I'm searching for." He doesn't back away from me, he just says, " A love that consumes you? What if you've already found it?"

"I may have, but I'm waiting for it to find me too," my hands begin to drop from his face but he grasps my wrists so they don't.

"I think you're right."

"About?"

"Everything. How everything happens for a reason. How Katherine deserves Stefan if she can't appreciate my love for her. How you want what we all want. A love that consumes me. I thought I had that with Katherine, but for it to be true, it would need to go both ways and well.." his hands detach from my wrists and my hands break from his face. Our eyes never leave each other. His blue eyes gaze into my brown eyes.

"I'm sorry Damon."

"Don't be, it wasn't you who broke my heart." If only he knew. And yet, even when I did, it didn't stop him from loving and protecting me. Hopefully this time I'll get it right.

"Elena?"

"Yes Damon?"

"May I call on you tonight? To go for a stroll after supper?"

"I look forward to it," a smile creeps up at the corners of my mouth and his reflects that back to me.