Stefan's laughter soon filled the room. He was laughing uncontrollably now because he couldn't help himself. This had to have been a joke. Elena was playing a sick joke on him. Not even minutes ago was she promising to help keep this a secret and here she was screwing everything up. No one else was speaking only watching Stefan laugh like a lunatic and Elena had this look of shock on her face like she couldn't believe she just said that. She opened her mouth a few times to form a sentence to try to take back what she said, but the look on her parent's faces let her know they had heard her correctly. Katherine already had her phone out snapping photos of their dad while Damon tried to stop her unsuccessfully.
"Elena why would you say such a crazy thing? You are with Matt." Stefan asked turning to Elena once he calmed his laughter down. He wanted her to fix this. "Miranda I think your daughter has sneaked the wine." Stefan laughed again. He felt the walls closing in on him at this moment. Elena was sinking their ship without warning. They were going down and they were going down fast. "Elena what the hell are you saying?" Stefan whispered to her where she could only hear. Elena's eyes met his and she could see his fear, but it was time for her to stop hurting him and to let him have what he worked so hard for growing up.
Elena shook her head. "Mom, dad I got married in Vegas." Elena said again. Stefan was shaking his head as he looked at everyone at the table.
"She's on something." Stefan concluded. "Elena's crazy!"
Grayson's eyes narrowed in on Stefan and he was not happy with him. Not with what Elena said and not with him calling his daughter crazy.
"Elena's..." Stefan tried to say something again but he knew there was no excuse to come up with. No one would believe him anyways. "Elena stop this." Stefan begged. "It's not funny, so please explain to your parents that you wanted to play a joke on them." Stefan whispered. "Yeah that's what it was a joke!" Stefan said loudly. "Elena came to me and formed this whole plan that she wanted to play this joke on you guys. Turns out it's not funny." He faked a laugh again. "Yep totally not funny at all."
"Joke is over Elena." Grayson said not amused at all by the two. He was hoping that Stefan was right and that his daughter was trying to play some cruel joke on them.
Damon and Katherine were filling up their glasses with wine and handed the bottle to Jenna and Ric. Jenna was just as stunned but she could see it happening. Elena stared at her parents and then met Stefan's eyes. He was helpless in this moment. His green eyes were brightly shinning because she could see they were about to glaze over with tears. Her own set of tears were forming as well. They were in trouble.
"I can't let you throw it all away for me." She whispered. "I'm not worth it."
Damon was the one in shock now because Stefan was going to throw away everything he had ever worked for. Not even Damon would give that up for love and Katherine knew it.
"You don't have to do this." He told her softly.
"Yes I do." She nodded feeling her hot tears stream down her cheeks. "It's my turn to fix things this time. You have dreamed of running The Salvatore since I could remember. Your mother wanted it for you and I will not take away her last wish for you. Not even I can be that heartless towards you no matter what you did to me."
Stefan felt a lone tear fall from his eye and Elena reached up to wipe it away but out of reflex Stefan turned his face away from her so she barely brushed his cheek. It was an interaction that did not go unnoticed by anyone at the table.
"It's going to be okay." She promised ready to take her parents on.
"Would someone tell me what in the hell is going on?" Grayson shouted startling everyone. He was slowly losing his temper with his teenage daughter and her ex-boyfriend.
Elena swallowed the lump in her throat and prepared herself to face the war with him. Stefan was at a loss for words. Elena was going to take a stand for him against her parents over something they could have avoided. He didn't know what to do at this time anymore. Elena never went up against her parents on anything.
"Stefan and I got married while we were away and it was a stupid, stupid mistake. Both of us were highly intoxicated. I had a fight with Matt and one thing led to another and well here we are." Elena said hoping that would be a good enough explanation because going into detail about the night would only mean admitting that she remembered.
"I'm sorry but I don't think we heard you right." Miranda's voice was still surprisingly calm.
"Holy shit they really are married!" Jenna said rather loudly with a shocked expression on her face. She had no clue this was what the two were hiding. "Did Elvis marry you?" Jenna spoke before she could think. Grayson and Miranda sent her a glare that let her know that she needed to put her foot in her mouth.
"Jenna not now." Ric muttered. He was just as stunned as her.
"Those two are in deep shit." Jenna was now just talking out loud and when Ric elbowed her she realized her statement wasn't said in her head like she thought.
"I think I...no I know we need more wine." Ric said standing grabbing Jenna and heading for the kitchen. He needed to get out of there and fast before Jenna got them both in trouble with her mouth.
"Oh no wine isn't going to cut it! Where is the tequila?" Jenna said as she walked into the kitchen. She needed to process this. "My niece is married." Jenna said leaning against the counter while Ric searched for something strong to drink. He was too on edge already to begin with and now the two teens had to go and give everyone a heart attack. "Ric my niece got married before I did."
"Oh great lets start with who got married before us again. Trust me in your book everyone in Virgina got married before you." Ric rolled his eyes pouring them up a drink.
"Hey I'm only kidding." She told him standing on her tip toes to kiss him softly. "But seriously how does that happen?"
"I don't know you want to eavesdrop on them and figure it out?" Ric shrugged.
"Um hell yeah I do!" Jenna grinned. She was a kid at heart and didn't mind one bit dropping in on the private conversation. If Katherine got to sit through it then she got to listen in. Besides Stefan was like her little brother anyways she needed to know how it happened and why the hell she didn't know about it before Katherine and Damon. Ric and Jenna stood close to the wall where they couldn't be seen but could still listen in closely.
Nothing was being said at the moment. There was just a lot of staring going on.
"Elena please tell me this is just some sick joke you are playing. Tell me you did not marry him?" Grayson said calmly.
Elena shook her head. "It's all true daddy."
"Jeremy room now." Katherine said liking where this was going now. She had a good video earlier of Stefan laughing and accusing Elena of being on drugs. She would be replaying it later for a good laugh.
"Katherine out now." Miranda said in the same tone Katherine had spoken to Jeremy in.
"Mom I already…" Damon slapped his hand over her mouth. No need to throw them under the bus as well. Miranda would be heated if she knew Damon and Katherine knew all along about the mirage.
"That's our cue to find more wine." Damon smiled pulling Katherine with him. "Jeremy join us."
Jeremy didn't dare stick around for this one. Damon bumped into Jenna and Ric when he marched into the kitchen trying to get out of the lion's cage back there.
"What the hell?" Damon asked looking at them as they tried to play off like they weren't listening.
"We were...we were trying to figure out what color paint this was." Ric said while Damon shook his head with annoyance at the two.
"Yeah I've been thinking about remodeling." Jenna smiled as Katherine rolled her eyes. Jeremy laughed.
"Elena's in some deep shit huh?" Jeremy asked.
Jenna playfully slapped his shoulder. "Don't say shit." Jeremy shrugged as he waited for an answer. "But yes Elena is probably going to be in a lot of trouble." Jenna couldn't imagine what kind of trouble Elena was going to be in. How did you punish your daughter for getting married? It wasn't an everyday topic parents usually had to discuss.
"Sweet!" Jeremy laughed again. "Maybe mom and dad will buy me that new game I've wanted now that Elena screwed up. It used to work all the time with you Kat."
Katherine narrowed her eyes at him. Jeremy was right about that. Usually when Katherine made a big mistake the parents rewarded her brother and sister in hopes that they wouldn't turn out just as bad. "Mom and dad are going to be so pissed they probably won't speak to any of us for days." Katherine went and grabbed the bottle of rum Ric had previously found.
"Speak for yourself." Jenna followed her actions. "You knew about it we didn't"
"Whatever." Katherine knew her parents were probably going to be displeased with her hiding this from them for a week. She was just thankful she was already moved out and could avoid them until they got over it.
"They're scared shitless out there." Damon said in a concerned voice. Jenna was shocked to hear it along with everyone else. Damon and Katherine were usually numb to anyone else's feelings so seeing Damon worried about his brother was strange. "Stefan has a lot to lose if this doesn't go down the right way."
"I'm sure everything will work out. My sister would never let anything happen to Stefan or Elena that could ruin their futures." Jenna assured him.
"So did they happen to say why they got married in Vegas?" Ric was still curious about that.
Damon shook his head and Katherine looked disinterested in the conversation. It didn't matter why they got married, the fact was that they did it and there was no taking it back.
"It's obvious Stefan and Elena are still in love." Jenna said.
"Oh please how can you be so Team Stefan knowing what he did to her?" Katherine asked.
Damon cut his eyes at her. "You're one to talk."
"We are not discussing us." Katherine warned him.
"So does this mean Elena is moving out?" Jeremy asked deciding to change the subject not wanting to witness a Damon and Katherine fight. Those usually got pretty vicious. They weren't entertaining like when Jenna and Ric would argue or Stefan and Elena. "I'd like to turn her room into a game room."
Everyone laughed at his idea and shook their heads because they honestly had no clue what was going to happen in the next 24 hours. Elena was in more trouble than anyone else had ever been in. Damon wasn't sure how he was supposed to punish his brother for this. maybe he'd have to follow whatever example Grayson and Miranda were setting.
"Elena, Stefan I am giving one of you the option to tell us the whole truth." Miranda looked at both of them. If looks could kill they would be in their graves by now.
Grayson was quietly fuming. He was trying not to reach across the table and snap the boy's neck who married his daughter.
"We were in California as you know." Elena was starting her story. "We had two days left and well Stefan has always wanted to go to Vegas and we figured with all of us being so close that we would just catch a bus up there. That's what we did and once we arrived we got a hotel with Stefan's fake ID. The drinking began and we decided to head out to a club or two. The place was serving anyone who could make it through the door. All of us were drinking and dancing. Matt and I had been on bad terms since the trip began because he was upset about a conversation he overheard Stefan and I having one night when we thought no one was around.
Miranda and Grayson were growing more and more irritated with the two as the story went on. Not only were the married but they broke their trust and went to Vegas!
"What in the hell were you two doing in Vegas?" Grayson asked through his teeth.
"What exactly did he hear?" Miranda questioned her ignoring Grayson's question. Elena looked at Stefan for some help on this. He nodded his head and decided he would answer her question. Elena wasn't exactly proud of her actions. "Stefan?"
"Mrs. Gilbert I'm sorry for the chaos of this and for what we did."
"Stefan we will get to your apologies later. Right now I want to know what Matt overheard." Details were crucial at this point because Miranda needed an explanation of her daughter's want to get married.
"Elena and I haven't exactly been honest with anyone since our breakup." Stefan stopped trying to find the right words to make them understand. "You see we do not get along just like everyone knows" He tried to make clear for them to understand. "But we also at times have these unresolved feelings and they get the best of us. We act on impulse without thinking and we hurt the people who care about us with our selfishness, mainly Matt. What he overheard that night was a private conversation between Elena and I or so we wanted it to be." Stefan said as he and Elena's mind drifted off to the memory of that night not so long ago.
Everyone was at the hotel swimming pool just enjoying the night. It was late and they had all just gotten back from a club. Lexi had suggested a late night swim which everyone had agreed to. Caroline was on top of Tyler's shoulder's. While Bonnie was on Matt's, they were playing a game of chicken. Stefan was sitting on the stairs in the pool drinking his beer watching everyone around him. Lexi and Elena were sitting at a table beside the pool drinking some concoction Lexi had mixed them up. They had just gotten out of the pool after both being beaten by Matt and Bonnie. Stefan wasn't sure what they were talking about but he knew it had to do with him by the way Elena was making eye contact with him every few seconds and by the way that Lexi squeezed her hand in a comforting way. Stefan could only imagine what the conversation was consisting of but he assumed it probably had to do with the love triangle taking place between him and his best friend and a girl he once loved. Stefan watched all his friends carelessly enjoy themselves like nothing was wrong in the world. Stefan wanted to be in that moment just enjoying himself as well but he couldn't, not tonight. His mind was all over the place and had been for a while now. He was tired. He was tired of fighting.
"You okay?" Lexi asked surprising him with her appearance as she sat down beside him on the steps slowly easing into the water.
"Yeah I'm fine." Stefan smiled trying to reassure her that he was okay.
"You don't seem fine, something has been off with you." Stefan sighed shaking his head. Lexi always was worried about him even when he wished that she would just let things go he knew she wouldn't.
"Just been thinking lately."
"About?" Lexi asked him waiting for an answer that never came but Stefan's eyes answered for him when they fell on Elena who had just jumped into the pool and was wrapping her arms around Matt's neck giving him a victory kiss. "You have to stop torturing yourself." Lexi told him in a quiet voice. She didn't want anyone else to hear their conversation. Lexi was the only one who knew the truth. "Stefan you two are only going to hurt him in the end."
"I told her to make a decision." Stefan said hanging his head.
Lexi gasped as she heard his statement. She looked at Elena as she saw she was looking at Stefan and their was a guilty look in her eyes. "She didn't pick you."
Stefan shook his head getting up out of the pool. He didn't want to talk about this here where she was so close with Matt. He had put on a strong front for a while now especially after Elena told him her answer. He hadn't really expected her to dump Matt and come running back to him after all they had been through. It's not like Stefan had been even ideal after the breakup. Stefan picked up another beer and sat at the table Elena and Lexi had previously occupied.
"She hasn't exactly picked." He told Lexi.
"What do you mean she hasn't picked?"
"It was two nights ago when we were all at Tyler's party. Elena and I had spent a few nights together over the summer as you know already, but it was the week we spent with Jenna and Ric."
"When they were in New York?" Lexi questioned him. She had known about the trip and she knew how Stefan was dreading it and so was Elena but they both didn't have the heart to tell Jenna and Ric no so they agreed to go. Ric was going for a workshop deal and Jenna was tagging along but she wanted the company of her two favorite people. After much convincing she had the two agreeing to go. Jenna's only request was that the don't fight. Stefan wasn't one to ever disrespect Jenna's wishes so he didn't once pick a fight with Elena, but that didn't mean they still didn't bicker.
Jenna was satisfied for the most part with the trip because the four of them really did end up enjoying themselves. Stefan and Elena more so than them. "At first I was so angry with Jenna for dragging me along with Elena but after the first two days we kind of just clicked again and everything was peaceful. Jenna would go out with Ric during the day sometimes and just leave Elena and I alone. I think it was her own secret was to force her to talk. So we did, we talked for hours and went out exploring the town. Lexi I had the best time of my life on that trip. I felt like things were back to normal again. We were together and not fighting, she was smiling and laughing like she used to. Not this fake stuff she does now."
"What happened?"
"The same thing that always happens. I beg her to forgive me and just let the past be the past. I told her I wanted a future with her if she was willing to forgive me, but if she wasn't then we just needed to call it quits. I didn't want to keep seeing her behind Matt's back. All summer long we had been sneaking around and I was just tired of it. New York opened my eyes and I just wanted to fix what I had broken."
"Wait you two have been seeing each other all summer?" She asked with disbelief.
Stefan nodded. "We left for New York right after we got out of school for the year and when we got back we were still on good terms. We agreed at first to just forget the whole tripped happened because we didn't want anyone to know. A week went by before we cracked and had to see each other again. We went out a lot at night after everyone was asleep and we would just talk or ride around for hours. It didn't matter what we were doing we were together and it felt right. Things were going so good between us I could tell that she was starting to let her guard down more around me. I was letting my own down as well and I didn't want to let her go anymore. I didn't want to see her with Matt. So i told her she had to pick. It was me or him. I told her she was still just as in love with me as she was then and that I was tired of sharing her with one of my best friends."
"What did she do?"
Stefan sighed bringing the beer to his lips again as he looked out at the pool at Elena and Matt. " It was at Tyler's party and I got her alone and told her she had to pick. That I didn't want to be apart of this anymore. I told her I wanted a future with her, but she had to forgive me and let the past be the past so we could move on. She loves me Lexi." He smiled sadly. "But I broke her heart so for now I just have to wait."
Lexi felt so bad for her friend. It was obvious that the two still longed to be with one another but too much had happened. They both needed to figure out what they wanted and how to move on from it either with or without one another. Lexi had really hoped it would be with, but she wouldn't get her hopes up. "At least you can say you tried." Lexi stood up to hug him "I'm proud that you tried, but you can't wait forever Stefan."
Stefan nodded and let Lexi go as she put on a big smile joining everyone again. Stefan figured he might as well put on a show and join the fun. He didn't need anyone getting curious of his odd behavior. Eventually everyone made their way to their respective rooms but Stefan lingered around at the pool not wanting to call it a night just yet. He still wanted to try and clear his head so he could handle the rest of this trip. He needed to be able to think straight if he was going to have to endure watching Elena be with Matt for five days straight.
"What's with Stefan?" Bonnie asked Elena as they headed towards their hotel room. They were sharing a room with Caroline and Lexi while the guys all shared a room. Lexi and Caroline had raced back to the room trying to beat each other to the shower. Matt and Tyler were already in their room.
Elena shrugged and looked down at the pool where Stefan was sitting with his feet dangling in the water.
"He has seemed lost in his thoughts today." Bonnie was one to always pick up on everything and Stefan's behavior was not going unnoticed by her. "Is there something going on with him?"
Elena shook her head not liking the guilt that was washing over her. "He's just brooding for no reason I'm sure."
"Or maybe he has finally realized what he lost." Bonnie pointed out. She was no fool to Stefan's feelings for Elena. "I'm going to bed." Bonnie sighed knowing Elena was keeping something from her. Stefan and Elena had been acting weird around each other all summer and she hadn't quite figured it out yet but she was determined to soon though.
"I'll be there in a minute. I'm going to call Jenna and see how she's doing she called me earlier." Elena lied to her best friend who just nodded before slipping into their hotel room. Elena made her way down to the pool where she sat down beside Stefan dipping her feet into the water.
"What are you doing?" Stefan asked her not bother to look at her just yet.
"Your moodiness is starting to make people worried." Elena told him taking his beer from his hands and bringing it to her own lips. "You mind telling me why all of the sudden you are brooding."
Stefan turned his head towards her and his green eyes are showing just how exhausted he was. He was tired of it all. He was tired of their fighting. "You know we don't have to be this way. Matt will understand if you just explain to him what's be going on."
Elena took another sip of the beer. "Stefan I already told you I didn't want to talk about that while on this trip. I just want to enjoy it with the people that I love." She told him handing him back his beer.
Stefan shook his head slipping down into the water. "You'll never want to talk about it unless I force you to."
She sighed heavily as he went under water and came back up after a few seconds moving himself to where he could stand between her legs to look up at her. "You'd never force me to do anything." Elena spoke softly as she ran her fingers through his wet hair playing with it. "What do you suppose we do if I break up with Matt and he finds out about what we have done behind his back? He'd never speak to either one of us again for breaking his heart and I'm not going to hurt him like that."
Stefan looked back up at her taking her hands into his and pulling her into the pool with him. He had her against the wall so she couldn't get away from him. "What about your heart?" He whispered to her. They were so close that he was aching to just touch her.
"I love Matt." She said as if she was trying to convince herself of her words.
Stefan nodded resting his forehead against hers. "I know you do, but it's not enough for you."
"Stefan." Elena whispered as she pushed him back slightly so she could have a clear thought. "I know you want me to pick but I just can't."
"Is it because of what happened? Elena I told you that night was all a misunderstanding. I can promise you that nothing like that will ever happen again. You can trust me."
"It's not that easy."
"It doesn't have to be this hard either." Stefan pointed out as he pushed back a strand of her wet hair. "We don't have to fight anymore."
"We have to stop."
Stefan sighed heavily shaking his head as he rested his head on her shoulder. He was feeling so vulnerable. "I know we do." He whispered kissing her shoulder. "We have to stop before someone gets hurt." He repeated Lexi's words. He was coming to the conclusion that it was him that would end up with the broken heart in the end but maybe he deserved it for breaking her's first.
Elena wrapped her arms around him kissing the top of his head. She hated this but she just couldn't forgive him yet. Not when it still hurt to think about. "Come one lets go to bed before they come looking for us." She didn't need Matt or anyone else seeing them like this. Stefan nodded giving her one last squeeze before pulling back to look into her eyes. She looked just as broken as he did. He climbed out of the pool as she followed. Both toweled off in silence not sure what to say.
Walking back up to their rooms Stefan grabbed Elena's hand making her look up at him. "I meant what I said in New York this summer it wasn't just about the sex for me Elena."
Elena could feel the tears coming on because she knew he was telling the truth. "I know you were Stefan, but..."
Stefan put his finger to her lips silencing her as he moved in closer. "You can't deny what we have any longer. I can't forget what happened." Stefan was slowly backing her up against her hotel door. "I've waited so patiently for you to figure this out, for you to forgive me."
"You haven't exactly been sitting around waiting for me." Elena told him. "In fact wasn't there some blonde you were with when we got home from New York?"
"You ran straight back to Matt." Stefan rose his voice. "After everything that happened you pretended none of it did as soon as you saw him. How did you expect me to react? Did you want me to cry over you?"
Elena was growing angry with him as she shoved him back from her. "No I wanted you to prove to me that you weren't the same Stefan who broke my heart!"
"Well you are the same old Elena who runs to Matt every time something goes wrong between us!" Stefan stepped closer to her again determined for her not to push him away. "Tell me you don't love me."
Elena shook her head as Stefan grabbed her hands and laced his fingers with hers.
"Tell me New York wasn't the best time of your life, that what we did wasn't real." He was so close to her now that his breath was literally her breath. "Tell me that when we made love that you didn't feel a thing." He whispered about to close the gap between their lips.
"You did what in New York?" They heard Matt's angry voice as Stefan stepped away from Elena realizing what all he probably just heard.
"Matt." Elena whispered trying to compose herself. "It's not what you think."
Matt shook his head as he felt hot tears beginning to form. "How could you! You slept with him while in New York? I can't be around you anymore." Matt said as he began to walk off. Elena went to follow him until Stefan stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"Elena what about my heart?"
Elena looked at their joined hands and then back up at his pleading eyes before slipping her hand out of his. "I'm sorry Stefan, New York was a mistake." Stefan felt his heart breaking all over again as he watched her go after Matt to fix what she had broken. He promised himself that after tonight he would never let Elena back into his heart again. If she wanted to pick Matt he'd let her have him.