Thanks for being so patient with me for the update! I appreciate all the reviews I get and because it has taken me so long to update I'm going to give you two! Hope you enjoy!
After school Elena had convinced Matt to meet her and talk. He wasn't thrilled about it but he knew he needed to hear her out. Elena had decided the best place for them to meet and talk would be at the Grill. She waited patiently for him at a table.
Matt entered the Grill and his eyes found Elena easily.
"Hey thanks for coming." Elena said.
Matt nodded sitting down across from her. "I didn't want to."
"I know." Elena nodded agreeing with him. "But you have to hear what happened."
"Are you two back together?" He point blank asked.
"No." Elena shook her head. "Not at all."
"Then why were you sleeping on him? Why would Damon even post that for everyone to see?" Matt asked hurt.
"Because he's Damon." Elena had no better answer for him. "You know Stefan comes over every year with Damon and this year was no different. Lexi's parents cancelled last minute so they had no where to go. My dad had the recliner, Ric took up the couch. Katherine and Damon were taking up half the couch so we just both kind of took what seats we had left. Neither one of us planned to fall asleep. My head just kind of fell on his shoulder after I fell asleep." Elena tried her best to explain to him. All of it was the truth.
"Elena I just don't want you to make that mistake again."
"I'm not." She promised. "Stefan and I are just friends."
"Even if we don't work things out I want what's best for you."
"I understand that you do."
"Have you thought about us?" Matt asked her.
"I have." Elena nodded trying to find the right words. "Matt you know I care about you so much. I love you for being there for me and for doing everything to help me. But I don't think this is going to work between us. We are both wanting different things from life after graduation. I know I made all these plans for us but I have had a change of heart. You deserve so much more from a girl than what I was giving you."
"Elena it's okay." He grabbed her hand in his. "I love you and whatever it is we need to work through we can."
"I can't Matt." Elena shook her head trying not to cry. "I can't keep hurting you. You have forgiven me for so much. I've done some terrible things to you and I can't live with myself if I continue to go on hurting someone as good as you."
"Elena you made a few mistakes."
"I did but Matt you deserve a girl who won't make those mistakes."
"I want you though. I am in love with you." He pleaded with her to understand. "Whatever you need I'll do."
"I know you will, but I need you to let me go."
"Elena I can't just let you go."
"You have to Matt because it's for the best." Elena wiped at her tears pulling her hand from him. "You have to let me go now before you wake up one day and see what a terrible mistake that I am."
"You aren't a mistake."
"Matt please." Elena begged him. "One day you will thank me for this."
"It's because of Stefan right? You want to be with him don't you?"
"No." Elena said. "I don't want to be with anyone right now."
"Elena you have to remember what he did to you."
"I know what he did to me Matt." Elena assured him. "I know. You don't have to remind me."
"He will continue to hurt you if you let him back in."
"Matt I never said I was."
"Promise me Elena. Promise me you won't go down that road with him again."
"It's not your decision to make."
Matt shook his head disappointed in her. "Elena I'm not telling you what to do. I can't keep putting the pieces together every time Stefan Salvatore decides to break you."
"I love you Matt, I honestly love you and I won't let anyone break what you helped me put back together again. You were there for me when I needed someone the most but I think I leaned on you too much when I should have taken that time to grow. I need to be on my own for a little while and I need you to respect my wishes. This isn't about Stefan. Trust me Matt."
Matt sat quietly for a moment taking in her words. "Do you regret us? I know we happened so fast but are you saying you regret it?"
"No." Elena grabbed his hands in hers. "I don't regret anything because you helped me when through a dark time. Without you I wouldn't have been able to make it. You made everything a little less shitty. Maybe if I would have been able to handle things on my own I would be better for you but I rushed into this thinking it would fix me. Turns out I need to fix myself and I need to learn how to be me again."
"I'll be waiting for you." Matt promised. "I've only ever loved one girl and it's been you." Elena squeezed his hands before letting them go.
"Thanks for meeting me. I needed you to understand."
"We needed to have that talk." Matt said standing him and Elena walked out of the Grill. "So do you have a date yet for the winter formal?" Matt asked hopeful.
"Um, no." Elena said forgetting all about Stefan's deal.
"Do you want to go with me? Just so we both don't have to go alone?" He asked hopeful.
"Matt I don't think that's such a good idea." She answered him honestly. If they went together it would only stir up feelings.
"I understand." He sighed not liking it but understanding her need for distance. "Drive safe." He hugged her.
"See ya." Elena waved to him as she walked to her car. She felt better after her conversation with Matt. They needed to have that talk and she needed to get those things off her chest. Elena felt better knowing she would no longer be hurting Matt.
"Glad to see you are home." Stefan said leaning against the counter when Elena walked in.
"I had to meet someone."
"Matt?" Stefan asked.
"Yes." Elena replied taking her coat off and hanging it up. "I needed to explain."
"How did that go?"
"It went well. I explained to him the picture and I told him I didn't want to fix things between us because I needed to be alone for the time being. I need time to figure out what I want."
Stefan nodded accepting her answer. "Listen, Elena this morning in the hall I didn't mean to lose my cool with him."
"It's okay." Elena sighed. "I shouldn't have just walked away this morning either."
"Damon came over earlier to apologize." Stefan said pointing to the roses in a vase.
"He sure knows how to suck up doesn't he?" Elena laughed.
"I think it's the only way he knows how to."
"Katherine trained him well." Elena said smelling the roses.
Stefan laughed because that was true. "He offered to pay for us a limo to go to the formal in." Stefan said hoping she was still going with him.
"What?" Elena asked not sure she heard him right. She turned to face him and Stefan rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"I was hoping you were still going to be my date to the formal." Elena's face dropped and Stefan knew she had forgotten.
"Stefan." Elena whispered.
"No it's okay." He smiled shaking his head. "I did lose right?" He laughed trying to find an excuse to leave the room. "I need to go call Lexi and tell her I'm free to be her date still."
"Stefan wait." Elena called after him as he walked out of the house and into the night air.
"You go with Matt." He told her. "It's okay. He deserves to be with you."
"Stefan it's not like that at all. He just asked and I..."
"I asked first." Stefan cut her off.
"You made a bet with me." Elena pointed out.
"I won!" Stefan raised his voice at her.
"You never brought it up again."
"I didn't think I had to. I thought you'd at least remember."
"Stefan I'm sorry I don't remember everything we talk about."
"It was a bet Elena. We don't go back on those."
"Life isn't about making bets and playing games Stefan."
"No, but the point of the bets is that we keep our word. That's what life is about." Stefan sighed loudly. "You of people I thought would have respected our deal."
"Stefan I have so much going on in my life I barely know what day it is!" She yelled at him. "I can't keep up with whatever little deal you want to make to get your way! I have other people in my life besides you."
"I know that Elena." Stefan ran his fingers through his hair. "Get inside it's cold." He couldn't chance her getting sick. Elena shook her head sadly at him as she walked back inside.
When Stefan finally decided to come inside out of the cold he found Elena reading on the couch in front of the fire. He went and stood in front of the fire to warm himself up.
"You know you cut me off." Elena said setting her book down. Stefan raised an eyebrow at her. "I didn't say yes to Matt." He opened his mouth to apologize but Elena held her finger up to silence him. "You jumped to a conclusion, I understand." She nodded. "It's instinct to assume I'd go with him. But I didn't say yes but I also didn't disagree because of our deal. I wasn't lying when I said I honestly forgot. Going to the formal would be a huge step and a big slap in the face to Matt."
Stefan's shoulders slouched when he realized she wouldn't be going with him. "I don't want to hurt anyone by taking you." Stefan told her as he sat down beside her on the couch placing her feet in his lap. "I just thought it would be nice to do something together."
"It would be nice." Elena agreed. "I just don't know if the timing is right."
"At least think about it?" Stefan asked her. "Damon is in our debt."
Elena smiled nodding. "I'll think about it." She picked her book back up and opened it to the page she was reading. Stefan took the book from her and began reading aloud.
The week flew by without a hitch. Everything seemed to die down between Matt and Stefan. Matt was brooding and upset over his break up with Elena but he seemed to be handling it okay. Elena was feeling a lot better now that she knew she wasn't lying to Matt every single day. No one deserved to live that kind of life. Stefan had requested Elena cancel all her plans for Saturday and she was excited to see what was up his sleeve.
"Elena!" Stefan called out into the house when he walked into the house Saturday morning. Elena had stayed the night at her parents the night before and Stefan had stayed with Lexi.
"Yes?" Elena asked folding their laundry.
"I hope you didn't make plans." Stefan said walking to her and taking the clothes from her hands.
"Stefan I was trying to fold that. Lord knows you won't."
"Insult me later." Stefan told her grabbing her hands and walking backwards towards the door.
"Where are you taking me?" Elena asked trying to stop but Stefan kept pulling her along. They walked onto the front porch and Elena was puzzled. "What is it?"
Stefan had the biggest smile on his face pointed to a huge rectangular box. Elena gasped when she realized what it was.
"You didn't!" Elena said with excitement in her voice.
"I did." Stefan grinned. "I don't know where we will put it but we needed it."
"You bought me a Christmas tree?" Elena asked feeling herself overwhelmed with how sweet he was.
"We had a deal." He winked. "I just wanted to show you. You can finish laundry now."
Elena shook her head stepping towards him and throwing her arms around his neck to pull him into a hug. "Thank you so much Stefan." Stefan's arms encircled around her and he pulled her gently closer to him.
"You deserve it." He told her. "Now I hope you are ready to shop."
"What?" Elena asked stepping back from him.
"I told you to leave your schedule open today didn't I?" Elena nodded. "We have a tree with no lights and nothing to decorate it with. I don't know about you but I would like to put some lights on the house as well."
Elena's face lit up at the idea of them decorating the house for Christmas. "Give me thirty minutes to get ready."
"Take your time." Stefan smiled at her.
Stefan and Elena spent the whole day shopping. They had decided to head into the city to have more selections. It was late when they returned home and they decided they would decorate in the morning. All day Sunday the two put their tree together. Elena was delighted when she found out the tree also rotated. By the time night rolled around they were finally done. Elena had the lights off as she sat on the floor cross legged just watching the tree spin in circles as the lights glowed. It was mesmerizing to watch and she swore she could sit and do it forever. Stefan made them hot chocolate and stocked the fire before sitting down beside her wrapping a blanket around her. He didn't speak or say a word. Instead he just sat and took in the beauty of the moment. Today they made a memory that would forever be in their minds forever come every Christmas.
The next weekend Stefan and Elena had somehow suckered Damon in to coming over to help with the outside decorations.
"I don't see the point in this." Damon grumbled trying to untangle the brand new lights he had just unwrapped.
"Where's your Christmas spirit?" Elena asked him while trying not to laugh.
"This isn't exactly my thing." Damon said as he handed Elena the lights to help him.
"You never enjoyed Christmas did you?"
"It was always Stefan's thing." Damon shrugged. "Somehow the boy found so much happiness in the season that I always tried to make it the best even if I didn't care for it."
"He's over the top." Elena laughed pointing at all the decorations they had purchased.
"It's nice though isn't it?" Damon asked relieved that she was taking over the light situation.
"What?"
"Him being this way compared to the ass he has been."
Elena looked at Stefan who was singing along to some Christmas tune she heard playing while he went about arranging the decorations strategically. "I almost forgot that he could be like this." Elena replied honestly.
"I almost forgot you two could get along without fighting or tearing each other's clothes off." Damon smirked and dodged the punch Elena was throwing at his arm.
"How's work been?" Elena asked changing the subject.
"Good. Sales have been going up so that's always a plus and Stefan has been working over time to keep everything in line."
"Yeah he said he's been pretty tied up at the office." Elena said getting the next strand of lights. "How's my lovely sister?"
"Pleasant." Damon laughed.
"Hardly believable."
"She's not as bad as you think."
"She used to didn't be but I don't know about her sometimes." Elena sighed.
"People change, it's a part of growing up. We can't always stay the same. I mean look at you."
"What about me?"
"Nothing." Damon shook his head as Stefan walked up.
"Getting it?" Stefan asked noticing how Elena was doing most of the work.
"Working on it." Elena said.
"It's going to be epic." Stefan smiled. "Damon come help me get up on the roof."
"Be careful." Elena warned him. "I can't afford for you to get hurt." After all day of decorating the trio was finally done. Stefan was more than satisfied with the outcome of it all. They were all standing in the yard in front of the house taking in it's beauty.
"I have to admit this is spectacular." Damon commented.
"It's beautiful Stefan." Elena said looking up at him. He smiled wrapping an arm around her pulling her into the side of him.
"It's perfect." He whispered taking it all in.
Before everyone knew it the formal was creeping around the corner. Elena had yet to answer Stefan and it wasn't because she didn't want to it was because she had been so busy with exams and getting ready for the formal. Caroline had signed her up for the decorating committee and that was stealing most of her free time in the afternoons. Stefan was in the off season of baseball and that meant he was at the field until dark and usually he would hit the gym with Tyler afterwards. So the two had hardly seen each other unless it was just brief.
"So he still hasn't mentioned anything?" Caroline asked while she tried to decide on which dress she wanted. The formal was that weekend and she had three days left to find something.
"No." Elena sighed thumbing through dresses. She had already bought hers last week when they went shopping.
"Have you said anything to him?"
"No." Elena shook her head. "We've been so busy lately that I never see him."
"You need to talk to him Elena. The formal is Saturday and our queen will need a date."
"I'm not going to win."
"Whatever you are a shoe in to win." Caroline smiled. "Now tell me more about how sweet he's been." Caroline has loved hearing about their Christmas shopping and decorating. Elena laughed at her friend but told her the story again anyways.
Later that night Elena and Caroline pulled up to the house. Caroline got out of her car and looked at Elena.
"Why are there so many cars here?" Caroline asked her.
"I don't know." Elena shrugged just as confused. She recognized Lexi's car, Jenna's car was there as well. Stefan's car was there too. Walking in to the house she didn't see anyone so they walked out back and found everyone.
"Hey!" Lexi yelled way too loudly. Elena looked for a sign of a drink around to explain why she was being so loud but found nothing.
"Hey." Elena waved to everyone. Looking around she noticed Jeremy was there as well even Tyler was. Elena was worried for a moment wondering what the deal was but she felt her phone vibrate. Stefan sent her a message saying not to worry about Tyler. "Why is everyone here?" Elena asked.
"Stefan called us." Tyler shrugged.
"Where is he?" She asked.
"He was just here." Jenna smiled looking around for him.
Just then Stefan appeared out on the pier. Everyone's jaws dropped at the sight of him. Stefan was grinning from ear to ear at their reactions.
"Elena." Stefan called out to her. "You're probably wondering what's going on." Elena nodded unable to speak. There he was in cold as ice weather in nothing but his signature black boxer briefs with a red tie around his neck. "I asked everyone to come here to witness this because I just can't no for an answer anymore."
"Stefan it's freezing out here." Elena said walking closer to him.
"I came to make a deal." Stefan said bouncing back and forth from his heels to his toes. The cold was starting to get at him.
"Hopefully something with clothes right." Elena said looking him up and down.
Stefan shook his head. "I want to make a deal with you that if you be my date to the formal that I will single handedly be the best looking guy there." He winked when Elena rolled her eyes playfully at him. "I will take you out for a three course meal before hand. We will ride in the best limo and sip one of Damon's fancy bottles of champagne and catch just enough buzz to make us a little less nervous about walking into that gym again. I know the last time we didn't have the best memories but I am making it my mission to leave you with nothing but the best of memories. I will dance with you all night long and you won't even have to beg. When the night is over I will take you straight home. If you want me to stay the night I will." He teased. "But if not I will drop you at the doorstep with a goodnight kiss. I'm asking you to take a bet on me. I promise you won't lose."
Everyone was touched by Stefan's speech. Elena felt tears coming on. She couldn't stop them as they slowly rolled down her cheeks. He was here asking her to have faith in who he can be. She didn't want to trust him but something told her that she could slowly start putting some faith back into him. Stefan waited patiently for her to answer him. Everyone was waiting for her reply to come and when Elena nodded they all broke out with applauses. Stefan came up and picked Elena up spinning her around once before setting her back down.
"You won't regret this." Stefan promised her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I promise you Elena Gilbert I will never hurt you again."