A/N: Here's part five! There's just one more chapter left after this!
I DO NOT OWN TEEN WOLF, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, OR THE CHARACTERS.
Derek kept to himself more and more after that night. Mason and I still saw him on occasion, but it wasn't like normal. He and Mason had guys' nights. Derek and I got together sometimes, but it started to feel like he was avoiding me. It got to the point that I saw Peter more often, than I saw him.
Stiles quickly became my most frequent texting buddy. He was just as worried about Derek, as I was. He planned another trip out here, but it fell through, because his dad finally proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Melissa. He refused to let anyone else plan anything engagement or wedding related. It had to be perfect, because he and Scott were going to finally be actual brothers.
He keeps promising to bring Scott with him the next time he comes out, so I can finally meet him. I keep telling him that I'm holding him to that.
"Bonnie, you can't be serious. You can't just not do anything! It's your anniversary with Mason!" Caroline cried. I sighed and just looked at her, like she was crazy. I know she means well, but I really wish that just this once, she would butt out.
"Care, take a breath and chill out. I've barely gotten to see Mason the past two months, okay? We've both been working crazy hours. He's been looking to build another brewery in another location and it's taking a lot of his time. Another one of the damn writers quit and heaven forbid we actually hire enough people on staff, so those of us that are still working there have time to sleep." I grumbled. "Spending the night in with him sounds like a dream." I told her. I'm so tired that I could drop.
"Fine, but only because I care." She gave in.
"Thank you. No offense, but I'm gonna take a nap, before he gets here."
"Sweet dreams, Bon."
I jumped when I felt lips on mine. I started to fall off of the couch, but someone grabbed me. I blinked and saw Mason. I instantly relaxed in his grip.
"You're awake. You know, before today, I wasn't sure that Sleeping Beauty was real." He winked. I laughed and pulled him on top of me. I cuddled next to him and closed my eyes, again. "You know, if we sleep, you won't be able to enjoy your present." He coaxed my eyes open again.
"You know you didn't have to get me anything. We both agreed that we wouldn't." I sighed. He just grinned at me.
"I couldn't help it. It's been an amazing two years. I wanted to make sure that you knew that I appreciate you and I love that you're my lady." He kissed me. I melted into him.
"Only 'cause you're my guy," I said, against his lips.
"It's in the kitchen." He told me. I sighed and let him lift me off of the couch and set me onto my feet. I glanced over at the island and saw a vase full of white roses and a small package next to it. I smiled and walked over to it. It was a small box and I refrained from picking it up. I love Mason, but I'm not ready to marry him or to be engaged. We just aren't there yet. "It's not a ring. I promise." He assured me. I nodded, before picking it up and lifting off the lid. I peered inside and saw a key.
"You're giving me a key to your place?" I asked him, as my smile grew.
"I figured it's about time that you have one. I have one to your place. I don't have anything to hide from you." He shrugged. I walked over to him and pulled on his shirt, so he had to lean down. I kissed him.
"I got you something, too." I told him.
"Oh, is that right?" He asked me. I nodded and started to unbutton my shirt.
"You just have to unwrap it. You know, if you think that you can handle it." I breathed, as I toyed with the buttons.
"I can definitely handle it."
Derek finally came clean about why he had been so standoffish. He never actually broke things off with Braeden. I guess they cooled it for a while, but they're definitely still an item. I decided not to waste my breath. If he wants to keep seeing her, it's his choice.
"How's scouting going?" I asked Mason over the phone.
"Painfully," he sighed. "I just can't find what I'm looking for. I'll probably be going a few more days. We're going to travel a little further out."
"Okay, baby, I miss you." I sighed.
"Not as much as I miss you. I can't wait to be back, so I can see your beautiful face."
"I'll be here." I promised him.
"You doin' anything tonight?" He asked me.
"Derek and I are going to binge on reality TV and cookies. Peter will probably join us. He's been claiming to feel unloved, because he hasn't been included." I told him. Mason laughed.
"Good. Have fun. I gotta go, Bonnie. I love you."
"I love you, too. Stay safe." I hung up the phone. I heard something crash next door. I got to my feet and went into the hall. Derek won't be home for at least another hour. Did someone break in? I ran back into my apartment and grabbed the first weapon-looking thing I laid my eyes on – an umbrella.
"Harder," someone moaned. I froze. It was Braeden's voice.
"Fuck yeah," someone who definitely wasn't Derek responded. I fumed and used my key to unlock the apartment door. I whipped out my phone and recorded the two of them fucking on the floor, just inside the door. At least they aren't ruining his furniture.
"I told that you were a mistake!" I yelled. Braeden scrambled to push him off of her, when she saw me.
"It's not what it looks like!" She lied.
"Oh, so he just tripped and his dick fell into the gaping hole that you call a vagina?!" I taunted her. She hopped around and tried to put her clothes on. The guy just looked stunned.
"Hey, I'm all for a threesome." He grinned, sheepishly.
"I'd sooner castrate you." I replied.
"Awe, I like 'em feisty." He leered at me. I swatted his arm with the umbrella. "Ow." He complained.
"Get your shit and get out!" I told him. When he didn't move, I hit him with the umbrella again. "Next time, it's gonna be the sad excuse you call your dick." I added. He quickly pulled his pants on and ran out the door. "Not you," I grabbed Braeden's arm, when she tried to follow him. I stopped the video on my phone and pocketed it. "We're gonna talk." I told her, before shutting the door. "Derek doesn't deserve this and you're going to leave him alone and get the hell out of his life. Today."
"And if I don't want to." She challenged me.
"I'm sure he'll want nothing to do with you, as soon as I show him the video on my phone. But, when I put it online, everyone will be able to see it." I shrugged. She lunged at me.
"You wouldn't dare!" She screeched. I fell backwards and yanked her hair. She cried out and I pushed her off of me. She hit me and I covered my face. The next blow landed in my gut. I brought my knee up and hit her hard in her lady parts. She groaned and I hit her in the face with my elbow. "You're just jealous, because he moved on!" She cried.
"We were never together!" I reminded her. She grunted and rolled us over. She pulled my hair and slammed my head into the floor. I winced and yanked my head back, before she could, and head-butted her.
"You bitch!"
"Slut!"
"Hey, I got off early. What are you d–" Derek announced from the doorway. We both looked up momentarily. Braeden went to hit me again, but I wiggled away and backhanded her. "Hey, break it up!" Derek tried to pull us apart, but we just reached around him and kept going at it. Braeden managed to kick my side and tear off my sleeve with her nails. I got a punch in and hit her in the jaw.
"I hope you're hungry!" Peter sang, walking inside. He dropped the food and rushed over to help Derek break us up. Derek grabbed me and Peter got Braeden. He wrinkled his nose and walked into the hallway and dropped her – actually dropped her. I laughed.
"What the fuck happened?" Derek demanded.
"I walked in on her fucking some guy. She tried to give me some bullshit excuse. I kicked out the man-whore, told her to stay away from you and she attacked me." I summed up.
"Erase the video." Braeden demanded.
"Go to hell." I spat. She tried to lunge at me, again, only to have Peter grab her.
"Video?" Derek growled. I nodded. I tried to wiggle out of his grip, so I could grab my phone and show him. His grip just tightened.
"Back pocket, on my phone," I told him. He reached in between us and pulled out my phone. He didn't let go of me. He just started watching the video. Peter dropped Braeden again, before peering over our shoulders to see it. I didn't watch it. I just watched Braeden watch them as they did.
"I'm so sorry, Derek." She was crying.
"You're going to be sorry." Peter told her, before smiling manically. Peter took the phone from Derek's hand and disappeared into Derek's bedroom.
"Leave your key, then get the fuck out. I never want to see you, again. I mean it this time." Derek told her, coldly. Braeden did as he asked and walked away. His body sagged, after she left.
"You can put me down, D." I told him, gently.
"No yet," he told me, quietly. He set me down, before pulling me in for a hug. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Standing up for me. You didn't have to and I was too stupid to listen. I can't believe you actually got into a fight with her." He said, before letting me go.
"Twice."
"What?" He looked at me, confused.
"I've gotten into two fights with her. You deserve so much better than her. Come on. I have cookies and vodka. Let's get wasted."
"Wasted sounds good."
"Don't forget about me, kitten." Peter said, resurfacing. He handed back my phone and I knew that he had done something. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Nothing I did can be traced back to you. Trust daddy."
"I always do."
Mason's been back for a couple of weeks, but things haven't been the same. He's been acting distant. Things are definitely off with us, but every time I bring it up, he just assures me that nothing is wrong and changes the subject. I don't know what to think.
He and the guys are supposed to take Derek out tonight, to try and cheer him up. The girls are coming over here, for another girls' night.
"I'm gonna head out. Do you need anything?" Mason asked me. I shook my head and studied him.
"No," I told him. He smiled at me and gave me a kiss. I kissed him back, before pulling away. I wish I knew what he was keeping from me.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." He headed out the door, before I had a chance to say it back. I sighed. I'm sure if it was something serious, he would tell me. Right?
"Is there a reason that we've never doubled or gone on a group date?" Caroline asked me. I shrugged.
"I think Braeden and all of her drama just scarred me for life." I told her, truthfully. Everyone snorted in amusement.
"We should do it, you know, if Mason is still here." Vicki mused, before taking another drink of her margarita. I froze and gaped at her.
"What do you mean, 'Still here'?" I asked her. Her eyes widened and I could tell that she said something that she wasn't supposed to.
"It's nothing, really." She tried to brush it off.
"Vicki, what is it?" I pressed. She looked down at her hands, before answering me.
"Mason told Ty that he's going to franchise the breweries. He's had some inquiries about partnerships and I guess he took one on. They want to build one in every major city all over the country. He's starting in California." She told me. I was floored. This is big news, bigger than big. Is this why he's been acting so strangely? How could he make this kind of decision without even telling me? Did he really think so little of our relationship?
"When did you find out?" I asked her, not caring that I was grilling her for answers, or how I sounded while I did it.
"Last week," she breathed. I finished my drink and pulled out my phone. I went to my bedroom and closed the door. I took a deep breath and dialed his number, before I lost my nerve.
"Hey beautiful, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He answered, sounding better than he has in weeks.
"You're moving to California?" I asked a lot louder, than I intended.
"Bonnie, I was going to tell you. I'd be going to a few places, before California. " He tried to explain himself.
"So, it's true?" I asked in disbelief.
"I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you sooner." He apologized.
"When?"
"Bonnie, I –"
"When?" I repeated.
"Two weeks," he sighed. Two weeks?! And who knows when he was actually going to tell me?!
"You're moving in two weeks and you couldn't even tell me?!"
"Nothing is finalized. Okay? I don't have to move out there, right away. I can stay in a hotel for the first month. I'll be bouncing around a lot of the next year, anyway. It makes more sense to keep my things here."
"So, you're going to be gone for a year?" I asked, wondering if it was the alcohol distorting things, or if I was actually hearing him right.
"I could still come to visit you." He breathed.
"You won't have time, Mason. I've barely seen you at all the past six months and you've been local. I can't do this. I can't do long distance."
"Bonnie, don't do this. Okay? I'll come by in the morning and we can talk then."
"I'm not sure if I want to."
"I'll see you in the morning. I do love you." He hung up on me. I stared at my phone for a good five minutes, before I ran to the bathroom and wretched. Tears streamed down my face and I felt like I had been hit by a freight train.
"Bonnie?" Caroline wandered into the bathroom, as I was brushing my teeth. "I'm so sorry." She rubbed my back, and pulled me into a hug. I nodded and let her hold me. "Maybe you guys can still make this work. Right? I mean, would long distance really be so bad? Maybe he'll ask you to go with him?" She suggested. I shrugged.
"I really don't want to talk about it." I told her.
"It's okay. Let's get you another drink, huh?"
"Why not?"
"Caroline, how are you and my brother not married?" Rebekah asked Caroline, through a fit of giggles. We've already cleared on bottle of tequila and we're on the second. We gave up mixing margaritas and now we're on shots.
"You'll have to ask him that. I've made it perfectly clear that I'm willing and ready." Caroline sighed, before stealing the bottle from Lexi and taking a shot.
"I'm glad that you and Stefan moved back. I never told you that." I told Lexi. She smiled at me.
"I am, too. After my ex and I broke up, I knew it was time for a change." She agreed.
"Was your ex anything like Matt?" Vicki asked her. Lexi nodded, after a minute.
"Isn't it weird that most of us have a type?" Caroline asked. We all nodded in agreement.
"You know what's really weird?" Rebekah asked. "What's weird is that Derek and Mason are almost exactly alike." She directed towards me. I pondered what she said and took another shot.
"No, they're not." I argued. Everyone just kind of looked at me and I continued to think it over. "Okay, maybe they are, but that doesn't mean anything. They're both great guys. I mean, apart from Mason not telling me that he was moving." I sighed, still very much butthurt about the whole situation and how he decided to handle it.
"Personally, I think Derek's the better choice." Lexi shrugged. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
"I don't know. They're both pretty nice to look at." Rebekah said.
"Can we not talk about this?" I asked them. I really don't want to think about this, right now.
"Awe, is someone in denial?" Vicki prodded.
"No." I shook my head.
"Guys, come on. She's having a bad enough night as it is." Caroline tried to get them to stop. It must have worked, because they started talking about Lost Girl and how hot Dyson was, instead.
I groaned and had to pry my eyes open. Someone was knocking on the door. It sounded like a stampede in the hallway. I grimaced and tried to fight the sudden urge to throw up. I detangled myself from the couch. I'd passed out wedged between Lexi and Caroline.
As soon as I got to my feet, I bee-lined to the bathroom and threw up the contents of my stomach. Ugh. So much tequila. Definitely not a good idea. I rinsed my mouth out and brushed my teeth, before answering the door.
"I have to shower." I told Mason, who more annoyed than he should. He nodded and followed me inside. He didn't say anything, as he eyed the other sleeping girls. "It wasn't an invitation." I clarified for him. "You can wait for me in my room." I said, not bothering to look at him. I grabbed clothes and hurried into the bathroom.
We drank so much last night. We danced and vented about everything. After enough shots, there were tears and I couldn't stop crying. We literally talked about all of our problems and it became a sob-fest. We were basically an all female, drunk version of The Breakfast Club.
I blazed through my shower and got dressed faster than I would have liked. I'm not sure that I'm ready for this conversation, but I know that it needs to happen and I know that I don't want to put it off anymore.
I walked out of the bathroom and saw Mason sitting on the edge of my bed. He didn't smile when he saw me, like he normally did. Things are tense and neither of us are pretending like things are okay, when they obviously aren't.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry that you had to find out from someone else. I wish you didn't. I should've been the one to tell you. I wanted to be the one to tell you. I just didn't want to ruin a good thing with us. Yeah, I took the job, but I didn't even know if I was going to go through with it. It's a big change. I don't want to lose you over it, but the more that I thought about it, the more that it felt like the right move for me. Business is really taking off for me. It could be the start of something great." He explained. I leaned back against the bathroom door frame. What do I say to that?
"I'm not going to tell you not to go." I told him, quietly. He nodded.
"What are you thinking?" He asked me, just as quietly, as he walked over to me. I shrugged and forced myself to look him in the eye.
"I'm disappointed and a little heartbroken. I would never even consider taking a job like that, without telling you, first. I'm not saying that you needed to ask for my permission, or anything, but you should have told me. We've been together for almost two and a half years, Mason. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" I trembled and tried to keep my emotions in check.
"Of course, it does." He tried to place a hand on the side of my face, but I turned, so he couldn't.
"What do you want from me? What do you want from us? What are you expecting here?" I asked him. He sighed.
"I don't know, Bonnie. Okay? We can make this work. Can't we? Would long distance really be so bad?" He asked me. I pursed my lips together. He sounds just like Caroline did the night before. "Or you could come with me. What's keeping you here?"
"I can't just pick up and move my life around, Mason. My life is here. My friends are here. My career is here. I don't want to leave Mystic Falls." I refused.
"What career? You can find a job writing anywhere." He tried, again. I glared at him.
"It's nice to know that your career means so much more than mine does. You know that even though the work load has been stressing me out, I love my job. My home is here." I snapped.
"Bonnie, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I want a future with you. When I think about my future, you're in it. Am I in yours?" He asked me.
"I don't know." I admitted, quietly.
"I want to marry you, someday." He continued. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Everything is just happening so fast.
"I'm not moving, Mason." I breathed. The look he gave me, told me that he knew I would never leave and that's why he didn't tell me.
"Just think about it. Okay? Sleep on it and then we'll talk." He said, decidedly. He kissed my forehead and then my mouth. I started to end the kiss, but he pulled me closer. His tongue crept into my mouth and I gave in to him. His hands slid under my shirt and tore it off of me. We were both on the bed and our clothes on the floor, before I realized we were naked. We paused, just long enough for him to grab a condom.
When we touched, it was electrifying. It felt hot and passionate. It felt intense and overwhelming. It felt like our bodies were trying to say everything that our mouths couldn't. He touched me and I wanted to be the woman that he needed. He touched me and I knew he apologizing for not being able to be the man that I needed.
We made love twice and then it was over. I could still feel all of the feelings and emotions lingering heavily between us. There was so much that was left unsaid. There was so much that I knew we would never say.
He took me into his arms and kissed me. It still felt like all of the things before, but it was different. Now it felt like goodbye and I couldn't ignore it.
We didn't talk as he picked up his clothes and he left. We didn't say a word. I knew that my mind was already made up. I just didn't know why. I needed to figure that out, before we talked again.
I showered again, before going out to see my friends. I found an empty apartment and a note from Caroline.
'Hey Bon,
Mason asked us to give you guys some time. I didn't want you to think that we just bailed on you. Call me later, if you need to talk. Even if you don't want to talk, I can still come over and we can watch sappy movies… or not. Whatever you decide, I won't think less of you. Okay? You're my best friend and I just want to see you happy. If going with Mason will make you happy, then do it. If staying here and doing something else will, then do it. I love you, Bon.
At least text me, so I know you're okay. Okay?
Xo,
Caroline'
I smiled when I read it. It was exactly what I needed. I'll text her later. I'm not ready to talk yet. I don't even know what I'm feeling right now.
I laid on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. I thought about what Mason asked me. Do I see him when I picture my future? I… don't know. I used to think that I did, but now… I'm not so sure. Yeah, losing him will hurt, but… leaving Mystic Falls would hurt more. I'd have to leave my friends. I'd have to leave my job. I'd have to leave the only place I'd really ever felt safe and accepted.
My Grams is buried here. I don't want to leave her or the memories I share with her. She left me her house. I don't use it, not yet. It's too big. I always thought that when I finally settled down and started a family, that I'd move in. It's just always felt like home. It was just too painful to be there, before. Her death was too fresh. I couldn't step foot inside without losing it.
I'd leave my dad. Sure, I only see him a few times a year, but that's our relationship. He might be an absentee father, but he's the only one I've got and I do love him.
I'd leave Caroline and Matt. They've been there for me through literally everything. I've known them for my entire life. As far as I'm concerned, they are my family. I love them both, so much.
I'd leave… Derek. I couldn't even think about leaving Derek, without crying. I swiped at the tears falling from my eyes. He's… He's become such a crucial part of my life. I can't picture my life without him. I can't picture my future without him. I don't want to. He makes me feel like… When I look at him, I just know that he'll always be there for me, no matter what. When he touches me, there's an intensity that I can't even begin to describe. He feels like home. I never want to lose that. I never want to lose him. I love him. He's my best friend and I love him. I love him, like I love…
I blinked and my jaw went slack. I can't picture a future with Mason, because I already picture my future with Derek. I knew that I cared about him. I even knew that I loved him, but I don't think I knew how much. I didn't think that I was in love with him. I love Derek. I really love Derek. I denied everything, because I didn't want to jeopardize what we had together. I've been so stupid.
I know what I have to do now. I pulled out my phone and dialed Caroline's number.
"Bonnie, are you okay?" She asked me.
"I love Derek." I told her.
"What?"
"I love Derek. I'm in love with Derek. Oh, my God, Caroline, I love Derek." I repeated, starting to freak out.
"I know."
"You what?"
"Bonnie, I love you, but I've known you, since we were in diapers. I knew you loved him. You just had to figure that out. You weren't ready. Let me know how everything goes. Okay? You should talk to Mason first." She reminded me. I nodded, numbly.
"Okay. I'll let you know how everything goes. Thank you. Really. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Let's hope you never have to find out. Love you." She giggled.
"Love you, too, Care." I hung up, smiling, for the first time today. I took a deep breath and made the call that I didn't want to make. Mason picked up after the first ring.
"Hey, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon." He answered.
"I'm ready to talk." I told him.
"Do you want me to come over?" He offered.
"If it's easiest for you. It doesn't matter."
"I'll be over in twenty minutes." He replied, before hanging up. I don't have anything at his place. We normally just crash here. He works so much that doesn't really keep groceries in the house.
I pulled myself out of my thoughts and started gathering his things together. I found an empty box in my pantry and filled it. He didn't have much. The box held some clothes, some toiletries and a few odd-end things.
He knocked on my door right on time. I tried to ignore the growing knot in my stomach, before answering the door. I pulled it open and he looked grim. He didn't look mad, just… like he knew what was coming.
"Hey," I breathed.
"Hey," he replied. "Can I come in?" He asked me. I nodded and moved aside. I shut the door and faced him. "You're not coming. Are you?" He asked me. I shook my head.
"No and I don't want to do the long distance thing, either. I just… My heart is here. My family, everything is here. I don't want to leave everything behind."
"You don't want to leave Derek." He guessed. I looked down at my feet.
"I'm so sorry. I do love you. I didn't… If I had realized that I was… I never would've… I'm so sorry, Mason." I apologized. I swallowed back the tears that were fighting their way to the surface.
"Bonnie, you're," his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "You're a lot of things, but I know that you'd never do something so intentionally hurt someone, not without a good reason. When you tell me that you didn't realize that you're in love with him, I believe you. I don't like it. I really don't, but I get it. I think that I knew. I think that I've known the entire time. I just didn't want to see it."
"You're going to do great with your business, Mason. You're a good man and you're going to do great things. I know that you're going to kick ass at this. You're too smart, not to. And I'm just so incredibly sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am. I hope that you're able to find someone that you deserve. You deserve a much better person than me. You deserve to be so happy. You know? Nothing less. You shouldn't settle for nothing less. And I know that I can't ask you to stay friends. I know that it's going to be hard and I won't ask that. Just… when you can, can you just let me know how things are going out there? I worry and I just want to know that you're safe. I know it's selfish to ask, but please? If you don't mind? I'll keep my space. I won't butt my way into things. Just, when you're ready, I'll be here. Okay? If you ever need anything, I'm here. I'm sorry." It was a miracle that I still wasn't crying. I was on the verge. He pulled me into his chest and hugged me.
"I will. Okay? I'm gonna need time and space, but I will. I love you, Bonnie. I know that you love me and I know it's not the same way that you love him. It's… It'll be okay. Make sure he treats you right. If he doesn't, I'll straighten him out." He promised. I was crying. I clung to him and he rubbed my back. "Stop apologizing. You can't help what you feel, or who you fall for. Come 'mere." He breathed. I wiped my face off and looked up at him. He pulled me in for kiss that couldn't be described as anything but hungry. It was heated and intoxicating. And I knew that it was closure. For both of us. He pulled away and touched his lips to my temple. "This isn't goodbye. Okay? It's see you later. I'll be around." He promised. I nodded. He grabbed his things and gave me one last kiss, before walking out. I waited until he left to fall apart. My phone went off and I saw Derek's name flash across the Caller ID.
"Hey, now isn't a good time." I rasped into the phone.
"What's wrong?" He asked me. I could tell that he was getting ready to come over.
"Mason and I broke up." I gave him the quick version without the details.
"I'm on my way over."
"No, don't. It's okay. I'll be okay. I just need tonight to myself. Can we talk in the morning, though? It's really important."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just, I don't want to have that conversation with you, while I'm a mess. Okay? I'll be over first thing in the morning. I promise." I told him.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything. Oh, I was supposed to ask you if you were available for dinner tomorrow. Peter requests your presence." He sounded less than thrilled to be relaying that message. I snorted.
"Yeah, that sounds great. Just, in the morning, can it be just the two of us?" I asked him. I know I'm not making a lick of sense to him, but I really don't want to have that conversation with an audience. I just hope that I didn't miss my chance with him. If I have, then I need to accept it and try to go back to friends. Or try. Anyway.
"Of course," he promised me.
"Thanks, Derek. I'm gonna go and inhale my ice cream. I'll see you in the morning." I hung up the phone and called Caroline. I let her know everything and she offered me moral support. I told her that we should have a girls' night soon, just the two of us, just not tonight. She said she understood and I started cleaning up.
I washed all of the dishes. I wiped down the entire kitchen. I vacuumed the apartment. I stripped my bed and started washing everything. I took a shower and changed out of my clothes and into looser pajamas. I washed everything that smelled like Mason.
By the time I finished, I was ready to drop. I parked my happy ass in front of the TV with ice cream and Supernatural. I felt better about things. I felt like the world's shittiest human being, but other than that, I was fine.
Mason has been texting me. I think it's hard to break the habit. It's our normal. They're not mean or nasty. They're just supportive and friendly, if anything. I scrolled through my inbox and read his latest message.
'Stop beating yourself up.
-Mason'
I shook my head and texted him back.
'Don't tell me what to do.
-Bonnie'
I didn't have to wait long for a response.
'Seriously. We'll get through this, one way or another. I'm not losing you from my life. I'll even send you postcards. :)
-M'
I didn't know how I felt about him trying to cheer me up. I don't deserve it. I really don't.
'You don't have to do this. You know. I don't want to lose you, either. I'm okay giving you time. I won't push things. It's okay to focus on yourself. I think you need it, right now. I'd be okay with postcards, though. :)
-B'
'I just wanted to make sure you were okay first. Now that I know, I will. Okay? I'll talk to you sometime. I promise. Take care of yourself, Bonnie. I'll miss you.
-M'
'Just make sure you're okay. You're who I'm worried about. I will. You do the same. I'll miss you, too. Stay safe.
-B'
I sent the last message and turned off my phone. It's going to be a long night and I want to be ready for tomorrow. Everything has my mind going into overload.
A/N: The next chapter will be the last! Reviews would be great. Stay tuned.
Lots of love,
Anneryn