Chapter 18 (Day 23-25)
To be honest, Elena would like to say that the birds chirping or the sunlight shines through the window to her bedroom is what wakes her up. But truthfully, it's the feeling of itchiness that slightly makes her squirm on her chin and neck actually rises her from her deep slumber.
She opens her eyes a little, trying to adjust from the little light coming from outside through the window, indicating that it's barely morning. She looks down to find a mop of dark hair with its head making her breasts as a makeshift pillow. She smiles softly when she feels a hand on her hips, pulling her towards its owner. She can feel the hand owner's warmth and deep breaths as he breathes. Unconsciously, she reaches up to caress the silky hair, wondering why the hell the man has hair so smooth that makes women jealous.
Damon's low purr vibrates through her whole body, shifting his head slightly deeper into her cleavage, looking for more comfortable spot.
"Darling, wake up," Elena croons, keep caressing his hair.
"Am sleepin'" Damon murmurs, blowing his warm breath onto her skin.
"Okay."
Elena runs down her left hand, her free hand that's been on his head, to his flawless back, then comes back up again to his head repeatedly earning her his satisfied hums. As she continue doing it, her mind flies back to the night before.
Damon has said something before they fell asleep.
I love you, Elena.
While she doesn't have an ounce of doubt that he loves her, she can't find herself saying it back to him yet. Last night was the definition of perfect. Damon has been a tentative yet passionate lover, putting her needs first before his. He has made her deliciously sore though they have made love only once last night. His size is not something she's used to.
Made love?
Yes, last night was all about how Damon proves to love her. She could see it in his eyes, in his body movements, even in his voice; thick with passion and adoration.
Although she can't say it back yet, doesn't mean she don't feel anything for him. Damon makes sure of that. He has climbed over her wall. He has wormed into her brain and eventually her heart. But once left by her loved once, she's still not sure that Damon will stay. She doesn't even know if this soul mate thing has an expiration date or something. She has no insurance that Damon will remain by her side.
"Stop thinking too hard." Damon admonishes by cupping her breast in front of him, making her gasp out her pleasure. He keeps his hand on her mound, letting her know to stay in the moment with him, just like she has asked him to last night at he prom.
"Okay."
"Go back to sleep, baby." He grips her breast as if it is his to begin with then caresses the nipple to soothe her.
"Mmm 'kay."
The second time Elena wakes up, it's finally because of the sun shines through the window. She blinks a couple of times, turns her head to find that it's eight-fifty in the morning. She yawns then taps the space beside her to find her boyfriend still sleeping. Though, this time, he's laying spread eagle with his foot hanging on the edge of the bed. Elena grins slightly before makes a move to slowly straddle him, which goes unnoticed by Damon since his only response is a barely low groan.
She starts her exploration by kissing his forehead, down to the tip of his nose, then finally his kissable lips. She nips at it, loving the way his lips against hers. Damon, not one to disappoint, kissing her back in a second, wrapping his arms around her so that she lays flat on him, pressing her chest to his.
"Good morning," Elena giggles, feeling the way her lover's arms tightening his hold.
"Morning," Damon nudges his nose with hers adorably. "Are you okay? Are you sore? Did I hurt you?"
"I'm okay, baby, you were right. The pleasure beat the pain." She puts her chin onto his toned chest, lowering her body down a little earning her his moan when her center greets his steel-hard manhood. "Restraint, Damon."
"How can I—ugh, you're so annoying," Damon wiggles his hips a little, pressing himself to her.
Elena moans slightly."Jenna'll gonna be here soon."
"We can continue this in my room," he smirks down at her.
"Then Alaric'll be there. We just have to be sneaky about it."
"Why?" he whines. "They know about us dating, and they sure as hell have expected that we've done the deed."
She laughs heartily. "Doesn't mean we have to prove their prediction is right."
Elena shifts down so that she can place herself beside Damon; putting her head on the crook of his neck then automatically feels the vampire hands cocooning her protectively.
Minutes pass as they trap in their own little world. With Damon's arms around her, she feels safe and protected, like nothing can beat her. Her mind's wandering around how long she gets to keep Damon knowing she's used to having him around. And letting him onto her bed, making love to her, isn't really making stuff easy when suddenly he poofs away.
"Damon?"
"Hmm?"
"Last night… when you say you loved me…"
She feels Damon's body tense. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry I didn't say it back," Elena sighs, partly in guilt but mostly in anger for herself for her lack of courage to say it back.
He takes a deep breath then let it out as though breathing is getting difficult for him. "It's okay. I just want you to know that I really, really do love you. I love you for everything that you are."
Elena feels her eyes water. How can she not say it back when she clearly can feel the love radiates from him? She sniffles, "I just—I can't. Not after my parents. Not yet. I'm sorry."
He kisses the top of her head, inhaling the smell of her hair. "Take your time, beautiful."
Little does she know, Damon's sporting his frown deeper than ever.
"Graduation's coming up."
"Yeah."
"Have you prepared your speech? You're still the valedictorian, right?"
"Thanks for having trust in me, Aunt Jenna," Elena smirks.
"Just saying," Jenna smiles, shrugging her shoulders.
"I have prepared my speech. But I was thinking of going to New York the day after graduation. You know, checking out my dorm, the classes… the foods around. You know how picky I am when it comes to food. Besides, doing everything online can only do so much."
"Yeah, okay. But I have to clear my schedule for the week, I don't know if I can use up all of my vacation days." The older woman's forehead furrows, taking a seat next to her niece at the dining table as they eat their lunch.
"I can ask Damon," Elena suggests.
"You sure?" Jenna is still not convinced.
"Yeah. I promise you we'll behave," Elena grins.
Jenna opens her mouth to responds before closing it again, then she shoots, "How long have you known Damon anyway? I mean I know he's your boyfriend and everything, but letting you go to New York with him…"
"I've known him for almost a month…."
Jenna's puckered brows gets deeper.
Damon's time almost up.
Does Elena not know anything about Damon's a month trial?
"…besides he will—"
"Do you love him?"
Elena's eyebrows shoot up straight. "What?"
"Do you love him? Do you love Damon?"
"Uh…" she seems hesitant to answer. "What's it got to do with New York?"
"I'm just curious," Jenna shrugs, pretending to be cool about it. "You've known him for a while yet you guys been attached to the hip. I had to remove him from you this morning. And I'm pretty sure he stayed over last night."
Elena sighs. "It's complicated, Aunt Jenna. After mom and dad died, letting people in is the hardest thing to do, you know that. By letting myself admit anything about Damon making feel defenseless. I don't want anyone I care about leaving me again."
"Oh, honey," she goes to squeeze her niece's hand.
"He told me he loved me last night. But I'm just not ready to say it back."
"Well, you'd better hurry up. Finding a perfect partner in life is hard, and I'm pretty sure Damon is perfect for you."
"So, you'll come right?" Elena scrolls down on her laptop, searching for plane tickets to New York. She traps her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she listens to Damon's husky, velvet voice.
It's already Sunday, which means if she wants to get a cheaper price for the plane tickets, she probably should book them now.
"When?"
"Next week. After graduation. So… Sunday." Elena clicks on the ticket, looking over through the details.
Damon goes quiet. It goes unnoticed by his girlfriend since she's focused on the screen of her laptop. She clicks on it, then stops at the passengers' box, now fully notice that Damon has been silent, no answering her question yet. "You there?"
A shuffle sound is heard on the line, "I'm here."
"So, will you come with me? Jenna got all covered. My inheritance money—"
"Elena," his voice straightens her up a little. He sounds serious.
"Yeah?"
"I love you…" why does that sounds like a question needs to be answered?
"Damon," she sighs, sitting up on the bed, tickets temporarily forgotten.
"I… I know," she hears him lets out a deep breath. "Can I call you later? Alaric needs me with something."
"Yeah, okay. Bye."
"Bye."
"Damon's been avoiding me since yesterday."
"Why?"
Rebekah takes a spot next to her best friend, copying her sitting position against the headboard.
"Because I'm an idiot," Elena mumbles.
"Look, not your fault, okay? He should've been more understanding. You're not ready. He shouldn't have pushed you to say it back. That… that pusher," Rebekah rolls her eyes.
"But I'm still stupid. How long am I going to be scared? For the rest of my life? I can't just let good things passing by because I'm afraid to be left alone again."
"Elena, listen. If—God forbids—Damon leaves you after you pour your hearts out to him, you still have me. You still have Jenna, even Alaric. We all care about you. Just do something that makes you happy for once. And I can see it clear as day that Damon makes you happy."
"So…." Elena trails off, looking for more encouraging words from her friend because God knows she needs it.
"So, you go to Damon's, make him the happiest man alive, tell him what you really feel about him. I'm pretty sure you feel the same way as him."
"Now?" she asks stupidly.
"Let's just wait until we're doom," Rebekah sticks her tongue out, "Of course now!"
"Right."
With determination and a smile on her face, she gets up, grabs her purse and car keys then out the door in matter of minute with an important person and mission on her mind.
As soon as she parks her car on Alaric and Damon's driveway, she locks the car and giddily run up the stairs. Knowing Alaric has Jenna on a date, making her feel braver as she pushes the door and let herself in.
She finds no signs of her soul mate anywhere. She checks the den then the kitchen, no Damon in sight. She finally goes to the direction of his bedroom, knocks the door once before she grabs the handle and opens the door.
What greets her, however, is far from her expectation.
Damon, draining the life out of a woman in her late twenties from her slim neck, is too busy sucking the blood he doesn't ever hear her coming in. Fortunately he still wears his pants on while his black shirt is unbuttoned. The woman's face is showing that she's lost in great pleasure combined with slight pain with her black skimpy dress is riding up, showing her wide hips and toned thighs.
Elena feels her eyes wet, tears almost escaping her eyes. She cups her mouth with her hand, not wanting them to know about her presence. After what feels like a lifetime, with tears already falling on her reddened face, Damon gets rid of his dinner, throwing her carelessly on the floor with her blood still dripping slightly from his mouth. He wipes it casually, then as if he just comes back from his trance, he turns to find his horrified soul mate, waves of tears on her beautiful yet pained face.
"Elena," Damon whispers, not believing his eyes that she has witnessed him sucking another woman's blood even after he has promised her no to do that thing again.
She swallows before she turns on her heels, her heart feel like breaking inside of her. The betrayal Damon has done it not only because he has broken his promise to not feeding from people of Mystic Falls, but also because he has been thoughtless about her. Here she is, wanting to apologize for her stupidity, and then telling him what she knows he deserves to hear; that she loves him too, with all her heart. But after this ordeal, Elena just wants to go home and forget everything.
"Wait! Elena, wait! Please, baby." Damon rushes to follow her, not caring anymore about the limp body of his dinner.
She turns around, just in front of the closed front door. Her puffy and red face, signaling how heartbroken she is, breaks Damon's own heart. "Don't ever call me again. Don't come to my house. I don't want anything to do with you." She demands shakily but manage to add an edge of fury.
"Baby, please," Damon pleads, begging her to listen to his explanation. He softly grabs her hand.
"Not your baby anymore, you make sure of that." Elena spits harshly.
"Elena, just listen—"
"In case it's not clear for you… We're over."
5 more days!
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