A/N a.k.a Bonnie's foreword: nekilarose (The more they talk, the more will be revealed. I promise all your questions will be answered in time.), Guest (Thank you for taking the time to comment.), jordanjanellejoy (Oh, there are still games to come. Is there every anything else with these two?)


CHAPTER SEVEN

'This one's for you' reverberated like a reassuring mantra as the two friends parked and made their approach of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house. Heels clicking in unison.

After waking up a couple hours ago, after having Bonnie's pluckier memories assault her and her lover pretend that it didn't happen, hurt and resolve drove her to her current quandary. She needed a temporary distraction, something to keep her confidence from failing.

"Is Stefan meeting us here?" Caroline had been oddly mum on the topic and amidst her own dramas Bonnie hadn't had the want to ask.

"No. He's gone to North Carolina."

"For—" Bonnie started, uncertain she should say the woman's name out loud when the eldest Salvatore still didn't know of younger female Salvatore's existence and had a tendency of lurking in the shadows.

"Yeah. Her," Caroline confirmed, cutting short the need for proclivity. "Ever since that whole thing with Enzo, Liam and my forcing him to turn off his humanity, he's become a little protective."

"Only a little?"

"Obsessively so," Caroline simplified with a miserable twitch of her lips, brushing at her blonde locks from the sides of her face with an inkling of timidity Bonnie hadn't seen her retain in years. Losing her mother watered down such a lot of what she'd accomplished with in self-assurance, steadily pushing her into darker holes and to an edge of loathing Bonnie hadn't been around to help her get away from. "I think he fears putting her at any more risk."

"Because of Enzo?"

Caroline nodded. "Matt confessed to Stefan that Enzo was threatening his mother and that he'd unintentionally helped making getting to her even easier."

"What a dick," Bonnie surmised without thinking, balling her hands into fists.

"He's reformed, remember?" Caroline chimed, caustic in her valuation.

Neither spoke, deliberating over the allowances they'd made to the unworthy in their lives, wondering if they were the reason none of them seemed to be able to hold onto happiness.

The thought was far too deep for their current assignment.

"Chest up and out," Caroline ordered in a low tone, brushing aside the obscuring thoughts once they made it to the path leading to the front door. The blonde smiled, waving at someone she knew from her after hour's drama class – ever the social butterfly. Bonnie did as she instructed with immediate action, chuckling softly in response to the ridiculousness of it all. Being a sex pot was not something she practiced or found even remotely natural.

"I know it's hard to shake the world and its piling problems. If you intend to put Bonnie the seductress into effect and snatch your man back, you're going to need everything you can muster."

If only he was open to talking and hadn't run away from her a second time today.

"Right," Bonnie agreed, taking a few steps ahead of best friend, arms stiff at her sides and swinging as she simulated a fleeting soldier heading into battle march. Caroline laughed.

"I'll get us drinks," Caroline announced as they ascended the porch. Bonnie sucked in a breath and relaxed as Caroline pushed past her—giving her shoulder a brief supportive squeeze—and headed inside.

Bonnie considered the faces hanging around the doorway, bodies bundled together in two, three's and fours in sporadic locations – most on the dancefloor. Everyone seemed to know someone.

"I've never seen beauty quite like yours around here."

Bonnie drew into herself, briefly searching for the intruding voice, astonished to find someone talking to her, enthusiastic brown eyes locked upon her face.

"I'm looking for a… someone."

"Then you found him," the flirt interjected, puffing out his chest, bequeathing her his cheesiest smile.

Deja vu wasn't lost on her and replicated what had happened the first night of her nineteen-o-four return during her search for humanity free Caroline amongst a wild barrage of ravers.

Bonnie only hoped the outcome wouldn't be the same.

"Another time, maybe," Bonnie said, starting away from the stranger before he could get any friendlier and in any direction. The place wasn't that big, she'd happen upon Kai eventually – if he was even here.

A series of images popped into her head as she searched.

'I hurt you. I am sorry,'

'It's just stuff, Bonnie.' Gone was the peppy and teasing addition of the nickname: Bonster. She hadn't even liked it at first. 'There's no need to beat yourself up about it.'

'You know that's not what I mean.'

He stared at her blankly, as if he hadn't a clue as to what she was referring and needed her to explain. She didn't. Not with the lithe frame and doe eyes impatiently strapped to his bicep like a leech.

'Forget about it. I have,' he concluded.

There had been more to that, she knew it and yet—as if reading her mind—the familiarity of his charismatic smile settled into place, an elaborate mask meant to throw her off guard. And it did.

He left then, but not before he let her know he wouldn't be back the night – if things went according to plan.

"Ah!" Bonnie gasped softly as she unexpectedly collided with another body, hands reaching out to catch whomever and prevent anymore watery damage to her forearm. "Sorry."

"Ugh!"

It took her just a second to identify the familiar face. Marie shook the excess alcohol from her hands, scowling down at the tipped cup at their feet and the liquid soaking into her shoes.

"I—I didn't see you," Bonnie apologized, attempting to raise her voice above the speakers.

Marie looked up, frown firmly in place before presenting her with an unemotional smile. "That's okay."

"Can I get you another?"

"That's alright. It was Kai's anyway." Marie looked fantastic in the white washed denim skirt and similarly tight fitting white t-shirt she was wearing, her lips an appealing shade of pink Bonnie couldn't help but wonder was natural or kiss induced.

"Is he outside?"

"The last I saw he was moping by the pool."

Brooding? Kai? That didn't sit right with Bonnie, nor did Marie explain as she turned on her heels and headed for the bathroom upstairs, finishing off the remainder of her spilt drink on the way in one gulp.

Bonnie gave her a second and then headed outside, spotting Caroline amidst a small throng of talkative girls on the dancefloor, a group she recognized as college cheerleaders.

Just like high school, only this time Bonnie was the one with guy issues.

She found her target immediately. His back was to her, legs dangling into the water, slicing back and forth as he kicked. She was grateful for that position, dreading the idea of catching him in another bareback situation. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle that. Not so soon. Not ever.

Bonnie took another deep breath and stepped onto the grass, wincing as her foot slipped and heel sank into the ground, giving away her position with all the finesse of a clumsy cursing giant.

Kai's threw a glance over his shoulder, eyes widening before becoming disinterested again. "Stalking me, Bennett?"

"Caroline thought I could do with a night out."

"Lying, too. Looks like you're beginning to rack up quite the rap sheet."

"Okay, so it was my idea."

Kai arched his brows, anticipating more detail. "Party Bennett. That's new."

"Not really," she refuted once she'd reached the side of the pool, dropping her heels onto the concrete, scanning the immediate area for something to sit on. The floor felt too cold beneath her bare feet. "She's just been in hiding for a really long time."

"So, where is blondie?" Kai asked, averting his gaze from the water to look around.

"Inside. Mingling. Where's um…"

Why did she even go this route? Why did she feel compelled to lie? To test him?

"Marie?" he finished, voice devoid of merriment. "She's inside getting us drinks."

"I thought that was usually the guy's job." He was around thirty years their senior, the dating rules were different back then and riddled with a little more chivalry, revenue that even he showcased at times – at least in-game.

"She's an independent soul."

"So, you uh… you like her?"

Kai glanced at the water again, shrugging noncommittally. "She isn't the worst company. Easy on the eyes."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, overlooking the need for a cushion or towel, frightened he'd slip away while he back was turned and moved to sit next to him, sliding her feet into the water beside his. Surprisingly it was warm. With no more small talk to make, awkwardness seemed to descend upon them, as well as a silence that was comfortable only a day ago and now appeared to be smothering.

"I love you."

Kai's eyes shot to her face, searing with a fusion of incomprehension and doubt.

"I love you," she repeated, saying the words a little more slowly and softly.

She'd made this confession only one another time in her life and it wasn't half as terrifying as this moment.

"I love you," she added a third time, feeling as if his silence was a tacit need for her to do so. She didn't want to play games and wanted to leave no more room for misconceptions.

"God, the queue to the bathroom is killing!" Marie complained, cutting across the grass, making a direct beeline for them, leaving Kai with zero chance to return the favor or express his thinking.

Bonnie's eyes darted to the culprit, cheeks heating, wondering if the girl had heard anything, let alone see it or cared to notice how intimate their entire situation was.

"Apparently not," Bonnie mumbled with unusual irritation.

Kai lifted his legs out of the pool and stood, uncharacteristically lost, and glanced between the two.

"Fuck. Your drink," Marie said, sounding only slightly apologetic as she looked at Kai, temporarily seeking understanding from Bonnie and burning her at the same time. "I forgot to get another after our run in."

Kai's lips twitched, something Bonnie accepted as an insinuation of pleasure.

"Yeah," Bonnie said, feeling stupid as she started to her feet, mumbling another apology, staggered and sadly relieved as he extended a hand and helped her off the ground. She dusted her backside.

"The cheerleaders are out in full force."

Bonnie peered past Marie's shoulder to the inside, watching as her best friend took to leading the small group, that age old insecurity no longer seen in the grace of her limber movements and bright smiles.

I don't know how she can be riddled with so much hurt and still keep going.

"Before their pep rubs off on us we'd better go." Marie took a hold of his arm, guiding Kai away from the side of the pool, using her free hand to wave.

He really wasn't going to talk to her? To give her any kind of response? He'd just let Marie carry him away?

"See you later, Bonbon," Marie said, imitating the friendly use of nickname, flashing a passing smile.

Bonnie waited, expecting Kai to wrench himself free and run back to her arms, kiss away the fretting of the last twelve hours and set them back on the rails.

That's that kind of shit that happened in fairytales.

And as life would have it, and in spite of her weeks cooped in medieval land – this wasn't one.


"We should stop meeting like this," Someone else interjected from behind her.

The guy from the door.

"I thought you could use a drink."

Bonnie automatically took the glass from him, lifting it to her lips, sniffing the contents, pausing with sudden awareness of all the horror stories that surrounded campus life.

"Thanks," she mumbled without taking a sip, moving to collect her shoes and to head toward the house.

He followed, falling into step behind her, going so far as to join her on her road to self-destruction.

Road that came with a lot of booze and even more tears.