Stefan

I ran out of the tomb as fast as I could and found myself at Elena's doorstep. I knocked before I could stop myself, and she answered the door quickly. I smiled at her and got a mirror, and she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. "Hi," she says.

"Hi," I reply. She invites me in the house and wraps her arms around my waist. "We're alone," she says.

I keep thinking of what Katherine would do, how she would be holding me, how she would hint at what Elena was hinting at. How she would feel underneath me.

I turn around and kiss Elena anyway, take the bait.

Later we were lying in her bed, and she was smiling up at me. "I love you."

I swallow. "You too."

I can't tell her I love her, not that way. She is still important to me, really, but she's not the one who I want. She's not who I want to call "My Girl" anymore.

She kisses my chest. "So, what do you want to do today?"

I check the time; it's only one in the afternoon. "I actually have something to do."

She suddenly looks sad. "What do you have to do?"

"I have someone to meet." I touch her nose. "But you could hang out with Caroline, she misses you."

She smiles at me. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," I tell her.

When I got to Bonnie's house, I hesitated. I raised my hand to knock on the door, and heard a bang and a laugh. I slammed my fist into the door and waited.

Bonnie answered the door, while he cousin, Lucy, stomped out a fire while laughing. "Hey Stefan," Bonnie says. "How are you?"

"I have a favor to ask you." I gesture to the table. "May I come in?"

She pauses a minute, and then says. "Sure. Yeah, come on in Stefan."

I step through the barrier of her house and nod to Lucy. Bonnie says, "Lucy, Stefan. Stefan, Lucy."

"Pleasure to meet you." I extend my hand.

Lucy stares at me for a while too long. "Stefan Salvatore?"

I look down and lower my hand. "Yes."

"As in, tried to kill Katherine Pierce Stefan Salvatore?" She asks. "He's a vampire, ya know, Bon."

"I know, Lucy." Bonnie nods. "He's a friend."

Lucy still looks anxious, but sits on the couch.

I stare at the burn mark on the rug before asking Bonnie. "I want you to help me get Katherine out of the tomb."

"What?" Bonnie asks. "Stefan, are you crazy?"

"I know, I know, it's a stupid idea, I just . . ." I start.

"He loves her," Lucy says.

I would say No, but I can't. So I just nod.

"Well, what about Elena?" Bonnie asks.

"I love her, but, I'm not in love with her anymore." It hurts my heart to say that, but it's true. "I don't want to lie to her anymore."

Lucy and Bonnie exchange a look, and then Bonnie says, "Alright, but you have to tell Elena how you feel first."

Elena stared at me, her mouth slightly ajar, as if I had just said I'm planning to swallow a hornet's nest. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry," I say. "I just . . . I just want you to know how I really feel."

Tears are in her eyes as she nods and stares at my shirt instead of my face. "I understand."

"It's not you." I touch her face and force her to look at me. "Believe me, it is not you."

She just nods. "Maybe you should go."

It stings to hear her say that to me, but I kiss her forehead and go anyway. As the door closes behind me, I hear Elena burst into tears.

I don't remember taking step forward, or moving at all, but suddenly I am standing in front of the tomb.

And then I hear that devilish little voice from the shadows, sounding broken, scared and alone.

"Stefan?"