It didn't take long for the lactic acid to start building up in my calves, causing me to ache all over. My purse swayed back and forth, roughly hitting my hip with each long stride I took. My hair flew out behind me as the wind lifted it and my lungs burned as my over heated body sucked in the contrasting, freezing, winter air.

I don't know how long it took for me to finally reach my apartment – an hour? Maybe two? I didn't stop to check the time, but when I opened my front door, the sun was beginning to rise behind me.

My mind had stayed fairly blank the entire run, but as I shut the door behind me, everything flooded back and I collapsed to the floor. I pressed my back against the door, pulled my knees to my chest, and hung my head as heavy tears pressed against my eyelashes and began to pour over. Every muscle in my body throbbed with a steady burning pace and I hunched down lower. My quivering fingers wrapped around the back of my head.

What was going on? The night had gone by so quickly yet so slowly and it seemed like suddenly my world was being tipped over and shaken. Everything I knew…thought I knew…was being proven incorrect and I was finding it difficult to wrap my mind around the new ideas.

Vampires existed.

And not only did they exist, they lived right next to you without you even knowing.

A shuddering sob escaped me. Stefan. The man of…not to be cliché, but of my dreams had lied to me. I had given him my trust and love and, turns out, he isn't even alive. I had put down walls that took me forever to build to get close to him and now it was all being thrown back in my face.

Had he even loved me? Of course he told me he did before he let me in on his extraordinarily huge secret, but was he just trying to keep me calm?

Did he really think I would be okay with him being a vampire?

A short humorless chuckle escaped me as I thought the word. Vampire. It was so odd to be using that word and it not being Halloween. The word seemed so harmless because vampires were mythical.

Were supposed to be mythical.

They were supposed to be the creatures little kids dressed up as for the holidays. They were supposed to be limited to creations of film and literature, like in the classics of Dracula or the modern-day Twilight.

Not only were they not supposed to even be real, they were not supposed to do the things that Stefan and Damon could obviously do. They were not supposed to be able to go outside during the day and I had been out with Stefan on numerous occasions. They were supposed to sleep in coffins, have spooky houses, and wear capes. They were supposed to only drink blood and I've not only seen Stefan eat actual food, but Damon drink alcohol. They were supposed to be scary…Well, now that I knew the truth, I suppose I was scared a bit.

I groaned as a few more tears slid down my cheeks. Nothing was right anymore and I didn't know how to fix it. I couldn't just forget everything I had seen and heard.

…Or could I?

I lifted my head and took a deep inhale, steadying myself before trying to stand up.

That's exactly what I was going to do. Forget it all. Forget the past few months with Stefan. Forget my little encounter with Damon. Forget they had revealed their secret to me. Forget everything. I would go on with my days like nothing happened. I would distance myself from the memories of the Salvatore brothers and convince myself they didn't exist.

I used the back of my hand to wipe away the tears still lingering on my eyelashes as I stood and picked up my purse. I hung it on the hook by the door, looked down and dusted the dirt from my clothes, then slipped off my tennis shoes.

Once in my bedroom, I changed into a pair of old pajamas, ran a brush through my hair, and climbed into my uncomfortable bed. I couldn't help but notice how peculiarly calm my nerves suddenly seemed to be.

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be a new day, a better day.

I was sure of it.

I reached up and wiped away my hair, which was matted with sweat, from my forehead. Sleep had been uncomfortable and I was never able to reach full unconsciousness. Every time I would get close, I would have nightmares and wake back up with a pounding heart. I rolled my head over to the side to look at the alarm clock; it read 5 PM. I sighed and closed my eyes again. I had three hours before I needed to be at the restaurant for another shift.

"Shiiit," I groaned. I would have to leave an hour early to make it on time – my car was still sitting at the restaurant. That meant I would either need to call a cab or take the bus.

I pushed myself off the mattress and walked into my dreary living room to find my purse on the wall. I dug through it to find my wallet and opened it up – $5. I sighed. It looked like it would be the bus, then.

Slowly, I walked into the bathroom and undressed for a shower. When I climbed under the pounding warm water, I realized how stiff and sore my body really was. I hung my head and let the water flow over my shoulders and down my back, loosening my tight muscles. I was happy to find that the scent of the shampoo being lathered in my hair only brought me back to life a bit more.

I took longer than I normally would have in the shower so when I got out, I was surprised to see it was already 6:25. I quickly squeezed my hair in a towel to pull out the excess water then went to work with a blow dryer and round brush. After my hair hung in a smooth, straight wave down my back, I rushed to my room and got dressed in the appropriate work attire.

My stomach growled as I entered the kitchen but I didn't have time to make a decent meal. I grabbed a granola bar and mentally promised myself that I would eat at the restaurant after my shift.

I unwrapped the granola bar as I walked, stopping briefly to sling my purse over my shoulder, then threw open the front door and made my way down the steps. As my feet hit the concrete and I looked up, I froze with my granola bar half way to my mouth and my eyes wide. There was my car; sitting in front of my apartment like I had parked it there myself.

I furrowed my brow and pulled my purse around to dig through it. Lying at the bottom of the pleather bag was my keys. How did they – I was refusing to speak their names – get my car to my house?

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb and decided it didn't matter. My car was here, not at the restaurant, and that would be the end of it.

With my newfound time, I turned around and went back into the house to eat a proper meal before work.

At the restaurant, I parked closer to the back door than I normally did, knowing from experience that you never really knew who would be in the parking lot. Even with how close I was, I nearly ran to get inside once I left my car.

I smiled to myself as I put my coat and purse in the back room, the familiar aroma of pasta and sauce coming from the kitchen pulling me into a place of normality. I walked over to the punch card machine to clock in for work and furrowed my brow in confusion when I couldn't find my card. I left the room and headed for the kitchen. I swung open the gray door and peeked inside for the manager. He looked up from where he was teaching a new cook to make pizza and tilted his head slightly as he saw me. "Elena?"

I opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside. "Hey, Mr. Saltzman. I'm about to start waitressing, but I couldn't find my time card."

He said something to the new cook and demonstrated something with the pizza, patted his back, then headed over to me. "Elena, what happened to you quitting?"

My lips parted as my jaw went slightly slack. "What?"

He held out a hand, motioning for us to go back into the hallway. He stepped out and shut the door behind him then turned back to me. "I took your time card up after you quit."

I shook my head. "I didn't quit. Why would you think that?"

"I spoke to you this morning, Elena," he responded with a look of incredulity.

I looked down at the floor and tried to figure out what he was talking about. I distinctly remembered coming home from Stef – from his house, going to bed, and then getting up this afternoon. And besides all of that, my cell phone was broken and I didn't have a house phone. I looked back up at my boss. "I didn't talk to you today. I don't have a phone right now."

He crossed his arms. "Elena, I really don't know what's going on with you, but I know your voice. It was you this morning."

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. "It wasn't me so can I just have my time card back?"

Mr. Saltzman's arms fell and he looked at me apologetically, "Elena, we already replaced you. It's difficult for us to lose a waitress, much less without a two weeks notice, so we had to call in some other applicants."

My eyes widened. "I don't have a job here anymore?" I felt my throat getting dry.

"I'm sorry, Elena, but no." He gave me one more remorseful look-over before turning his back and going back into the kitchen.

I stared at the swinging gray door in front of me and felt my chest tightening. I didn't have a job here anymore. But I needed this job. My paying bills depended on having these two jobs. My heart suddenly stopped as I thought about the hotel. Quickly, I sprinted to the back room and picked up the restaurant telephone to dial the hotel's number.

"Good evening. Compass Plaza. This is Caroline, how may I help you?"

I gripped the phone with two hands. "Caroline, this is Elena."

"Hey, Elena," Caroline squealed through the phone. "You're so lucky you got out of here!"

I closed my eyes and realized I was gasping for air. I lowered my head and let it rest on the wall in front of me. "Ms. Pearl said I quit?" I asked softly.

"She told me when I came in to work tonight. She replaced you with her daughter Anna."

My fingers started to shake around the phone so I hung it back up. Slowly, I dropped down to sit in the chair behind me and I stared blankly ahead.

I was now completely jobless and I had no idea why. And not only that, but I couldn't get either job back.

I was positive I hadn't spoken to either of my employers this morning but they both claimed they had spoken to me.

I clenched my teeth together as a thought suddenly came to mind – Katherine. From what D…Dam-… I sighed and forced out the name – Damon had been saying yesterday, Katherine was a lot like me. Could that mean she sounded like me, too? It was a random thing to assume but I suddenly became infuriated at the thought. I didn't know this girl and she didn't know me. Why would she call and quit my jobs, thus ruining my life? Did she think I still wanted Stefan? She could freaking have both of them for all I care.

I knew the thought was irrational and unwarranted but I stood back up and dialed Stefan's number anyway. Something in my gut told me they had something to do with this. "Hello?" he answered after the first ring.

The sound of his voice nearly broke my resolve and made me forget how angry I was with him and everything he had brought into my life. I tightened my jaw and closed my eyes before speaking. "Stefan," I replied coldly.

There was silence on the other end for a brief moment. "Elena?" his voice was full of desperate relief and almost made me feel bad. Almost.

"Yes, it's me."

He sighed into the phone. "Elena, I'm so glad you called. I thought I'd never hear from you again. I so sorry about everyth– "

"Stefan," I interrupted him. "Does Katherine sound like me?"

He was quiet again for several moments. "What?"

I lifted a hand ran it over my face and into my hair. "Does Katherine sound like me?" I repeated.

"I…I guess so. Maybe a little. Why? What's going on?"

"I don't…" Tears threatened to form as I tried speaking the words aloud. "I don't have a job anymore, Stefan. Either job."

"I don't understand, Elena," he said softly with concern.

I sighed and the motion forced the tears up. "Someone called the restaurant and hotel claiming to be me and quit my jobs."

"Oh, Elena," he sighed. "Let me come and get you."

I opened my eyes and the tears spilled over. "What? No," I responded quickly.

"Let me help you, Elena," he pleaded.

"So was it her?" I asked, realizing he never asked why I brought up Katherine.

I heard him sigh. "It might have been."

The anger from earlier returned and that only brought on more tears. "But why?" I cried, bringing a hand up to wipe at my eyes.

"There's really no telling why, Elena. The things that Katherine does hardly ever make sense."

I slammed my fist against the wall and felt my body shudder. "That's not a good enough answer, Stefan! She has ruined my life! I want to know why!"

"Elena, I—" he started to speak but I slammed down the receiver. I closed my eyes tightly and stifled a scream threatening to erupt from my chest.

"Hey, are you okay?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I spun around to see the new cook standing before me. I wiped at the tears and picked up my coat and purse and hurried past him without saying a word.

I cried all the way to my apartment, cursing having ever met Stefan and letting him into my life. Everything was falling apart and it was his fault.

I pulled up against the sidewalk and slammed my door shut, not stopping to grab either my coat or purse that were sitting in the passenger seat. I just wanted to get into my apartment and cry myself to sleep. I stomped up the steps as I ran through the keys on my key loop to find the front door key. As I started unlocking the door, his voice came from behind me. "Elena?" I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself before I caused a scene by trying to kill him in the street.

"What do you want, Damon?" I asked bitterly, not moving to look back at him. My eyes became dry in the winter air.

"Are you okay?"

I huffed and bit down on my lower lip, twisting the key to unlock the door. I turned the knob and started to push open the door when suddenly Damon was standing on the top step with me turned halfway, my body between him and the doorjamb. He looked down his nose at me and I stared down at the ground, avoiding his ice blue gaze. My breathing hitched just slightly.

"I asked you a question," he said softly yet harshly.

"And I was refusing to answer it," I spat.

He lifted a hand and rested it against my cheek. I flinched away, causing his hand to fall. "Why are you crying?"

I then looked up at him, my eyes full of hate and resentment. "Why don't you ask your girlfriend," I sneered.

His eyebrows tilted as he pulled his brow together. "What did she do?"

I felt the tears prickle again at my eyes and all the anger rushed back inside of me. "Leave me alone, Damon," I said through clenched teeth, staring up at him with narrowed eyes.

He pressed his lips into a hard line for a moment before answering. "No." The conviction of his decision was apparent in the way his smoldering eyes blazed but his presence was taking me into an emotional state that I had hoped to keep locked away.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the first tear trickled over and rolled down my face. "Go. Away."

He brought his hands to either side of my face and repeated himself. "No."

My chest had grown tighter throughout our exchange and I felt all of my frustration building. "Damon, get out of here," I nearly begged.

His hold on my face tightened. "Elena, I'm not leaving."

It suddenly felt like fire erupted from my chest and my body shook all over. I could no longer find the nerve to hold back my rage and tears spilled quickly and heavily as I threw my weight into pounding my fists against his chest, an exasperated, throaty screech escaping me with the motion. My words poured out of me like I was a volcano spewing lava. "Damon, I hate you!" I shouted through my sobs. "I hate Stefan and I hate what he's done to me! I hate what you are! You've all ruined my life!" I wailed, no longer caring if my neighbors heard or if I caused a scene. The words were like venom on my tongue and I just needed to get them out. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I repeated through my tears. Damon made no immediate effort to stop my punching, leaving his hands on my face. I reached up and smacked his hands away from my cheeks before continuing my assault on his chest. My hair whipped around my head and into my face and became matted with the tears as I moved. He let me go on for several more minutes before finally reaching down and catching my wrists in his hands. I struggled briefly as he tried to calm me.

"Elena, it's okay. Shhh, it's okay, Elena." I thrashed back and forth once more to try to release his hold before the energy that was in my outburst suddenly drained out of me and I slumped down. His arms circled around my body and he pulled me tight against his chest, lowering us both until we were sitting on the steps. I buried my head into his shirt and cried unabashedly, letting all of the emotions I had pent up come pouring out in that moment. His hands ran through my hair and over my arms repeatedly, motions I was sure meant to be comforting. He slowly rocked us back and forth.

So much for convincing myself they didn't exist.

Authors Note: Pleaseeeee review, guys, and let me know what you think! I'm really anxious to know how you think the story is playing out.

Thanks to my beta for reviewing the chapter!

See you guys next chapter! (I'm off to watch tonight's TVD. :D )

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