Damon's POV

I looked over to the naked body lying next to me, and I felt my insides break because she wasn't Elena…and no one would ever be Elena. In that moment, I felt a wave of shame and regret and disgust and hate wash over me. I thought back to the things I heard on the other side of Elena's door, and I felt humiliated. I felt stupid to even think, even for a moment, that she could have picked me. My thoughts were interrupted by my phone vibrating in my jean pockets. I crawled out of bed and found my jeans lying on the floor. I looked at my phone to see a text from Elena, waiting to be opened.

Hey…I have to talk to you. –Elena

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. I looked over to see Andie was staring at me with her hazel eyes. I brought my jeans up around my waist and did up the belt buckle before continuing with my black shirt and leather jacket and soon, I was fully dressed.

"Where are you going?" Andie whimpered as she ran her hands over the spot I had previously been laying.

"Home." I said simply before putting on my boots.

"Damon, what happened?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said.

"Enough said." Andie informed me.

"What?" I asked.

"If someone doesn't talk about something, it's either because it means nothing to them or it means everything to them. I'm willing to bet this is an Elena problem…and you and I both know she means everything to you…" she gestured to my body and then her naked body. "Well meant everything to you…" she mumbled. I growled lightly before averting my gaze back to her.

"Am I that predictable? That you would just assume it's Elena?" I asked sharply. She shook her head, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips.

"Not that predictable," she explained. "Just that in love…" she said softly. This struck a nerve. I began to fix the collar on my jacket before my phone buzzed again. I eyed it regretfully before Andie picked up my phone gently.

"Answer it," she said quietly. I looked at her blankly before she lifted my hand and placed the phone in it. "Fight for her…" she whispered. I took the phone hesitantly and clicked a button.

Ignore.

"Why did you do that?" Andie asked – a look of astonishment evident on her face.

"Time out…for five minutes…" I mumbled to myself. She looked at me with a confused expression but then her expression softened. Andie put on a robe that was hanging on the edge of the bed and put it on. Andie stood in front of me hesitantly before planting a light kiss on my cheek.

"This," she said as she gestured towards her bed "was your time out. A girl knows when a man looks into her eyes and sees or wishes she was someone else. That's all I've ever been…but I can't be Elena. So go fight for the woman that you love…" Andie advised gently. I looked at her with a blank expression, pondering what to do before Andie continued. "You're in love with a woman that you thought you couldn't have…but now you have her, so do yourself a favour and fight for her." I gave Andie a wry smile and headed home.

...

Within ten minutes, I was back at the Boarding House. As I was approaching the front steps, I stopped in my tracks. I listened closely to the steady rhythm of a human heartbeat. I could recognize that heartbeat anywhere. I shook my head slightly in shame. I should have known she would've been here. I opened the door and stepped inside hesitantly, not prepared for the direction our conversation would take.

I followed the sound of the heartbeat and it led me to my room. I entered my bedroom to see Elena lying down on my bed, curled up in the fetal position. She had her arms wrapped around a pillow – like she did in New York. It took everything in me not to wrap my arms around her tiny frame and whisper sweet nothings in her ear. I smiled at her and decided to let her sleep so I could take a shower.

I exhaled deeply as I let the hot water relax my tense muscles. I turned in circles in the shower, letting the water eliminate every ounce of my tryst. I turned off the water and hopped out of the shower.

Once I was dressed, I looked to see that Elena was still sleeping. I gave in to my heart and crawled into bed beside her. I wrapped my arm her and nestled my face in her hair. I lay there in silence with the steady beat of Elena's heart the only sound I could hear for miles. I listened to her as she inhaled and exhaled, completely unaware. Seeing her like this made me realize that Andie was right. No matter what was going on with her and Stefan, I had to make my feelings for her known. Guilt immediately washed over me as I realized what I was doing. I had just basically cheated on Elena, and now I'm lying beside her. A guilty, lone tear slid down my cheek and was absorbed in Elena's hair as silent regret coursed through my veins. I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me, remembering that my problems would still be there when I woke up.

"Damon…" she whispered. I opened my eyes and was astounded. I was no longer lying in bed next to Elena. Right now, I was standing in a grassy field surrounded by trees. I looked ahead to see a girl with long brown hair, petting a horse. I stood still where I was as the figure started to run towards me, a smile evident on her face.

"Rose?" I choked out. She was standing in front of me, smiling ear to ear. She brought her hand up to caress my cheek and smiled lovingly at me. "I…miss you…" I whispered, leaning into her touch.

"I know…I miss you too…" she whispered back. "Damon…tell me what happened. What was that with Andie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know about that?" I asked.

"I know everything," she said simply.

"I don't know…" I admitted.

"You know that thing with her and Stefan was nothing, right?" she asked.

"No, it wasn't nothing. Rose, I'm never…I'm never going to be her first choice. Someone like Elena doesn't pick someone as damaged as someone like me."

"But someone like Elena did pick someone as damaged as someone like you…" I shook my head viciously. "Alright, stop" she demanded.

"I didn't do anything…" I said, raising my hands in surrender.

"You're the crazy, impulsive, mildly psychotic vampire who kills people on impulse. You're the one who was heartbroken by Katerina and you're the one who was never chosen first. But as I speak, you are lying in bed with the woman that you claim to love…"

"Claim? I don't claim anything. I do," I defended.

"You know, one time I asked Trevor…'Why Katerina?' Those were my exact words…" Rose began. "And I remember the look on his face. Complete and utter surprise. He smiled lightly at me and told me that she made him feel alive."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Because I spent 500 years fighting alongside the love of my life so he could fight for the woman he loves. And I wasn't her. And it killed me. I spent 500 years of my life running with someone who never saw me as anything more than a friend."

"Oh come on. All that time together and you never once got down and dirty?" I joked. She shook her head simply.

"I watched him die right in front of me. I watched the love of my existence die and he never knew. Damon," she whispered tentatively. "If I could have five minutes with Trevor, I would tell him how much I loved him. How much I wished to be his first choice and how I would give anything to be his."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" I repeated.

"Because you still have Elena. Right now, you are sleeping and the love of your existence is lying in your arms. And she's chosen you. Despite the hell the two of you have been through, she has chosen you."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that when you choose somebody, you choose them for life. And she's chosen you…so no matter what you say or what you do or no matter how badly you've hurt her, what it comes down to it is that you love her and she loves you. Deal with the mess later…"

"So what do I do?"

"I'll tell you exactly what you're going to do," Rose began "you're going to open your beautiful blue eyes and you are going to tell Elena how much you love her. And then you're going to tell her the truth."

"I…I can't lose her…" I murmured.

"You won't," Rose said. Rose turned behind her and looked at the sun that was setting on the horizon. "I have to go," she whispered. She smiled and I opened my arms widely, and she stepped into my embrace.

"Thank you…" I whispered. She stepped out of my arms and smiled at me again.

"Anything for my special friend…" she leaned in and kissed me lightly on the cheek. She turned around and walked into the sunset, her blue dress and brown hair blowing in the wind. I took a deep breath and wiped my face as a stray tear had made its way down my cheek.

"Open your eyes…" whispered the wind.

I opened my blue eyes to see that Elena was drawing circles on my chest.

"Hey…" she murmured, kissing my cheek. "I got worried when I didn't see you. Stefan's back in town. Nothing happened but he wants me back and he kissed me. But I swear it didn't mean anything!" she rambled but I put my finger on her lips and she looked at me. Elena's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I slept with Andie…" I blurted out. Elena and I sat there in silence, as a flood of emotions drowned us.

Sorry it took so long to update! I had a major brain fart for this. I realized that for the first part of my story, Damon was really nice and everything, but he was kind of OOC. So I decided to add a little twist…please keep reading, you won't be disappointed Delena wise. Please comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Tell me what you think is going to happen! Thanks for all the reviews so far! I'll update soon!