Chapter 8-

Aria's POV

I've been hiding from everybody for the week. I've locked my window so no one comes through it. No one meaning Elijah. I don't go down stairs when I know Elena or Jeremy is around or could see me. I avoid everybody at school and I'm pretty sure Jenna has been making excuses up for me when Elijah comes by. I lock my door and close myself off from everybody.

It's the coward's way out.

I know but I can't handle it right now.

Caroline is calling again. I didn't tell her about Elijah and I know she's pissed about that.

I should answer, Tyler's left and she's probably upset. I should be a good friend.

"Caroline?" my voice is un used and shaky. I hear her breath out a sigh of relief.

"Aria, thank god you answered. I've been so worried about you. Are you ok?" she was worried. She was an amazing friend.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I've just been needing to deal with…" she knew about Elijah, but I didn't want to say it. "Stuff." I couldn't say what I was dealing with. Elijah was going to sacrifice my sister and I was too weak to take it.

"I know. Do you want me to steal a bottle of my mother's vodka and be there in 20?" she asked, vodka and Caroline, sounded like a really good fix.

"Totally." I nodded and she hung up. My lower lip quivered. I was going to cry, this whole week I had been bottling up my tears, not letting it out. I swallowed the thick feeling in my throat and waited for Caroline.

She knocked on my door, I opened it and she wrapped her arms around me. I pulled away after a few seconds and she stepped into my bedroom. Clothes were everywhere and old food packets were on the floor.

"You look horrible and your room is an absolute pig sty." Trust Caroline to let you down gently.

"I look better than you." She just shook her head. I did look horrible, my blonde hair was dull and tangled, eyes lifeless and I looked like I had aged five years suddenly. And I was wearing my faded orange yoga pants and a cream jumper that was loose and baggy and went past my fingertips.

She handed me a shot glass filled with vodka. I drank it in one big gulp. She downed her drink to. Her nose crinkled and her face turned sour.

"So you've been avoiding everybody and locking yourself in here?" I nodded sheepishly. "Because of Elijah?" I nodded once again. "Why didn't you tell me?" I shrugged. "Are you incapable of talking?" I nodded.

"Did you love him?" I don't know. Did I? No I couldn't, he was planning to sacrifice my sister and that was unforgivable and I couldn't love him, if he could do that.

"No." it was a simple word, but it broke my heart. She nodded sympathetically. "Where's Tyler?" changing the subject was something I did best.

"Ran off with his friend Jules." She said it with such hurt and disgust. "How about this, no talk of boys, vampires, doppelgängers, werewolves, sacrifices and curses or anything like that, and we go to the Grill and drink away all of our sorrows." She definitely knew how to cheer a girl up.

"Hell yeah." Caroline handed me a blue sundress that made my eyes look colder and white peep toe heels that I was surely going to break my ankle in them.

We entered the Grill and my eyes were drawn to the man that had been haunting my dreams and thoughts.

He saw me. He looked surprised to see me, so did Damon who was standing next to him with an all knowing smirk. I ignored them as Caroline led me to the bar and compelled the bartender to pour us each five shots of tequila. I downed the first one and laughed at Caroline's sour face. I felt a presence behind me and knew that it was Elijah from the heavenly, earth scent he seemed to smell like. I needed a second shot to turn around.

I downed the shot and turned around, there he was in all his Viking god glory. He looked like he was confused and upset, a tad bit mad but mainly confused and upset.

"You've been avoiding me." It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"Yep." I didn't feel like telling him why. I saw Caroline looking at us from the corner of my eye, her face was asking if she needed me to kick his ass. She was a great friend, I had always been closer to her than my own sister and Bonnie.

"Care to explain why?" he raised an eyebrow and I could see his patience wearing thin.

"Not really." I turned back around to my shots and ignored him. He sat down next to me and took the drink out of my hands and placed it on the bar away from me along with the last two shots I had left. Stupid original, trying to keep me from drinking. "Give them back Elijah." My voice was more of a growl.

"Not until you tell me why you've been avoiding me." Damn it, he just didn't give up did he.

I shook my head in annoyance and defiance and got up, my legs were a bit wobbly but it wore off after a few seconds. I walked away and pushed open the door, the night breeze hit my face and goose bumps rose on my arms, the air was refreshing and chilled my nervousness.

Footsteps were following me. I had been in the passenger side in Caroline's car and didn't have the keys. I kept walking, in a blur Elijah was in front of me in a second. I groaned in annoyance and I could see that he was totally clueless. The expression on his face was cute, clueless and pissed, it suited him. Shut up brain!

Bad thoughts.

I walked past him and kept on walking.

"Aria!" he called, I stopped walking, and his soft and velvety voice nearly made me melt. I turned around and saw him standing a meter away in a navy Armani suit.

"Go away Elijah!" I yelled at him, he looked surprised at my outburst.

No I couldn't melt. "Stop following me." My voice was scary, deadly almost.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." He grabbed my arms so that I couldn't move.

"Let go of me." I said it quietly.

"No." damn his stubbornness.

"I'll scream." I wouldn't, I just hoped he wouldn't call my bluff. I hit his chest and he let go, freeing me. I walked away again, the wind was starting to get stronger, my hair was flying around wildly and my lips were surely purple, my fingertips were red and my skin was whiter than normal.

"What is the matter with you? Why are you so mad at me!?" he yelled, I stopped walking, I had never heard him yell, never seen him angry really. My heart jumped and was pumping fast. He must have heard my heartbeat because he took a few deep breaths and scraped his hand down his face.

"You're still planning to sacrifice Elena! She's my sister! How could you do this!" I was shouting, we were in the Grill parking lot and out of sight, thank god.

"I've got a potion to bring her back to life! How could you think that I would do that! I love you for god's sake!" he was yelling as well. He looked like he hadn't meant to yell or that he hadn't meant to let the L word slip out.

"You have a potion?" he slipped a small vial out of his jacket and showed it to me.

"500 years ago it was meant to be for Katerina." He said it softly. I forgot that he had a past before me, a past with Katherine.

I didn't say anything. I just leaned up on my tip toes and kissed him softly and hesitantly on the lips. When he responded I deepened the kiss. I pulled away and ran my hand across his pink lips.

I gave him back the vial and he put it back into his pocket, I leaned my forehead against his and breathed him in.

He didn't notice, but I didn't say it back. He loved me, but did I love him? I liked him, but was I ready for love?

Did I love him?