Chapter 10: What Happens Now?

The rain was a pain in the butt. Especially when the paths and roads were covered in puddles and the only footwear you have on you is pumps, which are easily soaked through. Uggs would have been appropriate, but unfortunately the day didn't exactly turn out dull. Aria walked down the street, moving through the puddles and roaring of the wind as she shivered. The day she chooses to reject a lift. Holding her bag closer to her, she looked around, trying to see through the rain. Her brown eyes squeezed shut, trying to push out the droplets of rain falling from her hair.

"Come on!" She shouted through the rain and sighed, tilting her head back as she stared up to the sky and fingered the necklace, hanging around her neck.
"Need some help?" Looking up, she smiled big as she seen Damon standing on the other side of the road beside his blue camaro with a grin on his face.
"I'm beginning to think that you're stalking me." Aria told him, wiggling her eyebrows with a smile.
"Well, that's a given. I am your boyfriend after all." He told her with his signature smirk as she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

In a flash, she was in another place. She felt the heat and humid wind blowing around her causing her to open her eyes. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at Damon to see him wearing shades and grinning down at her. Looking at his choice of wear, she frowned. He was wearing long shorts and a shirt with black flip flops. Glancing around, she seen them in the middle of Rosewood. What? Huh?

Looking down at herself, she let out a breath she was holding as she seen the necklace around her neck that she had been wearing only a week and a beautiful blue summer dress, which was complimented with silver sandals. Looking up at Damon, she reached up pulling his glasses off slowly and looks into his eyes.

"What are you looking at beautiful?" His voice came out in a husky tone as he leaned down, brushing his lips against her neck.
"Damon." She murmured softly in confusion as her hands went to his back.
"Mmhm?" Nuzzling his nose against her skin, he pressed soft kisses and pulled away slowly, looking into her eyes, "I have to go soon little girl."
"What, where?" Aria questioned, placing her hands on his chest.
"I'll be back soon. Round your house tonight okay?" He Cupped her face, kissing her slowly and pulled away winking as he walked away.

"Aria? Aria? You there? Aria?" Shaking her head, she opened her eyes to see Damon looking at her in confusion.
"You alright...you spaced out?" He told her, opening the door for her as he looked up at the sky, feeling the rain getting heavier.
"Uhm. " Swallowing, she got into the car quickly, shivering as she looked around. What was that? Looking down, she seen her fingers wrapped around her necklace and frowned. Rosewood? Her and Damon? Something's not right.

Moving around the Grill, Aria cleaned the tables over with a cloth and picked up glasses, placing them on the bar as she bit her lip, deep in thought. The past week had been weird. She'd been having flashes of different scenes of herself with Damon and she couldn't understand it.

"Aria, you alright?" Looking up, she seen Matt raising an eyebrow with concern written in his eyes.
"I'm fine." She murmured weakly and faked a smile.

Taking off her apron, she walked into the back, dropping it down on the floor. The truth is, she felt miserable. It was because of all these flashes she was having. They were making her tired, confused, emotional. She didn't know what to do about them.

Running her fingers through her hair, she leaned against the wall and slowly slid down it, sitting on the floor. Tears began to freely flow as she stared at the 4 white walls in the room, stacked with coffee, food, vervain. Leaning her cheek on her hand, she lifted her other hand to fiddle with the necklace as was suddenly in another place again.

"She's dead! She's dead!" Aria screamed in horror, looking at Damon as tears fell down her cheeks at a fast pace.
"Aria, listen to me." Damon spoke quietly, dragging his eyes off of the dead blonde on the floor.
"No! What the hell is going on Damon? Why...why?" She hit him on the chest, anger flashing through her eyes, "I deserve an explanation."
"Look," He whispered, cupping her face in his hands, staring into her eyes, trying to ignore the blood smudges on her face, "There's something you don't know."

"Obviously not." She muttered hoarsely, closing her eyes as her eyes began to sting with tears.
"I'm a vampire...alright? I'm...a vampire. You will...a...always been in danger around me Aria. I can't allow you to be in danger."
"What? Wait? What?" The brunette questioned, ripping her eyes open, "What did you just say?"

Pulling away from him slowly, she stared at him, feeling numb. The look in his eyes and on his face said it all. He was telling the truth. It explained
a lot. Shaking, she swallowed and shook her head, staring into the blue ocean eyes that she loved.

"I...I don't care. I want you Damon. I love you, do you hear me? Whatever you are. I can get past it. WE can get past it." Aria explained, tears falling.
"No, we can't." Damon whispered, stepping close and moved his hands down her neck, slowly unclipping the necklace.
"W...What are you doing with my necklace?" She eyed the gold necklace as he grasped it in his hands and the sun reflected off the blue diamond.
"What's right...Aria." Swallowing, he cupped her face and stroked his thumb across her cheekbone, a lonesome tear falling from his ocean eyes.

"D...Damon, your scaring me. Look, we...can get past this. I love you okay? I love you!" Aria told him, placing her hands over his as he gulped.
"You're going to forget about me and everything we ever had. You'll go on as you were before I came into your life. You'll forget about vampires and the dangers around you. You'll live a long normal life...and won't remember until you need to." He whispered, leaning close and kissed her, pulling away.

Opening her eyes, she felt a woosh of air and stared at people passing in confusion. What was she doing there? Shaking it off, she walked along
the path, smiling.

Gasping, Aria leaped to her feet, feeling like she'd been punched in the gut as her breath was knocked out of her. Oh god. It all seemed so clear to her now. Looking down at the necklace, she recognized it from the flashback which Damon had taken away from her. Fingering it, she swallowed the lump in her throat and walked out quickly, banging into Matt.

"Hey, you okay?" Matt asked, throwing the dirty wash cloth over his shoulder.
"I'm sor...ry Matt. I...gotta go." She explained, her voice hoarse and she picked up her bag and walked out as fast as she could.

Walking up the path, a sob slipped past her lips as she covered her face in her hands. Everything that happened since she got here made sense. Her meeting Damon. Feeling a certain attraction to him. Him keeping an eye on her and taking care of her. They'd met before and he didn't have the heart to tell her about it. Instead he made her look stupid and led her into the life they already had. The problem is...he wouldn't make her forget again, she would make sure of it. She was staying away from him and that was the end of it.

Lying in her bed, she played with her dream catcher hanging above on the ceiling and swallowed, hearing her dad and mom's voices echoing throughout the house. Yup, that's all she needed right now. Was fighting from her parents and their stupid argument. Rolling over on her side, she threaded her fingers through her hair and let out a breath that she was holding.

"There you are. I didn't hear from you all day." Damon told her, closing the windows over as he walked towards the bed.
"Yeah, well I've been here, haven't I?" She told him, anger in her voice as she stared at the wall, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill.
"What's wrong?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as she fingered the necklace and closed her eyes tightly.
"What's right Damon?" Aria questioned, sitting up and hugged her knees, looking at him.

"You've been crying." Damon noted, furrowing his eyebrows as he moved closer, placing his hand on her knee, "Talk to me."
"Why...why did you do it Damon?" She whispered hoarsely, her brown eyes full of sadness as she glanced into his ocean orbs.
"W...what did I do?" He asked, clearing his throat, already having a feeling, he knew what she was talking about.

"This isn't the first time we've been together huh?" Aria asked, chewing on her lip and nodded slowly seeing the look on his face.
"Aria, look-" Damon began, but was cut off.
"So, what other memories did you happen to take away with that, hmm? Did we have sex together? Did you propose?" She gasped sarcastic, "Were we living a Happily Ever After?"

Getting up from the bed, she paced the floor and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration as Damon got up and pressed his hands to her shoulders. Glaring up at him, she went to slap him, but he caught her hand in time and raised an eyebrow, giving her a look.

"Don't try hitting me Aria, it doesn't get you many places." He warned her, letting go of her wrist.
"How would you know that? Oh I know! You were sleeping with me before!" Aria yelled at him, pushing back from him and walked over to the window.
"Aria! We're not even sleeping together now, so don't start that. I did it for your safety alright? That's the only reason." He clenched his fists, breathing deeply.

"Yeah. Well you know what I'm going to do?" Getting up, she looked at him, "Say goodbye. I'm done with YOU. I'm done!"
"Don't Aria." Damon warned her, his eyes full of fear.
"I can do what I want. The only problem is you're not the one playing god this time. I am. I'm done. You had time to tell me the truth, you messed up."
"I didn't mess up!" He yelled at her, raking his fingers through his hair as he punched the wall and groaned, "You're so irritating!"

"Aria, honey? What's going on in there?" Ella called through the door as Aria shot daggers at Damon, pointing to the window.
"We're done." She hissed through her teeth, anger in her eyes.
"We're far from done." He hissed back, glaring at her as he was gone within seconds.

Sitting on her bed, she swallowed, feeling empty and breathed slowly, staring at the ground. Now that it was out in the open, the was one question. What happens now?

A/N: Hope you enjoy! :D I want to say thank you for the reviews! Means a lot! :)

Shauna
xx