A/N: Okay, so I'm pretty sure that my last update was like over a month ago, so I'm totally sorry that that happened. But hopefully me staying up 3 hours too late last night and this extra-long update will make up for it :D. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me and thanks to the new readers who are joining in late in the game. I appreciate every one of you. I don't know how much of this story is left, basically because I don't really know where I want it to go lol, but I'll let you guys know if/when the end is near.

I edited this chapter again today and I've re-edited all the previous chapters (if you couldn't tell I'm a bit of a "must be proper sentence structure and grammar freak). So hopefully, if anybody decides to go back and re-read, etc. there are no obvious grammar errors. But I didn't change anything story-wise so it's not like you'd need to re-read anyway. I hope you guys haven't forgotten what's happened so far since it's been so long, but prepare for some (well many) Elena tears.

Note to Self: I should totally be studying for my psych statistics exam Tuesday, but what the hell, here we go.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of The Vampire Diaries or the show itself. This is just fiction purely for fan entertainment. I do however own the ideas and most of the plotlines of the story. Please don't take them.

Chapter Eight: Sorry

Elena made it to the boarding house in what she believed to be record time. It was getting dark and she knew she should probably do this later but it was too late, she was already at the house before she could stop herself. She didn't bother knocking, she didn't care anymore. She wandered the hardwood floors, her converse sneaker on her left foot adopting a tiny squeak that followed her movements. She tried as quietly as she could to find Katherine in the house with either of the boys, to prove Katherine's suspicious comments but she found nobody; not any of them. She figured Katherine would be around. She dropped the breadcrumbs, expecting Elena to follow them and she did, right away at that. If Katherine wanted Elena to catch anyone in the midst of some unforeseeable situation, she would have rushed right over here to prepare. But Elena remained puzzled when she didn't find Katherine around or either of the boys. She looked towards the stairs leading to the second floor and she sighed.

Maybe they were in the bedroom. She shivered at the awful thought, but starting trudging up the stairs anyway. She walked towards Stefan's room and noticed it to be empty. She huffed. Where was he? If he wasn't with her, normally he would be at home. Unless, she thought, he was out somewhere with Katherine. But where would they go? It's not like Katherine had a place to herself. The thought puzzled Elena. Where did Katherine go when she wasn't harassing them? Engulfed in her own mind, she found herself walking past Stefan's room and near the threshold to Damon's. She stopped for a moment and wondered whether she should peak in and see what he was up to. He'd probably be pissed at her, especially after that rant he'd had directed towards her earlier. She couldn't help herself, though, and she found herself gripping the wooden sides of the doorway and slowly tilting her head to look inside.

It was empty.

She huffed for a second time since entering the home. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the front door open and close swiftly and she heard a muffled "Elena?"

She headed back towards the stairs.

"Stefan," she smiled from the top of the flight. "Where were you?" she questioned, curious as she descended the stairs.

"I uh, was hunting..." he trailed off, his eyes shifty and she grew concerned.

"Stefan?" she spoke, her hand reaching out to grab hold of his chin. She angled his face down to face hers. "Is that really what you were out doing?" she hated herself for sounding like the controlling, 'I need to know everything about your day' kind of girlfriend, but after Katherine's visit, she felt she had every reason to be.

His right eyebrow rose, "What'd you mean?" he questioned back. "Of course that's where I was." His head was spinning. That was it. She had found out, she was gonna kill him. This was the end.

"Okay," she sighed, her hand falling from his chin and her arms moving to encircle his waist in a hug.

He breathed a loud sigh of relief which he hoped she figured to be because of her comforting embrace.

"Katherine came to see me today," she breathed against his t-shirt.

His eyes widened and he was glad she couldn't see the expression that was most likely on his face. "She did?" he asked, growing concerned about whether he was able to trust Katherine in keeping their 'relationship' a secret.

"Yeah," she nodded her head against his chest. "She said something about you and her together and I just got...worried. I mean," she lifted her head to look into his eyes. "If you weren't happy with me...you'd tell me right?" she questioned, her eyes looking sad.

He sighed and nodded his head. "Of course I would," he mumbled and she smiled back at him.

"Good."

"Did she say anything else?" he asked, his hands rubbing her up and down her back.

"No. Did she say anything to you...about me, or Damon, or…anything?" she asked, hoping he couldn't hear the fast pace her heart escalated to when asking the question.

He shook his head in return. "No…nothing. Nothing at all."

"Well, that's good. I don't like her hanging out around here...spreading all her lies," she emphasized her final word.

"Yeah..." he muttered, not really agreeing with her words. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "Elena," he started. Her head lifted from his chest again and her eyes rose to his. "I...I can't do this anymore."

Her eyebrows knitted together. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, her voice's tone leading towards frantic.

"I can't pretend that everything's okay...when it's not." Her eyes widened at his words. This was it. She was found out. Damon must have said something or–or Katherine had told him. They were over.

"Elena..." he started, as he lightly pushed her away so she wasn't touching him. He couldn't tell her this if her arms were still lovingly wrapped around him. "I've been...seeing Katherine." He paused and tried to gauge her reaction.

"And...?" she prodded.

His eyebrows furrowed and he squinted his eyes at her just a little. "And…I've been seeing her. More so than visually, Elena...we've been sleeping together."

And there it was: the sound of her heart breaking. He was sure he could hear it loud and clear, ringing throughout his head, tearing through his ears, ripping at his insides.

"You've been what?" she questioned, still in disbelief. "You've–you've been sleeping with her? For–for how long?" she stuttered.

"Since a couple days since she came back to Mystic Falls..." he stated, hating himself more and more with every word he revealed to her.

Elena stumbled back a little, her back hitting the post connected to the handrail of the stairs. She reached back to hold onto it, not sure of the strength of her legs right now.

"You've been sleeping with me while sleeping with her?" she questioned, disgust visible in her words.

He nodded, sullenly. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I know you deserve so much better than this and what I've done, but I couldn't lie to you anymore, Elena. It just wasn't right."

"Your damn right it wasn't right! How could you do this to me, Stefan?" she questioned as the tears started to pool in her eyes. "How could you look me in the eye and tell me that you loved me–"

"Elena, please, whatever you feel right now, however angry you really are, just know that I do love you. You are so important to me, and believe me, I've been beating myself up inside for weeks now because I did this to you."

"Do you hear yourself, Stefan? Weeks now? This has been going on for weeks and you've neglected to tell me anything. And not only have you hidden it, but you've been sleeping with us both! I..." she turned around and started to pace the floorboards, "I just can't even look at you right now. This is just..." she stopped. "I don't even know what to say, Stefan."

He nodded, "I know. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but you needed to know. And I know this leaves us in a horrible place, but, you needed to know." He sighed. "I'm going to go...give you some space. I don't want you driving back home upset, so please, just stay here and I'll be back sometime tomorrow and I don't expect you to still be here. Stay the night if you want to, trash the place, whatever, Elena, but I need you to know that I'm so, so sorry that I did this to you."

She didn't reply. She had no words to reply with. Her heart was broken at his betrayal. How could he do this to her, after everything they'd been through and after everything they'd done for each other? All the secrets kept? All the protecting of each other they'd done?

She didn't see him leave and it made her wonder whether he felt the need to speed out to get away from her.

She stomped her foot against the hardwood floor of the foyer like a stubborn little child. That son of a bitch. Whatever, she sighed, she didn't give a shit. If he wanted Katherine, he could have that evil slut. She let out a disbelieving laugh. Katherine had been honest with her about Stefan while Stefan, who claimed to love her oh so much, had lied to her face repeatedly...for weeks now. She sniffled and scraped the heels of her hands against her eyes. She wouldn't cry for him. He didn't deserve her tears.

After her few angry moments of silence, she trudged upstairs and to the bathroom to splash some cool water on her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and almost smirked. Stefan Salvatore cheated on her. What is this world coming to?

She heard a thump from down the hall and peeked her head out of the bathroom. She didn't hear Stefan come back in so she assumed Damon had gotten back somehow, obviously without using the front door. Maybe he'd heard the whole thing. He'd take her side against that cheating bastard, she just knew it. She found herself walking towards his bedroom for the second time in the last half hour. She found herself repeating the same actions as she did mere minutes ago, her hands gripping the wooden doorframe, her heartbeat quickening at the thought of him being there. Why? She wasn't really sure. Probably because of something she was feeling for him she was far away from ready to admit right about now.

Only her forehead and half of her eyes made it into his doorway before he spoke.

"Elena, what the hell are you doing here?" he scoffed.

She stumbled backwards a little, taken aback by his harsh tone and with the suddenness he'd detected her presence when she was trying to be stealth…at least as stealth as you could be around a vampire. A book was held in his hands as he lay on his back, half sitting up against the headboard of his bed, his feet stretched out toward her.

"I was uh...talking with Stefan...and then he left," she stated, her voice taking on its often used sad tone. She paused, expecting him to say something in reply. When he didn't, she continued. "Did you hear–"

"He must have left to go hunting," he spoke curtly.

She nodded her head slightly, pretending to be in agreement with his assumption, but she neglected to move herself from his doorway.

After a moment of silence, Damon looked up from the book he was reading. "Is there something else you needed, Elena?"

She shook her head. Words had escaped her again.

"I mean your boyfriend's not home, so I suggest you go home yourself."

Again, silence. But she nodded, her eyes briefly squinting at the anger he was throwing at her.

"Then leave."

Her eyebrows rose, then furrowed for a quick moment before falling back into their rightful place. "I –"

"If you can't tell, Elena," he interrupted her quickly. "I'm busy. And I don't want to see you."

She frowned at his harshness and she couldn't help the few tears that sprung back to her eyes, burning in their sockets.

He looked up at her again. Even his face was harsh. His eyes were dark, and not the lusty dark that she enjoyed so much, but a heartless, angry dark that scared her. His mouth was in a tight line, his eyebrows darkening his eyes with their stiff, narrowed posture. She still couldn't get herself to move from his doorway.

"It's just that Katherine–" she hesitated with a sniffle. He looked like he wouldn't care, but she continued despite it, "She came to me and...she said something about Stefan and I was just concer–"

"Elena, let's take a flashback to earlier this morning," he stood from the bed, throwing his book down, its hardcover creating a bouncing effect against the covered mattress. "Remember when I said, and I'm pretty sure these are exact words here," he stepped up to her, nearly a foot away before continuing, "don't fucking come crying to me because I won't give a shit? That wasn't sarcasm, and it wasn't a lie." He ignored the few tears that escaped her eyes and made their way down her cheeks. "And yet here we are less than 24 hours later, and you're already coming crying to me about your shit with Stefan. I don't care, Elena, about your problems with him or about what Katherine said to you. So go find your fucking boyfriend and tell him all about your issues." He shoved her shoulders, pushing her body away from his doorway with enough force that she made it all the way to the opposite wall of the hallway and felt the need to grip behind her to stable herself. "And maybe he'll give a shit." He slammed the door.

She stopped all her movements and she was sure her heart stopped as well. She looked at the wood of the closed door that he'd nearly hit her with if he hadn't so harshly shoved her away from it, her vision clouding as the tears threateningly spilled out from her eyes. She knew she'd screwed up, but she didn't think he'd be so mean to her. She was confused and scared and now Katherine was right, telling her crap about Stefan and how she was sleeping with him and then Stefan tells her this was the truth? Who could she go to if she couldn't go to Damon? She leaned against the back wall of the hallway and slid down to a seated position, her hands coming up to cover her eyes. She hastily wiped at the tears on her cheeks but it didn't make a difference. They just kept coming. She cursed at herself inwardly for being so stupid as to not notice how Stefan's absence could easily be explained by Katherine being around and how easily that could have led her to figure that Stefan was sleeping with Katherine again. She laughed at her own stupidity but was enraged deep inside herself.

She stopped for a moment; her tears halting their flow from her eyes, the shaking of her hands paused as well as the gasping of her breath. How in the hell could she be pissed at Stefan for cheating on her when she was doing the exact same fucking thing. She hit her forehead with her palm, hard, and she didn't allow herself to cringe at the painful movement. What the hell was wrong with her? She just chewed up and spit Stefan out, basically calling him a disappointing waste of time, but in fewer words, when she was the same fucking thing.

Her tears continued their flow at her realization and she cursed at herself again, this time aloud for being so stupid as to call Stefan the jackass when she was just as much of one as he was. She was worse. She was sleeping with Stefan's brother! At least Stefan had some centuries old attachment to this woman, here, she was just trying to have the best of both worlds. She lifted her knees to her chest, and rested her head atop her arms that were placed over her knees. She cried. She cried so hard she couldn't take proper breaths but she felt that she didn't deserve to anyway, so why worry about it. How could she have been so selfish? Not only had she pushed Damon away, but she showed such hostility towards Stefan that he was probably going to be mega pissed when he found out about her sleeping with Damon...twice. And she knew he was going to find out. It was inevitable.

She was killing him. She'd been crying for fucking thirty-six minutes outside his door and it was pissing him off. He specifically told her that he didn't want to hear her shit. If she wanted to be so self-righteous, she deserved to cry over the realization that she had been a prick. But then why was it hurting him so much to hear her gasps for breath and high pitched whines of inner pain.

He slammed his book on the floor and relished in the loud thud it created. He stood up from his former place on the bed and started to pace the floor of his room.

He had almost walked to the door multiple times, but he wouldn't let himself give in. He wouldn't let himself fall for her crying which could even be an act to get his freaking attention.

But a part of him hated crying women; crying women who were sincerely, genuinely, emotionally in pain. And Elena was one of them. Especially when it was Elena.

He could see her gorgeous, almond shaped, brown eyes, in his mind, staring up at him, laced with her tears. He could see her heaving chest and her struggle for breath through her tears. He shook his head. Don't give in. Don't give her the satisfaction of being able to whine about her shit to you. But he found himself reaching for the doorknob and swinging the door back open anyway.

She looked up at him from her spot on the ground, the tear stains all across her cheeks, the bloodshot colour added to her soft brown eyes, the strands of hair clinging to her wet face and the shaking hands trying to wipe the never-ending tears away. He closed his eyes and breathed out his most of his angry feelings and held out an arm. He flexed his two middle fingers of his hand, signalling her to get up and come to him. Her eyes lowered and shifted from his feet to down the hall, as she debated getting up and running away for a brief second.

"Elena," he growled.

She looked up at him. He was angry again. So she stumbled to her feet and walked towards him. He reached out and his hand landed on the small of her back, gently nudging her into his room. He closed the door behind her as he heard her sniffles and saw her take the sleeve of her sweater and scrape it across her wet eyes.

He walked towards his bed, and pulled off his shirt along the way. He pulled back the covers sitting atop the mattress and slipped in between the sheets. Elena stood awkwardly by the closed door of his room, while she pulled her sweater arms hard in order to get them to cover her shaking hands. She shifted her weight from one foot to the next before he said anything.

"Come here."

His instructions were simple but she found herself staying in place.

"Elena," he started, his tone tense, "your crying is pissing me off…I'm tired and its fucking late and I want this fucking day to end, so I'm going to bed. You're welcome to stop your crying and join me or leave."

She looked back at the door then kicked off her shoes and sped towards the bed before he could change his mind or spazz out on her again. She got in on the opposite side, sliding between the sheets and sinking her head down to the pillow. Damon's shirtless back was to her and he didn't say a word upon her entry into his bed. She was craving his attention even though she realized she didn't deserve it. She wanted him to turn around, hold her close, tell her he forgave her for being a jerk and that he loved her. She wanted him to run his hands through her hair and cradle her head to him. But she shook the idea from her head. That wasn't going to happen now, since you royally screwed up everything with him, Elena.

She was exhausted, and her eyes hurt from crying, and she could feel their puffiness growing. She would look like hell tomorrow. She felt dirty for cheating on Stefan and for sleeping with Stefan who had slept with Katherine. She wanted this day to be over, too, so she stayed silent and willed her eyes to close and her brain to shut down for the night.

Before she could stop herself, she let out a whimper and her hand shot out from under the covers to clasp over her mouth. Her attempt to muffle it was useless and she wasn't able to contain the others that came out as well, along with the forceful waterfall of tears that flew from her tired eyes for the third time that day.

She heard Damon huff and she whimpered again, briefly scared that he was going to hurt her for her damned annoying cries. What she didn't expect was for him to turn over to face her and reach out. She quickly turned into his embrace and let her tears fall against his chest.

A quiet shhh came from his lips and she reached her arms across to lock around his middle. One of his hands reached up to cup her head, holding it to him, while the other traced circles along her lower back. He placed a soft kiss in her hair and mumbled for her to "let it out."

She didn't know how long she'd cried. Actually, she couldn't remember the last time she'd done so much crying. She was being such a baby and she hated it, but she didn't know how else to feel. Her cloudy eyes rose to look up at Damon and his eyes were closed. She couldn't tell if he was asleep, but his hold on her was tight.

"Damon," she whispered towards him. His eyes quickly opened to look down into hers. "Are you done?" he questioned.

She nodded slightly, "I think so."

He let go of her, gently shoving her arms off of him. The tears almost threatened to fall again when he got up and walked away. Her head turned to see him walk into the bathroom and she sighed. Maybe he'd come back.

She heard water running behind the slightly ajar door and she found it strange that he would choose to take a shower now. She waited a few minutes and then the water stopped abruptly. She prepared herself to face him again and when he came back to the bed, his arms reached out and took hold of her, lifting her into his arms. She gripped his shoulders, eyebrows furrowed and he smiled at her as he carried her into the bathroom connected to his room.

He placed her down on the sink's counter and she closed her eyes at the scent of what seemed to be lilac and jasmine filling the room. She sighed. He stepped away from her for a second and her eyes snapped open, but he only left to take hold of her feet. He pulled at her socks, and then reached for her sweater, pulling it gently over her head, followed by her tank top. He placed a kiss against the side of her neck as he reached around her back to unclasp her bra. He lifted her from the counter and placed her feet back on the floor as he reached for the zipper and button on her jeans. Once he removed them along with her panties, he tugged her hand towards the bath he'd prepared. She smiled as he waited for her to hop in.

"Come with me," she whispered so softly he wasn't sure he'd heard it. But when she neglected to step in, he assumed she was waiting for him.

He pulled off his own jeans and took her hand as she slipped a foot into the warm water, followed by the other. He got in after her and the both sank down.

Elena rested her back against his chest and Damon wrapped his arms around her middle, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "for everything, Damon. For blaming you, for treating you like I did, I–"

"I know, Elena," he stopped her, hugging her body a little tighter to his. They were silent for a while, just relaxing in the warm water, bodies pressed together when Elena's hand reached to entwine her fingers with those of his hand.

"I think I love you, Damon," she stated quietly.

He smiled against her shoulder and placed a kiss there before replying, "I know you do."

A/N #2: Don't forget to review! Thanks guys!