"Hello."
"Damon, can I spend the night with you?"
"Don't you have an apartment and Mr. Original's house?"
Araya's anger flared again. "There's an eviction notice on my door when I got home, Elijah stood me up, and I'm really trying not to black out in anger right now . . . plus, I know a way we can have some fun."
"Does it involve you, me, and a bed?"
"It involves you, me, a computer, and Klaus' credit card."
Araya and Damon lay on their stomachs on his bed both laughing obnoxiously as they ordered Twilight underwear. They even ordered overnight shipping just to ensure that Klaus would get them.
"What else could we do?"
"We could drink?" Araya suggested hopefully.
"When do I ever stop?"
Three hours later Araya looked over at a very sleeping—and snoring—Damon Salvatore and looked over at her phone which was annoyingly ringing again. It was at least the tenth time Elijah had tried calling and she was scared of what he'd do when he found her here with a naked man. They hadn't had sex, but they kissed. She realized that even if it was just a kiss she had cheated on Elijah and that she had just encouraged Damon's feelings for her. Bringing out the alcohol had been a bad idea.
She glared at the phone.
"Ooh, Elijah . . . again?" Katherine said stepping into the room. "How is he going to feel about this?"
"I didn't do anything too bad, Katherine. You've done worse."
"I've done the same thing you're doing to Damon. You keep stringing him along, and then one day, all of a sudden you'll destroy him."
"Are we talking about Trevor or was there some other poor unsuspecting guy?"
Katherine shrugged. "I would call him back if I were you. Don't give him more of a reason to think you did do something sexy with Damon. Elijah likes the people he surrounds himself with to be trustworthy."
"I know, but I haven't done anything wrong."
"Yet."
"I really hate you Katherine."
But she didn't.
"I'm sure we'll be allies soon. Love you, Ray."
Araya groaned, but rejoiced at having the vampire out of her sight. Katherine was a pest, yet she was right about some things. She should call Elijah.
The phone barely had time to ring before Araya heard Elijah's voice on the other end.
"Araya!"
"Elijah, I'm staying at my apartment. Don't come over."
"Why haven't you answered my calls?"
The last thing she said was, "Things aren't so great for me right now."
And on top of everything she had major cramps.
It seemed a stop past home was in order.
Her apartment was just the way she left it, except for the werewolf that was sitting at her desk.
"Tyler!" Aray launched herself into her best friend's arms and he welcomed her gratefully. She had missed Tyler more than she wanted too. He was always there for her. And spending the full moons with someone always helped. You didn't feel as alone.
"Ray, oh god, I shouldn't have left you here! Damon told me everything that Klaus did. I am so sorry that he outed you like that." He paused. "I considered saying how big of a dick move it was on Damon's part making you tell everyone, but seriously, I need to thank the guy! And why is there an eviction notice on your door?"
"First of all: What? And second: I can't pay my rent. I'm moving some of my things to Elijah's house."
"I know about your stupid, heroic attempt at trying to save someone by sacrificing yourself."
Araya stepped back again and glared. "No. Tyler, no. Don't you dare say it. You aren't—"
Araya's whole being filled with dread as she heard the accented voice. "He is, sweetheart."
She ignored the Original and stared at her friend.
"You were supposed to have kids and grow up. You were going to live and I was going to die. Think about your mother. She won't have anyone. "
"Ray, I'm not going to let you die. I won't let you do this. I will keep you away from the sacrifice by force."
"Why would you be so cruel to me?"
"What do you mean, dear Ara?" Klaus asked before he could stop himself, his heart clenched.
"Shut up you, bastard!" she shouted. "I can't . . . Tyler, I can't live like this anymore. You can't let me live while you die! You're my best friend! You know almost everything about me! You know why I—"
"No, I don't! I don't know why you think you have to die! There are other ways!"
"No, there aren't!"
The room grew quiet and Klaus watched on. The two werewolves had nearly forgotten his presence which was good for his scheming ways.
"Raya, either way we go . . . we won't be able to grow old together and sit on the front porch watching our grandchildren play."
Araya's heart skipped a beat and throbbed. She loved Tyler; that was evident, even if she didn't use the word love in the same sense for him as he did for her.
"And honestly, Raya, I'd rather die than you. You have at least six guys that are in love with you, just like I am."
"Tyl—"
"I know you don't love me like I want you too, but we're as close as anyone can be, so I know that, but you do love me, Ray. Please, let me do this. Don't let your past make you feel guilty."
"Tyler, you don't understand."
"What don't I understand? You want to die for some dick vampire's curse because it will keep someone else safe and you feel guilty about the past. And right now, you want to run back to your boyfriend because you don't want to betray him."
"I don't want to go anywhere! I want to curl up safe in my bed, knowing that I will die in the sacrifice."
"You call that safe?" Tyler roared.
"It's as safe as I'll be. Now can you please go? I was already mad before we started fighting, now it's worse, I'm tired, and I have major cramps. Now, please, leave."
Tyler stormed out of the apartment, throwing his fist into the wall in his anger. "Fucking idiot!"
Araya sat on the floor and looked up at the ceiling. First Elijah, then Damon, and now Tyler? She didn't understand it. Supernaturals and their heightened emotions . . . Not fun. Her hands rested on her abdomen and she heard someone footsteps nearing her.
"How can you just walk in here? I never invited you in."
"Greta needed some of your belongings to perform a spell. She also invited me in."
Araya groaned as the floor creaked, signaling that Klaus was lying next to her.
"Tyler drove a hard bargain, yet I did not give him my word that he would be used."
"You didn't give me your word either."
"No, but only because you have such spark, and fire in you and I think that may be entertaining to watch for the rest of time."
"That so called fire is dying down each day I'm alive. All hope has left me."
"You abandon hope, not the other way around."
"Do you really think that?"
"I know it, sweetheart. I've spent over a thousand years aiming to do one thing. I'd lost hope many times and now look. Hope has not left me as many times as I've left it. My dreams are coming true!"
"My friends' are ending."
"And yours?"
"I'm not convinced that they exist anymore."
Klaus softened the tiniest bit at her heartbroken voice. "What did you want before?"
"I wanted to be an actress on Broadway . . . I was going to get married and have kids." Her voice turned hateful, "Then I fucking killed someone and it was ruined. Now I know can't have kids because I won't have them feel guilty when they kill and the pain . . . I guess its good I know that the curse is in my blood."
"How do you know they'll kill?"
"Because they'd have my brash and horrible genes. And they probably wouldn't stop if someone hurt them."
Araya attempted to get up, but Klaus' hand struck out and latched on her arm, not enough to hurt, but enough to keep her from going anywhere. "What?"
"Who hurt you?" He didn't even have to ask, but she needed to talk about it. She had to quit hiding her feelings.
"Wha . . . what do you mean?"
"I'm not an invalid. I can tell."
Memories flooded her mind: the abuse and torture. The blood was all over, matted in her hair soaked into her clothing. The blood on her hands and his body at the bottom of the staircase.
When Raya looked down, that was what she saw.
"Who hurt you?"
"He's dead now."
"And who killed him? You're ex?" Come on, he thought, admit it.
"He was my ex and I killed him because he tortured me for a week on end."
Hey! So I hope you liked this chapter and I'm terribly sorry about the wait (if anyone even reads/cares about this story)!
Please Review! I love them and my few readers!