AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay, you guys. Real life, work and a very remote location got in the way, and I've been MIA for almost the entire week. Life sucks when you're an adult with responsibilities with no access to the Internet. So very sorry.
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: A big thank you to those who read and reviewed again. I love you all like how Elena loves Damon, except with zero chance of sex from me. No, not even a kiss with tongue. You heard me!
AUTHOR'S NOTE 3: Happy Belated Birthday, Angela76!
A Woman's Worth: Chapter TWELVE
Damon's POV
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
For the first time in years, I woke up with a pounding headache from my deep slumber to the sound of persistent banging. My first thought was that I had a bullet lodged in my head, and that by some miracle, I had managed to survive only to feel every painful twinge. And then my second thought was whether we had a pet woodpecker that I didn't know about, and I wondered why it picked today of all days to wreak havoc on a nearby tree right outside my window.
My heavy lids drifted close again but just as I was about to reunite with my dream version of Elena, who in my mind was laying between silk sheets looking angelic yet flirty at the same time, the loud banging sounds thundered through the house again.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
I groaned out loud as the sound reverberated around in my ear, sending a sharp, shooting pain to my throbbing head.
"Shut up and go peck on another tree, stupid bird!" I yelled out and flung a pillow towards the nearest window in my room, hoping that the action would scare the bird silly. Not quite ready to rejoin the land of the living yet, I grabbed another pillow and covered my head with it, struggling to keep the image of Elena's warm and inviting body next to mine.
Then I got all confused when I heard my bedroom door creak open, and I thought to myself: how in the world did the bird make its way from the tree outside to my bedroom door inside the house and then managed to turn my doorknob without fingers and thumbs?
"I hope you're wearing pants, buddy, because I'm about to kick your ass and I won't like it if my heel gets stuck in your butt crack!" came a high-pitched voice from a distance away.
Since when do birds wear heels and get so cranky?
"Damon 'Starsky' Salvatore! Get up, get up, get up!" the 'bird' yelled from right above me, and it sounded suspiciously like Blondie, despite the sound barrier I had erected around my head with a pillow. And then my whole body erupted into tiny explosions of pain when I felt the entire bed rock violently.
Feeling as if I had somehow stepped onto a rocky boat that had been caught in the midst of a thunderstorm, I flung my pillow aside and dragged my eyes open to find not only a very determined blonde, but also my wrinkly-faced pug jumping on my bed.
"S-stop," I croaked out after a few attempts of holding back my nausea from the movements. I lurched upright in alarm when I found myself a recipient of a very wet tongue bath on the entire left side of my face and then sagged with relief upon finding out that it was from Pig, and not the other bitch.
Sorry if I was being a little too harsh on nauseatingly sweet, caring and kind Caroline, but she had just interrupted my naughty dream time with Elena!
"Oh good, you're awake," Blondie commented matter-of-factly, as if it was an everyday occurrence for her to be standing on top of my bed, in my room and wearing her usual obscenely high heels...in pink.
Wait, what?!
"No pointy shoes on my silk sheets, Blondie," I lamented in despair, my heart aching at the sight of my soiled sheets, effectively perking me up from my hangover.
"Whoops, sorry," she said, jumping down from my bed to stare down at me as I pinched my eyes shut while rubbing my temples in circular motions. "God, you sleep like the dead! I was just standing outside, ringing the bell for like ten minutes at least, until Stef let me in."
I sighed deeply and rubbed my eyes, mentally cursing myself for succumbing to the bottle again. Almost nine and a half years. It was such a great run too, but I had to destroy it over a girl. But not just any girl; it was over Elena Gilbert.
Just thinking about her brought back the pain of realization that she was, once again, back with Jerkwood. The girl had been beaten, almost to the point of death at one time, and then alienated by him from her own best friend, and goodness knows what else behind closed doors. And just when I thought that she was finally safe from that monster, and right before I was about to declare my feelings, she went right back to the man who made her life a misery.
Fuck this.
"Yeah, well that's what happens when I pass out," I told her somewhat emotionlessly, pulling myself upright to take a wobbly step towards my dresser.
It was at that moment that Blondie realized that I was still in my clothes from last night. "W-wh-why were you passed out? And why are you still in your party clothes? And why didn't you come over after I called you last night? You did hear me telling you that Elena's gone again, right?" she asked relentlessly as she pieced the puzzles together, frowning at me. She then allowed her eyes to wander around the room, looking for further clues for my peculiar behavior.
She released a shocked gasp shortly after, and I knew that my life would never be the same again. I could practically see my life flashing before my eyes, probably only mere moments from a horrible death ala high heel in between my butt cheeks.
Goodbye, Elena. It was nice knowing you.
"You're drinking again?!" she shrieked, making me wince at the high decibel. My head was throbbing and my mind, a blurry mess, but her tone was definitely more effective than any 'hair of the dog' cure for my residual hangover. "Damon, please tell me that that empty whiskey bottle has been sitting there for the last nine years, and you were just admiring the shape of the bottle neck because it reminded you of a certain part of your body!"
Okay, it shouldn't be surprising that she even managed to shock my sensibilities as well as my dog's, as proven when Pig up and left the room, her head downcast as she ran out the door that was left ajar. I ignored Blondie's indignant expression as I pulled a fresh change of clothes from my dresser. Yup, I finally made it all the way to the other side of my room in one piece.
"Damon, I know that it seems as if all hope is lost now, what with Elena's stupid insistence to play the role of a victim again, but you can't do this. You need to stop moping, right now, and we need to go rescue her and get her back again. We did it before, and we can do it again," she implored, coming to stand behind me.
I shook my head stubbornly in disagreement. "We didn't do anything before. She came to us, remember? We never rescued her at all, but merely distracted her long enough by prolonging the inevitable. She was bound to return to him sooner or later. I can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved, Care."
I started to make my way into my spacious bathroom, but stopped when I felt her hands on my arm, tugging me back. Funny, I thought I made it clear that the conversation was over.
"You don't get to do this, Damon. You don't get to give up on my best friend just because of one setback. She listened to us before, she'll listen to us again," she said, but I was done with the whole thing. I tried to shrug my way out of her tight grip, but she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. "No, you're not moving until you hear me out, or else I-I-I'll go to Elena and tell her that you love her!"
That threat managed to get my attention where nothing else could. "So what if I do love her? What does that get me and how does it help her?" I asked as I whipped my head around to stare down at the blonde. "It's nothing but an inconvenience, is what it is. It's my feelings that caused her to go back to that monster in the first place. She doesn't want me, she never did. If she had, I would have stood a better chance of getting through to her. Ric was right all along; I shouldn't have let my feelings interfere with how I usually deal with a case."
"Case? Elena's not a-a-a case! She's a very confused girl who misunderstood our relationship and that's why she ran off. She was so happy yesterday, Damon. You saw her! Did she seem like she was about to go running back to Mason when she was clinging onto you during the whole Christmas tree fiasco?" she burst out angrily, refusing to give up on her crusade of making me see the light. Oh I saw the light, alright. It just wasn't the same one that she was seeing. Mine was more bleak and gloomy, almost like a badly lit horror movie from the 70s.
Caroline wasn't finished with her outburst, though. At this rate, I wasn't going to shower for the next century or so, so I might as well look for another bottle of bourbon and file my nails while I listened to her.
"Elena even wanted to help repair the rift between you and brother, too, did you know that? She spent the afternoon talking to Stef, trying to convince him to forget about the past, to see the work you've done all these years to better yourself. If you ask me, I'd say that she wanted to do that for you, because she cares about you. How do you think she will feel if she finds out that you've started drinking again and because of her, too? Guilty, that's how she'll feel."
I was about to open my mouth to reply, but then my bedroom door widened further and we both turned to see an amused Stefan casually leaning against the door frame, a smile on his face. Was it wrong that my first impulse was to smack him silly for being so happy when my life was falling apart?
"Hey now, you two having a little lover's spat on Christmas morning? What's the matter, Care? Did my big brother forget your present?" he drawled lazily from my doorway. It appeared as if he didn't overhear the part about my drinking again, or he would have commented on that piece of news.
Belatedly, I realized what he said. Lover's spat? Not him, too, I groaned inwardly. Apparently, Caroline picked up on that as well.
"Lover's spat?! You think Damon and I are lovers, as in having sex, like how guys and girls do if they're dating?" she exclaimed in disbelief, glaring at my brother with her crazy eyes.
For a fleeting second, I felt sorry for Stefan since he wasn't used to Care being overdramatic yet, but then that moment passed quickly when I remembered that he had feelings for my girl. He deserved a death sentence for that one, so I leaned back against my dresser and watched Blondie giving him the evil eye. At least my unsuspecting brother took the heat off me, and I wanted to enjoy that brief moment of peace as I processed what Care said before, about Elena being disappointed in me for my alcoholic relapse.
"Umm, yeah, aren't you guys dating and getting serious? I mean, that was why my brother planned the party here last night, wasn't it? Because he wanted me to meet you? At least, that's what I assumed when I talked to Elena during the dance," Stefan seemed uncertain now, his gaze shifting back and forth from me to the angry blonde.
Wow, so it was his miscalculation that resulted in that whole mess of a case of mistaken identity at the kitchen yesterday. It certainly explained why Elena thought that I loved her best friend and why baby bro didn't connect with Care as I had hoped.
"Oh my God, I can't handle this right now," Caroline announced, shaking her head in exasperation. She looked as if she was about to lose it…well, more than she already did, obviously. "I can't handle one mentally unstable best friend and two idiotic brothers on Christmas day! I mean, I've earned my day off from working so hard to plan the party and everything. I could use some retail therapy right now but the damned shops aren't even open today," she muttered to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair, looking as if she was about to pull them out by the roots.
Fortunately for my brother, I could sense that he was about to escape unscathed from the wrath of Care Bear, but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. I was hoping that he would lose an eye or had his perfectly coiffed hair shaved off even. What does a guy have to do to catch a break around here, huh?
"Umm, sorry if I made things awkward between you two, but…ahh, carry on," Stef mumbled hesitantly, avoiding Blondie's eyes as he made to leave before abruptly turning back to face us again, only this time, he had a beaming smile on his face. "Hey, Damon, you disappeared last night before I could get Elena's number. Do you think you could give it to me now?"
God, I wanted to attach each and every tooth he was flashing at me to my car's bumper and speed all the way over to the grocery store to purchase some eggs that I neither needed nor knew how to cook!
I checked my impulse to do something out of character and instead gritted my teeth as I told him, "I don't think it's appropriate, little bro, since she already has a boyfriend. Sorry, man." There, a good and legitimate reason as for why I couldn't just give him what he wanted. I didn't even need to come up with a lie.
His face fell when he heard the word 'boyfriend' and I immediately felt guilty for bursting his bubble so harshly. This was the very first time that I had seen him connect with someone so quickly and he seemed genuinely interested in Elena. Plus, it was rather counter-intuitive for me to deny him even a hint of happiness, even if it was at the expense of my own. I was about to cave until he spoke again.
"Oh, but I guess it's not such a surprise that she's seeing someone. I mean, from our conversations last night, I know that she's a great person and surely I'm not the first guy to realize that," he commented with disappointment in his voice, and I found myself nodding along to his statement. Then to my dismay, he brightened up and said hopefully, "But it doesn't mean that I can't get to know her, right? We could always hang out and talk as friends."
Pushy kinda guy, wasn't he?
Sighing in exasperation, all I wanted to do was to end this depressing conversation and kick both Stef and Blondie out of my room, and then bury my head into my pillows for a whole month. Sadly, I didn't have such a luxury. "I'll have to ask Elena's permission first, you understand? If she allows it, then I'll let you know," I informed him glumly, making it clear that this discussion was over and done with for now. He nodded and smiled again before he held both hands up and slowly backed away from my door, humming a little as he went.
"Wait, did I miss something? He seems uncharacteristically chirpy today, and what was that with wanting Elena's number? And why were you talking with your teeth clenched?" Blondie asked with her particularly observant gaze on me.
I tried to make my voice as casual as possible as I filled in the blanks. "My brother's interested in Elena, of all people, and he wants to ask her out," I explained as her eyes widened in surprise. "Maybe it's just as well that she went back to Jerkwood. That way, neither one of us gets her."
I shook my head sadly and threw my clean change of clothes back into a drawer, intending to climb back into my bed and lose myself in another bottle of my father's collection of Bourbon but I should have known that my plans for the day would be foiled by one stubborn blonde.
"Oh no you don't!" she burst out, determination etched on her expression as she grabbed me and forced me to listen to her. "Will you stop with the doom and gloom? Stefan is an idiot! We've already established that fact when he thought that you and I were hooking up. I should probably go talk to him about a possible change in career path because I don't think there's any vacancy for a dense lawyer in his future. So whatever he thinks he feels for Elena is immaterial, because he's only known her for a day. One day! But you…you are her rock, Damon. You are the one who can make her smile even when her whole world is collapsing at her feet, and I've never seen her as happy as when she's with you. I don't know what's going through her head right now to make her go back to Mason, but I know that she feels something for you. She's just confused, but that's your fault, you and your stupid L-word."
One would think that women liked to hear how much they are loved by people around her, but Blondie seemed to have an extreme aversion to my fondness of her, judging by the evil glare she was targeting at me.
"I'm sorry I said that. You're very annoying and the sight of you makes my skin crawl. The thought of us being anything more than mortal enemies makes me want to lock myself in a cage filled with poisonous snakes and giant spiders trying to get into my pants. When I look at you, I want to gouge my eyeballs out and cook them with acid before I stuff them into my eye sockets again. Better?" I rambled emotionlessly in a pathetic attempt to right the wrong I made the previous night.
"Much better, but you need to work on your delivery. Just keep that in mind when you're telling Elena how much you detest me. Now go shower and wash that alcohol smell off and we are going over there to get her back. You and me, we're going to tag team her and explain everything. No more misunderstandings, you hear me? Go," she pushed me firmly towards my bathroom and left my room, muttering about brainless Salvatores and how we were ruining a perfectly merry Christmas for her.
Elena's POV
(Christmas eve – after leaving the party)
I sat on the passenger seat of Mason's truck, staring at the side mirror and watching Caroline's reflection slowly fade into a tiny speck as we drove off, leaving her standing alone in front of her house. Shame and guilt washed over me at the thought of her heedless pleas, practically begging me to stay after she walked up to her front door as I swung it open to leave with every single thing I owned packed in a bag that Mason was carrying.
Her eyes widened in shock as she saw me, then her eyes strayed to the silent man behind me before they finally slid down to the bag. Then her gaze snapped back up to mine in horror.
She didn't understand. No one did. There was nothing I could say that could make them see why I had to leave, why I chose to walk down this familiar path again. It wasn't because of the proposal, or the fact that my heart had been broken into pieces at the party. Hell, I was even genuinely happy for my best friend that she managed to catch the attention of the kindest man I have ever met, aside from my father.
Indeed, I felt nothing but joy for her, and I demonstrated it by pinning a wide grin on my face to placate Caroline as I wished her a Merry Christmas and leaned in to hug her goodbye, proving that I was perfectly fine with my decision to move back to Mason's house. She kept saying "No" repeatedly, as if her denial was going to change my mind, but all I did was rub her back in a comforting gesture, shaking my head. "It's going to be okay, Care. Mason and I made up, but this won't be like the last time, I promise. I'll still see you and hang out with you guys…I'm just going home where I belong. It's different this time, you'll see."
"Yes, Caroline, I'll take good care of her," Mason spoke up softly, catching both of us off guard by his willingness to address my best friend directly. Perhaps he really meant it when he said that he'd changed. The old Mason would have merely glared at Care or completely ignored her as he strutted over to the car and tootled his horn impatiently as we said our goodbyes. "Thanks for letting her stay here while we…figured our shit out. I owe you one," he said amicably, and I watched, amused when Care's jaw dropped and being rendered speechless for the first time in her life.
"I'll see you again real soon, okay? I'll call you," I promised and waved as I hurried over to the car, not giving her time to react. I expected her to put up a fight, maybe even call for reinforcements from the Salvatore mansion, so it was time that I hightailed out of there.
My heart weighed heavier as the distance increased between the house that was my safe haven and the moving truck. It was funny because I really thought that it would be a huge relief now that I had made my decision, and being back together with Mason was what I had planned when I left him. But now that it was really happening, I couldn't help but feel….empty.
"Hey, babe," Mason's voice interrupted my thoughts. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you called me earlier. So I'm guessing that your answer's a 'yes', then?"
I froze when his hand reached over to cover mine on my lap, and my mind took me back to the car ride that took place right after I got discharged from the hospital, remembering my involuntary reaction to the touch of his skin; every nerve in my body wanted to fling his hand away and it was the exact same thing right now, too. Unlike the previous time, however, he left his hand where it was, his fingers lacing with mine as his thumb stroked my knuckles gently. For a moment, I wanted to throw the door open and fling myself out of a moving vehicle, action movie style.
"Listen," I said hesitantly, still eyeing the door handle. "I'm here now because I wanted to help you change back to the man you once were, before everything happened that messed us up. I'm willing to try and be there for you, as you once were there for me because I believe in you. But I do expect you to live up to your promise to me that you'll stop drinking and go to your anger management classes and we'll go have our counseling sessions to work out everything that needs to be worked on. As for the other stuff….well, I'd rather just give it some time before we decide anything too hasty."
An awkward silence filled the confined space of the car following my statements, and I waited nervously for a response. I half expected him to throw a tantrum again but I was caught by surprise when he released a defeated sigh and squeezed my fingers.
"So, it's a 'No' then? Even if I promise to do all those things?"
Seriously, that's all that he got from my response? "For now, it's a 'We'll see' until the timing is right. There's still so much that we need to sort out in our relationship, so maybe we'll put the whole idea of marriage on hold first, okay? In the mean time, why don't you keep the ring first?" I asked as I fished into my pocket to remove the diamond ring that felt increasingly heavy by the second. I held it out to him, effectively dislodging my hand from his clasp when he lifted his right hand to close around it.
The instant he took the ring from my fingers, I immediately felt a load of weight being lifted off my shoulders and a huge wave of relief flooded through me. I know that I probably shouldn't feel that way but I couldn't help myself. I supposed that should have been a warning sign for me to get the hell out of dodge, but I was convinced that Mason needed my help to be a better man. And no matter what I felt for…anyone else, I still loved him and I owed it to our relationship to try again. After all, being with him felt familiar to me, and there was a time when I really thought that this was it; he was the love of my life, my one true love. If I had to, I'd be patient and dig deep to find the man he once was. I am by no means, a quitter.
"This ring symbolizes my commitment to you and that I will keep my promises and I just want you to know that I really want to marry you, Elena. I've never been more serious about anything in my life, but I guess I can understand your hesitation right now. I'll have to earn back your trust again and when I do, I fully expect to see this ring on your finger. Until then, we'll just treat it as a promise ring," he conceded, pocketing it before he replaced his hand on the steering wheel.
I supposed that his speech was everything I ever wanted to hear for so long, and it should make my heart flutter madly that he was uttering it now, but somehow, I couldn't help but imagine the same words coming from another man, one who had slightly wavy raven locks, piercing blue eyes, a lopsided smile and who looked breathtaking in all-black attire.
After some time apart, it wasn't surprising that Mason expected for us to work on our relationship – sexually – that same night, but I managed to convince him to wait up in bed for me while I unpacked and cleared up the mess in the house that seemed to have accumulated since I left. I deliberately took my own sweet time, making sure that I scrubbed every inch of the surfaces of every piece of furniture at least twice.
By the time the house was spotless again, it was already nearing to three a.m. so I carefully made my way upstairs and climbed into bed next to a snoring Mason. I turned onto my side, my tensed back facing the still figure beside me as I listened to his even breathing. I didn't fall asleep until it was almost dawn and by then, half of my body was already numb from the lack of movement.
My eyes flew open a few short hours later, my ears perking up at the sound of a ringing doorbell. For a moment there, I laid frozen on the bed which felt different, confused as my eyes slid all over my surroundings until it finally sunk in that I was no longer at the Forbes' residence. Then the doorbell chimed again, and only then did I realize that the shower was running.
Mason was in the bathroom.
A sudden feeling of dread came over me, so I hastily jumped out of the bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I pulled on a robe. I hurried down the stairs just as the bell chimed once more and then I was faced by the two people I wanted to see the most but yet didn't at the same time. I had a very complicated relationship with the both of them, for very different reasons, obviously. I sure as hell wasn't ready to see them standing side-by-side, looking chummy, gorgeous and made for each other on a Christmas morning.
A part of me wanted to slam the door shut in their faces and go back to bed where I could escape from reality for a few more hours.
"Umm, hey. Merry Christmas," I greeted, clasping a hand over my mouth to avoid my morning breathe from wafting over to them.
"What's wrong with your mouth, Elena? Did he hit you again? Let me see," Caroline instructed as she grabbed my raised arm and dragged it away from my face, revealing nothing amiss but perhaps a very pale face. I stubbornly kept my eye on her rather than the dark-haired man beside her.
"No, Mason didn't hurt me, Care," I sighed wearily, tired of having to constantly defend him to everyone else. Why couldn't they just simply accept that I had made my choice and left it at that? "I literally just got up from bed okay? I didn't even have a chance to brush my teeth yet."
My confession seemed to have stumped both of them for the moment, since they were probably expecting the worst to happen in the nine and a half hours since I left the mansion. I should be grateful that they were worried enough to come and check up on me, but I really didn't want this to go on this way. Should I expect them to turn up every day at random hours for as long as I remained by Mason's side?
My best friend frowned a little and then proceeded to not-so-discreetly pinch her nose shut. "Well? Where is that monster? Is he upstairs, trashing the bedroom again for goodness knows what reason? Like maybe finding another toy he hasn't yet beheaded?" she asked, raising a challenging brow at the unsubtle reminder of what happened to my stuffed bear. My heart ached a little as I thought back to the fate of Mr. Cuddles, the poor unfortunate toy that suffered a premature death at the hands of my boyfriend.
Sensing that she was gearing up for a fight with the 'monster' if he should so happen to come downstairs at that moment, I reluctantly stepped outside and closed the front door behind me, hoping that Caroline's voice wouldn't be heard through the timber veneer. So far, the man beside her hadn't spoken a word since their arrival, for which I was thankful for. I was trying so hard not to look at him at all, which was so difficult because I swear my eyes had a mind of their own.
"Look, Caroline, I told you last night that things are different now with -"
"Damon-and-I-are-not-dating-nor-are-we-in-love," she blurted out unexpectedly, speaking so rapidly that it was hard to understand her. "Tell her, Damon!" she commanded sharply, nudging the silent man beside her with a painful elbowing at his ribs.
"Owww," he winced, turning a sideways glare at the blonde before returning his gaze to me. I had no choice but to look at him then, and regretted it almost instantly when all the feelings I felt during the party rushed back at me, threatening to drown me in a mixture of heartache and some other indecipherable emotion that was stronger than affection. Much, much stronger.
He seemed different this morning, somehow, as if he had a rough night as well. And for the first time since I have known him, he wasn't completely clean cut like he usually was. His jaw and chin were covered with short facial hair and his dark mane was messy, as if he had spent the past few hours running his fingers through them anxiously. Funny, he didn't seem like he was having a wonderful time with Caroline so far on this supposed magical day.
"Tell. Her," the blonde seethed through her gritted teeth, shooting him a pointed look. "Or I will."
He sighed in resignation and then took a deep breath while mentally preparing to announce the big news. Suddenly, I didn't want to know. I mean, what if he was about to announce that they were moving in together? Or that she had legally adopted Pig as a stepdog?
"I don't have feelings for Caroline," he announced softly, catching me completely offguard. "I mean, she's my friend so of course I feel something for all my friends. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't, but it's not exactly what you - that is, you misunderstood what I said last night when you heard – I didn't mean it like-"
"Oh my God, I swear you Salvatore boys will be the death of me!" Caroline burst out in frustration, her blue-green eyes shooting daggers out at him. "Can't any of you do anything right for once? Can't believe my Mom was right; if you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself. I should be getting paid for this, you know? I might even consider a career in counseling or maybe psychology after this!"
Then she turned her attention on me, and I was actually scared of the sheer determination I saw on her. "Okay, Elena, we're here to set the record straight once and for all. Damon and I are nothing but friends who only barely tolerate each other because of our one common interest; you. We both care about you and your well-being, and that's the only thing stopping us from gouging each others' eyes out just so that we won't have to look at one another again. I can't even believe that you ever thought that he has feelings for me, because trust me on this, the only way he and I would ever be remotely interested in each other would be if we're the only two survivors left from the Apocalypse and there were no goats or if it was up to us to repopulate the Earth to fight against aliens and predators."
I fought an urge to laugh at the vivid image she'd painted despite my bewilderment at her proclamation. It didn't help that Damon had alternated between nodding his agreement and cringing with disgust while she had prattled on. This was turning into a very interesting morning, to say the least.
"Besides," she went on after taking a much needed breath, "I have a policy against dating a man who's better-looking than me, and anyone with a pair of eyes can see that he's the hottie in a relationship. Both my ego and my vanity cannot accept that in a million years because I'd get fat from all the stress-eating I would be doing. Do you see now how any kind of romantic relationship is basically impossible between us? In case you're still confused over the status of our friendship, it is a 'never' between us. If you want more proof, I'll post it on my Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Skype accounts later. But just to recap….Damon and me in a relationship? Bleurghhhh!" she said, her face twisted into a look of utter revulsion as she raised a hand to push his left cheek away at the last word as if she couldn't bear to look at him any further.
My first impulse was to leap to his defense, my lips parting to start a tirade of my own to fight on his behalf, to convince her that Damon had much more going on than just his looks. He was a selfless man, one who wouldn't hesitate to fight for the underdog, a great brother, son, and friend. He was a gentleman, a kind soul, funny and sweet and above all else, unflinchingly loyal. Any woman would be lucky to have him as a partner.
I was about to say all that but then the front door opened, revealing Mason who seemed surprised to find me standing in my pjs and robe with two of my friends, both of whom were trying to convince me that they were nothing more than reluctant friends, if that. Maybe Caroline sold me on the idea of her feelings, or lack thereof for him, but she was wrong about Damon's. I heard him say that he loved her and could even envision her to be a Salvatore one day. That sure didn't sound as if he would rather mate with a goat than her.
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you all standing outside? You guys can come in if you want," Mason offered generously. The gesture was all surprising, especially knowing how he really felt about them both. It was further proof that he was really a changed man.
Unfortunately, I was the only one convinced of that fact. "I'd rather not. We all know that any person who goes in risks coming back out either half-dead or with bruises all over and I happen to like my fair and unblemished skin, thank you very much," Caroline replied sarcastically, making me groan inwardly at her unfiltered and in-your-face attitude. It was as if she wanted to rile him up on purpose.
"Alright, that's a 'no thanks' then? Fine," Mason shrugged, shaking his head at me. Seriously? That was it? He didn't get all ape-shit and bad-tempered at her jibe? It truly was a magical Christmas morning!
"Elena," he continued, choosing to ignore Care's judgy eyes and Damon's narrowed ones. He couldn't seem to be able to figure Mason out either. "Do you remember where I put the engagement ring? I can't seem to find it this morning."
And just like that, my two friends were on the offense again.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Damon hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. He looked majorly upset, murderous even as he regarded first Mason, then me.
"Elena, please tell me you're not actually thinking of marrying him! Oh my God, the Mayans were right about the Apocalypse," my best friend muttered, looking confused and at a loss at what to do.
Shit. Damage control, stat.
"Umm…I think it's still in your jeans from last night. You put it in your right pocket, remember?" I hastily deflected, not wanting Mason to be around for the coming explosion."Why don't you go upstairs and look for it? I'll be in shortly."
I nodded encouragingly at him and saw him hesitate for a moment, and then he leaned in to press a kiss on my lips before turning towards Damon with a smug grin and disappeared back behind the door. I couldn't be sure, but it almost seemed as if he mentioned the ring on purpose. But why would he do that? I thought I made it clear for him last night that there would be no talk of marriage and wedding until we've repaired our relationship.
"So that's it then? He proposed and now you're back together with him?" Damon asked tonelessly, his face devoid of any emotion.
"Well yes, he did and I am, but it's not exactly that simple, Dam-"
I could see the change in him before I even finished my sentence, the way his jaw tightened and his entire body went rigid as if he was holding on by a thread. "Forget it, I don't want to hear anymore. You made your choice, so it's your funeral, Elena," he snapped, and I withdrew from the icy glare he pinned me with. Snapping his head over to my shocked best friend, he bit out, "I can't do this anymore, Care. I just can't."
With that, he threw his hands up and stalked away, as if he couldn't bear being near me for even another second. I watched his retreating back making his way to his car, slamming the door shut while he revved his engine loudly. Then he peeled out of the driveway as if he was being chased by ghosts, never once sparing another glance at me.
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, and then the shape of the Camaro become a blurry sight when they started to cascade down my cheeks.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this to you, Elena, but you're being incredibly stupid right now," my remaining friend told me with shaky voice. "In fact, you've been stupid with everything in regards to Mason. Why can't you see that the man you belong with is not the guy who's been using you as a punching bag, but the man who just got all his hopes and dreams shattered right here on your doorstep? You just broke Damon's heart, Elena, and I'm sorry if I'm being rather harsh with you, but I don't know how else to make you realize what a fool you've been."
Wiping my watery eyes as I shifted to face the blonde, I stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about, Care? What hopes and dreams? I'm just a case to Damon, right? He's probably just upset because I didn't need him to rescue me."
"God, are you really as blind as you seem to be right now? Damon doesn't see you as a case. He is in love with you!" she yelled, her chest heaving as she panted for breath. My entire body went into shock mode at that moment, my mind unable to process what she just divulged. "That boy is so helplessly in love with you that he planned the whole Christmas party for you, because it would make you happy. He wanted to dance with you last night but his idiot of a brother beat him to it. When I called and told him that you'd gone back to Mason, he did the one thing he swore he'd never do since his mother's death; he started drinking again, Elena. And now that he thinks that you're marrying Mason…." she trailed off, leaving me to panic at the possible endings to that unfinished sentence.
"I'm really worried about him now. I'm sorry but I need to go see if he's alright. I can only handle one distressed friend at a time, and right now, he seems to be the one who's on the verge of spiraling out of control. If we don't nip this drinking thing in the bud, then I don't know what's going to happen to him," she lamented, flashing me a torn look between staying by my side so that she could continue to talk some sense into me, or being there for the guy whom I'd possibly ruined beyond recognition.
"Go, Care. I'll be fine here. Please find him and tell him….tell him to call me. I need to explain about Mason," I told her. My mind was still in a mess, filled with unprocessed thoughts and everything she just told me, but one thing stood out from the rest; Damon loved me.
"Okay, but try not to die before I get back here to kick your ass," she ordered, shooting me a warning look as she ran over to her own car.
I stood in a daze on the doorstep, watching the backlights of her car slowly disappear into the distance and I prayed and hoped that she'd find him before he allowed the alcohol to consume him. I didn't realize that I was still crying until I tasted my own salty tears on my lips. Brushing my face with the back of my hand, I slowly reentered the house, only to be blocked by Mason who was standing motionless just inside the door, his face an angry red color as he stood there glowering at me accusingly.
Oh, crap.
My twitter: cgsa_cher
Please go check out my beta Kristi's (tukct81) fic, 'Great Expectations', a canon story that picks up from Ms. Mystic Falls (4x07) Squeal! And my friend Sana's (Don't Tear Me Down) 'Chasing Fire'. Go go go!