Letters To My Ex-Jerk
Chapter 22- Hit The Beach
"Vanilla ice-cream with caramel sauce is the best thing I've ever tasted," I stated as I took a giant lick of my ice-cream swirly. Damon and I had been hanging out for a couple of hours now in the sun. First we'd gone back to the hotel, changed into swimsuits and then come back for a cool dip on this hot summer's day. Now we were grabbing ice-creams.
"No, Chocolate ice-cream with chocolate sauce is the best thing," Damon protested as he took a big bite of his ice-cream and then gulped it back. I felt a shiver go down my spine as I thought of the brain freeze he must be suffering from but he didn't seem to be affected, if his blasé mood was anything to show.
"Whatever, you're just a chocoholic. I'm in love with caramel," I responded, taking another tiny lick.
"I thought you were in love with Stefan," Damon replied, causing there to be an awkward silence.
I licked my ice-cream as a way to ease the tension; Damon's blue eyes bore into the side of my face with an intensity that made me nervous and made butterflies whirl around in my stomach like an avalanche. I felt a blush creep across my cheeks.
"We broke up for good," I murmured, when I was done with my ice-cream and I knew that Damon wouldn't speak up until I did.
Damon remained silent, finishing up his cone before he leaned across the towel and whispered: "Then he won't mind if I do this," I felt his lips near mine and then they captured them and he held me close, stroking the nape of my neck gently as we kissed. An avalanche of emotions threatened to burst through, but I wasn't ready for another Salvatore situation. I didn't want Damon to be the rebound guy.
I pushed him away from his chest and got up, catching sight of his hurt azure eyes as I made my way away from him. He hopped up and ran to catch up with me. Because he was fit, he fell into step with me easily.
"What's wrong? I'm single, you're single so…" Damon trailed off, slipping his arm around my waist.
I shrugged him off. "I don't want it to be like this," I replied, as if that was a good way to explain it.
"What do you mean?" Damon's eyebrows furrowed and he pulled on my arm to stop me from walking away from him.
I sighed and looked up at him from under my eyelashes finding it hard not to kiss him again, just so I could feel that amazing feeling again. "I don't know, Damon. I just don't know," I whispered, caught speechless by the intense look in his blue eyes.
Damon nodded, then a sad look came into his eyes. "I'll never measure up to perfect St. Stefan. I should've never tried…Goodbye, Buddy." He ran a hand through his hair before he turned on his heel and started away from me.
I wanted to run after him and tell him that he measured up and was way more important to me than Stefan would ever be. I wanted to tell him that his kisses kept me feeling alive and to inform him that I wanted nothing more than to be with him again. I wanted to tell him that no one made me feel the way he did, but it was as if my feet were frozen to the sand below me. I watched him pick up the towel and sneak one last anguish-filled look at me before he started back towards the hotel.
I sighed again, finally able to move my feet. I started walking in the opposite direction towards the pier, wanting to get some thinking time. I had promised both myself and Sarah that I'd give Damon the letters I'd written and tell him what I felt but I felt that I'd chicken out. I'd really messed up now. I should have just told him what I felt for him after he kissed me. Hell, I shouldn't have pushed him away. If that didn't give him the wrong idea, I don't know what would.
I reached the end of the pier where a couple of stands selling ice-cream, hot dogs and some sort of weird pizza in a cone, everything that was expected in a highly touristic area. I used to like coming onto this pier and just thinking. Sarah and I would sit on the edge and dangle our feet. There was a place behind the stands that had a ladder that Sarah and I liked to dive off into the water. I edged behind the stands and peered down, expecting to see a couple of swimmers or something.
What I didn't expect to see was Stefan and Sarah making out, hands all over one another.
I gasped, and then covered my mouth because they'd heard me and stopped kissing. They looked up at me from in the water and Sarah's cheeks flooded bright red, a color she became when she was very embarrassed. Even against her tan skin, the blush was eminent. Stefan's mouth formed an 'o' and they backed away from one another.
"Excuse me," I muttered, my voice shaking a little because I was super shocked at what I'd just witnessed. I backtracked by the stands and started walking briskly towards the shore again. I heard the pitter patter of footsteps behind me and I saw Sarah trailing behind me in her leopard spotted bikini, her cheeks still slightly pink.
I stopped and turned to her with accusing eyes. I couldn't believe she'd date my ex. Her exes were always off limits. And what was worse was the fact that I'd just broken up with said ex 2 days ago. Sure, they were a cute couple but that didn't make her transgression acceptable. "Were you ever going to tell me that you were dating my ex? Or was I supposed to guess, Sarah?" I asked, my voice quiet.
Sarah sighed, holding her hands up as a way of offering her apology. "I deserve that. I'm sorry, Bonnie. Things got out of hand with Stefan and I, please don't take it the wrong way," She replied, sounding desperate. She stepped a few paces forward so she was standing directly in front of me.
"How can I take this the right way, Sarah? Exes are supposed to be off limits," I reminded her.
Sarah nodded. "Yes, I know that. I'm not dating Stefan though. This is just a holiday fling sort of thing," She promised, "Please forgive me," Her brown eyes were wide and honest.
I gulped, not wanting to have an argument with her on the last day. We were leaving in a couple of hours and I wanted to be on good terms with her when that happened. "Fine," I responded, folding my arms across my chest and squaring my shoulders.
"Fine, as in you forgive me?" Her brown eyes lit up and she rushed towards me, pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back, sighing.
"Yes," I murmured, "Now go back to Stefan and have some fun before we have to leave," I ordered, as she smiled at me.
She nodded. "Are you sure you're okay with that?" She murmured.
"Yes, I'm going to go mope on my own anyway. I had a fight with Damon," I whispered.
She sighed. "You need to tell him the truth," She suggested, sounding tired.
"I know, I will. When I get back to NY," I informed her.
"You promised," She reminded me, a playful smile on her lips.
I nodded. "And I keep my promises. So, go have a blast,"
"I love you, Bonnie," She called, as she winked at me and then dove into the water.
"I love you too," I replied, but she was already laughing in the water by then.
I was weak. I couldn't fight with Sarah for a long time. I couldn't hold grudges against her for some reason; it was one of my flaws. Because she had been my best friend for a long time, she held a special place in my heart.
I stepped onto shore, wondering what I'd do now. I decided to head back to the hotel and take a shower then maybe I'd go visit my Dad for one last time before we left.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I knocked on my Dad's front door, a smile on my face. I had bought him a packet of his favorite Hershey's chocolate kisses as a sort of goodbye gift.
"I'm in the back yard," Dad yelled, from the garden.
I smiled again and headed to the gate and then climbed over just as I had since I was a kid. I walked into the yard and saw Dad stretched out on a beach chair, a newspaper in his hand and an orange juice on the small table beside him.
His face lit up as he saw me. "Baby," He cried, stretching his arms out.
I ran into his arms, hugging him and feeling tears come to my eyes at the fact that I was going to leave him again. I pulled out of his arms and handed him the chocolate, wiping my eyes.
"Thanks," He grinned at the chocolate and placed it on the table beside him. He leaned down to a cool box that was tucked into the side of the chair and handed me an apple soda. I took it, sitting down on the empty deck chair beside his. "Are you crying, Bon?" He asked, noticing my wet eyes.
I nodded. "I'm going to miss you," I replied, in a childish voice. I knew it was stupid but sometimes I felt I needed my Daddy.
"I miss you a lot more. I'll come visit you in a couple of months, okay, B? Don't cry, my dear," He leaned towards me and pulled me onto his lap.
I giggled as he hugged me close to him and I put my head on his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. It reminded me of happiness and less complicated days, childhood and just home. California with my Dad would always be my home. No matter how long I stayed in New York.
"So when's your flight?" He asked, a small smile on his face.
"In a few hours," I replied.
"Do you have everything packed, Hmm?"
I nodded. "Yes, everything's already in my suitcase," I murmured against his chest.
He rubbed my back comfortingly in circles like he used to back when I was little. I succumbed to his touch, breathing in and out.
"Is everything okay? I heard about your accident yesterday. I tried to call but you were asleep," Dad explained. "Your boyfriend, Stefan, saved you, they say,"
"He's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up a few days ago. Complications," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't press for details.
"Complications called Damon Salvatore," Dad chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"It's so obvious you're in love with that other Salvatore, B," Dad responded, smoothing my hair. "And he likes you too,"
I sighed. "I'm not sure of that," I replied.
"I am," Dad insisted, and I took a sip of the apple soda which tasted really good because it was boiling outside and it was a cool drink.
My cell phone rang at that second and I picked up. "Hmm?" I murmured into it, between sips of apple soda.
"It's me, Stefan. We need you in the lobby because we're leaving in 15 minutes to the airport; the taxi's here," He explained.
"Oh right, I forgot that we had to go a few hours early. I'll be right there," I climbed off my Dad's lap and stood up, pressing the phone to my ear.
"Okay. Oh and Bonnie, about Sarah…"
"Don't worry about it, Stefan. Seriously…" I replied, feeling the truth of my words as I said them.
"I'll talk to you on the plane," He said, and then he hung up.
"I have to leave, Daddy," I placed my soda down on the table and he stood up, pulling me into another hug.
"Have a safe flight," He whispered. "Do you want me to drive you to the airport?"
"Nah, it's okay. The guys have a taxi waiting," I explained, breathing in his scent once more.
I pulled back and he kissed me on the cheek. "Text or call me when you get back, Bon." He said.
"I will," I promised, then I walked out of the yard, climbed over the gate because I was too lazy to open it then started back towards the hotel, fighting the tears I always cried when I was leaving my Dad and travelling. I couldn't help it. Sometimes I acted like such a little girl but my Dad was and had been a huge part of my life. I needed him sometimes.
The journey to the airport was an intensely awkward one. Stefan, Sarah and I were seated in the back while Damon took the seat at the front, giving the cold shoulder to us all. I'd tried talking to him but he'd been unsurprisingly bitter, replying with one word answers when necessary or just ignoring us in other cases.
We arrived and paid the taxi driver before we got out with our bags. Sarah would take another taxi back to our town when she was done saying goodbye to us. We entered the airport which was thankfully air conditioned, a change from the taxi in which the AC was broken so we had to open the windows, increasing the awkward situation.
"I'm going to miss you, Bon." Sarah said after we'd checked in our bags and were waiting to head to the departure hall.
"I'm going to miss you too, Sarah," I replied, giving her a big hug.
She hugged me close to her. "Don't forget about the letters," She hissed.
I nodded, and giggled a little. "I'll tell you what happens. You will come to visit Summer break, right?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yes, I'll book my flight as soon as I can," Sarah promised, slipping her arm around my shoulder.
She said bye to Damon and Stefan who were standing a way off from us; giving Stefan a quick kiss on the cheek and high fiving Damon who looked at her with a devoid expression, and I saw tears fall from her eyes as she turned back to me.
"Are you crying, Fudge Muffin?" I asked my best friend who was normally the strongest person I knew.
Sarah didn't reply. She just wiped her eyes a couple of times, but the tears kept on coming.
"Come here," I replied, and I pulled her back into my arms, feeling tears come to my own eyes.
Then we were both crying like it was Graduation all over again and hugging. And crying and hugging. Until Stefan patted me on the shoulder and informed me gently that it was time for the flight to take off so we had to head into the terminal.
I nodded. "I'll call you when I get back," I promised my sniveling best friend.
"I love you, Caramel Crème," She exclaimed, eyes wet.
"I love you more, Fudge Muffin," I replied, and then I allowed Stefan to drag me into the terminal behind a Damon who was already rushing to get away from us. He was avoiding me like I was the plague.
I sighed and wiped my eyes as we sat down in the terminal. Stefan put his arm around my shoulder and I leaned towards him, sniffling. I was glad that he was here with me as a friend. I was happy that we weren't fighting because I honestly couldn't handle fighting with two Salvatore's at once. "There, there," Stefan rubbed my shoulder soothingly and I was soon out of tears to cry.
"Flight C-67 to New York," The mechanical voice called in different languages and we hopped up. Damon was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, trying to figure out where he went.
"He headed onto the plane early," Stefan explained as we followed with our tickets the rest of the passengers to get our tickets checked before we climbed onto the plane. "Are you two, like, fighting?"
"Sort of," I sighed, "I don't know,"
Stefan sighed too and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, waking up the part of me that used to be in love with him, even just a little. But my Damon loving part was the more dominant one and it always would be. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach because I knew that once I was at New York, I'd be forced to keep the promise I'd made to both myself and my best friend. I was going to have to give him the letters. Then I wanted the earth to swallow me up.
I sighed as the air hostess checked our tickets and we followed the rest of the passengers onto the plane. I saw that Damon was seated next to a blonde girl and he started flirting with her as Stefan and I made our way to our seats. I had a feeling this was going to be a long flight.
A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed and where patient waiting for this chapter. I worked really hard on it, trying to convey every emotion Bonnie was feeling as best as I could (:
Leave me a REVIEW please, they make me smile!
Next chapter: The trio arrive in New York, Caroline has a little welcome back get together for Bonnie with her friends and more…
Lily xx
Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.