**Chapter forty four**

My stalker

*Hailey*

I had a problem, and I didn't know how to fix it.

Stefan knew about Damon and me, and I knew that Elena might find out through him. And I wasn't ready for Elena to find out yet. I knew that Damon didn't really care who knew about us, but it mattered to me. So he pretended to care.

Friday had come around, and I had yet to talk to Stefan about Damon and me. I woke up alone in my bed. I felt strange, being alone without Damon. I think I was starting to become co-dependent.

I changed into jeans, a concert tee, my boots, and Damon's jacket- my usual uniform. I was exhausted, since I was all stressed out about Elena finding out about Damon and me. My phone had a shocking twenty two text messages, when I checked it. All from the same number- the stalker number.

My stomach tightened into a knot, as I read a few. I felt violated, reading them.

You're beautiful when you sleep.

Do you like getting screwed like a whore?

You don't know how much I love you.

Do you like getting screwed by your vampire boyfriend? Do you let him drink your blood? You're a dirty slut.

It hurts me when you're with him. You know that we're meant to be.

You're such a tease! Teases deserve to be punished. You deserve to be punished.

He can't have you, only I can.

You're mine. If I can't have you, no one can.

The twisted part of me couldn't stop reading. The messages were a whole new level. It just went from being creepy to being terrifying. I stopped reading and threw my phone onto my bed. I felt the need to be with somebody, to be with Damon.

I called him on my landline. "Hello?" he said, sounding tired.

"Can you pick me up for school? I need to talk to you. Now." I said, and Damon could sense the urgency in my voice.

"Okay, I'll be there."

I could tell by his voice that he was confused, but five minutes later, Damon was lounging on my bed. I tossed him my phone, and he looked at me, still confused.

"Read the texts." I said, as I practically boarded up my windows.

Damon raised his eyebrows, but did as told. Thirty seconds later, he crushed my phone into a metal ball. "Now, I don't think that that was necessary." I said, sitting down next to him.

"He knows that I'm a vampire." Damon said, his voice calm, though his icy eyes were one of cold, hard, fury.

"Of course, it's Nicolai." I said, closing my eyes.

I felt weak, violated, and terrified. I didn't feel like me at all, and Damon could sense that. He pulled me to him, and I rested my head on his chest. "Don't worry Hailey; I'll take care of it." He soothed me.

I nodded, just as there was a knock on the door. "Hailey? Let's go." Elena said, her voice muffled by the door.

I looked at Damon, and then kissed him softly, before standing up. "Coming, Lena. I need to tell you something." I said, grabbing my backpack

I looked at Damon, and mouthed, "I love you," before walking to the door. When I looked back, he was gone. I walked out of my room, and smiled at Elena, though I felt sick. Elena picked up on my emotions, as we walked out of my house.

"What's' wrong, Hailey?" she asked, as we walked to her car. Stefan wasn't in it, it was just us.

"I've been getting some pretty creepy texts, Lena. They were about how that person loved me, but how I was a slut- I have a stalker. It's really scary, and I think that it's Nicolai." I blurted out.

Elena gaped. "Oh my god, what can we do?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to be around people right now." I said.

Elena nodded. And we drove to school. She distracted me in the car ride by telling me about the latest misadventure of Lisa Michaels, the dumbest girl in our school. I made it to third period without thinking about my stresses, when Stefan walked up to me.

"We need to talk, Hailey." He told me.

I sighed. "Okay. We have ten minutes. Elena's with Caroline, talking about the masquerade tonight." I said, knowing what he wanted to talk about.

"You need to tell Elena about you and Damon, Hailey." Stefan said brashly.

"I know, but I know how it's going to end, Stefan. She's going to make me choose." I sighed.

"And you don't know who to choose?" he asked.

"No, I know exactly who I choose. I love Elena, she's like my sister, but I'm in love with Damon." I explained.

Stefan seemed surprised by my answer. "That's why he didn't sleep with that blonde." He whispered under his breath.

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into, Hailey? How do you know that he's over Katherine?" Stefan asked.

"Damon told me, and I believe him. He told me that he loves me, and I believe that too. I know most people believe that that's stupid, but I've never been the sharpest knife in the drawer." I said with a small smile.

"I've noticed changes in my brother. He's acting more human, whether he notices it or not. I knew that he always cared about you, I never thought that he was in love with you."

I smiled. "It was right after I almost died because of Victoria. He sprung it on me, and I didn't really believe him at first."

"You're good for him, Hailey. You make him feel, you bring out his humanity. I don't doubt that, and I'm happy about it. But what I do doubt is if Damon's good for you. He could hurt you Hailey- he could kill you. Damon is reckless and impulsive, if you set him off, he could kill you." Stefan said, and I frowned.

"Damon would never hurt me. In fact, if it weren't for him, I'd be a very dead fairy right now. Thanks for your concern, Stefan, but Damon is good for me. We're good for each other. He makes me feel safe, as ironic as that is. I love him, Stef, and he loves me too." I smiled.

Stefan smiled slightly back at me. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I don't want me getting hurt either." I said, just as I spotted Elena walking towards us.

"Tell Elena." Stefan said sternly.

"I'll think about it." I called over my shoulder, walking towards my next class.

I had a lot to think about.

~LMF~

It was five o'clock, and I was getting ready for the masquerade. I was a little nervous- I had to act like I wasn't in love with Damon, and I still had my stalker to worry about. I took a long shower, and then put on some sexy lingerie. I knew that Damon would like it for later. I laid out my dress, and put my makeup on in just my underwear. My window was covered so that no one could see in.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

I turned around and saw Damon on my bed. I then turned my attention back to my makeup. "You should really be getting ready, you know." I told him. As I started on my hair.

"I am ready." He said, sitting up. I stood up, and smirked at him, before redoing his tie.

"You would think that being a century and a half old vampire; you would know how to put on a tie." I said, before slipping into my dress.

"I have many different talents, miss Ellis." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Besides being a sex god, what are your other talents?" I asked; as I zipped myself up telekinetically.

"Well, I can cook, but you know that." He said, as he pulled me into his arms.

I smiled softly. "Did I ever tell you how sexy that is?" I breathed, smirking slightly, before kissing him.

His arms wrapped around me, and I leaned into him. I felt safe and blissful in Damon's arms, something I needed right now. I pulled away, since Elena would be picking me up soon. Damon frowned at me, as I pulled on his jacket.

"Am I ever going to get my jacket back?' he asked me.

I smirked. "No, but to be fair, I've lost a good amount of bras and panties at your house."

Damon pulled me back into his arms, and I'm sure that he still saw some anxiety in my green eyes. "Hailey, you'll be fine. I'll never let anything happened to you, I promise." He said, brushing a thumb across my cheek.

I smiled, and rested my head on his shoulder. "I know, I'll just feel better when this is all over." I murmured.

Damon kissed my forehead. "Elena's coming." He said, pulling away. "I love you." He whispered into my ear, as my door opened.

"Ready to go, Hailey?" Elena asked me.

I nodded, and looked around for Damon, but he was gone.

~LMF~

A/N: thank you to: HawthorneTree, SomebodyWhoCares, Angelfang, jacquline, and vdemily for reviewing!

Review! ~Abby ;)