**Chapter fifty five**

The next step

*Hailey*

"I'm fine Damon. I don't need to stay in bed for a week," I complained, as Damon brought me lunch.

I was on bed rest. It had been a few days since I took a stake in the stomach, and Damon refused to let me leave my bed. He was in overprotective mode, but was also acting strange, almost distant. I figured out that it was because he saw Nicolai kiss me.

"You can talk to me when you can sit up without flinching," Damon told me, and I groaned.

I glared at Damon as I dipped some french-fries in ketchup. He lay down next to me, but his body was stiff. I sighed and tried my best to flip onto my side and face him, but my stomach still ached. I managed to, and hid my gasp of pain.

I gave Damon a look, and he raised his eyebrows at me. "What?"

"You know what," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "I know that you saw Nicolai kiss me. But it doesn't count as cheating, because I was semi-unconscious."

Damon sighed. "I don't think that you cheated, Hailey," he said, stealing some of my fries.

"Good, because even if Nicolai claims that he loves me, it's Victoria that he loves. I'm just the badass chick who looks like her," I smirked. "Besides, I would never leave you for him. Ever."

Damon relaxed, and I knew that he needed to hear that. I kissed him softly, and my hand went to his hair, as one of his arms wrapped around my waist. Despite my food, Damon flipped me over. He was on top of me, his lips never leaving mine, as his hands went under my shirt.

Even though my stomach was still sore, I didn't give away any signs of pain. I wrapped my legs around his waist, as his lips kissed one of the many bite marks on my body. Suddenly, my phone vibrated, interrupting our kissing.

Damon groaned, but got off of me. I reached for my new phone, and for a split second, I thought that it was Elena. But when I read the text message, it was Caroline. I sighed, and put the phone back down. I hadn't seen Elena since the cemetery, when I saved her life. She was still avoiding me.

Damon sensed that I was sad, and wrapped an arm around me. He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes, smiling slightly.

"So, what does the birthday girl want for her birthday?" Damon asked, as I leaned into him.

I grinned up at him, after I opened my eyes. I would be turning eighteen in two days. "I don't think that I want a party," I admitted.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Hailey Ellis doesn't want a party? I never thought that I would hear that," Damon said teasingly.

"Well, almost all of the parties I've went to this year haven't ended so well," I retorted. "All I want for my birthday is a bottle of bourbon, you, or my car." My baby had been sitting in a garage, ever since the crash. My mom had refused to pay to fix it.

Damon smirked at me. "I think that I can manage one of those."

He kissed me quickly, before standing up. I frowned at him, and he explained. "I'm supposed to plot the demise of the tomb vampires with Stefan and Zane today. I also have to get a present for my birthday girl."

"I love you," I said, not liking the prospect of being alone.

"Love you too," he told me, before kissing me on the forehead. I sighed, and when I looked up, Damon was gone.

I sighed again, and turned on my TV. I channel surfed, but nothing good was on. It was boring, being on bed rest. Doctor Damon said that I could leave my bed tomorrow, at the earliest. I couldn't wait.

"Hailey Anne Ellis!"

I flinched, and heard footsteps pound up to my room. My burst into my room and glared at me, fury in her eyes. "You haven't been to school in a month?" she exclaimed.

"Not true, I went on Halloween for, like, half the day," I said, not bothering to look at her.

"I'm sick of you acting like you don't care about school," my mom shouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't care about school," I said, raising my eyebrows at her.

"People are starting to talk, Hailey. You're about to become a high school dropout, and you're seeing a man almost seven years older than you. I won't have people talking about my daughter, what will they think of me?"

"Gee, thanks for caring about me, mom," I said sarcastically. "But you know what I'm sick of? Having a mom who doesn't car about me. I'm sick of you! I don't care what people think about you, mom, and I'm certainly not going to change myself to please you."

My mom glared daggers at me. "I'm tired of having a disgrace as a daughter. I'm sick of having a lazy, selfish, no good, little whore as a daught-"

"Don't call me that!" I screamed, standing up, ignoring the pain that shot through my stomach. "You don't know half the shit I've been through, what I've been dealing with. Because you don't care enough to notice, or you'd know. I'm not a lazy, selfish, no good, little whore, mom. In fact, I've been risking my ass to save this town."

My mom scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Right, you little liar. All you've done since we've moved back was have Damon Salvatore between your legs. I'm so done with you and having you ruin our family name."

"I'm done with not being enough, mom. I've given up a long time ago, on trying to get you to love me. I don't even care anymore, I'm just done," I said, just shrugging.

My mom didn't glare. She didn't yell or scream. She just turned her back on me and walked to the door.

"Get out."

I gaped at her. "What?"

"I'm going out with Carol Lockwood, and when I get back, I want you and all of your crap out of my house," she said, before slamming the door behind her as she walked out.

I didn't expect this. I never expected her to kick me out. But after a few seconds, I realized that it was bound to happen. I got boxes and bags, and started packing away my entire room. It took me about two hours, but soon all that was left were the big furniture. Ellie was in her carrier, and all my belongings were packed away.

I grabbed my phone, and scrolled through the contacts. I almost called Elena- we always had a plan, that when I did get kicked out, I'd move in with her. But then I remembered, and called Damon.

"Miss me already?" Damon said, and I could tell that he was smirking.

"My mom kicked me out," I told him bluntly.

"What?"

"We got into a huge fight, and she kicked me out of the house. Can I stay with you for a few days?" I didn't know where I'd move into, but I needed a place to stay.

"How about you just live with me?" he asked casually.

"What? Are you serious?" I didn't expect that.

"Why not? You practically live here already," Damon said, like it was no big deal.

"You sure?" I asked, touched.

"Well, there is the whole convenience factor," he smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," I told him.

"No problem. I'm coming to get you right now," he said, before hanging up.

I got all of my stuff together, thinking about how getting kicked out wasn't that bad. I was done dealing with my mom, and I got to live with Damon. We were taking the next step that I'd never expected that we'd take. But I was glad that we were taking it.

~LMF~

A/N: nine chapters and counting- plus the epilogue- until LMF is finished!

Thank you to: SomebodyWhoCares, CassieSalvatore, Ravenator, Samantha meyers, Sydney, and Kelsey for reviewing!

Reviews are inspiring!

~Abby :p