Chapter 18

Damon wasn't used to being stood up. It hadn't happened to him before and he wasn't amused that it had happened now. He assumed that Peyton was playing mind tricks on him. And truthfully it was working. He'd never felt so out of depth before. Damon wasn't a patient man, so he could not sit around and wait for Peyton's next move.

So he had set out to find her instead. It had been surprisingly simple. He had gone to Liz and asked her to trace the number that Peyton was using and within minutes he had her location. It was too easy. Was she going to ambush him when he knocked on her hotel door? He didn't know what to expect, so when he knocked on the door later that afternoon, he was surprised to find her casually dressed without another presence around.

"Damon." She greeted.

"Expecting me?" He queried.

He tried to be discreet as he looked past her shoulder. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly.

"I stood you up. I know how much that frustrates you when things don't work out as planned." She shrugged dismissively.

"Yes it does. Are you going to let me in?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Depends. Are you going to behave?" She asked seductively.

Damon smirked.

"I think we both know the answer to that." He matched her tone.

"Excellent." She purred. She stepped aside and allowed him to enter.

Damon walked in and took in the room's surroundings. Perhaps she wasn't planning to ambush him here. However that was Peyton. She was unpredictable and cunning. A girl after his own heart if he was being honest with himself. He shouldn't be thinking things like that. Not when he had Elena. She was the love of his life, well at least he thought she was. In fact that was something he wasn't sure about. If anything that seemed to be the biggest hurdle at the moment. Not Peyton.

"So how are we going to do this?"

"Straight to the point. I like it." Peyton seated herself on the couch.

"Peyton… What do want from me? An apology? Hate sex?" Damon asked.

Peyton felt a pang of sympathy in her chest when she noticed the complete and utter confusion on Damon's handsome face. He truly did seem like he had been thrown into the deep end. But she couldn't let him get to her, not now.

"I wouldn't say no to any of those. But it wouldn't change anything. I've come here with a plan." She answered.

"What is the plan then, Peyton? Are you planning on killing Elena or me?" He asked, somewhat flustered.

Peyton James had a way of crawling under his skin and right now he could swear that she had completely overtaken control of his body.

"Neither actually. Besides it's a surprise. I don't want to spoil the ending for you because as you know a magician never reveals his tricks. So mine will remain hidden."

"I don't like surprises or magic tricks." Damon sneered.

Peyton crossed her legs. Damon couldn't help but look at her shapely legs. Memories of those legs sprung up unwelcomed in his mind and he had to try his hardest not to let the evidence of his arousal show. However, Peyton had noticed the flare of lust in his eyes. She decided to toy with him.

"Really? Last I can recall, you liked my last surprise. The Eifel tower? We did some despicable things that night." She teased.

Oh he remembered all right. It had been something of a whirlwind night.

"This is a waste of time. I'm leaving. If you're not planning on killing Elena or me, then I guess there is no harm to be done." Damon shook his head, before he pivoted towards the door.

The tension in the room was crackling and if he stayed any longer. He knew that he would snap and lose control.

"Exactly. No harm. How is things between you and Elena now?" Peyton stood up and watched as Damon's frame came to a stop. He turned to face her.

"Fine." He answered.

"Liar. Your eyes bulge when you lie. The cracks are starting to show aren't they?"

"How would you know?" He asked.

"I know you. Spend ten years with you. Learned all your secrets and your tells." She replied.

Damon frowned.

"Well that was my biggest mistake; thinking you were a friend. Someone I could trust. Turns out you're just like the rest, manipulative, selfless and greedy." He answered.

Peyton's mask fell just for a second and Damon could see that he had hurt her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He was about to apologize but Peyton spoke before he could.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Perhaps you should leave now." She said. Her voice was as cold as steel as she turned and walked into the ensuite. She slammed the door shut.

Damon stayed for a few seconds. Convinced that she would appear again but when she didn't he knew that she was waiting for him to leave. For the first time, Peyton didn't want him around. And that hurt him – and he wasn't sure why it did.

The met steps was crowded as usual. Tourists and students flocked the steps. The industrial sounds of the city were heightened and Caroline couldn't help flinching every time she heard the honk of a hooter or the rumbles of construction nearby. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on a task, and that task was drinking her Starbucks coffee without messing on herself. Stefan was seated beside her. Quiet as usual, however this time he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

"So your verdict?" He asked, when he caught her staring at him.

"No." She answered.

"No? Why?" Stefan asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes before placing her Styrofoam cup beside her. Trying to multi task in this city with heightened everything was just too complicated. Stefan however didn't seem too phased by the noise of the city. He had become accustomed to it over the years.

"Did you see the state of that dorm? It looked like a promo for girls gone wild." She flayed her arms out in exaggeration. She couldn't help that she spoke with her body as well. Her body had a mind of its own sometimes.

"Caroline…" Stefan scolded gently, although secretly he was amused by her reaction.

"Don't Caroline me. NYU needs to get the scolding stare. Ugh." She glared at him.

"There are other schools. Plenty of them." He shrugged.

"I just don't like it here."

"You don't?" Stefan couldn't mask his shock. He was convinced that Caroline would fall in love with the city.

Caroline sighed before she answered:

"Everything's to fast and overwhelming. It's not me. I mean I'm definitely coming here when its fashion week but otherwise it's just not the place for me."

Stefan nodded.

"I understand. We'll just keep looking. Perhaps we'll look in Seattle or Texas. Wherever. The world is your oyster really." He answered.

"Maybe this was a mistake." Caroline replied.

Stefan gave her a puzzled look.

"College scouting. I don't even know what I want to do with my life. Before all this happened, I wanted to be a writer. Work at some huge fashion magazine. I mean if I was still human, I'd jump for this opportunity to live here. But…" She hesitated.

"You've changed, so inevitably your ambitions and dreams changed as well. Maybe you're trying too hard to hold on to the old you. What does the new you want?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know." She grumbled

"Think about it." He nudged her shoulder with his. It was the first time he had touched her since she kissed him.

"I'd want to see the world first. Live in different places and just get lost in them."

"You can do that. You'd just have to let her go." He referred to her former self.

"It's not the only person I risk losing." She answered.

"Who else?" He asked.

"Everyone at home. Because when it's all said and done, years would have passed and things would be different. I want to be human again but I'm scared that I would turn back into my old self." Caroline said.

She was afraid of change. Scared of the unanswered. It was one of the reasons why she was fighting her emotions. She couldn't let Stefan know about her sudden attraction to him because she feared that he would reject her, not only as a lover but as her friend. Caroline didn't want to lose him. Not now, not when she had lost so many things already.

"No you wouldn't. You're stronger and more independent now. You don't cave to people's expectations anymore. You set the rules now." Stefan reached forward and clasped her hand in his.

Caroline smiled at him before she pulled him in close and gave him a hug. Stefan froze at the contact. He didn't know what to feel. His mind told him it was wrong to think of her, as if she was his girlfriend. But his body rebelled at the thought – it craved her warmth.

"Thank You." Caroline whispered into Stefan's neck.

"What for?" Stefan choked out.

"For being the person you are." She replied.

An: Thanks for the great reviews for the last chapter.