Chapter 21

An: Thank you guys for the amazing reviews on the last chapter! So happy that everyone is enjoying the story.

Peyton gulped. This was definitely not part of the plan – she had wanted to remain discreet. After all she was getting all her evidence against Elena, something that had turned out to be an easier task. It seemed that perfect Elena was too trustworthy that it bordered on being gullible and senseless. None the less she had no intention of being caught out – let alone by Damon.

Peyton had been lucky to discover that Stefan was not around. They had been the greatest of friends in the past – and it had been Stefan that had pointed it out to her that she was clearly in love with his brother. In fact they had made a bet about it. Peyton had been so determined and convinced that she had no feelings for Damon that she had agreed to Stefan's bet. If she did admit her feelings to herself she would have to buy Stefan a house filled with endless amount of liquor and she would have to sing in front of a massive crowd. He knew all about her crowd phobia. Peyton was brought back to reality when Elena broke the awkward silence that had engulfed the trio.

"Damon? What are you doing here?" Elena asked, embarrassed that he had made an appearance after confessing that she wasn't sure what he actually meant to her.

"I was looking for you. You didn't answer your phone." He replied – although his stare was focused on Peyton.

Peyton stared back at him – she couldn't draw herself away from his intense and captivating eyes.

"Oh. I must have switched it off when I drove here. Wait a second, how do you know Peyton?" Elena frowned, looking between the pair suddenly recalling that Damon had greeted them both.

Peyton stiffened for a second before slipping her mask back on.

"My parent's stayed at the boarding house a few years ago. They loved it so much my mom made some gift bags for them. I went to deliver them and I came across Damon." Peyton lied smoothly without blinking.

Damon raised an eyebrow before replying, he was no doubt impressed with Peyton's ability to lie on the spot. She was good – too good he thought.

"Exactly. Thanks for the surprise." Damon said through gritted teeth.

Elena looked between the pair – but she instantly dismissed the gut feeling that told her that there was something she wasn't seeing. Besides her instinctive feelings had been so wrong lately.

"Do you want to join us? I'm actually hungry." Elena asked as she put a forced smile on her face as she looked at Damon.

"Actually … I probably should head home. Things to do." Peyton answered hurriedly as she grabbed her bag and slid herself out of the booth.

Damon moved until he was standing right in front of her, causing Peyton's breath to hitch in the back of her throat. Damn him and his undeniable sexiness.

"You're sure you can't stay?" Damon glared at her.

"No I really can't. Sorry Elena. I'll see you around." Peyton retained her voice at the right moment. She had been convinced that she was going to choke on her own words.

She smiled at the pair before moving past Damon. Damon's gaze followed her form until she exited the grill before he turned and looked into the puzzled brown eyes of Elena's. He didn't say anything and merely slipped into Peyton's previous seat. Damon frowned when he saw a cellphone propped up on the seat with the recording device on. What had Peyton been up to? But more importantly did he want to hear what she had discovered. Wordlessly he slipped the phone into his jacket pocket without attracting Elena's attention.

Caroline figured that she had a good idea of what heaven would like. Sitting here on Cooper's beach in the Hamptons – just proved that if the world could still be beautiful then heaven would be something else entirely. When they had left New York, Stefan had promised her that she would love the destination that he had in mind for her – and he sure did deliver on that promise. She had fallen in love. The quietness and the subtle hints of wealth had made it seem that she was stuck in another time another place. It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York.

Caroline had been surprised to find out that the Salvatore's had land in the Hamptons – which had later been converted into a subtle yet beautiful cottage house that over looked the rolling waves and golden sands that stretched on for miles. Stefan had left moments earlier for a swim – Caroline had declined because ; first of all she needed to find a suitable outfit for the beach and secondly she needed to unpack – because she wasn't ready to leave all this behind just yet.

So nearly over an hour later she had unpacked her things in the guest room's closet and had slipped on her bikini, black shorts and white t- shirt and headed off towards the golden sands that beckoned her not only to the beach but a shirtless Stefan as well.

The minute her toes touched the velvety sands; Caroline couldn't help but groan in pleasure. There was something erotic about sand and the way it seems to cling and caress one's skin. She had assumed that the Salvatore's owned a private stretch of the beach but she had been surprised to find families laughing and playing in the sands. It was surprisingly peaceful despite the hollers and shouts from the children playing and dogs barking.

It didn't take long for her to find him. He was swimming far out in the sea enjoying the solitude no doubt. She couldn't help but smile – Stefan really loved his alone time, even when he was surrounded by a whole bunch of people he still could find time for himself.

So she plopped herself down on the sand and just watched being enthralled by his very presence. Perhaps she was looking for trouble – but then again she had known she was in trouble the day she had met him. In fact she was certain that he was more dangerous than Damon. Not because of his ripper tendencies but by the fact that even as human she would have willing done anything for him. Even when she was with Damon – or more likely compelled by him – she had wanted to attract Stefan's attention. She wanted his eyes on her and more importantly she wanted to be his.

Caroline nearly had a heart attack when she saw his nude chest as he strode out the water towards her. She couldn't help but feel those pesky flutters in her chest and stomach. Was it normal to have these kind of reactions?

"So do you like it?" Stefan asked as he made his way besides her and pulled out a swimming towel from her bag.

"Huh?" Caroline asked dazed. There was nothing more hypnotic than a bare chested man. Especially when said bare chest belonged to Stefan.

"The location?" Stefan asked.

"Oh the location!" Caroline could have slapped herself. Seriously it was not like she had never seen a shirtless man before.

'But you've never seen such a handsomest specimen shirtless before.' That perverted little voice said sly to her.

"What else did you think I was referring to?" Stefan rolled his towel out beside Caroline.

"The view." Caroline licked her lips, fully aware that Stefan wasn't watching her as he seated himself next to her.

"Well the view is amazing. Can't argue with that." Stefan answered.

"No you can't." Caroline agreed, even though they were talking about completely different things.

"So have you heard from Tyler?" Stefan asked out of the blue.

"No. He's cut all ties with me remember?" She rolled her eyes, just thinking about Tyler.

"I figured he would have left message by now." Stefan frowned.

"Well that's how it goes with me and Tyler. The unpredictable." Caroline wiggled her toes in the sand.

"Unpredictable?" Stefan queried.

"It's hard to explain." She answered.

"Try me." He responded

"It was a whirlwind in the beginning. Not really knowing what we meant to each other and all the dangers that came with it. But it gets old really fast and I ended up breaking one of my own rules in the process." She huffed, even now she was annoyed with herself.

"What rule is that?" Stefan glanced out towards the sea.

"There is perfect, unpredictable and imperfect love. We had an unpredictable love and it's reached it course if you ask me." She followed Stefan's gaze towards the family he was looking at.

"So I guess me and Elena's relationship would be classified as imperfect love." Stefan tore his gaze away from the family as he looked at Caroline.

"No. Your love was perfect." She answered instantly.

"Perfect? Then why aren't we together?" Stefan frowned. He was confused with this conversation.

"That's why you're not together. There is no such thing as perfect love." Caroline smiled sadly.

"What love would you want then if it isn't perfect?" Stefan asked.

"Imperfect love. You know what's real and it's so imperfect that it becomes perfect. It becomes everything you need. You know the other person's flaws and you can't condemn them because you also have flaws. It's when you know that no matter what the risk, you would risk it all for that person." Caroline answered softly, her eyes were focused entirely on Stefan's.

"I've told you before. You're perfect Caroline Forbes" Stefan answered as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'm not perfect, Stefan." She whispered softly.

"You're imperfect then." He replied.

His head moved forward and their mouths melted together in sync as they kissed against the orange and blue backdrop of the sky.