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Chapter 8

Laylas POV

I take Damon's advice and ask Caroline to go shopping with me a few days later. Elena had let me borrow some clothes in the mean time. Caroline is more than happy to join me. Elena was spending time with Bonnie. Apparently their friendship has been shaky as of late. So it's just Caroline and I shopping at a mall twenty miles outside of Mystic Falls.

"How do you like living with the Salvatore boys?" We're browsing through clothes racks at Urban Outfitters, one of my favorite stores.

"Stefan's been very accommodating and sweet, he's always making me food. I tell him I can do it but he keeps insisting I'm a guest."

"Stefan is a real sweetie. He's become a really good friend to me."

"And what about Damon? Is he being nice?" Just hearing his name makes my heart speed up. I hate how he makes me feel.

"He's been…Damon like. He's nice in his sarcastic kind of way. But I guess he treats me much better than he does most people from what I've heard." Caroline nods at me in agreement.

She holds a pale pink sundress in front of her and looks at me for approval. "I like it."

We're sitting down eating Panda Express at the food court. Yay MSG ridden Chinese food. We've spent three agonizing hours shopping

"It's understandable if you're attracted to him. He's a complete and utter jackass most of the time but I wont deny that he's hot." She doesn't look at me as she speaks between bites of orange chicken.

"It doesn't matter if I'm attracted to him or not, nothings going to happen between us." She looks at me questioningly. I guess I did sound kind of sad.

"I totally think it's a good idea to not be involved with him. But why exactly do you think nothing would happen?" What can I see without giving o much away?

"I don't think I could ever be with someone again. I had a bad experience with my last boyfriend."

"He's not the relationship type anyway. Not that what he and I had was really a relationship, he pretty much used me and compelled me. A few years ago he was a much different person. Elena softened him up a lot, I think Stefan has too. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to just have casual sex though!" She makes it sound like it's almost a good idea. I think she just has it in her head that I have a crush on him and wants me to admit it.

"I'm not a casual sex kind of girl, never have been. I don't think anything about Damon and I is casual to begin with." She cocks in eyebrow questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…he pushes me constantly. Everyday he's trying to get more information out of me; he digs, and digs, and pries into my life. He always wants to know more about me, he wants to know why I feel the way I feel, what I'm thinking. I just don't get it, why he cares so much about everything that's happened to me in the past. He pushes me to my breaking point constantly and keeps me on edge and then immediately comforts me. He's just so damn confusing. I don't know what he wants from me." It's the truth. I don't get it at all. Since I've been living there he's come to my room every night and asks me questions about every depressing aspect of my life. Then he drags me to his room and puts me in his tub. He bundles me up and carries me back to my room and lies there with me until I fall asleep.

Caroline looks astounded. "He comforts you and asks you questions about yourself? That is soooo un-Damon like. Maybe he really does have a soft spot for you. Elena thinks he does." She does? She had never said anything to me about it.

"I highly doubt that. He's just bored or something." Caroline lets out a sigh and shakes her head with a small smile on her face.

"Damon Salvatore does not comfort anyone, seriously. He has a thing for you."

Damons POV

Layla got home a few hours ago and almost immediately went to bed. Is it sad that I wanted to ask her to stay up with me because I couldn't sleep? I'm getting damn near pathetic. I don't want to admit that I may have some sort of things resembling feelings for the woman. I think about her way too often for my own good. I disgust myself. What the fuck? What happened to me not giving a shit about anyone? Oh I know what it is…Elena! She just had to tear down my walls and make me get to the molten center of myself buried well beyond six feet deep. She wanted me to be a better man. She wanted me to care, to have feelings. And why? So she could hurt me far worse than that evil bitch look a like ever had? I loved Elena so much more than I had Katherine. And she strung me along just like she had. She destroyed me yet again. And now here I was again having those ooey gooey feelings for someone else. It wasn't love but it was sure as hell headed that way if I didn't get this shit under control.

Even now I'm sitting here using my enhanced hearing to listen in on her shallow even breathing, her heart beat is slow, no nightmares yet tonight. Why can't I just get her out of my head!? An idea flashes through my mind. Maybe I just need to indulge in my dark side a little to push back this unwelcome softer side of me.

Laylas POV

I'm startled out of my deep sleep by some extremely loud dance music. The bass is pulsing through the walls of the house. I look at my clock, two a.m. I pull my new short lavender silk robe over my short pajamas and groggily walk out into the hall. Elena is also in the hallway looking as sleepy as I do. She must be staying the night as well; it seems to be a common occurrence.

"What the hell is that?" I'm standing beside Elena. Her hair is a wild mess and I'm guessing mine isn't much better

"Damon. I can hear him and some other people down there. I have no idea how Stefan is sleeping through this!"

"I'm going to shove that stereo so far up his ass!" Elena laughs at my aggravated tone.

We both skip down the stairs, me a few steps behind Elena. The music is deafening down here. She stops abruptly right outside of the living room and I almost run into her. She seems tense. I take a step around her to see what has her acting this way.

My heart sinks at the scene in front of me. Three college aged girls are dancing around the room in their underwear, seemingly in a trance while a fourth is seated on Damon's lap on the antique couch. His fangs are buried in her neck. He pulls away with an audible gulp. She moans as if in ecstasy. His eyes are the same color as the blood dripping off his chin; dark veins are protruding from beneath his eyes. It's the first time I've seen his vampire nature, he looks ferocious. One of the dancing girls joins them on the couch; her lips are glued to his blood tinged lips. I feel sick to my stomach, not because he's frightening. No, I'm far too much of a freak to be bothered by him being a vampire. I have the urge to puke my guts out because he's kissing this girl. Well two girls at this point.

Elena looks to me sympathetically. She knows. She knows exactly how I feel about this man, even if I try to deny feelings exist at all.

I turn on my heel and head back to my room. Elena reaches for my hand to stop me but I give her a pleading look to let me go, and she does. When I reach my room I quickly change into a pair of jeans and a t shirt. I grab my keys and throw on a sweater. I no longer feel the base of the music, it's stopped.

I hear Elena shouting as I reach the staircase.

"What the hell were you thinking Damon!? Feeding on those women!? You knew we would hear you, you knew we'd come downstairs. Do you have any idea how Layla probably feels right now!?" I can't make myself move. Do I really want to listen to this?

"Oh get over yourself Elena. How many times do I have to tell you and my precious brother that we're vampires!? It's in our nature to feed from people. If Layla can't handle this then she needs to get lost. I will not deny what I am. I'm not an idiotic fucking saint like Stefan, or like you pretend to be! I will feed from and fuck whoever the hell I damn well please. You do not control me!" He sounds far angrier than I've ever heard him. This goes further back than tonight. He's bitter, he's acting out.

"What about Layla, Damon?" She sounds hurt now.

"What about her!? She's not my god damn keeper either! Fucking Christ!" The nausea hits me again. I don't want to hear this but I'm glued to this spot.

"She cares for you Damon, it's obvious. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw you with that girl." Oh God, shut up Elena.

"Like I said, if she can't handle it she needs to get the fuck out."

"Stop being cruel Damon. It wasn't because you were feeding from her; she was hurt because you were kissing her. She obviously has feelings for you Damon. I don't know what all has happened between you two but it's obviously meant something to her. And I think you like her too that's why you're doing this. You're acting out like you always do when you're scared. You knew she'd come down here and that's why you did it. You wanted her to see. I know you Damon, you care."

I get my feet moving and run down the stairs so I don't have to hear his response. He doesn't feel anything for me. I'm just a freak fascination for him. I'm interesting because I'm so utterly fucked up. He doesn't even know the half of it.

I rush past the living room to the front door. I refuse to look at them as I pass. Elena calls to me as I step outside. I speed over to my car.

"Where are you going?" It's Damons voice that makes me stop as I'm about to get into my car. I wont turn around. I wont let him see the tears flowing down my cheeks.

"I don't know." I speak quietly to keep my voice from cracking, I know he hears me.

"Are you coming back?" He sounds weird. Sad? Lost?

"Does it matter?" Now I do turn to face him. I suddenly feel angry. Just like Elena said he did all this on purpose. Just to get a rise out of me for some reason. He just wanted to mess with me. I was just an interesting new human toy for him to fuck with. He looks like he feels guilty. I wonder if my menacing eyes can pierce him like his do to me. He doesn't speak he just stares at me blankly. Why the hell did he come out here? Did he just want to see what effect his little show had had on me?

"I don't think it really does matter does it Damon? I refuse to let another man screw me up in the head again. You can find yourself some other girl to mess with. I'm sorry you've been hurt but that doesn't give you the right to fuck with me! I'm an idiot, it's my fault for ever letting myself feel for someone again. I shouldn't have let you get to me. It's my fault…not yours." This realization dawns on me and I'm crying a little harder. I really was an idiot.

He looks confused and a little angry. I think he might say something so I close my car door and start to drive away before I have to listen to whatever it is he has to say. How did all of this happen so fast? Would I have ever admitted my feeling to myself had I not seen him with those girls?