Chapter Fifty-Eight: Cemetery Drive
Back home, off the run
Singing songs that make you slit your wrists
It isn't that much fun, staring down a loaded gun
So I won't stop dying, won't stop lying.
If you want I'll keep on crying
Did you get what you deserve?
Is this what you always want me for?
I miss you, I miss you so far
And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard
~My Chemical Romance
Why was her head pounding? Her eyes stung and her stomach was doing somersaults. Nilly rolled over groggily, groaning. The all too familiar scent of Damon was around her, but as she peeked out of the sheets she realized she was alone. She sat up too quickly and bombs exploded in her head. Another whine of pain went through her lips.
The room was dark, but by the expensive Egyptian cotton sheets she was tangled in Nilly was positive she wasn't in her own bed. Looking around the room, she came to the conclusion that it was Damon's. Everything in there had his touch on it, from the expensive wood furniture to its meticulous look and tidiness.
Nilin dragged her feet to the door she guessed was the bathroom. Opening it, she saw she was right. A large clawfoot bathtub sat in the middle of the room, across from it was the bathroom counter. Nilly went over to it and splashed cold water on her face. She looked like a mess.
She attempted to rake her fingers through her hair before giving up on it and throwing it into a bun. As she left the bathroom, she noticed something was different about Damon's room. The door was open, curtains were drawn back to let some light into the room and the bed was made. Something on his amour caught her attention. She found two Tylenol, a glass of orange juice and her bracelet sitting on top of it. Downing the pain killers and orange juice quickly, she grabbed her bracelet. Nilin ran her fingers over the charm as she sat on the edge of the bed.
She didn't want to admit it, but last night was a little blurry around the edges for her. She had gone a little overboard, definitely, but she needed something to distract her. After a good hour last night of trying every door in the house and finding she couldn't step over the threshold of each one, she gave up and turned to alcohol. Like father, like daughter, she supposed.
Nilin cupped the bracelet in her hand and rubbed her sore eyes. She could feel the orange juice turning in her stomach. Maybe she shouldn't have drank it so fast. That thought popped into her head as she bolted off Damon's bed and back into the bathroom. Kneeling in front of the toilet, her distraction came back up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Son of a bitch," she groaned as she flushed.
Using the toilet for support, she stood back up. When she saw that there was someone standing in the doorway, Nilly gasped and stumbled back a little. She managed to catch herself.
"You scared me," she said to Damon, her voice hoarse.
A small smirk came to his lips. "I know," he said, arms crossed over his chest.
"Can I go home now?" she asked, quietly. The slightest noise sent jackhammers off in her temporal lobe.
Damon nodded. "Yeah, come on. I'll drive you."
He walked out of the bathroom, Nilin following. He let her freshen up first, comb her hair, brush her teeth. He even brought her a change of clothes; her favorite sweat pants and t-shirt. The car ride to Nilly's house was silent. Neither of them were up for talking. She sat in the passenger seat of his Camaro, her head pressed on the cool glass of the door window. She had her eyes closed, enjoying the quiet, but she could feel his eyes on her.
"Thank you," she mumbled after their silence. "For taking care of me," Nilin furthered. Damon didn't even acknowledge it. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry though, because I'm not and I know you're not sorry either," she explained. "I don't expect an apology from you, so don't expect one from me."
"Sounds fair," he agreed. The silence settled over the car again. Nilin squirmed in her seat a little, laying her head in her hands.
"Do you know the last time I was compelled was two weeks before I showed up in Mystic Falls," she spoke finally. "If you behaved, I wouldn't have to do this, he told me." Nilin said softly. A chill ran through Nilin's body. "That was the day I started making plans to run."
"Don't you confuse his intentions with mine, I did that for you. Too keep you safe," Damon bit back.
"You took my choice away, Damon!" she shouted, regretting the action immediately as pain shot threw her head. "What makes you any better than him?"
"I'm trying to save your life, Nilin!" he yelled. "That's what I've been doing this whole time, but you're too damn stubborn to let me."
"My life isn't worth saving if someone else loses theirs," she told him. He was seething. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel so tight that they were white.
"That's not your decision to make," he said through clenched teeth. Nilin let out a sound of frustration and threw her hands over her eyes.
"I don't want to fight you anymore, Damon," her voice dropped to a whisper. She felt the car come to a stop outside her house. Damon didn't say anything more. Nilin reached for the door handle and mumbled a thank you, about to leave.
"It's you," Damon said suddenly. Nilin turned to look at him, her eyebrows coming together. "You asked what makes me any better than him," he explained. "And the answer is you, you make me better."
He left her speechless once again, he seemed to be the only one able to do that. She should say something, or do something. What she wanted to do was kiss him, feel his arms around her. Anything to make her forget about all of this and feel better. But doing that would be taking him back, it would be opening herself up and letting him in. That would be the brave thing to do. Nilin wasn't brave though, she was a coward and opted for the easy way out.
"Thank you, Damon," she said softly before leaving the car. She only turned around when she heard the Camaro roar away and watched him disappear down the road.
After she managed to seek upstairs to her room, Nilin spent a good amount of time standing in the shower. The steam and heat cleared her head and revitalized her body. She pulled a brush through her hair and left it to dry naturally. As she threw a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on, the consequences of her drinking last night could still be felt. After a while of laying in bed and staring at her ceiling, Nilly decided to go downstairs. As she walked into the kitchen, she found Elena and Jeremy sitting at the island. Their heads turned as Nilly walked in.
She didn't say anything as she rummaged through the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Closing the door, she turned and faced them. Elena was watching her, whereas Jeremy was doodling something in one of his sketch books. He peeked up from under his hair.
"Hey," he smiled at her. "Where'd you go off too yesterday?" he asked.
Nilly rubbed her forehead. "I went out around The Common," she lied. "I was with Elena all day," she continued, looking to Elena.
She nodded. "Yep, we were just hanging out." Elena went along with the fib.
"And where were you last night?" Jeremy asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
Nilly glared at him, walking over to island. She put her elbows on the counter top and leaned in. "Is there a reason why I'm being interrogated, officer?" Nilly questioned.
A grin came to Jeremy's face, reminding Nilly of when they were younger.
"Because I had to cover for your ass last night," he said.
Nilly stood up straighter, taking a sip from her bottle. So that's why he was lanced with questions. "Well, that's very kind of you, little cousin." Nilly smiled, not giving him an answer.
She walked out of the kitchen, grabbing her bag and keys.
"Hey," Elena called behind her. Nilly turned as she walked into the foyer. "Nilly…" Elena started to say, but Nilly stopped.
"Don't say a word, it's my turn to talk. I understand why you guys did what you did last night." Nilin started. "But don't you ever, ever, do something like that again. Understand?" she asked.
All Elena could do was nodded. "I'm so sorr—"
"People around here have been saying sorry too much, I don't want to hear it again," Nilin cut her off. Nilin headed for the front door.
Elena spoke up when Nilly reached for the knob. "Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm going to visit my parents. I'll be back in an hour, promise." Nilin smiled. She gave Elena a quick hug and left the house.
Nilly found herself at ease as she left the house and got into her car. She drove to the cemetery without her brain exploding with thoughts and words for once.
As she pulled up to the cemetery she saw that the gates were closed. With a groan, Nilin put the car in park and got out. Usually the metal gates were open in the new part of the cemetery, allowing people to drive in. But it looks like today somebody was slacking on the job. She hit the lock button, making the car lights flash, and squeezed through the bars.
On foot she went along the gravel path, headstones on either side of her. She hummed to herself as she went along, running her fingers through her hair. Finally she found the twin headstones labeled Gilbert. She stood for a while, just letting it sink in that she'd have to visit two graves now, instead of one.
When her legs began to hurt Nilly crossed her them under her and sat in the grass. The ground was cold, and the grass need to be cut. She weaved her fingers through the blades. "Hi, guys." Nilly began softly.
She didn't really know what to say to them, what could she say? If they saw her life now, they wouldn't be proud of her. They'd be devastated. Her father, who was a part of the Founder's council himself years ago, wouldn't believe his eyes; his daughter and niece tangled in a web of nothing but vampires.
But if they didn't want this life for her, then why did they leave her? Her life would be so different, so much better if they were still here. She wouldn't be sitting in the middle of a graveyard or surrounded by the dead. She could be normal, her only problem this year would be finding the right dress for prom. Instead she was facing a psychotic vampire stalker who was constantly trying to kill her.
Her hands turned to fist in the grass as hurt and loss ran through her. But in the next instant, she calmed down, releasing the death grip on the green blades. Her parents didn't choose to leave this world. Cancer and a heart attack aren't things that someone picks to have happen to them. Still, Nilly wondered why her, why her family?
How is it even possible for her family to have dwindled down to just an aunt, an uncle and three broken kids? Nilly pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "I'm sorry," she said to the slabs of stone. "Just don't hate me, okay? Or be disappointed, because I'm really only working with what you left me. I mean, what are the odds? Maybe it's a good thing you're not around to see it…" Nilly trailed off, catching her breath from her rant.
"But there are good things happening to me too," she continued. "I do have moments of happiness. I have Elena and Jere still, and Jenna. God bless her, she's doing her best to wrangle us. Poor thing. And of course I have my friends, though most of them can't even be classified as human. But that's okay, because, I mean, you need to have some supernatural power to handle me," she paused, smiling over how true that was.
"They're the best, you'd guys would love them." Nilly smiled at the thought of her parents meeting Mags or Shellie, or that awkward moment of Stefan introducing himself.
Unintentionally the thought of Damon meeting her parents popped into her head. Oh, that wouldn't have turned out well. She laughed slightly, picture her father and Damon shaking hands.
Then her smile dropped, they'd never get the chance to meet him or anyone else who makes Nilly happy. "You'd like him too," Nilly said to her mother's gravestone, thinking of Damon. "And you'd learn to like him," she said to her dad. "He's impulsive, and demanding and brutal but he's passionate and loyal and…" her words trailed off. "… you'd like him a lot." Nilly finished, sighing as she rested her chin on top of her knees.
She sat like that for a while, unaware of the time passing. The day was quiet, a bit cooler for the end of August but she didn't mind. The late summer sun warmed her bare arms as the slight breeze wisped up her hair. She needed a quiet day alone, Nilly thought as she let out a sigh.
"Hey, where do you want this box?" Shellie asked as she tried to focus on the steps she was taking down the stairs. She couldn't see her feet with the large cardboard box in her hands, so she went down cautiously.
"Um, what's in that one?" Magnolia asked, peeking her head out from one of the shelves. Reaching the last step, Shellie peered into the box.
"More old and dusty," she answered, scrunching her nose.
"Stick 'em on the counter." Magnolia ordered as she ducked back behind the shelf.
Shellie grumbled complaints, plopping the box on the counter. She hoisted herself up, sitting next to the box, and huffed. "Why are we doing this again?" she wondered.
Magnolia's voice traveled from a veil of books. "Because we have a new shipment coming in and nowhere to put them," she answered. "Besides, I'm pretty sure there are books here that haven't been touched since the eighteen hundreds."
Shellie sighed. It wasn't like she didn't want to help Mags in her mission to clean up the store— the shop was like their baby now— it was just that she really didn't want to be in the store. She tapped her fingers on the countertop, humming. "How long is this going to take?" she whined as Magnolia came around with another box in her hands.
She just rolled her eyes. "You act like I'm holding you here against your will and inflicting torture." Magnolia said, her eyes focused on the junk in the box. Shellie hopped off the counter, putting her hands on her hips.
"You kinda are," she said, pouting a little.
Magnolia took her attention off of the box and crossed her arms over her chest. "And where exactly would you rather be right now?" she questioned, her eyebrows rising. Shellie felt the prickle of heat in her cheeks as she blushed. An all knowing smirk came to Magnolia's face.
"Oh, shut it!" Shellie squeaked in annoyance. Her cousin burst in to laughter.
"If you want to see Jeremy then all you have to do it say it," Mags chuckled.
"I- I do not," Shellie flustered. "Besides, he's busy today," she mumbled on a side note. This only caused Magnolia's laughter to return.
"You really suck, you know that." Shellie pouted, about to storm off.
"Awe, no wait Shells. I'm just kidding." Magnolia tried to say, but Shellie had already clattered up the steps. She crossed the second floor and sat down on one of the old couches with a groan. Suddenly a big head was slobbering all over her.
"Hi, Lee-Roy," she sighed as the dog tilted his head down for her to scratch behind his ears. He let out a low whine as he nuzzled into the side of her leg. His wet nose felt cold on Shellie's bare knee. He made another noise. "What's wrong, buddy?" she asked, stroking his head. "Why are you acting so silly? Hmm?"
Standing up, Shellie shooed him away. She went over and lifted another old box, settling it in her hands. Lee-Roy followed her, nudging her again. Shellie ignored it as she started down the stairs. She shifted the box to her side to watch her step. "Hey, jerk," she called. "I found another one—"
All of a sudden Shellie felt that familiar pressure of power burst behind her eyes and everything cut to black. Then she was no longer in the book store anymore. Shellie found herself standing in the middle of a cemetery.
Author's Notes:
We're coming close to the end. It's crazy. Thank you guys so much. Let me hear your opinions, how do you think this chapter is going to end? I'll see you Friday!
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