Gravity
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.
Hi again! I was going to keep this chapter to post until tomorrow but my weekend plans have changed and now I won't have time! So here's chapter 23 a little earlier...hope you like it :)
All mistakes are my own and I'm sure there will be a few grammar/spelling ones about because I haven't had time to check it over! So sorry in advance for that.
May 12th 2017
Friday 11.20am
Whitmore College
I get back from my first, last and only class on Friday morning and head straight towards my wardrobe. I grab my carry-on and throw it onto the bed and immediately start to pack. I have a nervous but excited pit in my stomach, just like I did last weekend and the weekend before that too.
I don't notice Bonnie walking out of our shared bathroom until she starts speaking. "Are you going back to Mystic Falls again?" she sounds surprised.
"Mhmm." I nod distractedly as I hurriedly pack my essentials.
"You went back last weekend."
"I know."
"And the weekend before that."
"I know." I ignore her suspicious tone.
"And Damon came up to Whitmore on Tuesday for the night, didn't he?"
"Mhmm."
"And last Monday."
"Yup."
"Elena..." she approaches my bed to finally draw my full attention. "Is there something going on between you two?" she questions me suspiciously and I swear there is a hint of a smile on her face.
"No." I reply quickly and it's true. "We're just friends."
"Just friends?" she challenges me. "I'm just saying, you've been spending a lot of time together lately. You're going to Mystic Falls every weekend to see him and he's coming up here during the week to see you."
I roll my eyes. "Actually, I'm going home to help Jenna plan her wedding and Damon comes here to visit his brother."
"Right." Bonnie is unconvinced but I ignore her and finish up packing, zipping my bag shut and looking up at her with a smile. "Have a nice weekend!" I fly out the door before she can question me any further.
Okay...so when Damon comes here to see Stefan, we may or may not also meet up for dinner or lunch or even just a couple of drinks. And when I go back to Mystic Falls, I can't plan Jenna's wedding every single second of the entire weekend and apart from Matt, he's my only friend left in that town during term time, so yes, we may or may not hang out...
I wasn't lying when I told Bonnie that we were just friends. That's exactly what we are. That's exactly what we are doing - rebuilding our relationship...our friendship. It's fun, and I'm feeling better than I have felt in years.
Damon's starting to open up to me a bit more. I'm starting to hear more stories about his time in prison - nothing serious, he seems to skip over all the bad parts. I've noticed, but chose not to say anything. We'll talk about it eventually, that's something I feel more confident about these days.
The drive back to Mystic Falls is a drag, but luckily with it still being during the day I get back before rush-hour traffic starts because that really is a freaking killer. I park outside Jenna and Alaric's apartment block, super grateful that they are letting me crash in their spare room because I don't think I could stomach another weekend home with my parents right now.
When I use the spare key they gave me to go in nobody is home - but I'm not surprised because I know they will both still be at work. I take the opportunity to quickly unpack and then take a shower - freshening up for the evening. By the time I've finished drying my hair and then re-touching my make up, both Jenna and Alaric are home.
Wedding talk immediately gets under way - I take my maid of honor duties very seriously - but it really doesn't take long for Ric to lose interest.
"You know what, why don't you girls crack open and bottle of wine and order some takeout? On me. I'll keep out of your way and head over to The Grill for the night, don't worry, I'll grab something to eat there." he moves to stand but Jenna grabs onto his arm and pulls him back.
"Nah-uh buddy! Nice try though!" she winks at him teasingly before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "This is your wedding too."
An idea pops into my head. "Why don't we all go? It will be nice for a change of scenery - that way we all get to eat and Ric has unlimited access to bourbon to make his night go easier." I offer hopefully. The idea has absolutely nothing to do with a pair of icy blue eyes - nope - nothing at all.
Jenna is looking at me suspiciously but Ric is nodding his head furiously. "Good idea, Elena!" He praises me happily. "See, that college education is coming in handy for something!"
I frown at his backhanded compliment. "Thanks...I think?" Jenna is still looking at me questioningly. "What?"
"Nothing." she holds up her hands with a smile. "Nothing at all. Come on, lets go."
It's busy tonight - but I suppose it always is on a Friday. I send a friendly smile to the girl I've just served as she tells me to buy myself a drink and not so discreetly slides a napkin across the bar with her number on it.
I send her a playful wink but the second she turns around I dispose it in the trash alongside the other four I've received tonight already.
"Ouch. You've probably just broke that poor girls heart." I smile when I hear that voice and I turn around to see Elena stood at the bar with a grin on her face.
"What can I say? I'm very professional." I smirk and she laughs as she leans her elbows onto the bar. "What can I get you?"
"I was going to ask for vodka but since your so professional I suppose you're going to ask me for ID?" she tilts her head at me with a smile.
"Lemonade?" I question her and she nods. I smirk and make her drink, I don't fill the glass up to the brim. Instead I glance along the bar, Matt and Carly too busy serving other impatient customers too pay attention to anything I'm doing - I quickly place her glass against the vodka tap and add a very generous portion. I turn around to see her grinning happily at me. "One lemonade for the lady."
"Thank you, Mr Bartender." She replies cheerfully. "I suppose I'll need a bourbon and a white wine for the old married couple back there too." I look over her shoulder where Jenna is sitting with a huge file on the table, lots of magazines scattered about. Jenna looks fully engrossed but Ric looks bored out of his brain. I chuckle amused.
"I can do that, but unfortunately Miss 20 year old, I can't serve them directly to you."
"Right." She rolls her eyes and my smile widens. "Go on, I'll bring them over."
"Thanks." she smiles gratefully at me, handing me the money to pay before sliding easily through the parting crowd back to her table. I smile to myself before making their drinks, placing them on a tray and making my way around the bar towards their table.
"Large white wine for the bride to be." I place the glass on the table, Jenna smiling appreciatively. "And a triple measured bourbon for the grumpy groom." I tease as I pass Ric his drink. "Cheer up buddy, I could think of worse ways to spend my Friday night than sitting here with two beautiful ladies." I wink at Elena, smirking as she giggles and takes a shy sip from her drink.
"Want to swap places then?"
"Ric!" Jenna swats him on the arm roughly. I chuckle as my friend squirms with pain. "This is our wedding. Don't you care at all?"
"That's my queue." I mumble amused, taking a step back. The last thing I want to do is get on the wrong side of bridezilla. I send Elena another smile before I head back towards the bar, clearing up a couple of tables on the way.
By the time I get back, Ric is soon behind me with his tail between his legs. "I've been excused." he mutters.
"Shouldn't you be pleased?" I question amused.
"No - I'm also sleeping on the couch tonight." He grumbles. "Get me another bourbon will you."
"I'm not surprised you're on the couch with those manners." I hit back but he just waves me off. I chuckle and pour him a glass. "When exactly is the wedding?"
"Not until the summer."
"Well Ric, it is May."
"Late summer." he grumbles. "End of July," he clarifies.
"So just over two months? No wonder she's getting stroppy. It'll fly over and be here before you know it."
"Just get me to the honeymoon." He takes a large swig from his glass. "Hot country, hot beach, hot wife." He smirks. "Win-win-win."
"Sounds like paradise." I agree. "Now all you need to do is make sure that Jenna doesn't kill you between now and then and maybe you'll actually make it." I tease.
"Shut up." He sends me a glare and we both laugh.
"You two are having too much fun." Elena suddenly appears at the bar out of nowhere. "Can I get a refill?" she passes me over her glass with a cheeky smile and I nod, repeating the same process as earlier but this time I'm spotted.
"You giving my underage niece alcohol again?" Ric challenges me with a raised eyebrow.
I roll my eyes. "She's not your niece."
"Niece-to-be." He clarifies. "I thought I warned you last weekend." He reminds me of the previous time he caught me serving Elena here.
I roll my eyes. "She's a big girl."
"I am a big girl." Elena jumps back into the conversation. "But thanks for your concern Ric, however, I do go to college..." she trails off and Ric holds up his hands.
"Fine, fine. I suppose you'll be twenty one soon anyway."
"I'm counting down the days." She admits, a hint of excitement in her voice before she looks across at me. "Hey, are you working the closing shift tonight?" She asks curiously.
"Nope." I reply while shaking my head. "Been here since opening so finish at 9 o clock on the dot and not a second later."
"Great. Come over when you're done and I'll buy you a drink?" She offers with a smile.
"Or, I'll come over when I'm done and I'll buy you a drink." I send her a playful wink. "I don't know if you know this, but I know the owner - he lets me have a grand total of four free drinks during one shift. I'm sure I could spare you one."
"Even better." She smiles widely before glancing back over her shoulder. "I best get back to the bride-to-be before I lose my maid of honour status." She rolls her eyes and pats Ric on the back. "See you later."
"Bye." I smile at her before moving to serve a few waiting customers. When I head back to the end of the bar where Ric is perched he sends me a suspicious glance.
"What?" I ask him confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Is there something going on between you two?"
I clench my jaw. "Who?"
He rolls his eyes. "Don't play dumb. Elena."
"No." I frown. "We're just friends."
"Right." He makes a humming noise. "It's just you've been spending a lot of time together lately. She's come back to Mystic Falls more in the past couple of months than she has since she left for college three years ago."
"So? She's helping your fiancé with your wedding."
"Don't think I don't know about your impromptu visits up to Whitmore either." He tells me pointedly and I send him a glare. Klaus. "What's your excuse for that one?"
"Visiting my brother."
"Right." He smirks at me. "I'm just saying...she's single now...you've always been single since her...I wouldn't be surprised if something were to happen." He looks briefly over his shoulder. "Elena still loves you." My heart stops. "They think I don't pay attention, but I hear her talking to Jenna. Her face lights up the second she mentions your name. I know she dated that Liam kid while you were gone, but that was never going to go anywhere, not really. It's always been you."
"Why are you telling me this?" I swallow the lump in my throat.
"Because I know that you still love her too. I'm your friend, Damon, one of the whole two real friends that you've got, four maybe if you count Stefan and Elena. Don't you think you've lost so much time already?"
I blink at him - shocked by his suggestion. "We can't go back there."
"Why not?"
I swallow hard. "She's going places in her life, Ric. I'm just an ex-con who works in a bar back in her hometown. I'm more than happy to just be her friend. I don't want to complicate things."
He frowns at me. "Does Elena know you feel this way?" I shake my head. "Maybe you should talk to her."
"We've been doing lots of talking lately - we still have so much we need to say to each other without me adding that to the table." I wipe the bar clean with my towel. "We're just taking each day as it comes and we are both fine with that."
"Okay." He finishes off his bourbon before sliding it back up to me. "If you say so. Refill please."
I glance at my watch. 10 past 9 and still no sign of Damon. I sit up straight, peering over towards the bar but I can't see him there either. Ric joined us again about thirty minutes ago, but he didn't say anything either way about Damon coming over. Maybe he's just been roped into working overtime - or maybe he's had a better offer.
I frown, thinking back to when I first arrived and saw that girl slip him her number. At first, I felt my heart sink into my stomach when he winked at her with his signature smirk - but that gut wrenching feeling didn't last very long - instead it turned into relief and dare I say smugness when I saw him crumple up the napkin and throw it in the trash the second her back was turned.
But what if this time he was interested in the girl? I swallow the growing lump in my throat at the thought. It would be his right...I mean...he's single and he doesn't owe me anything. We're just friends. If he wanted to date other girls then I certainly wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
I try to throw myself back into the current conversation Jenna is having with Ric about him needing to appoint a best man. She throws in some ideas but he scoffs and immediately shakes his head at pretty much all of them.
"No. He's the husband of your friend - why would I ask him?" Ric does not look impressed.
"I thought you liked him...you even went to an Ice Hockey game together."
"He's a cool guy who I get along with but that doesn't make him my best man."
"Sorry I'm late." I feel a hand on my shoulder and my stomach is immediately attacked with butterflies. I smile, glancing up to see Damon stood above me as he places a tray down onto the table with his other hand. Four drinks placed on top. "On the house." He smiles before pulling up the chair next to me and sitting down.
"Thanks buddy!" Ric grins appreciatively as he picks up his bourbon. Even Jenna sends him a grateful smile as she takes her large glass of white wine.
"I thought you weren't coming." I confess shyly.
Damon shakes his head in reply as he takes a sip of his bourbon before answering. "Sorry - I got cornered into helping the kitchen clean-up. Got myself two extra free drinks for it though."
"And you gave it to those two? How generous of you." I tease him while patting his arm.
He chuckles. "Call it an early wedding gift."
"Um - I don't think so buddy - if you're going to be my best man I expect something more from you than two drinks you didn't even pay for yourself."
Both Damon and Jenna nearly choke on their drinks. My eyes widen as I stare at Ric completely shocked.
"What?" Damon looks at him stunned once he stopped himself from spluttering out his bourbon.
"You heard me." Ric smirks back in reply, clearly amused by all of our reactions. "Best man - you up for it?"
"I..." Damon blinks in shock. He glances at Jenna who looks just as stunned. "If it's okay with the bride..." he looks at her cautiously.
Jenna takes another chug of her wine before glancing at me. I raise my eyebrows expectantly. Surely she won't deny this - besides, it's ultimately up to Alaric who he wants as his best man anyway - and if he wants Damon then Jenna should just accept that.
"Sure." She replies eventually and again my eyes widen in surprise.
Damon blinks shocked but Ric chuckles and holds out his glass towards him. "Cheers buddy."
"Cheers," Damon smiles slowly as he taps his glass against it.
"As long as you both don't turn up drunk!" Jenna warns them threateningly and I smile. Yeah right, fat chance of either of them turning up at a wedding sober!
"Of course not!" Ric looks at her like it would be totally out of character of him. Jenna rolls her eyes and mutters something about how at least finally he has chosen a best man and now they can start to look into tuxedos for them. He groans in reply, sending a save me look in our direction.
Damon chuckles and my smile widens at the sound, I turn to face him. "So you're best man...I'm maid of honor...I believe that means you will owe me a dance."
He smirks. "I'm sure I could squeeze you in."
I nudge his shoulder playfully. "You better," I send him a warning look. "I know from personal experience that you can actually dance."
"I'm a great dancer." He responds cockily. "I just choose not to do it."
"Maybe you can teach Ric," I grin and he scowls unimpressed as we both glance across the table. "He has two left feet."
"He does." Jenna agrees.
"I'm a history teacher and fine liquor enthusiast, what good does dancing do to my life?" He defends himself. "I'm sure if I tried, I'd be very good at it."
"You mean all this time at our dance class you haven't been trying?!" Jenna scolds him and I giggle amused.
"You go to dance classes?" Damon laughs.
Ric literally turns ten shades redder. "She makes me go!"
Jenna rolls her eyes. "It's for his own good. I don't want him to embarrass himself during our first dance, but mostly importantly I don't want him to embarrass me."
"Urgh." Ric grumbles. "I need another drink."
"Me too." Damon agrees and they both stand up to head towards the bar. Damon places his hand on my shoulder. "Usual?"
I nod with a smile. "You can try - I tried to get Matt to slip some vodka into my lemonade earlier while you were too busy to serve me but he wouldn't budge."
"Hmm," he squeezes my shoulder. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage a way around that." He winks at me with a smile before following Ric over to the bar. I smile as I watch him go before turning back to the table. Jenna staring at me with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile.
"What?" I ask paranoid.
"You two are very cozy." she tells me pointedly.
I frown defensively. "No - we're just friends."
"I think those playful nudges and lingering touches say otherwise." She smirks at me and I roll my eyes.
"We really are just friends." I tell her seriously.
"Do you want more?"
I shrug, glancing back over at Ric and Damon who are laughing between themselves by the bar while still waiting to be served. "It's not up to me." Jenna actually looks slightly surprised by my answer. "Do I want more with him? Yes. Of course I do...I..." I take a deep breath. "I'm still madly in love with him, Jenna." I confess nervously. "But I don't know if he feels the same way anymore. He's been through a lot...and...he seems more than happy to just be my friend."
"Elena, anyone in this bar would be able to tell you how much Damon loves you. It's obvious in the way that he looks at you." She tries to reassure me but I shake my head.
"That doesn't mean to say that he wants to be with me." I fiddle with the straw in my empty glass. "Besides, we're both not ready for anything more right now anyway. I want to fight for him...I will fight for him when the time comes...but it's too soon right now. We still have so much to talk about and until then I'm just happy that he wants me in his life." I glance back over at him while he is still completely oblivious to this conversation. "It's the right thing to do."
She nods slowly. "I see that. Trust me, I never was Damon's biggest fan - you know that - but lately...I've seen a different side of him. I don't know if prison has changed him for the better or if he's always been this way and I was just too blinded by his family name and your parents opinion of him before now."
"He's definitely matured." I smile softly. "He's more patient and level-headed than he ever used to be. He's still Damon...he's just..." I trail off because I can't find the right words to describe him. I don't think any word would be able to do him justice. I feel my eyes start to burn with tears. "I love him, Jenna." My voice cracks. "And I've made so many mistakes that I don't think I'll be able to pull back from..." I think of Liam. I think of the engagement ring looped through a necklace locked away from sight. I think about Megan and Enzo and wander what would have happened if I never agreed to let them leave California with us.
"Oh Elena..." she reaches across the table to take my hand. She squeezes it tightly, reassuringly. "You can't keep dwelling on the past."
"I know that but...I just...I don't know what to do."
"I know it's hard but you-"
"Elena?"
I look up shocked to see Damon standing by the table, two drinks and a shot in his hands as he looks down at me concerned. I hurriedly wipe away my tears, feeling extremely embarrassed that he's caught me crying and I pray that he didn't catch any of our conversation. Ric shifts awkwardly on his feet beside him but Jenna grabs his hand and pulls him to sit back down.
"Are you okay?" he asks worriedly as he places the drinks the table.
"Mhmm." I nod eagerly, trying to send him a reassuring smile.
He's not convinced. "Elena..."
"I'm fine. We were just having girl talk."
"We're talking about the wedding." Jenna cuts in for me. "I was just telling Elena how happy I am to have her as my maid of honor and that I couldn't have done any of this without her. It got a little sappy, that's all." She smiles softly at me and I smile back, very grateful to her because Damon seems to buy it.
"You ladies and your hormones, huh?" He smiles at me, believing Jenna's explanation. I smile and motion to the clear shot he's put on the table. "Told you I'd find a way," he smirks at me. He reaches across to my empty glass and pours some lemonade out of my new glass into it. He grabs the shot and pours it straight into the new drink, giving it a quick stir with the straw before handing it over to me. "There you go," he smiles proudly. "Vodka lemonade as requested."
I grin happily. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He grins back softly and I hold his lingering gaze.
God, I miss him. I miss everything about him. Damon and Jenna are both right - I cant dwell on the what if's but it's so hard to not have regrets. I think of what could have been. Would we have been married by now? Would it have been Jenna helping to organize my wedding or would we not even be back here in Mystic Falls and still on the run away from all our friends and family?
I suppose in a way Damon is right. If he didn't turn himself in he wouldn't be sitting here now as a free man.
It doesn't make the what if's any easier.
It doesn't make loving Damon any easier either.
I groan as I hear the ringing sound of someone trying to buzz into the building. It's too early for visitors, especially when you're suffering from a painful hangover. Clearly the person on the other side of the door doesn't take the hint that nobody is home because they keep pressing the buzzer.
Eventually it stops, however my cell phone starts to ring instead. "Fucking hell," I grumble. Is this really happening right now? My head is pounding as I reach across blindly towards my bedside table. I squint and look at the caller ID.
"Stefan." I answer grumpily. "Please tell me that isn't you ringing my doorbell right now."
"That would be me." he confirms my suspicions and I grumble in annoyance.
"Damon's not home."
"Actually," he sounds nervous. "I'm here to see you."
Me? "It's too early mate - can't you come back later?" I roll onto my back tiredly.
"Klaus it's nearly two o clock." Stefan tells me slowly. "It's not early at all. Besides, I've got to drive back to Whitmore tonight so I don't really have time to come back. I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important."
"Urgh fine." I mutter to myself. The one Saturday I manage to get off the day off work for and I don't even get to spend the day in bed like I planned too. "Hold on, I'll buzz you in."
"Thanks." we both hang up and I quickly throw on my sweatpants and a t-shirt before heading out of my room. I buzz Stefan in, opening this door too so he can walk straight through to the apartment.
"Hey," he steps in hesitantly, closing the door behind him. "Where's Damon?"
"On a date." I reply casually and he looks at me surprised.
"A date?" he asks confused. "With who?"
"Elena."
"Elena?!" He repeats shocked. "Since when was that happening again?"
I roll my eyes. "Okay - so if you ask Damon directly he'll deny that it's a date - but trust me, it's definitely a date." I smirk slightly and Stefan sighs and shakes his head. "So, little Salvatore, what is it that I can do for you?"
He shifts nervously. "Maybe you should sit down?"
I raise my eyebrow at him curiously. "What's this about?" I question him suspiciously. I don't tend to like conversations which start with 'maybe you should sit down'.
"I need to tell you something." He starts meekly. "And I don't think you're going to like it." He runs his hand through his hair nervously. "Shit. I don't know how to tell you this Klaus..."
I frown. "Just spit it out, Stefan." I say through gritted teeth because whatever it is I don't think it's going to be good.
"I've been sleeping with Caroline for the past couple of months." He confesses guiltily and I blink surprised.
What?
"Caroline?" I breathe out shocked. "My ex-girlfriend Caroline?" He nods slowly. "My first love Caroline? The only girl I have ever loved?" Again he nods, his face laced with shame. "What the hell, Stefan? What happened to bro-code huh?"
"I'm sorry!" He defends himself immediately. "We didn't start something up with the intention to hurt you..."
"You're supposed to be my friend!"
"Klaus, until recently we've barely spoken for the past two years!"
"Probably because you've been sleeping with the love of my life!"
"No!" He shakes his head quickly. "I swear this isn't something that's been going on for long! It had nothing to do with you!"
"You know we only broke up because we couldn't handle the long distance, right?" I fire at him angrily. "It wasn't because we didn't love each other! It wasn't because we stopped caring!"
"I know." He swallows audibly. "I'm sorry - but you two broke up years ago. My relationship with Caroline had nothing to do with you."
"Oh so it's a relationship now?"
He cringes. "This leads me to the difficult part."
I look at him in complete disbelief. "Let me guess, you've been sleeping with my sister too?!"
"No!" He snaps back at me in annoyance. "Jesus. I'm just going to come out and say it." He runs his hand through his hair nervously. "Caroline's pregnant. The baby is mine and we're keeping it."
My eyes widen in shock, my heart pounding painfully against my chest. The last thing I see before everything turns red is my fist landing in Stefan's face.
"It's nice out here today." Elena looks around the thankfully deserted lake at The Falls with a beautiful smile on her face. I grin as I place the small picnic blanket down on the dry grass below us. "
"Good suggestion." I agree and she sends me a pleased grin. I woke up early this morning to a text from Elena asking if I wasn't busy whether or not I want to go with her for a picnic to The Falls.
Luckily today was my day off so there was no way in hell I was going to deny her. Summer was officially on its way, and Elena couldn't be happier about it.
"If only it was just tad bit warmer – we could have gone swimming." She pouts slightly as she looks across the appealing lake. She's right however, summer may be just around the corner but there was still a slight chill in the air when the clouds covered the sun.
Just that little bit too cold to go in the water.
"Maybe next time?" I offer her, my heart tightening from the surprised but happy smile on her face.
"Definitely next time." She agrees before walking back over to me. We both drop down onto the blanket and Elena opens up her basket, handing me some sandwiches. "Hungry?"
"Starving." I take it from her gratefully and the two of us fall into a comfortable sandwich as we eat lunch. It really is nice being out here in the middle of nowhere. Just peace and quiet – no cell service equaling to no interruptions.
After we eat we fall backwards so we are lying flat on our backs. Elena starts to point out clouds which look like dragons and sheep and even Chandler Bing.
I laughed at that one, but kept quiet on the fact that none of the clouds really did look like anything but clouds and that it was just her brain imagining images that weren't actually there.
"Damon?" she sounds nervous.
"Mhmm?" I keep my eyes on the blue sky above me.
"Will you tell me some more about what happened in prison?"
I tense. "Elena…"
"Please." I see her tilt her head to face me from the corner of my eye but I don't look back at her. "I just…I want to know more."
"Like what?"
"What was your cellmate like?"
I cringe. "Which one?"
"You had more than one?" she sounds surprised. "What happened to the guy in the letter? Chuck?"
I blink surprised. This is the first time she's mentioned the one and only letter I sent to her all those years ago and I'm even more surprised to see that she's remembered minor details in it too.
I want to ask her just how many times she's read it but I refrain. That will be a question for another day.
"Well?" She asks curiously. "What was he like?"
"He was fine." I reply cautiously. "Quiet…didn't really like to talk much but I was okay with that at the time. My second cellmate was this guy called Kai," I let out a loud breath just thinking about him. "Now he was a complete sociopath."
"Really?" I hear the worry in her voice. "How? What did he go? He didn't hurt you did he?"
"Me?" I reply with a small smile. "No. He never hurt me. Actually…he was kind of a little obsessed with me. It was a little weird, and very uncomfortable."
She laughs slightly. "Obsessed with you? Did he fancy you, Damon?" I see her smile from the corner of my eye.
"No." I laugh despite myself. "He wasn't gay. He was just…well…crazy. To be fair, he was okay most of the time – he would just get weirdly jealous if I hung out with other guys without him." I frown, thinking back to some fights that he got himself involved with over petty little things.
Like the time I shared a cigarette with another inmate behind the garden shed – Kai caught us and went ballistic. He started beating on the other guy and ended up breaking his nose.
"Are you sure he wasn't gay?" She questions amused.
"Very sure – he was in love with this girl on the outside. He never did tell me her name though."
"What was he in for?"
I hold back for a moment before reluctantly replying. "Murder – he killed his twin sister and two of his younger siblings. Apparently the only reason he didn't get the death penalty was because he pleaded temporarily insanity. Something about his ancestors who were witches telling him that he needed to sacrifice them in order for the rest of his family to live." I let out a dry laugh. "I wouldn't have believed that as an excuse if I hadn't spent two years with the guy."
"Wow." Elena sounds sad. "I…I can't believe you had to share a room with someone like that."
"There were worse people in there than Kai." I admit. "Once I figured out how to handle him it got much easier."
"What happened to Chuck?" she asks curiously. "Did he get out?"
I cringe. This is probably one of the worst memories I have from prison. "I suppose he did in a way."
"What does that mean?" She asks curiously.
"He killed himself." I hear her gasp. "Hung himself with his bed sheets right there in our cell." I swallow the lump in my throat, thinking back to that terrible moment I woke up that morning to see his legs dangling in the air. "He did it while I was sleeping; he had been hanging there for hours so it was too late to save him. He was already dead by the time I woke up and called for the guards." I grimace. "I thought I was dreaming at first."
"Oh my god…" she whispers and I can hear the sadness in her voice. "I'm so sorry, Damon."
I stay silent as I continue to look up at the clouds above me. I've always wondered what finally snapped in Chuck's mind to make him actually go through with suicide. I realized pretty early on that he was depressed – but so were 80% of inmates in that place. I didn't really think anything else of it. I didn't even ask him many questions about his life.
I kind of regret it now. Maybe if I had talked to him more…I could have helped him. I could have prevented it from happening.
I tense for a second when I feel Elena's fingers tap against mine; she slowly slides her hand against my palm and loops our fingers together. I let out a deep breath as she squeezes my hand tightly as she shuffles closer beside me.
"You're okay now." She whispers softly into my ear. "You made it out and I couldn't be happier about it."
I swallow the lump in throat and nod.
"I know." I squeeze her hand back tightly. "Me too, Elena, me too."
Thanks for reading! Hope you liked this one too! Like I said in the last chapter – baby steps!
The vodka (or whatever spirit you want as your mixer) shot trick was something that my ex used to always do for me when we were in pubs when I was 17 and he was 19 at the time. We always used to get away with it no matter where we went - although sometimes the person who served him questioned how he could drink a shot of vodka or rum straight like that - his response was that he just wanted to get drunk quicker! It's an easy way of getting away with drinking underage in a public bar if there's anyone out there who dares to try it haha!
Thank you again for the reviews!
Until next time!