Black Velvet
Chapter 25- Life, Without You
R-M This is a BAMON story.
*Warning: TRIGGERS!* and mentions of physical, mental, and domestic abuse in this chapter. And thank you so much for 200 followers :) for this story. Plz Enjoy!
oOo Bonnie oOo
He's sexy in a boy next door kind of way. Not like Damon. He's not like, walking talking, sex. No, he's this guy with a sincere face. And he grins a lot. Not like Damon. Damon grins when he's stabbing my insides, and making me cry and drool all over myself. He finds pleasure, in my reliance on him. Kai, is different. Still just a friend, but he's kind of been the only person, that makes me forget about Damon. I went lingerie shopping with Kat yesterday, and all I could think about was buying it for Damon's pleasure, and having a fun night of playing Daddy's naughty little slut. And whenever Kat and I talk, at some point, we mention sex. We just have that kind of relationship. Then I'm drawn back in to thoughts of Damon. It's been a month since I've seen him. It's about time I stop thinking about him, right? But, when I think about sex, I can only think about Damon. Kai doesn't make me think about sex. He just makes me blush and grin, a lot. But Damon and I connected on every level. And I missed the human connection. The skin to skin contact. The touching, and the way it feels, when I'm being stroked, and even slapped. And damnit, I'm going off in a tangent again. But my point is, I think about Damon, all the time. He's trained my brain that way. The powerful mind control of a psychologist. And I can't escape him. Except... when Kai is around. So, we've been hanging out the past couple of weeks since movie night. Everything's been innocent. Not even any hugging. We just talk. There has been nothing sexual about our connection. It's all been really... friendly. And maybe that's good for me. Or maybe, it means I'm just so out of touch. I imagine it's how teenagers feel, and it's really, confusing. But today I stare at him while he sits across from me and I notice, his smile, is definitely, sexy. And the way his Adam's apple bounces when he laughs. He keeps his beard neatly trimmed, and short, and his hair is surprisingly well lined up. He's tall, and his body is... strong. And I wonder how it feels to hug him. And if his hugs are as welcome and warm as he is.
"This cheese is aged to perfection. It has an earthy aroma, with a nutty taste." He laughed, making her laugh. Then she rolled her eyes. "Did I sound pretentious enough?"
"I don't know what you sounded like. But, it wasn't you." She grinned. They were at a Vineyard out in the suburbs, near Lake Elsinore for a wine tasting festival. "But I..." emphasis on I "... I do like aged Swiss and Gouda."
"What's the difference?"
"It's like, leftovers. When the flavors sit, and hold each other, they just taste stronger. Plus, you are satisfied with a smaller portion of cheese the longer it's aged. So you eat less of it. It's what they taught me in culinary school. And it's true."
"Culinary school?" He raised his brows impressed. "Yet, you run a review business."
"I know. I know how it sounds. In all fairness, we started reviewing restaurants. Then we moved to fashion boutiques. Both mine and Kat's majors. Eventually our blog was so popular, we were asked to review more and more businesses."
"That's impressive. And you've never cooked for me, why?"
"Uhh, because, you're not my boyfriend."
"Oh, burn."
"Oh shut up. Besides, I rarely go out to eat. And I rarely go out on public dates, so, it felt good to be out."
"Date? Is this a date?" He asked lifting one eye brow.
"No. Pft." She laughed and sipped wine. "I'm just speaking in terms of why I haven't been cooking much lately." He stare at her devilishly and grinned. "What Kai?"
"Nothing, just... it can be a date, if you want it to be."
"If I want it to be? I'm sorry, are you doing me a favor?"
"No. But, I was kind of hoping, that maybe you'd tell me this was a date, so I could stop wondering nervously, if it was or not." Bonnie sat up uncomfortably.
"Kai, I don't know about this being considered a date, because-"
"Hey, it's okay. There's no obligations. Just teasing. I like teasing the grin on your face into an RBF." He laughed softly, because he was less intimidated by her resting bitch face, than he was by her earth-shattering smile. His eyes carried his vision to the crowd behind her. "It's time for our hot air balloon ride. You ready?"
"No. I'm a little tipsy and I might fall out of the balloon."
"Now, why, would I let you fall?" Kai leaned forward from leaning back, and placed his elbows on top of his knees, looking her in the eyes, as she finished her glass. Bonnie felt nervous when he got in her personal space. They sat facing one another, just staring. She looked down at her phone to see if Katherine had returned her call. She'd been trying to get ahold of her since the morning. But their schedules were so far off since the planning of the wedding. When she noticed Kat had called back she looked up at the man waiting for her.
"What was that?"
"You think I'd let you fall?"
"I don't know. I'd hope you wouldn't let me fall."
"Nah... I definitely wouldn't." He left her with that genuine smile of his, and stood up helping her up with him. When he pulled her up, her eyes came to his chest and he held her in that position for a few seconds too long. Her eyes made their way up to his, grabbing the thump in her chest, forcing it to speed up. She could've sworn she felt it, until they heard their names being called out. "Come on let's go for that ride." He placed his hand on the small of her back and followed her to the open grass field.
...
Damon had sat with his brother for an hour over drinks before agreeing to go see Lily. His body was tensed and overheated because he was overwhelmed with the thoughts of having a relationship with her. It just wasn't something, he was interested in. As a young man he was protective of her. He'd gotten his ass beaten multiple times by his father for protecting his mother. There were times, he'd tell kids at school, that he'd gotten into a fight with some other kids from across town. Though it was doubtful in the beginning, Damon eventually became a teenage boy who'd been in and out of trouble for fighting.
(Flashback)
Damon ran upstairs having heard his mother scream. It had gone on like this nearly every weekend his father was home. Giuseppe left so often these days, that Damon had become the man of the house, at the age of thirteen he'd had to be the one looking after Stefan, and hoping his mother would make it out of bed some days.
Feeling like a prisoner in her home, she started wanting to give up on life. Even with two boys, whose eyes were full of life, and love for her, she just was losing her will to be who they needed, because her relationship was taking its toll on her. And today, one of the few weekends Giuseppe hadn't been on business lately, he'd come home out of reluctance for his family. Whether by choice or not, Damon had never known, he just knew the house was rocked to the core those days. Because, Giuseppe became highly demanding of his wife, whom he treated like a possession, and he over compensated monetarily towards his son's, for his lack of presence in their lives, he hadn't even realized how close Damon had become to his mother.
As Damon ran, he pushed passed the nannies and housekeepers. They tried grabbing him, and keeping him from sprinting towards the noise. Everyone knew Giuseppe hated anyone interfering when he dealt with Lily. But his elder son, was tired of it.
When Damon made it upstairs, Lily sat on the floor crying, as Giuseppe, packed a bag, and aggressively stomped around the room. She hid her face from her son, hearing his footsteps behind her.
Lily had a busted lip, and bloody nose, while Giuseppe showed no concern for her despair. Maybe because he caused it. Maybe because he felt she deserved it. But it never sat well with Damon. "Get out boy!" Giuseppe shouted, moving back and fourth grabbing clothes.
"Ma... are you okay?"
"Per favore, figlio. Go! Now!" She tried to push him gently to leave, but he couldn't leave her. "Per favore." She cried.
"I'm warning you boy. GO!" He yelled before spitting in a quiet whisper, when he realized Damon was feeling of concern, "Boy, get out." He finished packing his bag, thinking nothing of Damon's interruption. Damon ran to his mother, who was leaning on the floor against the wall. He lifted her hair from her tears and salt soaked face.
"Damiano, tutto è buono. Sono appena caduto." She whispered trying to push him to leave.
"Fell? Ma... how did you fall on your face?" He asked angrily.
"Figlio, ascolta tuo padre."
Damon stooped down whispering into her face. "Look what happens. I won't listen to him. He hurt you." Damon eyes watered, wiping the blood off of his mother's nose. "Ma... mama... look at me. Let's just leave-"
Before he could finish his sentence, he was yanked back by his father, by the hair. "Giuseppe, per favore!" Lily pleaded. "Let him be. He's just a boy!"
"A boy, who doesn't mind his father!" A heavy hand made it across his son's back, as he held him by the hair, at an unfair advantage, pining Damon to the ground, face down. "You dare challenge, your father? I said get out, and I meant it. But you want to be a man and sit through a beating, then so be it." Giuseppe began to hit Damon in his back with his fist, over and over while Damon, tried to wiggle out of place. But at thirteen he was no match physically for Giuseppe. Lily jumped up, and reached for her husband's shoulders to pull him backwards, yelling phrases in her native tongue and pleading with him to get off of her son. All she ever wanted was to keep the boys protected, but she couldn't protect them. It seemed the deeper her boys loved her the more their father despised her and them for it. She used as much strength as she could, but Giuseppe's power was already bruising his son's back.
Damon cried, until he couldn't make a noise. The carpet swallowed his tears, as much as he'd let fall. Eventually, he couldn't make a noise.
Lily tried her hardest, but was no match for her husband who was older than her, in the mind, and body. When he was finished, after all of the noise, it was then, that Stefan's cries were heard outside of the doorway, watching his father beat his brother. Damon, lay in a pile of tears, with his mother's blood on his hands. Giuseppe got up, and left his wife crying over his son, and his son stunned to silence, as pain shot up his spine, and burned the skin of his entire back. Then, Stefan Vegas choking back tears once his father's eyes turned to see him.
"Never interfere between a husband and his wife."
Giuseppe grabbed his bag, and stormed out, with no regards. Stefan ran to Lily and Damon, and she held both of her sons, and the moment they heard the heavy door slam in the large home, the nannies ran in to aide Damon and Lily in their distress.
"Son, why... why would you interfere? I begged you. I begged. You don't deserve this. I brought this on, by questioning him. It's not my place. But I can't bare it, when he hits you. Please, let mama and papa, handle it. Son..." she called to him, as he lay paralyzed. "I'm so sorry. Look at me, Damiano. Please." Damon looked to her with his eyes, but did not move his body. "Hard headed boy," she cried. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault this happened to you."
But Damon just lie there, almost numb from the pain. His back felt like he'd had broken bone or two. Stefan cried for his brother, feeling terrified after watching his father beat him. He grabbed his mother's arm, yelling in anger.
"Let's leave ma. I wanna leave. I hate him." Stefan cried. "You said we'd leave. Why won't you just take us away from him?" Stefan cried. The nanny was removing Damon's clothes, and his back was covered in the forming of purple discoloration. Lily screamed blaming herself, unable to pull it together, and Stefan moved to sit with his brother and held his hand. But Damon's fingers couldn't even grip Stefan's hand back, as the back pain shot down his arms through his fingertips.
Lily cried, into her hands feeling helpless, unable to bare the pain in her son's silent eyes.
(End of flashback)
This woman, that birthed him, had put a strain on his system for depending on people. His desire for trusting and connecting to someone of the female nature, was lost in the swell of their downfall. Now, he was walking up to her rental property, with his brother. He'd looked at the oil stain in the driveway. But Lily parked in the garage. He wondered where it came from. Stefan walked over the grass while Damon took the sidewalk all the way around to the walk way. "Can't you see there's a garden there?"
"What?" Stefan looked down. "Oops." He made it to the door first, and rang the bell. He and Damon both read the sign on the door. Please be polite, shoes to the right. There was a a small shoe rack on her porch. Stefan laughed, and started to remove his Adidas. Damon looked down at his Fratelli Giacometti cap toe boots, and shifted his eyes questionably.
"Is this a joke?"
"Did anyone tell you to wear a fifteen hundred dollar pair of boots?"
"They're not fifteen hundred dollar shoes." He corrected.
"Yeah. Okay." Stefan knew his brothers taste in shoes had been onthe expensive side. "You knew you didn't have to wear those."
"Uhh no! I was unaware, I'd have to leave them on a shoe rack on a porch. In... what city are we in?"
"Whittier? I think." Stefan said looking around, as if he'd find city signs on the neighborhood block.
"I'm not leaving my shoes out here."
"Relax Prince Charming. You can put them inside. You're just like your father sometimes." Lily said walking towards her front door from inside of her house, hearing them outside talking. Damon rolled his eyes hearing that last remark. He hated the comparison coming from her, because he took it personally. "It's just not good for your health to wear the shoes inside of the house."
"Says who?"
"Well, my doctor is Chinese, and she also practices reflexology. Being barefoot allows all the pressure points through the feet, to be stimulated. It's better for my pain. And I trust my doctor, she's very good."
"Just leave your shoes outside, jackass." Stefan said looking at him, like he was being ridiculous.
"Fine." Damon sat on a rocking chair, and loosened the his shoes, one by one. "And if my shoes get stolen?"
"Then someone, needed the money more than you." She said.
"I guess in your mind, everyone needs money more than me." Damon almost snapped, but Lily chose to walk away. Stefan tapped his brother's leg with a hard hand smack.
"We have to try. She doesn't look good Damon."
"And maybe, I'd fucking care, if that woman was anything to me, other than a fucking monster. But she's not. So, for me... she looks like a dying woman. Who's body needs to rest." Stefan shook his head. Damon was cold. He didn't care. And he couldn't make him care. But he could try and get them to at least come to term with things before she passed on.
"You don't have to forget, bro... but we can find peace. And give her peace. She may have been awful the past twenty-five years, but... the first fifteen weren't so bad."
"You weren't getting your ass beat by Giuseppe, trying to defend a mother who still, inevitably walked out on us."
"She has her reasons, Damon, and I'm sure... we will hear it, when she's ready."
"Keep telling yourself that." Damon pulled his right shoe off, and sat it down next to him while he untied the left shoe. When he was finished, he noticed another pair of shoes as he went to sit his shoes on the shoe rack. They were a small pair of women's Nikes. "Whose the hell, are these?"
"Bonnie's." Lily said walking back to open the screen door for them. "You don't know you're own girlfriend's shoes?" He looked at Lily and back at Stefan. Stefan was shocked, Damon hadn't told her. But he understood with the condition of things as to why he probably didn't.
"Of course I know her shoes. Just, never seen these before. Why'd she leave them?"
"She was bringing them every week for when she took me on my Saturday morning walks. But she left them here, so she wouldn't have to keep bringing them." Her long black hair was greying at the scalp, and there was a sprinkle of grey in, here and there. She was still relatively young, but the cancer was taking a toll on her body. She also had gotten very pale. Sensitive to the sun light she rarely made it outside in the sunlight anymore except Saturday's. This wasn't the vibrant, full of life woman they grew up with. The one with the lively smile and bright blue eyes. Jet black hair and creamy skin. The woman who turned butterscotch in the summers and wore colorful dresses. This woman was pale, and becoming frail. "She leaves clothes here too. She's too cute." Lily smiled. "It's like she wants me to know, she'll be back."
"Wow. I can't relate." Damon said harshly.
This woman looked tired and weighed down. She smiled still, but the smile was strained. "You're very lucky to have her." Lily said ignoring his harsh words. "But I worry for her social life."
"Why?"
"Because she spends so much time with me." Damon was unaware that Bonnie was still spending so much time with Lily. It spoke volumes to him, even if he and his mother weren't on the best terms, and he and Bonnie weren't on the best terms, that Bonnie was spending time with Lily.
"She was here today?"
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
"I totally forgot. Busy morning." Lily looked at him strangely, because she felt something was wrong. But she knew it wasn't her place to offer invasion on his personal strifes when he could barely stare at her right now. The tension between them was strong, and Lily was just lucky he showed up today.
"Well, she seemed excited about whatever she had planned today. You know what that was?"
"Lily, can you not pry in my personal life?"
"Sorry. I'm just glad you have her." And she looked at Stefan. "And how's Sarah?"
"She's good. Working a lot. But, so do I. So, when we get to spend time together, even though the kids are with us, we really enjoy each other."
"Stefan, I'm glad. I always saw you two being good fathers. You were good to each other growing up." Damon gave her he harshest, most unbreakable stare of annoyance. Lily realized she should take everything slowly, especially with her words, and when mentioning the past. "You know I'd love to watch the kids, so you two can have a date night. My grandkids, would have so much fun."
"Ma, I'm not sure that's a good idea. They are a bit much to handle."
"Son, I can handle it. They're just kids."
"Yeah, don't worry Stefan. She won't abandon them until their teenagers."
"Dude!" Damon-"
"No, it's okay. He has the right. But, I'm here to be better than I was. I'm not asking much, but just know, my intentions here, are good."
Damon rolled his eyes, heavily. His body language was disconnected.
"The kids are great. They remind me of your brother and you. Especially the twins."
"Yeah, well Sarah met Bonnie and they seem to talk and have lunch once in a while. Good. Your families should be close."
"Yeah. Sarah likes Bonnie, a lot."
"They're both good girls. And Sarah knows you, better than you know yourself, Stefano. She's good to you, and an amazing mother to Sophia, Seth, and Sebastian. And Damiano..."
"Damon." He corrected.
"Tuo padre ti ha dato forti nomi Italiani."
"Mi chiamo Damon. Mio fratello è Stefan. And I prefer to speak English."
"Fair enough." She knew he was as impossible as his father. "Well, as for Bonnie- She's a pretty genuine girl. I mean she's got this tough exterior, like you, but... inside, she's like a teenager. She kind of lags around my place sometimes. Playing on her phone. Or she goes shopping and brings her new things here asking what I think. Like a daughter I never had. We get our nails done, and she braids my hair. You've been working so much, she spends a lot more time here lately with me. Make time for her son. Money isn't the most important thing."
Damon looked up at her. She had some nerve after what she did to him and his brother. He grit his teeth, and his jaws began to throb. "Just tell me... Why are we here today Lily?"
"I just wanted to give you boys some things."
"Things Ma?"
"Yes, Stefano. Things that I will no longer need. Things you should have before I leave this earth." They both still felt shock about it, but silence was all they could deliver. "Come in. I won't take much of your time."
Stefan felt his feet lag, as he headed inside, for what felt like a somber meeting. And Damon huffed, in grave annoyance, ready to be back in his car, on his way to his cabin, for some alone time.
...
Bonnie had drank enough wine to keep herself from feeling fear from the hot air balloon ride. They were a couple thousand feet in the air. Sharing the balloon with about eighteen other people. They were so close in proximity, they could feel their reliance on one another's body for comfort. "Damn, what a beautiful site. I honestly think this is probably one of the coolest things I've done."
"You use the word cool, casually, and often."
"Yeah, so."
"I don't know." She grinned, quietly, and looked at his face. "It's kind of adolescent."
"What can I say, I'm a kid at heart." His grin was innocent, but sincere. She couldn't look at him for too long before she turned her head away from him. He had a lightness about him, that she once felt inside herself, back when she was in college, and before she and Kol became serious. But parts of her were still very drawn to Damon's darkness. And the feeling Kai gave her was complete opposition.
"Mr. Parker, have you ever been in love?"
"Of course. I'm a thirty-four year old man. I've been in love more than once. Haven't you?"
"Yes."
"It's common knowledge that you have at least two great loves by the time your thirty. I thought everyone knew that."
"No. It's not a proven fact. I know a man who's almost forty and fell in love for the first time recently. Well, he says he was. There's a large chance it's been so long, he doesn't know what love is." The guide in the hot air balloon was talking but Bonnie and Kai weren't listening to him. They were talking quietly each other.
"Well, we call that mommy issues." He laughed.
Bonnie frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Men who don't fall in love easily, tend to have mommy issues. I'm sure the man you are speaking of has mommy issues, right?"
"I can't confirm nor deny that."
"Damn! That bad huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, this guy obviously hurt you. And you love him enough to protect his truths." Her face wrinkled in confusion, and she was taken aback by his words. "But his mommy issues got in the way I bet."
"Now why would you assume, it's a man I was in love with?"
"You're in deep thought. Just up in your feels." He laughed, realizing he said that word. "And you wonder if he ever loved you."
Bonnie was stunned into silence. My feels, what the fuck does that even mean? Feels. She didn't acknowledge, confirm, nor deny his allegation. Then she turned back to the open sky and watched the atmosphere thicken, as the clouds fill the air surrounding them. "Look at those horses. Oh my God." She pointed to a ranch below where horses were running.
"Damn, I think they're playing with each other."
"Horses don't play. They just run and love."
"Anything with a heart plays. It's a necessary part of happiness. They play. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"Not everything plays. Not everyone plays. Some just run away from pain, and try to love, and can't."
"Well, then I feel sorry for anyone that lives that way. Because, love, and play are keys to long life and happiness."
Bonnie kept looking out at the sky leaning on the edge of the wall. He moved to stand behind her, and he placed one of each of his arms on both sides of her, and leaned over, with his face in the back of her hair, and he smelled it. Damon had done that to her all the time. The feel was familiar, and it made her mind revert to a place she'd been avoiding. Damon.
"What are you doing?"
"Smelling your hair. It smells good. Why does women's hair smell better than men's?" Bonnie was unsure how Kai wasn't intimidated by her forceful distance, like most people were, when it came to her. So, she spoke to him through her discomfort. Because she knew she had to allow herself the opportunity to get to know new people.
"Because, we tend to associate self worth to our hygiene and surface impressions."
"Meaning?"
"We become what we want to be perceived as. We buy make up, perfume, lotions, shampoos, conditioners and soaps, that make us look pretty and smell good. This way we leave a lasting, and desirable impressions on others." Damon used to tell her that. And also, that a woman in her natural state was more kryptonite for a man than a woman concealed in product disguises.
"So, basically, you're trying to impress me?" He asked leaning his head further over her hers, and scooting the front of his body closer to the back of hers.
"No. I just take a lot of pride in my hair, and my body, and it is perceived that way. Because I want people to know, I care for myself."
"I just use a simple body wash and shampoo in one type of thing."
"A two-in-one? No way! Like Axe or something." Bonnie turned her body towards his as she busted up laughing. She didn't even realize how close they were to each other, in this moment in the midst of her laughter she opened her eyes, realizing his nose was almost touching hers.
"Kai, you-" she paused seeing the pores in his face due to their closeness. After a few seconds she backed up a few inches. After all they had no space to really move. "Your simple way of being is so endearing. How can you not have a girlfriend?"
He thought about her words and glanced over her head to the open sky, and frowned. "I just think, my job keeps me tied up, in too many ways to have and keep a girlfriend. My break ups have all been because of my job. And I tell women ahead of time not to get attached to me."
She stare in his eyes, and grinned. "It's hard for a girl not to... fall for such a charmer. But, thanks for the warning."
"Charmer? Maybe." When her eyes turned away from him as her face turned, he used his fingers to pull her chin back up to him. After all he was more than a foot taller than her. "Tell me... why did you feel the need to drink before you got on this balloon today? You afraid of heights?"
She shook her head no. It was because spending all of this one on one time with him the past month was starting to make her nervous. Her back side now faced the open sky, her chest faced him, and his arms were next to her body, one on each side, as he leaned into her face. "Kai, you're kind of close."
"Sorry." Bonnie turned away from him again.
"It's okay." She said, away from him facing the open sky.
He pushed his nose back into the back of her head smelling her hair. "Why do you have such a hard time, looking me face to face? I can feel your discomfort."
"I don't know. Maybe because... I'm such a disconnected and difficult woman."
"Disconnected? No. Not from me. Difficult? Not so far. Wounded? I think so. But, I'm not worried about that, because it doesn't scare me. I'm worried about, how I can make you feel at ease around me?" He turned her body towards his again, and looked her in the face and repeated himself. "You're a wounded little bird. And I just want to let you know that you can be yourself. I'm not judging you." His eyes were searching hers for approval as his lips moved towards hers. Bonnie closed her eyes, anticipating the arrival of his connection and didn't move, feeling the tension of the moment building up. Kai's lips touched hers, slowly. Bonnie's stomach twisted in knots, and her brain was confused. He pressed his lips into her. But as the connection advanced, the guide shot another pump of fire, and the loud noise ruffled them both out of the moment. Bonnie was stunned forcing the cease of her intent, making her react nervously. She turned away from him and looked back over the balloon's edge, trying to forget the moments occurrence.
The two of them were quiet for the rest of the ride. As if the discomfort of the moment wasn't stretched out enough, mechanical difficulties kept them in the air about twenty minutes longer.
...
As Damon left Lily's house, he and his brother went their separate ways. He glanced on his passenger seat at the box his mother gave him. Old photo albums, a birth certificate, some of her favorite baby clothes of his. Awards from grade school, and important documents, which he chose not to look at. He wondered what the documents were, but maybe he'd just wait until after she was no longer in the picture to see what they were. For now, he didn't want to read anything she'd given him. Then, there were other things he decided to take a later look at. He wanted no reminders of the times he loved her right now. He just wanted to remember how she left him, and set the tone for his life.
He and his mother didn't talk much today. He let her and Stefan do the reminiscing. He also let her talk about what she and Bonnie do when they spend time together. Bonnie was someone he wanted to block out of his mind. But somehow, hearing about her soothed him. And knowing her free time was still being spent with Lily, made him feel good. Maybe she still cared for Damon. Maybe, there was still a chance. But he didn't think too deeply about it. He just made himself believe, she was too busy to be dating, and he allowed his brain to settle on her. He had no idea the status of her divorce either. He just knew the sooner she got it, the better for her. While he was angry at her for walking away from him twice, he just wanted her to be rid of Kol for her own good.
He was drug out of his thoughts with a phone call from Oliver. "Salvatore."
"Hey, Sal. I was going over some things from last year. You remember how you had me put Bonnie Bennett's name as the legal power of attorney over your finances, and also the Executor over your Will?"
"Somehow, Kol Mikaelson managed to get ahold of this information."
"How? It's completely illegal. You should have my shit on lockdown Queen!"
"I know. Whoever the hacker is, that he used to get into Bonnie's software, he used to tap into the Firms software. And he went straight to any files with Bonnie's name on them."
"So what! It has nothing to do with their marriage."
"This is true-"
"But?"
"But... the exception is that he is still married to Bonnie. And it legally means, he's entitled to search information about her financial dealings and or business transactions she's had while using the name Mikaelson."
"I signed the documents in her maiden name."
"Yes, but the dates are concurrent to her name Mikaelson, since she's not legally divorced. And because he can obtain this information, it can be used against both of you in court."
"Take her name off everything then."
"I can't unless you physically come down here, and we redo all of the paperwork. So, if you have time, then you should do it."
"Fuck it. I'm done, caring about Kol. I don't typically handle my business with the law. I like to go and handle it myself."
"Sal... that's not wise. You read his lawsuit. He has pictures of his face after you kicked his ass. His dental reconstruction bills, and damages. He's opting for money, not throw you in prison. My people think they've found something on him, but I need more information about Bonnie's divorce."
"No. Leave her out of it."
"Sal, this asshole, wants to ruin your career! Ad your life!"
Damon felt like screaming. He wanted to yell and crash his car head on into a brick wall. First, an uncomfortable meeting with Lily. Now another hit from Kol, who was relentless. All because he loved a woman, who was with a man, that he treated. A woman, whom at that, won't even acknowledge his existence anymore, because he lied to her. "Fuck. Maybe I should just settle outside of court. Give him what he wants, and get the fuck out of this town and go back to New York." He sat quietly for a few seconds before finding himself irritated, and needing relief. "Oliver, give me a few days. I need to get out of town and clear my head."
"Damon, I can beat this guy in court."
"Right now, I don't want to think about it. I need to clear my head okay? I'll call you next week."
oOo Damon oOo
I hung up the phone and drove. I drove to the only place I felt like I could let go. My cabin. Me and Bonnie were supposed to spend two weeks here uninterrupted when her divorce was finalized. I think in that two weeks, I wanted to tell her everything. Anything she was willing to listen to about Kol, Andie, my studies, and maybe even Lily. And Lily back in my life, bringing back all of this... I refuse to go there. Because it's over, and I'm past it. Now, Kol, and Andie, are reaching for me to just give up on life. Have they succeeded? Oliver, wanting infor on Bonnie's divorce. Is he crazy? For once in my life, I do not know what I am doing. I can openly admit, I'm fucked. I'm so, fucked. And I have no plans to tell Bonnie what Kol is trying to do to me, because she has enough to worry about when it comes to her delusional husband. I can't bring myself to stress her more than I have. I need to spend the weekend alone, in my cabin, and for once, just think.
xXx
Days later, Bonnie was dealing with the offset of the moment she and Kai shared in the hot air balloon. When they managed to make it out of the balloon, they were able to muster up enough courage to talk to one another for the remainder of their day together. But the elephant in the room was always there, like a blemish on the face. They get caught staring at one another, for a while and one would pull out suddenly. It was a game they cautiously played.
As the evening whined down for Bonnie when she was home alone, she realized she had no skills with dating. If that's what they were doing she definitely didn't recognize it as that. What she recognized was he was someone she enjoyed spending time with.
Before she recognized it, Bonnie was lying in bed touching herself. She didn't remember starting, but she knows she was lost in thought about the close moment between she and Kai. Her brain replayed his lips and his eyes over and over in her head, the moments leading up to the almost kiss. He was comforting her gently and she loved how she felt in that moment. Like a delicate woman, in the presence of a regular guy. Not a rich spoiled, entitled man-child like Kol. Not a rich pretentious, controlling, abide by my rules dominant like Damon. No. Kai was a regular guy. He wore jeans and tennis shoes. T-shirts and baseball caps, when he didn't feel like doing his hair. He dressed casually, acted casually, and was easy going. Something about his smile made her feel butterflies inside.
And those butterflies tickled her to the point of touching herself. For about twenty minutes she tried. His face, his smile, his cologne... it all worked in his favor. But somehow nothing was happening. She was growing bitter towards the idea of sex, because not even masturbation worked anymore. And she could thank one man for that. Damon ruined her. He ruined her desire for anything sexual that didn't involve him.
Gradually she moved her hand from between her legs and lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She was a restless mess. Over a month without sex. She was aching on the inside. She was dying to be touched. But she wasn't ready for it. She knew her mind needed to adjust to life outside of having a dominant sexual partner. Because chances were the next guy, would be a regular sex kind of a guy. And her mind needed to conform to regularity again. Her brain was buzzing with memories, and her heart was buzzing with fear. And now, thinking about the one man, who turned her life upside down from the night he met her. "Something's gotta give." She said to herself lying in bed in the dark.
Her phone rang.
Maybe it was a sign.
She jumped up and saw caller unknown. She almost didn't answer it. But something told her to. Regardless of whether or not it was Kol. She answered it, and heard a distraught girl's voice on the other end. "Hello?"
"Ms. Bennett?"
"Davina?"
"Yes." Davina had called off work for personal reasons for two weeks. After those two weeks, Bonnie let her go indefinitely. She had to fire her. This is the first time they've spoken since she'd been fired.
"What's wrong?"
"We need to talk. But I can't over the phone. I'll be back in town in two weeks. It's really important. Can we designate a meeting time, because I won't be able to contact you again til then."
Bonnie looked worried and confused at her phone but couldn't say much about it. "Sure. We can meet at work. Just come in during business hours. Everything okay?"
"I don't think so. But, I can't talk about it now. I'll see you two weeks from today."
"Okay. Take care." Davina quickly hung up before saying anything else, and Bonnie was in utter befuddlement. Her mind was off of Damon again. And now onto the girl who was acting out of character for the past couple of months.
...
Davina walked back to the car. She'd told her boyfriend she had to go to the bathroom, so they pulled over at a gas station as they tried to leave town. When she called Bonnie from inside the single bathroom around the back of the building, she had to do it in secrecy. But her boyfriend knew it took her longer than normal to come out. So, as she walked out, he caught her on the side of the building by the arm.
"Hey, what the hell too so long?"
She was caught off guard. "Nothing, just feeling a little sick is all."
"Where's your phone?"
"In my purse. Kaleb, quit acting crazy." She tried pulling her arm from his grasp.
"We can't blow this okay. You're getting sloppy. Now, if we play our cards right, we can leave LA for good."
"I don't want to leave LA. I love my job. I don't want to be apart of this any more. Bonnie has been good to me. She's given me opportunities, I couldn't have gotten on my own, without a degree. She's written great letters of recommendation for me. Kaleb, I'm out. You and your sister keep trying to scam Kol, or whatever you're doing, but I'm done. I want no parts of hurting Bonnie." Davina walked in the opposite direction of his car, and he ran after her, yanking her backwards towards him. She tried to fight the situation until a stranger yelled out to her.
"Miss, are you okay?"
Before she could answer, Kaleb whispered in her ear. "Tell him yes, or I'm going to find your boss, and deal with it myself."
"You wouldn't. Bonnie's done nothing to you Kaleb."
"When it comes to my money, and business, no one will get in my way. Tell the man you're fine."
"Fine." She said begrudgingly, "I'm okay sir."
"You sure?"
"Smile." He whispered.
Davina smiled, yanking away from Kaleb. "Yes. Just a typical day of play fighting." She walked towards his car with no intentions of cooperating once inside. When she got in, she put her seat belt on and played the silent game. Hoping he'd forget about this in a couple days. Because she needed to figure out away to get away from him, but he was so deep in Kol's pockets all he could see was money.
"I'm doing this for us."
"You say that, but I keep hearing us and thinking you mean you and April. And no offense, but your sister, is going to be fine as soon as she has this baby. She doesn't need anything else. Kol will make sure she's has money."
"And how do you suppose, unless I keep securing this job, I have getting his wife's money?"
"Wait, you're taking money from Bonnie? How?"
"You helped by having her sign documents with very fine print."
"Why would you lie about those documents. You never told me, you were stealing from Bonnie. What were those documents for?"
"Don't worry about it doll. Just be pretty. Leave the thinking to me." He pulled off fast in his, Mustang GT, and slivered through traffic, like the snake that he was, turning his music up so she would quit speaking to him.
She never knew how dangerous he was, and what he'd go through to get money, she was beginning to realize he and his sister April, were nothing but professional scammers.
So, we see Bonnie trying to understand herself more, and Kai has this laid back approach with her that she is not used to. He's just accepting of her, and it draws her to him. But... her mind reverts back to Damon a lot, because he's set a tone she became accustomed to. But as I've said Kai is important to the story, and his and Bonnie's story will go through some personal moments and it will just be a platform for Bonnie. As Kat plans her wedding, Bonnie and Kai become closer, because Kat is going to be really preoccupied.
Damon, is not quite dealing with his issues still, but, his chapter showed a glimpse, into his past. I will show more flashbacks of his life so you can understand all the reasons why he resents Lily. Up to her leaving and and even, how his past shaped his lifestyle. But, his upbringing went through some horrific moments. And Lily was a pretty young mother in an arranged marriage to a power hungry, selfish and abusive man. And as you see in his adult life, Damon has no filter when dealing with Lily.
Davina is kind of a pawn in Kaleb and April's game. And Kol, and Kaleb are really playing each other. But he having Andie now, has more of a greed factor to him which makes him more dangerous. We'll see April again, I'm not sure when, but her relation to Kol is her ONLY relevance to this story. Lily will eventually let some things out, later.
*WARNING: More trigger moments are coming in future chapters of the story*
Thx for reading.