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Dear Diary,
So I think I'm in a little bit of trouble. Sure I never meant for it to happen and I mean for the most part it was all innocent but now I feel terrible. Derek is such a sweet guy and his daughter is adorable. When Claire and I went on the play date with them the two girls played very well together and I loved watching her interact with kids her own age. Yet what I first thought was an innocent get together as friends turned out meant a little more to him.
I feel like I somehow was leading him on to think I was available when really I was just dealing with a long distance relationship with Damon. We had so much fun that day at the park and I know the girls did too. I was hoping that this would be the start of a great friendship and someone I could talk to and who would understand how stressful it is raising a child at a young age especially with Damon away at school. It would have been nice to have a friend to talk to but now I don't see how that is going to work. He is obviously looking for something more and that I can't offer him.
I know I have to come clean to him and explain myself to him but at the same time when I do there is a good chance I'll lose a friends that truly understands the struggles I go through everyday and Claire also loses a friend. I just wish their was a way to go back and make sure Derek knew perfectly well the status of my relationship with Damon and I wouldn't be in the mess. I have been avoiding his calls for now as I try to figure out my next move.
For one thing I have to tell Damon what has happened and all I can think is that if he was a little jealous with Sage and Rose getting close to me I can only imagine what he might do to Derek. I just hope I don't end up on the 6 o'clock news.
Elena.
The flowers lay on the coffee table with the card sitting next to them opened with Derek's name written on the card with a note saying how much fun he had with her and Claire at the park the other day. The girls were gathered around the coffee table starring at the bouquet of flowers wondering what they should do. Elena was biting her nails as she eyed the flowers and then looked over at Caroline and Bonnie who both seemed unsure what should be done about the not so innocent play date for the kids.
"So what have you done?" Bonnie asked, "Have you talk to him?"
Elena licked her lips and shook her head. "I said thank you but I've been avoiding him and all his calls" Elena told them as she set her phone down on the table that showed she had a few text messages from Derek that she hadn't responded to.
"What about Damon? Have you told him about Derek?" Caroline asked knowing that this new development wouldn't sit well with him.
"Over the phone, no" Elena replied as she just imagined the argument that would start over it. No this was something that should be done face to face so that she could assure him that it meant nothing to her and that it was a miss understanding between the two. "I'll talk to him tonight when he get home."
"Well good luck with that" Bonnie stated, "pissed off Damon is not a fun side of him."
"I didn't realize you thought Damon had a fun side," Caroline teased knowing Bonnie's thoughts of Damon were never positive.
"Well he doesn't but its not pretty none the least" Bonnie clarified and Elena just rolled her eyes as she knelt down on the ground in front of the coffee table looking very troubled.
"So what should I do? I can't keep ignoring Derek forever I mean he is already wondering why it is taking me so long to respond and will start to realize I'm ignoring him" Elena told them.
"You have to tell him the truth," Bonnie stated.
"He's going to think I've been leading him on, I mean his last girlfriend; mother of his child left him and his daughter and broke his heart, I don't want to do that to him" Elena told them. She knew she had to come clean but wasn't sure she could face him and tell him that he got the wrong idea about them.
"Maybe you don't have to see him," Caroline suggested and both Elena and Bonnie gave their friend a look of curiosity.
"What just completely ignore him until he leaves me alone?" Elena asked not liking the idea. Sure she wasn't going to return his feelings but acting like she wasn't getting his texts and phone calls was cruel.
"No of course not, but maybe you just send him flowers back," Caroline suggested as she shrugged her shoulders.
"With what? An its not you it's me note with the flowers?" Bonnie scoffed.
"Maybe not as cliché" Caroline told them as she rolled her eyes. "Something about him being a really great friend" she explained as she knelt down beside Elena who was thinking it over but knew that it probably wasn't such a good idea to go that route. "I'm just saying you're going to be having a long and not so fun talk with Damon why put yourself through another one."
"You can't be serious Caroline, she has to talk to this guy and let him know the situation" Bonnie cut in. "You need to tell him the truth face to face"
"You don't even like Damon, if you had it your way she would be breaking up with Damon" Caroline spat out.
"Yes I don't like Damon and I don't see how this Derek guy has to get hurt without out knowing all the facts. He needs to know Damon is still in the picture right now"
"What do you mean right now?" Elena asked as she eyed her friend with narrow eyes.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that" Bonnie stated.
"Of course not," Elena snapped back not believing that Bonnie meant she was sorry. Bonnie made it no secret she didn't like Damon so why would she start now.
"Look I don't like Damon and no I don't think he is good enough for you but I know I can't talk you out of it" Bonnie told her.
"Right you can't talk me out of it because you don't know Damon at all" Elena snapped at her friend.
Bonnie glared at Elena as she saw her friend getting all up set when she was just trying to help and ensure her friend didn't get hurt. She only had Elena's best interest at heart when she warned her about Damon and didn't like when they ended up making her look like the bad guy. "Look I don't need to take this" Bonnie snapped in anger as she moved to grab her stuff. "I have to meet Connor anyway"
Caroline looked at Bonnie a little concerned because over the last few weeks they had notice and drastic change in Bonnie. She was so much thinner and she looked as if she was sick and tired all the time. The stress of pleasing Connor was also weighing heavily on her and it was now to the point that her friends were really starting to worry about her. "Look Bonnie is everything okay with Connor?"
"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked hesitantly as she pulled on her coat and fixed her hair.
"We're just worried about you" Caroline told her as she moved closer to her friend.
"We're worried he is pushing you too hard and maybe isn't the type of person you should be relying on to much" Elena told her as she stood up and followed Bonnie to the front door.
Bonnie gave a laugh and shook her head as she turned back to look at Elena. Of all people she didn't see how Elena thought she could judge her on the people she hung around. "Honestly Elena you think I'm taking advice from someone that is in a relationship with Damon Salvatore after I've told you how wrong he is for you over and over again?"
Elena was shocked by Bonnie's outburst and found herself just stepping back and bowing her head. She knew Bonnie never like Damon but is still bothered her how she was always so vocal about her hate for him no matter how good he was to her and Claire. She wasn't sure what was getting into her friend and what kind of influence Connor had on her but Bonnie was becoming a totally different person. Without giving either Elena or Caroline time to respond she was out the door and leaving the two speechless and worried about what Connor was doing to their friend.
Bonnie stormed into her house and through her purse and school bag down on the ground in anger. Slamming the door behind her, she looked around the empty house because her mom was still at work. Pressing her lips together she pulled out her phone and texted Connor to let him know she was home so that he could come over and go over a few things with her. After pressing send she set her phone down on the kitchen table and then moved to the fridge to get something to drink.
Her anger from earlier still hadn't softened as se moved around the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She didn't like how Caroline and even Elena were judging her decision to work with Connor. He was helping her reach her dream of becoming a model and if it weren't for him she wouldn't have gotten the few gigs that she had. Finishing the water she set the empty glass in the sink and then moved back into the hallway to get her school bag. Unzipping it she moved her math textbook out of the way so that she could get the brown paper bag that held her lunch. Bringing it back into the kitchen she emptied the contents onto the kitchen table revealing her uneaten sandwich, juice box, apple, and a few other snacks. Like everyday she didn't eat lunch just said she ate a snack or two before her classes, which of course was a lie. Still needing to look as if she was eating, Bonnie grabbed the sandwich and snack and tossed them in the garbage so that her mom wouldn't get suspicious. As hungry as she was this was a means to the end and she would soon be having her audition for the job in Atlanta and still had a few pounds to lose. While both Caroline and Bonnie were getting very suspicious of her odd behavior, she did her best to blow then off and change the subject.
Hearing the knock on the front door, Bonnie quickly skips down the hallway to get it and had a big smile on her face when she saw Connor standing there. He too had a big smile on his face and was holding up a white envelope. "I've got good news!" he told her and Bonnie smiled as she let him into the house before closing and then locking the door behind them.
"Well I am in need of some good news because my day hasn't been that great," she told him sadly as they entered the living room and took tier seats on the couch.
"School that bad huh?" Connor asked.
Bonnie rolled her eyes as she flipped her hair back and shook her head, "School not so much but my unsupported friends are being annoying" she told him and Connor gave a knowing nod because this wasn't the first time she had complained about how Caroline and Elena were taking her modeling career.
"Don't let them get to you" Connor told her; "You don't need them because one of these days you will be unstoppable Bonnie Bennett" he told her and was rewarded with a smile.
"I just wish they could see how helpful you are to me," Bonnie said with a sigh. "They judge me and my trust for you and yet Elena seems oblivious to the fact she is dating Mystic Falls number one womanizer who is probably cheating on her while away at school. I'm not sure why she doesn't mind her own business if she doesn't want to take my warnings about Damon."
"She's jealous; they both are" Connor told her as he reached out and held her hand gently and was stroking her skin with his thumb. "One of these days you will be known as one of the most beautiful women, what will they have? A teenage pregnancy and party planner, trust me Bonnie when I say that one of theses days you will be in a class all of your own where no one can touch you. As long as you listen to everything I say and follow the diet I put you on you will be successful."
Bonnie gave a smile and bit her bottom lip as she thought about her future and the places Connor would be able to show her and make her a star. "It seems like such a dream right now" she told him.
"But one day you will have it all" he whispered as he hand slowly moved from her hand to her face and brushed back her hair. "You are a beautiful woman Bonnie, I am going to show you to the world and get you everything you deserve" he told her and his voice was husky and so close to hers.
"I want that" she whispered back as her heart was beating faster and faster. Her eyes looked down at Connors lips as he smiled at her and inched closer and closer to her. He wasn't sure if it was him or her but somehow their lips touched and Bonnie felt firework throughout her body. The kiss deepened as Connor moved closer to her and started to run his hands down her already very thin body.
Cupping his face, their tongues danced as Connor slowly climbed on top of her as she lay back on the couch. He quickly tossed away the throw pillows before he moved to put his hands under Bonnie's shirt. One by one their clothes fell to the ground in the living room as Connor promised her the world and told her that because of him all her modeling dreams would come true.
With Claire on her hip, Elena descended down the stairs after she got Claire up from her nap. Checking her phone she let out a shaky breath because any minute now Damon would be walking through the front door and she was going to have to tell him about Derek and the little miscommunication. Reaching the bottom step Elena made her way into the living room, which had been turned into a wedding planning room with all the books, magazines, and photos. Jenna was trying to go over the centerpieces including the ones that Caroline was recommending. There on the coffee table were the flowers from Derek and Elena wondered if it was better to get rid of them or not before Damon arrived.
"How's the planning going?" Elena asked as she set Claire down on the floor so that she waddle on over to her toys to play.
"Lets just say I plan to only do this once" Jenna joked as she had narrowed it down to ten displays, which was still pretty bad.
Elena gave a nervous laugh as she was still a bit sidetracked with her own problems as her eyes stared at the bouquet of flowers from Derek and then looking down at her phone and the time. He was going to be here soon and she was still unsure how this was going to be explained.
"Elena, it will be fine" Jenna told her niece as she saw how worried she looked. "You did nothing wrong, it was an innocent play date that you later realized was a date kind of thing. Nothing happened"
"I know, I know but I don't know if Damon will see it that way," Elena told her as she bit her bottom lip just as the doorbell rang. Hearing the sound of the doorbell, Elena's eyes went wide as she realized that her time had come to come clean. Rubbing her hands on her jeans she slowly turned on her heels and made her way to the door to prepare to meet her fate. Reaching for the doorknob Elena took a deep breath before turning the handle and pulling it open. She was a little surprised and a little relieved when it wasn't Damon but her heart was beating faster when she saw it was a deliveryman carrying a bouquet of flowers. As she said hello she was afraid Derek had sent another bouquet of flowers to her and Damon was only minutes away. As he handed them over the deliveryman gave her a smile before he turned and left. Elena shut the door behind her and as she came into the room Jenna took notice of the flowers.
"Oh honey you are in trouble" Jenna said trying hard not to laugh.
Elena bit her bottom lip and then stared down at the flowers and then at the card. A she started to read it she slowly started to relax and rolled her eyes. "They're from Caroline" Elena stated as she set them on the table behind the couch.
"And why is Caroline sending you flowers" Jenna asked as she tried to hold in her laughter.
Elena was shaking her head as she pulled out the card Caroline had written for her. "There for me to send to Derek, it reads The time we spent together has been great, but nothing more can happen I'm sorry it's not you its me I need to focus on my daughter" Elena read before putting the note back on in the bouquet of flowers. "She suggested this earlier as a way to explain things to Derek so I don't have to meet him face to face."
"How thoughtful, she even signed it for you" Jenna said as she came closer to the flowers to get a better look at them. Elena was laughing and shaking her head at the flowers just as there was a knock on the door and a second later Damon opened it up and walked in.
Elena eyes widen at the shock of seeing him but quickly closed the gap between them to give him a hug and kiss. "Hey, welcome home!" she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
"DADDY!" Claire squealed as she dropped her toys and came stumbling over to her dad and grabbed hold of his legs tightly in a hug. Elena giggled and backed away a little so that Damon could kneel down and pick up their daughter and give her a proper hug.
"We missed you," Elena said as she leaned in for another kiss.
Damon smiled and then pressed a kiss to Elena's forehead and whispered, "I missed you too" and he then wrapped and his free arm around her. "So what have you two been up to?" he asked and then when Elena went quiet he looked over at Jenna who was slowly backing away.
"Claire, honey lets go get a snack," Jenna said as she took Claire from Damon and carried the little girl into the kitchen so that Elena and Damon could have some privacy.
"Uh oh silent awkward looks, this can't be good" Damon teased and it was then he noticed the bouquet of flowers. With a smile he stepped closer to the bouquet and let out a chuckle. "Oh and what did Alaric do now that he had to buy Jenna flowers" he asked as he picked out the card from the bouquet and started to read it and his smile faded. "There not from Alaric, they are from you…" he stated and Elena started to ramble trying to find the right words to explain. "The time we spent together has been great, but nothing more can happen I'm sorry it's not you its me I need to focus on my daughter, Elena" Damon read and seemed to be very confused by the card and looked at his girlfriend. "Gee Elena I would think that after having a baby and being together for two years I would get more then a its not you it me excuse" he told her.
Elena bit her bottom lip and brushed back her hair. "There aren't for you" Elena explained.
Damon gave a nod as he set the card down, "Well that's good because after everything I'd hope I'd get more then a bouquet of flowers and a note that was signed by Caroline I take it" he said as he looked Elena straight in the eye. "Yet this still seems quite interesting to me and needs some explaining" he told her as he crossed his arms.
Elena nodded her head and then looked around the room and then reached out for Damon's hand, "Not here though" she told him and then taking his hand she lead him up stairs to her bedroom so that they would have complete privacy.
"Just so you know, you can't trick me into forgetting this by seducing me" Damon teased as he took a seat on Elena's bed while she shut the door and paced back and forth in front of him. He eyed her closely wondering what was going through her head, as she seemed to think he was going to be really upset by it.
"Okay first, you know I love you" Elena said as she took a seat next to him and interlinked her fingers with his.
"You still have my interest, what the hell did you do?" he asked her. "Am I going to have to lie in front of the supreme court of something?" he teased.
Elena let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious here Damon" Elena told him.
"Alright, sorry" he told her as he leaned in to kiss her forehead, "You love me, I love you blah, blah, blah what is going on?"
Biting her bottom lip and then looking up at Damon, Elena knew that it was now or never. "Okay you know how I've been meeting with other teen parents to kind of get their perspective" Elena said and Damon gave a nod. "Well you see I planned a play date outside of the meeting with one of the single dads, his daughter and Claire get along pretty well together."
"You went on a play date with a guy? Why does this story sound so familiar?" Damon asked her as he was trying to wrap is mind around it.
"Look everyone kept telling me it was a date but I told them it wasn't, Stefan asked you hypothetically what you would think of it but I was so sure it was just two parents, kind of in the same boat and becoming friends. Yet turns out everyone was right and it was little less play and little more date," she told him a little nervous of how he was going to react.
"So you went on a date with him?"
"Claire and his daughter were with us, it wasn't until after the play date I realized he saw it as something more" Elena told him as she got up from the bed and was not standing in front of Damon while he took everything in. He remained silent and although she was happy he wasn't yelling she was still a little worried that he didn't say anything. "Damon, come on say something" Elena begged him.
"I don't know what to say… I go away to school and my girlfriend's playing the field of new and fresh teenage dads," he said and when he saw Elena start to freak out he just started laughing.
"This isn't funny Damon" Elena complained as she slapped him on the arm.
"I'm sorry but it kind of is, and it's cute how naive you are," he to told her as he touched her chin.
"So your not mad?" Elena asked as she took a seat next to him and intertwined their fingers on Damon's lap while her eyes looked deep into his full of apology.
"No I'm not mad, Elena you don't have a conniving, cheating bone in your body, you didn't do anything wrong" he told her with a smile and then leaned in to give her a kiss to let her know it was all right. "But that still doesn't explain the flowers" he told her after he pulled back from the kiss.
"Oh well he sent me flowers and then Caroline suggested I send flowers back to tell him we could just be friends. She was trying to be helpful and bought them for me to send to him" Elena told him and watched as Damon nodded his head.
"So you have Caroline doing the breaking up for you? Does that girl ever try not to plan something?" Damon teased as he shook his head.
"She wanted to help" Elena defended with a laugh but she had to admit her method was pretty ridiculous. With a smile Damon leaned in for another kiss and cupped her face and deepened it with passion. Elena was so thrilled that everything turned out okay and that Damon didn't go on an angry rampage.
"So who is this guy anyway?" Damon asked when he pulled back from the kiss and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"His name is Derek, why?" Elena asked as she looked at her boyfriend curiously.
"Oh just so I kill the right guy for taking my girlfriend out on a date" Damon told her with a straight face as he got off the bed as if he was heading out to deal with him right this very second.
"DAMON NO!" Elena cried as she grabbed Damon's arm and pulled him back. He didn't fight her, he only laughed and pounced on top of her as she lay back on her bed and let him pull her in for a kiss.
"You are so cute when you are naïve" he told her with a smirk.
Elena shook her and rolled her eyes at him, "Shut up" she told him and then pulled him back down for another hot kiss.
At the bottom of the stairs Jenna was listening trying to hear if there was any yelling coming from up stairs because she was sure Damon would lose it. Biting her bottom lip Jenna looked at her watch and wondered if Elena had even told him yet. As she waited there Alaric came walking out of the kitchen carrying Claire who had chocolate all over her face thanks to Alaric's chocolate chip cookie snack idea.
When Jenna saw Ric coming towards her with Claire in his arms she let out a sigh. "Well there doesn't seem to be any yelling" Jenna told him.
"Well what did I tell you, he wasn't going to go on an angry rampage and tear the town apart until he found the guy" Ric said with a laugh. "You got to give the guy a little more credit then that," he told her as he bounced Claire up and down.
"Well I hope your right" Jenna said with a smiled and then skipped over to the two and started tickling Claire's tummy to get her to let out shrieks of laughter.
Back up stairs Elena was straddling Damon's waist, while she told him about her week and he about his. His hands her moving up and down her jean covered thighs and every so often he would lean up for a kiss which she was happy to oblige with. "So what time do you work tonight?" Damon asked her.
"5:30-8:30" she told him with a sigh. "Sorry I couldn't get rid of the shift" she added.
"No it's fine, it will give Claire and I some time alone together" he explained with a smile. "But do I get to see you in your sexy uniform first?" he asked with smirk.
Elena shook her head as she removed herself from his lap and moved to get off the bed. "No because you'll just find ways to make it seem hot and dirty and I won't be able to wear it without thinking about what your dirty mind thinks" Elena replied as she headed to the bathroom and leaving him lying on her bed to pout.
"You can't hide it forever, maybe I'll just come for dinner," Damon suggested and Elena warned him he better not. Letting out a chuckle Damon laid on the bed with a smile when he suddenly heard the sound of a buzzing cell phone. Looking around he noticed Elena's phone sitting on the nightstand and moved to pick it up. "Someone is texting you" Damon called out as he held the phone in his hand.
"It's probably Caroline asking if I got her flowers," Elena yelled back to him while she was fixing her hair in the bathroom.
Damon then opened up the text message and saw that is wasn't from Caroline at all but from someone named Derek. Putting two and two together he realized this is the guy who took Elena out for a play date. "Actually its from your new boyfriend" Damon stated as he lay on his back while still holding the phone and reading the message about Derek wanting to see Elena again.
"Boyfriend? Oh just ignore it… I've been avoiding him until I can figure out how to tell him he's got the wrong idea," Elena said as she slowly came back into the room while brushing her head and saw Damon typing on her phone.
"Well that seems kind of rude of you," he said with a smile.
"What are you doing?" Elena asked as she set the brush down on her dresser and slowly moved towards Damon on the bed.
"I'm setting up another date so we can all meet" Damon told her and watched as Elena's eyes went wide.
"No Damon don't do that" she begged and then reached for her phone but Damon pulled it away from her. "DAMON COME ON!" She yelled and then jumped on top of him trying to retrieve her phone from him but he kept it out of her reach. They rolled back and forth on the bed and with a laugh Damon refused to hand it over and then he pressed send.
"Oh too late" he said with a smirk while Elena's eyes widened at how horrible this was going to be. Before she could say anything her phone started to vibrate again with Derek's reply to Damon question of meeting next weekend. "Well he is an eager fellow," Damon said while Elena was still shocked that Damon had done that.
Shaking her head and swatting him on the arm Elena got up from the bed with a grunt. "YOU'RE AN ASS!" She yelled at him and then stormed out of the room while Damon remained on the bed laughing and very pleased with himself.
"LOVE YOU TOO!" he called out to her as he set her phone down and couldn't help but think how fun next weekend was going to be messing with this Derek guy.
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