Chapter Five
"How'd you get in?" Damon asked, standing up from the bed only to have Elena follow.
"The door was unlocked and I just thought I'd surprise my older brother," Stefan started, grinning, "but then again, I didn't expect his girlfriend to be here."
Stefan's eyes met a flushed brunette and his jaw clenched, his body going suddenly tense. They're together? Stefan thought to him-self, sudden bottled up anger leering at his gut. After everything that had happened, they still managed to continue on with their relationship?
"Hi Stefan," Elena began hesitantly, smiling slightly at the sight of the blonde man that she hadn't seen since college.
"I'm sorry," Stefan started, still leaning against the door frame, "I didn't catch your name."
Damon rolled his eyes at his brother he hadn't seen for years.
Elena's smile faltered at the tense blonde man, sudden guilt tearing at her stomach.
"Stop being such an ass," Damon muttered before walking towards his younger brother while tiredly rubbing at his eyes.
Stefan chuckled, but they all knew he didn't mean it. "Well I kind of am an ass now," Stefan started, watching his brother walk closer to him, "I'm not exactly the broody old saint I was in college."
Damon grinned before putting his hand on his younger brother's shoulder. After everything, Damon was just glad to see the face of the man that he used to be the closest to when they were younger. He was his brother and Damon had missed him. He'd never admit it but Damon had missed Stefan.
"Well it's nice to have you back," Damon stated lazily, squeezing at his younger brother's shoulder only to have Stefan's brows arch.
Stefan swallowed hard, his gaze bouncing off the brunette whose eyes glued to him and to his brother and his hand on his shoulder. He suddenly felt highly uncomfortable.
He hadn't seen or spoken to either of them since his last day of college before he had moved away. He had moved away for his last year of college when he had found out about his older brother and his girlfriend going behind his back. Nothing was resolved. Nothing was resolved.
Shrugging awkwardly away from Damon's grip on his shoulder, Stefan avoided the sudden tense exterior of his older brother before clearing at his throat.
"Yeah…"
"Stefan—"
"I only came down here because Matt invited me to dinner tonight and I didn't want my sudden appearance to surprise the both of you at his place," Stefan stated sternly.
"That's considerate of you…?"
Stefan's jaw clenched at the grin on his older brother's face.
"Yeah, I'd say it is," Stefan started, "Plus, Caroline's back in town and I can't wait to see how that runs over."
Damon's grin faltered immediately causing Stefan to smile.
"I'm going to show myself out," Stefan stated with pure boredom before pushing off of the door frame and starting to walk away from the familiar room in the boarding house.
Damon sighed before turning around to face Elena that stood awestruck before him.
"He hates us," she mumbled out, sitting onto the bed behind her again.
Damon's lips pursed at that.
He hates me.
-x-
"Okay, what about this one?" Matt asked, placing another drink in front of Caroline.
Caroline frowned, a soft giggle escaping her when Matt seemed to simply urge her again. Glancing over at all the drinks the familiar blonde man had made her, Caroline sighed in defeat before picking up the new drink and taking a sip out of it.
Hand finding her mouth, Caroline tried not letting the fact that she hated it show . Eyes scrunching closed; Caroline swallowed the drink without gagging.
"And final judgement…?"
Caroline's lips pursed when trying her best in not laughing in her friend's face. Twirling a bit on the bar stool, Caroline grinned at Matt's anticipated form.
"That was terrible Matt," Caroline blurted out, laughing when Matt frowned instantly before moving the drink to the side along with the other four.
"I'm going to try my next one," he muttered before starting to mix up more of his drinks from behind the counter.
Caroline groaned before sitting her head on her hands that lay on the counter.
"Matt, you're going to get me drunk and it's only the afternoon!"
Caroline grinned when Matt shushed her.
"You still up for dinner tonight right?" Matt asked casually before shaking up the new drink.
Caroline sighed before nodding at the man. She was so was ready to face whoever.
She was ready.
"You don't mind if Damon and Elena come…?"
Caroline's brows arched high, her mouth gaping open.
"Y-Yeah," she started, hesitantly, "Why would I mind?"
Why would he ask that?
Matt shrugged.
"I don't know, something just seemed off about you and Damon yesterday and I didn't—"
"No," Caroline started, interrupting Matt causing his eyes to narrow, "I mean, Damon and I are fine."
Matt laughed at the flustered blonde before deciding on not questioning her further on the subject. Sighing Matt poured the new drink into a new glass before placing a straw into it.
Grinning, he placed it before her, "I was thinking of placing this as one of our specials."
Caroline's brows knitted together before eyeing the new drink before her. Mentally preparing herself, Caroline took hold of the drink.
Sipping from it, Caroline's eyes widened.
Oh god, this is terrible—this is the worst one I've had so far! He can't give this to other people! This is terrible.
Caroline's eyes met his deep blue ones and Caroline sighed internally. How can I say no to that face?
"It's delicious!" Caroline beamed before taking a sip out of the drink again. She grinned when she didn't gag this time. She took another sip and another for emphasis.
Matt grinned in triumph before cleaning up the mess he made.
Caroline sighed when realizing he was finally going to stop with preparing any more drinks, she grinned herself.
"I've got a new drink on the special then."
Caroline laughed at Matt's cheery expression.
"Why is it so dead here?"
Caroline and Matt's attention was brought to the new voice that spoke from the entrance of the Grill. Matt laughed at the man he had seen earlier this morning all while Caroline's eyes widened.
"Stefan!" she beamed before running over to her best friend.
Stefan laughed before making his way into the empty Grill. Waving at Matt, Stefan put his attention on the blonde who was running towards him and he grinned before pulling her into a hug.
"Caroline!" Stefan beamed softly at her shoulder.
"You actually came?" Caroline asked at his shoulder before pulling away from the one person she had kept in touch with ever since college.
Stefan pulled away from the blonde before smiling down at her. Nodding, Stefan walked closer to the bar where Matt still stood causing Caroline to follow him.
"You asked me to, so I did," Stefan stated before slumping onto a bar stool and glancing at Caroline who took her previous spot.
"Where are you staying?" Caroline asked curiously.
"A hotel," Stefan blurted out, shrugging casually. Glaring at Caroline when she was about to protest and probably suggest moving in with her, Stefan grinned when she sighed in defeat before nodding at him.
Sighing, Caroline accidentally sipped through the previous drink again. Chocking on it a bit, Caroline glanced over at Matt whose brows furrowed at her sudden expression and Caroline grinned up at him.
"You lied!"
"I'm sorry," Caroline started before pushing the drink a little bit away from her, "I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
Matt sighed before starting to work behind the counter again. "To bad, now you're not leaving until I've got the perfect drink."
Caroline rolled her eyes at the frustrated blonde before looking back at Stefan who was clearly amused. Sighing, Caroline pasted him one of the drinks to try.
Stefan's lips puckered in disgust, "Matt that's disgusting."
Matt glared up at Stefan and the Salvatore simply laughed.
"Please don't tell me you're cooking tonight," Stefan said, laughing louder when Matt shot him the dirtiest look.
Caroline smiled warmly at that. "You're coming to dinner tonight?" she asked, suddenly hopeful that she wasn't going to be the only one stuck in a room with people she had shut out for years and years.
Stefan nodded at the blonde. He knew she was probably freaking out about Damon and Elena being at the dinner and he just wanted to be there for his best friend.
After what had happened in college, Caroline and Stefan had both ran and never looked back. But about a year in, Stefan and Caroline had started to talk again; he was finishing his last year of college while she became engaged to Tyler. Stefan was there for Caroline when she and Tyler had gotten married and when Chloe had come into the world. He was there for her when Tyler had passed away and the only reason he was here in Mystic Falls again was because his best friend needed him here.
"Where's your twin?" Stefan asked, brows knitting slightly together.
Caroline smiled, "Chloe's at school."
Stefan nodded before putting his attention on the man before him. He watched as Matt grinned before placing a drink in front of both Caroline and Stefan.
Caroline sighed before taking a sip from hers.
Stefan grinned before taking a sip from his.
Caroline shook her head hastily before grabbing a napkin that lay beside her on the counter. Spitting the drink into the napkin, Caroline shook her head again. "Nope—definitely not," she said before shaking her head again.
Stefan swallowed it; his expression was blank before looking up at a pouting blonde man. "This tastes like a wasteland," Stefan started, laughing when Matt deadpanned, "How'd you get this job?"
Matt rolled his eyes before taking the glasses away from the dramatic blonde's before him.
"You know what?" Matt asked, defeated, "Now both of you aren't going to move until we find the perfect drink."
Stefan grinned.
Caroline groaned in frustration.
Chloe ran a finger through her dirty blonde hair, her blonde locks passing her bare shoulders when playing onto her cream dress that her mother had surprised her with after school.
Eyes glancing down at the converse that she still had on, Chloe looked down at the dress again before glancing over at her mother. She smiled at the sight of her mother's red dress. It was a strapless and fitted in all the right places. "You look hot mom," Chloe complemented before ringing at the door bell of the unfamiliar house.
"You think so?"
"I know so," Chloe stated, grinning at her mother's nervous form.
Caroline played a hand through her blonde hair before fidgeting a bit in front of the door. She watched Chloe ring at it again and her palms started to sweat.
"Maybe we shouldn't have done this," Caroline started, her voice rambling on and on in nervousness.
Chloe rolled her eyes before clasping her hand with her mother's causing Caroline to look down at her. She smiled warmly at her mother before putting her attention back on the door before her. She watched the door knob turn and she smiled at the blonde man on the other side.
"Hi Uncle Matt," Chloe started, watching as he looked between the two.
Matt smiled at the blonde girl. Wow, got to get used to that…
"Hi Chloe," Matt said before hugging the girl. Looking over at Caroline, he smiled when she grinned at him. Hugging her as well, Matt greeted the both of them before making room for them to enter.
Caroline and Chloe thanked a formally dressed Matt when he took hold of their coats and hung them on the coat hanger next to the door.
Caroline's eyes viewed the coats of the guests that were probably already here. She had no idea which belonged to who apart from one that belonged to her best friend. She sighed in relief at the sight of Stefan's jacket before following Matt towards the living room where everyone was gathered.
It took a long moment for Caroline to process exactly who was here.
Her eyes viewed the living room, the couches and the fire place that was currently lighted. Her eyes viewed the blonde man leaning in the corner and relief simply stroked more of her body.
Stefan beamed at the sight of the two make their way into the living room and Caroline smiled when Chloe's eyes widened at the sight of her Uncle. She watched as Chloe ran towards Stefan who was not leaning on the wall behind him any longer. She watched her daughter practically jump in her familiar Uncle's arms causing both to chuckle.
Caroline smiled before looking over at the rest of the confused faces in the room. Her eyes met Jeremy Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. Caroline's eyes widened at the sight of her high school friend that was now obviously pregnant.
Caroline felt at ease when the brunette smiled in her direction along with her husband Jeremy, who seemed to simply grin in her direction from the couch.
Caroline's smile faltered at the sight of Elena and Damon on the opposite couch. Her eyes met her oldest friend's and she watched as she smiled in her direction. Caroline sighed before forcing herself to smile lightly in the brunette's direction.
She tore her eyes away and to Damon Salvatore.
His eyes were confused when glancing over at Stefan and Chloe who seemed to be deep in conversation. She watched as he finally looked over at her and something turned in her stomach.
She couldn't do this.
I can't do this.
Tearing her eyes away from him, Caroline looked over at Matt that stood next to her now, his smile still present when looking over everyone in the room.
"Alright," he started, "now that everyone's here, dinner?"
Caroline swallowed hard. Something didn't feel right…
She knew the night wasn't going to end well.
-x-
Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the dining table. Her eyes looked over at Chloe who sat beside her before looking over to Stefan who sat across from her. She didn't know if it was because she was on the edge of the long table, but she felt uneasy.
Looking over at Matt that sat in the single chair, he gazed over everyone that sat quietly at the table. The only ones that seemed to be making noise were Bonnie and Jeremy who laughed along with Stefan over how Matt's cooking was the complete best when it came to having dinner parties.
Bonnie sat next to Chloe; Jeremy sat across from Matt on the single chair while Damon sat next to Elena who shifted awkwardly when knowing she was sitting next to Stefan.
Chloe nudged Caroline when asking for the mashed potatoes. Smiling forcefully, Caroline nodded before doing what she was asked by her daughter. Awkwardly looking down at her plate, Caroline fiddled with the fork and the food before slowly starting to eat it as well.
Everyone did it. Everyone ate in silence for a while until an oblivious Bonnie spoke up, "Caroline, so you're back for good?"
Caroline struggled with that question before nodding; smiling at the brunette she thought she'd never see again after high school. "Yeah," Caroline started, causing Matt's brows to furrow, "we were going to stay with my mother since Chloe has started school already."
Bonnie nodded, grinning before looking over at Chloe. "I think it's great you had a daughter," Bonnie started, "now you can give me some pointers on the whole pregnancy ordeal."
Caroline smiled at the brunette before looking down at her big baby bump. She was expecting and Caroline was happy for her childhood friend. She was happy for Bonnie and Jeremy.
"So is Tyler going to be flying in soon?" Matt asked before taking a spoonful of peas into his mouth.
Caroline froze at that. How was she supposed to tell him that his best friend had died sixteen years ago from cancer? How was she supposed to face Matt with the information that he had the right to know sixteen years ago? He was supposed to be there for Tyler but instead they simply hid from Mystic Falls and the people in it.
Chloe responded for her mother when nodding at her newly introduced Uncle.
She barely knew the people at this table. She barely knew anyone apart from her mother and Stefan. She knew no one and she didn't exactly blame her mother for not wanting to tell her childhood friends about her father's death.
She didn't blame her mother.
Elena's eyes narrowed at that. Caroline and Tyler…?
Glancing over at Damon that sat beside her, Elena's brows furrowed at his tense exterior. His eyes never left the blonde that sat on the other end of the table.
"Are you sure about that?" Damon suddenly asked his voice cold and challenging, "I mean, your mother doesn't seem quite sure."
Chloe looked over at Damon. Her brows furrowed at the sight of his blank expression.
Caroline looked over at Damon, her eyes meeting his. Her jaw clenched at the sight of him.
Stefan's lips pursed at the tense vibe raging off of the people around the table. He felt bad for the three oblivious characters that stared at everyone else at the table.
"Damon cut it out," Stefan sang out in boredom, pinching at the tip of his nose when Elena seemed to look his way.
Damon's one brow arched at that.
Elena's eyes found Matt, Jeremy and Bonnie that simply watched with confusion.
Taking hold of Damon's hand that lay on the table, Elena tried her best in easing the worked up man beside her.
"What's up with you guys?" Matt asked, sensing the tenseness that he had observed from the previous day.
Stefan grinned at the clueless Matt. "It's been 18 years and you haven't told your best friend Damon?" Stefan asked before looking over at Damon who simply glared at him.
"Stefan," Caroline warned quietly before looking over at Chloe who was starting to get just as curious and confused over everything.
"What happened 18 years ago?" Bonnie asked the question that was eating at most of the people that sat at the dining table.
Everyone had seemed to stop eating when simply looking around and at each other.
Stefan and Damon were giving each other cold stares while Elena sat in the middle of the two, completely uncomfortable.
"Nothing big," Stefan said shrugging before glancing over at Caroline, "just Damon and Elena's big and beautiful relationship began."
"And Caroline and Tyler's too," Damon muttered causing Stefan to laugh.
"Are you seriously getting into that?" Stefan asked in disbelief. His older brother was going to bring Caroline and Tyler's relationship down just because he couldn't admit that what he did with Elena was wrong. Caroline and Tyler had fallen in love after…they hadn't snuck around Damon's back when he was in a relationship with a blonde.
Caroline wasn't to blame here.
"Please just stop," Caroline begged tiredly before trying to focus on her food again.
Everyone just needed to shut up and eat.
"Mom, what's going on?" Chloe asked, clearly confused like the rest of them.
It was scary enough that she barely knew anyone here and to have them start arguing about something she clearly didn't understand was frustrating.
"Nothing," Caroline reassured before urging Chloe to go back to her food.
"Yes I am Stefan," Damon started, his temper at his younger brother and Caroline's arrival getting to him, "I am getting into that because I didn't do anything wrong."
Stefan's eyes widened. He glanced over at Elena who seemed to twitch awkwardly in her seat from his intense gaze. "You didn't do anything wrong?" Stefan asked in disbelief, his anger also increasing.
He hated him. He hated Damon so much.
"So sleeping with your brother's girlfriend when you were in a relationship wasn't wrong?" Stefan blurted out, anger rising within him.
Matt's eyes widened, along with Chloe, Jeremy and Bonnie.
Chloe recalled the letter. Everything made more sense now. She understood what her father was talking about now. She understood why her mother was so tense and upset with her home town. She understood everything now…Damon Salvatore had hurt her mother 18 years ago.
Damon's hands formed into fists at the sight of his angered little brother.
"Blondie left and had a child with Tyler Lockwood!" Damon yelled, "She's clearly gotten over it so why don't you?"
"What has that got anything to do with—"
"My father's dead," Chloe interrupted Stefan softly.
Her voice was soft and yet so cold. She watched as Stefan looked over at her, his expression softening instantly.
Caroline's fork fell from her hand.
Everyone else's eyes widened. The table was once again silent.
Chloe just wanted everyone to shut up. She didn't know anyone at this table and she couldn't stand people talking about her father with such uncertainty. She needed to stop it and she did. She shut everyone and their thoughts up.
Caroline watched as her daughter simply went back to her food, everyone staring at her with wide eyes.
"What?" Matt voiced out softly, his expression still shocked.
Caroline sighed in defeat before slowly getting up from the chair. She cursed internally at how much sound the chair caused at the movement when echoing through the silent place. Standing straighter, Caroline glanced over at Stefan who eyes her with the softest expression.
"Caroline—"
"Damon, I need to speak to you," Caroline whispered out, cutting Stefan off.
Stefan sighed before looking over at Damon who slowly nodded at the blonde, getting up from his chair as well. Stefan watched as the two left slowly started to exit the room. He sighed again before slumping onto the chair that he currently sat on.
"What just happened—"
Matt cut himself off when the brunette that sat next to Stefan seemed to bolt up as well. Her exterior tense when looking over at everyone that sat at the table.
"Stefan," Elena blurted out causing him to look over at her in confusion, "can I talk to you too?"
Stefan snorted before directing his eyes away from the brunette, "I'll pass on that."
Elena's voice broke when speaking again. She was trying her hardest from keeping herself from crying in front of everyone that had just witnessed so much. "Stefan, please," Elena begged softly before wiping quickly underneath her eyes.
Stefan's looked up at the brunette, his brows knitted together at her teary eyes that hesitantly stared down at him. Nodding slowly, Stefan got up from his chair.
"Sure," Stefan stated softly before glancing over at Chloe. He watched her smile slightly at him and Stefan sighed before following Elena out from the room as well.
Matt, Chloe, Jeremy and Bonnie remained.
-x-
Stefan followed the woman out of the house. Closing the door behind him, Stefan watched the brunette walk down the porch steps and into the cold night. He sighed before following her freezing form.
Stepping off the last step, he looked over at Elena who stood before him with her back facing him.
"What did you need to talk about?" he asked causally before letting out another sigh.
Stuffing his hands in his jean pockets, Stefan watched his breath turn into a fogged form when getting released into the cold air. He still couldn't believe the brunette wasn't freezing before him when in nothing but a dress. He was in a dress shirt and jacket and he still felt cold.
He watched as the brunette turned to face him. Her cheeks were wet with tears when facing him and Stefan's confusion simply grew. "Elena—" Stefan was cut off by a hand meeting with one side of his face.
His jaw clenched at the numb feeling at his cheek. Turning his head to face Elena again, Stefan forced a soft grin on his face before looking down at the crying brunette.
"Now I'm just confused," Stefan blurted out, trying to figure out why the brunette would bring him outside only to slap him across the face.
"What happened inside?" Elena questioned, her voice rising when remembering Stefan's slip up.
Stefan's brows furrowed, his grin growing at the brunette, "What happened?"
New tears fell onto her cheeks at the sight of him grin at her.
"Oh," Stefan started, grinning, "You mean the part where I slipped up and told everyone about what exactly happened with my girlfriend and brother 18 years ago?"
Elena shivered, her hands hugging at her forearms that slowly started to tremble in the cold. She tried her best from not crying in front of the man but it didn't work.
She cried. She was crying when trying to find things to say to him.
"I'm sorry I hurt you Stefan," Elena said through her tears, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"It's not okay, Elena," Stefan spit out, his grin faltering slightly when letting his anger break through, "It will never be okay."
Elena stepped in a little closer to the blonde man, her eyes watering further and further at his words. "Why not?" she cried, her was voice wavering and broken, "I don't understand how you can—"
"I was going to propose, Elena!" Stefan yelled out, his voice interrupting the brunette's.
Elena's eyes widened when meeting with his cold ones.
"I was going to propose to the girl I loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with," Stefan said, his voice was light now when confessing, "I was going to ask you to marry me but you closed that window up for us when you had sex with my brother."
Elena's eyes were still wide when hearing what the blonde man was saying.
"What?" Elena breathed out; her voice extremely soft.
Stefan's upper lip twitched, his eyes tearing away from the brunette before him. Stepping a foot away from her, Stefan's jaw clenched hard, his body tensing when realizing that he had just told Elena the one thing he promised himself he'd never tell her. But then again, he had promised himself that he'd never talk to her and that wasn't working with him either.
"Stefan—"
"Save the apology Elena," Stefan muttered, "I don't need your sympathy."
Elena's brows furrowed at the man's voice and tone. He wasn't the same Stefan she knew from years ago. He wasn't the same Stefan she had been in love with. He was different.
"What happened to you?" Elena asked softly. Her confusion grew when he laughed at that. She knew it was a façade though, his eyes were cold and his body was tense.
"I grew up," Stefan stated while shrugging his shoulders. "Plus having the girl you thought you loved cheat on you can really shake up a person's attitude," Stefan said harshly.
Elena's eyes softened, a few more tears falling lamely onto her frozen and red cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Elena breathed out again. She just wanted him to hear her. She was sorry. She was sorry and she wanted him to say that it was okay. She was sorry.
"Again," Stefan whispered now, "Save the apologies because I'm done with Damon and you."
"You hate me."
Stefan's eyes softened at that, his hands scrunching up the fabric in his pockets.
Stefan nodded slowly at the brunette.
"I hate you," Stefan whispered out, his voice completely stable and his eyes blank from expression.
Elena's eyes found Stefan's.
A cry escaped the back of her throat and Elena tried her best to hide it from the man before her when covering her mouth with her hands. She felt fresh and hot tears fall onto her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Elena whimpered out one last time before running past the blonde man and walking towards the door again.
Stefan sighed before letting his gaze fall on the night sky. His eyes shut closed at the sound of the door close behind the brunette and he knew she was inside once again.
He sighed again.
-x-
Damon walked through the room, he sighed when he realized it was Matt's room. Turning around, he watched the blonde close the door slowly behind her before she managed to look over at him.
Awkwardly rubbing at his neck, Damon sighed again, "I'm sorry about before, I didn't know about Tyler and—"
Damon's words got cut off by the feeling of a hand slap him hard across his left cheek. His head was to the side and he could feel the blood rushing to the spot where the blonde had slapped him. Eyes shutting closed; Damon pursed his lips before turning his head so that he could face the blonde again. She was standing in front of him now and Damon grinned softly.
"I guess I deserved that," Damon mumbled before massaging at his red cheek with one of his hands.
"That's for cheating on me," Caroline spit out before shoving Damon hard on the chest causing him to step a bit back, "and that's for cheating on me with my best friend."
Damon pursed his lips at the angered blonde. Putting his hand back to his side, Damon was about to speak only to groan in frustration when Caroline slapped hard at his other cheek.
"That's for cheating on me with my best friend, and then having the nerve to say that you've done nothing wrong," Caroline stated bitterly. She watched the man before her straighten up and face her again.
"Are you done slapping me?" Damon asked annoyed.
Damon rolled his eyes at his own stupidity when he felt Caroline slap him again. He should have known better than pretty much pushing her to hurt him again.
"What was that one for?"
"For hurting me," Caroline breathed out causing Damon's eyes to soften instantly.
He had hurt her. He had hurt her 18 years ago.
I had hurt her.
Of course he did something wrong…he had hurt Caroline and Stefan.
"Caroline I'm sorry," Damon said softly, his eyes searching her cold ones.
Caroline shook her head, a tight smile grazing her lips when looking up at the man she had just slapped numerous times. "No Damon, no, you're not sorry," Caroline stated causing Caroline's brows to furrow.
"If you were sorry or felt any guilt towards what you had done, you would have ended things with Elena years ago," Caroline challenged. Her expression was tense when forcing herself from remembering the two she had walked in on 18 years ago. "So don't cut me out to be the naïve blonde that was in love with you years ago," Caroline finished harshly before crossing her arms over her chest.
Damon's jaw clenched, his eyes softening further at the blonde's words. "You ran off with Tyler," Damon started, brows cocked, "that clearly explained how much you loved me."
Caroline's teeth gritted at his sarcastic tone. She had the sudden urge to slap him again but she didn't, she simply stood her ground.
"Tyler was there for me," Caroline started softly when remembering her husband, "he was there for me when you weren't and I asked him to run with me. I wanted to be away and he agreed because he was my friend. He cared about me and he ran with me so I could get away from you."
Damon's eyes narrowed at that.
"You slept with Elena and you didn't even choose to explain yourself," Caroline blurted out, her voice wavering as tears started to brew at her eyes.
"You didn't even stop me," Caroline said in disbelief, "I told you that I was in love with you the night before I caught you with Elena! How could you do that to me?"
Damon's expression softened at the crying blonde before him.
He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say.
He remembered the blonde telling him that she was in love with him. He remembered that clearly.
He had responded by sleeping with her best friend the day after.
Damon's jaw clenched hard. He stumbled a bit when Caroline seemed to shove him again. She shoved him again and again.
"I'm sorry," Damon voiced out softly.
He meant it. He really meant it.
He was sorry.
"You should be," Caroline whispered out, her eyes slowly drifting away from Damon's soft ones.
Damon watched as the blonde started to walk away from him. Sighing, Damon let a hand play through his hair. He watched as she wiped at her cheeks quickly before opening at the door and leaving him standing quietly in the room.
Damon was left in the room with one thought in his mind…
He was sorry.
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