Super excited for this chapter! I hope you all like it. ;)

Chapter 12

Some days, Elena wished that she could die. After the party last night, she had gone back to the hotel alone. Damon and Stefan had gone out for more drinks and, for some godforsaken reason, Caroline had stayed and entertained Klaus.

She felt alone in the giant hotel room. It was silly, she knew that. But it was almost two in the afternoon and Damon was still not back yet.

She picked up her phone and groaned at the text message she must've received while she was sleeping.

Spontaneous road trip. Enhancing brotherly bonding. Be back tonight. I love you.

So, no Damon. Elena couldn't figure out if that was a problem or not. She thought that it would be, but she'd spent so much time apart from him that she realized it wasn't his loss that she was missing.

She smiled at her phone before she dialed a number that she hadn't in a little while. With the phone held to her ear, she waited with baited breath for him to answer.

Hello?

"Hi, Finn," she said softly, "Are you doing anything today?"

Of course not, sweet Elena. What did you have in mind?

She smiled, "I kind of wanted to go the Garden District today. Do you want to go with me?"

I'll pick you up in a half hour if that's suitable for you.

"Sounds great, Finn. I'll be ready!"

"Seriously, you don't have to buy me anything," Elena protested when Finn pulled out his credit card…again.

He waved away her concerns, "If I don't spend it on you, the who will I spend it on?"

"Uh, yourself?" She suggested lamely as she took her bag from the cashier.

He led her outside, mindful to hold open the door for her before he answered, "The beauty of being a vampire for as long as I have entitles oneself to an unimaginable sense of wealth. I assure you, I could buy you whatever your heart contented for the rest of your existence and I'd never run out."

"But I would never ask you to," Elena pointed out as she put her bags in his car.

Finn smiled, "And that is why you deserve every penny and nothing less."

She blushed before taking his arm and allowing him to lead her back near the stores.

"Are you hungry?" He asked as the passed a restaurant.

She debated for a moment before she nodded, "Yes, what did you have in mind?"

"I know the perfect place."

"Where's Damon this afternoon?" Finn asked after they had finished their lunch.

Elena sighed, "Road trip with Stefan."

His brows creased slightly, "And you weren't invited?"

"He wanted some time for brotherly bonding. I can't deny him that; he's been away from Stefan for too long, I'm sure they have a lot to catch up on."

Finn could tell something was bothering her, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Perhaps she missed Damon? No, her answers were too detached for that. Then, what was bothering her?

"Elena, are you all right?" He asked hesitantly. He hoped that her answer was something that he could fix.

She looked up at him with cloudy doe eyes, "Hmm? Yeah! Everything's fine. I'm just a little tired after last night."

"Are you happy?" He blurted out. Damn, he thought, I could've waited until asking that.

"What do you mean?"

Finn couldn't backpedal now; he had to see it through. With a sigh, he stopped her on the sidewalk and looked intently at her, "Are you happy? With Damon?"

"Finn, I-I'm not sure what you mean," she lied, her eyes turning hard on his gaze, "I couldn't be happier that Damon's back. I…waited a long time for it."

He reached out and touched her cheek softly, "Maybe you waited too long, Elena."

There was a war raging inside of Elena. Part of her wanted to be comforted by him and the other part knew that she was still with Damon. But Finn helped her reign in her humanity more than anyone else ever had. She would have been head over heels for him if she was still human, but she wasn't. She was a conniving, horrible monster.

And he was too good for her.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, backing away from him slowly, "I need to go."

"Elena!" He called after her, but she was already gone.

"Hey, Bon," Elena said hesitantly into the phone.

Elena? Hey. How are you?

She knew this conversation was going to be hard, but Caroline had practically abandoned her for Klaus and she definitely was not going to the Compound anytime soon.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep it together, "I'm sorry about everything that's happened…But I really need my best friend."

'Lena? What's wrong?

"I don't know," she started sobbing, "I just really need you here. Care is with Klaus and I just really need a girlfriend."

Care and Klaus? Ew.

Elena prattled on, "And with Damon back, I just-"

What? Damon's back? Since when?

"Didn't they tell you? He got back a few days ago…"

Where are you?

Her brows furrowed in confusion, "New Orleans, Bon-"

I'll be there soon. I promise.

The line went dead as Elena sat there confused as could be. Why did Bonnie care so much that Damon was back? She thought they hated each other.

She shook away her feelings as she opened the doors to the balcony of the hotel room. Taking a seat on the wrought iron chair, she stared out into the Quarter, admiring the lights and life.

This city made her happy, it made her feel alive again. She wouldn't go back to Mystic Falls, she just couldn't.

This week, she decided, that she'd go apartment shopping. She wanted something small and manageable that she could afford on whatever job she could get. Granted, she didn't have a lot of work experience, but this was the one time compulsion would come in handy.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair," a voice called from the sidewalk below her, interrupting her thoughts.

Elena rolled her eyes and stood, gazing over the railing of the balcony. Her heart warmed at the sight below her. Elijah stood holding two bags as he smiled up at her.

"Well, are you coming up or what?" She yelled down, a stupid grin on her face.

He disappeared in an instant and a knocking was soon heard at her door. She let him in and ushered him inside.

"I come bearing food," he smirked, setting the bags down on the coffee table, "And blood, of course. I wouldn't want you to wither away."

His kind gesture pulled at her heartstrings, "You didn't have to do that. I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself."

Elijah waved away her words as he handed her a box of Chinese food, "It's just takeout. Nothing special."

Elena grabbed chopsticks from the table and dug into her noodles, nearly drooling at the taste. When the hell did Chinese food become so delicious?

He chuckled at her reaction, "I take it the food is up to your standards?"

She swallowed hastily, "You have no idea. I was just planning on room service or something." Setting down her food, she reached for a blood bag and a straw before stabbing the bag and sipping.

"Well, that's certainly a new way to drink blood," he observed, his eyebrow arched in amusement.

Elena blushed crimson, "What? I don't want to make a mess."

After a couple hours of friendly banter and food, Elijah was ready to take his leave.

He stood by the door and watched Elena warily as she cleaned up their earlier mess, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay until Damon returns?"

She walked over to him and gave him a small smile, "It's okay, really. He'll be back soon. And you know how he gets around you."

He sighed, cupping her face between his hands, "Leave him, Elena. We both know you're unhappy."

"Elijah-"

He cut her off by pressing his lips urgently against hers. She tensed briefly before responding with full force.

When his lips are on hers, she feels as if her world has melted away and they're the only ones that remain. A hurricane could tear through the very hotel and she wouldn't notice it. Hell, she wouldn't even care.

Elijah broke the kiss, looking deep into her eyes, "You deserve someone that you can be yourself with. Someone that won't hold you back," he pressed a kiss against her forehead, "Someone…that loves every part of you just as you are."

"Are you already asleep, baby?"

Elena groaned and rolled over in the bed, staring up at Damon, "No?"

He chuckled as a smirk took over his face, "What'd you do today?"

"Not a lot," she yawned as she sat up and flicked on the bedside lamp, "I tried hanging out with Caroline, but she's been with Klaus all day. So, I called Bonnie and she's coming tomorrow."

Damon's eyes widened slightly, "Bonnie's coming?"

"Uh, yeah," she swallowed, looking at Damon oddly, "Is that okay? I figured you two could at least tolerate each other after being stuck together for so long…"

"No, it's fine," his voice was husky now, "I'm sure everything will be fine." He kicked off his boots and undressed swiftly before sliding into bed next to her.

Damon peppered kisses along her neck and jaw while she giggled, "What are you doing?"

He smirked at her, "I just want my woman."

Elena quickly took control of the situation. She slipped off her lace panties and straddled him. He moaned lightly at the friction their position created.

She pushed her chest flush against his as she nipped at his neck, before she guided his straining cock deep inside her. He growled as she moved her hips around him, taking him deeper and deeper inside her slick heat.

He moaned something that Elena couldn't make out, but she kept riding him. His eyes were closed tightly and his face was contorted in pleasure. This was for him and him only, she knew that. She could do this. She could make him happy after everything he'd been through to get back to her.

She could tell that he was close. She moved her hips harder against him as he slammed into her from beneath. His hands gripped her hips as he thrust into her a final time.

"Oh, God, Bonnie!"

Elena stopped moving and stared down at his face in shock. Did he really just yell out her best friend's name when he was coming inside her?

Damon's eyes snapped open as he watched the hurt bloom across her face.

"Damon?" Her voice sounded so small and broken.

When he didn't answer, she pried his hands off her hips and jumped out of bed. She couldn't deal with this right now. She grabbed her suitcase from the closet and haphazardly filled it with all the clothes she could manage.

As she was getting dressed, Damon seemed to come to his senses. He sat up and looked at her alarmingly, "Elena, please. We can talk about this."

She snorted as she pulled on her Louboutins, "Talk about what? Huh? How you called out my best friend's name when you were inside me?" She saw him pale at her choice of words as she picked up her suitcase, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

She opened the hotel room door when his hand caught her wrist.

"Please don't go, Elena," he begged, his blue eyes swimming with tears, "Bonnie and I were just a fling to pass time in the prison world. It was always you. I'll always choose you. I love you."

Elena sighed, pulling her wrist from his grasp, "You don't call out the name of flings when you're with the one you love. I'm sorry, Damon, but we're done."

Elena threw her suitcase in her Escape and got in. She knew she shouldn't drive when she was angry, but she was a vampire; any injuries she'd sustain would be gone before she could blink.

She didn't know where she was planning to go, but she drove anyway. She ended up on the outskirts of town at a large plantation house.

Fishing the keys that Finn had given her when she stayed before, she made her way into the large house.

No one was home, she could sense it and a wave of relief washed over her. She didn't want to deal with anyone tonight.

Trudging up the stairs, she went into Elijah's room and practically dove into the bed after kicking off her shoes. She hugged his pillow close to her and allowed everything to come out.

She cried for her broken relationship. She cried for Damon's betrayal. But most of all, she cried for her newfound freedom.

Hope you're all a little happier now! I said Damon would be out of the picture soon ;)

Leave a review and tell me what you think!

~Grace