A/N: Hi readers...All I can say is brace yourselves! :)
Thanks so much for reading and enjoy!
Remember Me- Chapter Eight
The instant the door closed behind her, knots grew deeper within her stomach. She watched him, taking an uncoordinated step forward as he spoke. "I'm sorry for everything that I did too. You know, the night you left. I took Ben to Damon's and I left him there for a few days. I wasn't ready or responsible enough to be a father. To be his father. I didn't want to be in this world without you either. I wasn't ready for any of it because I thought that we were going to do it all together. Elena, he changed my whole life. But, you did too. You turned everything that I once knew, upside down and then, you blinded sided me. You left and it nearly killed me, Elena. I know that we both made a lot of mistakes. But, you leaving me behind was one of the worst things that you could have done. It wasn't fair. It was downright selfish!"
Elena choked back her tears as she exhaled out a shaky breath. She knew that he had been heartbroken. But, she didn't know just how much she had hurt him. "Stefan, I'm sorry." Elena whispered softly, watching him take a few more steps towards her until she was pressed against the wall and he stood in front of her, his hand lifted up while he caressed her damp cheeks on each side of her face, examining the tears that were dripping down her chin. Stefan leaned forward and kissed her forehead, pulling her into his embrace as he held her against him. Neither of them said anything, just stood in silence together for a long time. After a few minutes, Stefan backed away first, his breath still reeking of booze as he cupped her face in both of his hands, staring deeply into her eyes.
"I love you, Elena. And, she knows that too. My heart can't fucking help it. You hurt me like no one has ever done and Aubrey healed me. But, the day that I saw you again at the condo, everything that I had been suppressing and had once felt for you. It all came rushing back…I have always loved you.." His voice broke, his eyes were glazed over with unshed tears. "Please," He begged, watching her carefully as she took her shaky hands and placed them on each side of his face. "You'd be breaking her heart if you broke off the wedding, Stefan. Aubrey Whitmore loves you so loyally that I can't let you do that to her. Stefan, you should be honest. You should have been honest with her and told her that-."
He cut her off, anger in his tone suddenly as he took a step back, running his hands through his hair. Stefan was frustrated and pissed off as all hell. "Telling her what? That I'm still fucking in love with my ex? That all I had ever wanted was for you to come back, so that we could try it all over again. So, that could finally be a family. That since you came back, all I keep thinking about is how much I still want you? That I can't stop thinking about touching you, kissing you. How I just want to hold you in my arms and make up for all the lost time between us! Elena, we both know that I can't do that. I just can't."
Tears were falling down her cheeks now and she couldn't really look at him. How far they had come, from the guy who only seemed to give a damn about himself and from the girl that he couldn't get through to. And, now they were here. Both heartbroken and still in love. Yet, the logical answer both was staring them in the face. Truth was that Stefan and Elena just couldn't be together, no matter how much they wanted to. "I can still feel you all around me, Stefan. Whenever I look into his eyes, I see you. I just-." Her words were cut off quickly, the feeling of his cold and soft hands were against her cheeks before she knew it, Stefan stared into her eyes and then he kissed her. Elena felt her back being pressed against the hotel room door, his hands were pulling her closer to him, their chests were pressed against one another so tightly that Stefan could feel her breath catch as he lifted the hem of her skirt up towards her torso. God, he missed her, everything about her. Elena moaned against his mouth, her hands running through his hair, traveling down his neck as her lips pressed firmly against his skin quickly followed. The scent of him was intoxicating and it felt like home, it felt like everything she had been missing. Stefan pushed her hair back, his nails ran over her heated skin as she tilted her head back, allowing him more access to her neck, feeling his teeth scrapping against the fragile flesh, Elena moaned out his name, begging him to not stop.
A knock on the door and Katherine's pissed off tone broke the moment between them as Stefan pushed himself back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, groaning. Elena heaved out an uneven breath. This was sinful and wrong, she thought. But, she couldn't get enough of him and part of her wanted nothing more than for Stefan to just call off the wedding. She watched him as he ran his hands through his hair. "Stefan, open the damn door. I don't have a key card for this room. So, you better open up, right now!" Katherine yelled.
"I'll be right there." He said, his voice sounded horse and raspy as he was still trying to calm his racing heart. Elena stood still, her eyes wide with worry as Stefan took her hand, pulling her into the bathroom. He stepped inside with her for a moment, closing the door. Elena glanced over at him. He didn't have any residue of her lipstick anywhere on him, nor was there any evidence of her scent upon his clothing. But the feeling of her mouth on his skin, still lingered like fire.
"We can't do that again. Ever again." She warned, feeling as if she had just allowed herself to cheat on Kai.
"It was just a kiss." Stefan replied, trying to justify his actions that had taken over.
He heard her laugh, looking down at the floor as she licked her bottom lip. Elena was ready to argue him on it. Although, right now wasn't the right time. "You and I both know that if Katherine hadn't just knocked on that door when she did. That kiss. That simple kiss. It would have turned into a hell of a lot more than that. God damn it, Stefan! I still want you. But, I know that I can't have you anymore and this, it needs to stop!" She exclaimed, causing him to take a step towards her. Stefan knew she was right. But, he promised himself that he wouldn't dare do anything anymore to hurt Aubrey. She didn't deserve it and neither did anyone else. Elena's heart was still racing, her hands trembled as he took a step to her and pulled her against his chest.
"I can't love you anymore, Stefan. We need to let this go. We had a past and now, it's over. Please, let me go." Elena urged as her hands slide up and down his chest, her head resting gently against him. She could feel his right hand tangling in her hair while he kissed the top of her head. "I know." He whispered, taking his hand and lifting up Elena's chin with his fingertips, Stefan forced her to look him in the eyes.
"You're right. Aubrey deserves better. And, I know that I can't make you stay anymore and you shouldn't. Elena, I am always going to love you, no matter what." He told her. She felt his lips press against her own once more, gently and simply before he pulled away and just held her in his arms.
"I don't want to say goodbye to you." Elena told him, burying her face into his chest, hearing him whisper in a soft tone. "I know. But, we have to say goodbye. I'm getting married." Elena felt the tears creeping upon her as Stefan held her tightly, telling her that this wasn't really a goodbye. "Ben's going to need his mother. So, this isn't really a goodbye, Elena. It's more of a…I'll be seeing you around." Stefan told her as she pulled him closer. "I know." She cried, feeling him rub her back as she inhaled deeply, feeling him move them outside of the bathroom and back into the hotel's bedroom.
"Stefan! You've got two minutes to open that door!" Katherine yelled out, pounding her fist against it as Stefan stared over at Elena. "Are you ready for this?" He asked as she exhaled deeply. She wasn't really sure of what he was referring to. The fact that in about two hours, she was going to watch the love of her life marry another woman or the fact that the wrath of Katherine Salvatore was about to blow through the room. Whichever it was, Elena reminded herself that she needed to act like an adult in either situation and he was right, this wasn't truly goodbye.
"Yes." Elena nodded, watching as Stefan fixed his tie, opening the door with one quick motion of his hand as they both stopped and stared directly at Katherine who looked awfully agitated and unhappy.
"Oh, I hope to God that neither of you took advantage of the other one in this room tonight. I mean, she's engaged to Kai Parker and you are about to marry a very wealthy Whitmore woman." Katherine stated, closing the door behind her as Stefan took a seat on the bed trying his best to ignore the intrusion.
"Nothing happened." Elena quickly said, watching Katherine roll her eyes and scoff. "Yeah, sure it didn't. With the amount of sexual tension and history that the two of you have together and both of you being in the same room together for a little more than an hour. I'm supposed to believe that nothing happened at all?" She asked them as Katherine watched Elena take a seat next to Stefan who had his hands on top of his head, covering his eyes.
"We talked, caught up. Now, Katherine. For the love of God, please leave and let me go get ready for my wedding." Stefan told her, an irritated tone leaving past his lips. Katherine sighed deeply, trying to believe what they were both telling her was indeed the truth. She glanced around the room, it didn't seem like anything was out of order and their clothing wasn't disheveled when she looked them both over very quickly. "Fine, be all secretive. But, I am not an idiot. My advice to you is this, Stefan Salvatore. Make sure that Elena leaves this room before any one of your groomsmen or one of the Whitmore's comes in here to talk with you. Which, by leaves. I mean, she does it when I do too. Like, NOW!" Katherine told him, leaving the room quietly. Stefan lifted himself up from the bed as he watched Elena glance at herself in the mirror. Her stomach tightened when she caught him staring at her too. "You're so beautiful." He said softly, forcing her to turn back towards him.
"Stefan," She began to say, watching as he got up and moved towards her once again. His hand instantly went to her cheek, his thumb bushing back strands of her dark brown hair. Elena was weak in the knees as she pressed her side into the dresser drawer behind her. His hands were on her hips while he pulled her to him, her heart was racing as he licked his bottom lip and looked her over. "You need to go." He warned, nearly growling out his words. Stefan couldn't handle it anymore, being this distance and yet being so close at the same time to Elena was going to be the death of him. Elena was going to make him do something really stupid and it was just by the simple glance within her eyes. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, he could tell. Although, they were both fighting with themselves to not act upon their true intentions.
"I should." She agreed, trying to distance her mind from all of the filthy thoughts that were running through it. She needed to regain control, she needed to not make herself or him become a cheater. Elena inhaled deeply, the scent of his cologne swirling around her as she bit down on her lips with her teeth. If she got any closer, she'd be kissing him, she'd be wanting him more than she ever had wanted anything in her life. Then it happened, the thoughts of Kai ran through her mind. The night they met at their first counseling session in London and how he'd sit with her, listening to how broken hearted she was, how much she fucked things up back in the states with Stefan. He knew it all and doing something reckless like sleeping with Stefan would destroy him.
She ran her fingertips over his jawline, feeling the newly formed stubble beginning to form underneath the surface. If only it wasn't this very moment- the wrong one- that was bringing them back together. If only he wasn't marrying someone else who Elena knew that he was better off with. Stefan's darkened green eyes filled with desire as Elena leaned into him, their lips just inches apart as she whispered the very last words that he'd probably hear from her in a long while. "I love you so much. And, because of that, I need to let you go. You need to marry Aubrey. Because, she's a lot better for you than I am." She told him in a broken tone, kissing him softly once more before she pushed herself away and left the room without another word. Stefan stood in the middle of the room, his mouth hung open as he glanced up to see Damon giving him a perplexed look.
"What the actual fuck was that?" He asked, noticing that Elena had tears in her eyes when she rushed past him and back to her room.
Stefan placed both of his hands into his pocket, a helpless look in his eyes. He knew that she was right and maybe that's what hurt even more. "She's right, you know. Me and her will never be like we once were. I need to stop chasing her ghost." He replied back to his brother, hearing Damon close the door behind him. He leaned his back against it as he stared his younger brother up and down. "Come again?" He asked, trying to make sense of it all while his mind was still fairly foggy from the alcohol that they had consumed just hours before.
"You're not thinking about canceling this wedding, are you?" Damon asked, hearing a light knock on the door as he turned back to it, opening the door up to allow Katherine inside of the room. She looked almost as if she was ready to start a fight with both of them. Yet, something pulled her back- maybe it was the look of utter confusion and terror on Stefan's face. He looked like a lost puppy, heart brokenly trying to make sense of the situation that had just unfolded before him. "I had to finally let her go." He said, wiping the tears from his own eyes.
"What's this about canceling the wedding?" She directed the question to Stefan and then towards her husband. Pointing towards the close door, Katherine let them both have it. "Listen to me you two morons. Caroline, Aubrey's family and myself have poured everything we have into this wedding. Now, since your brother can't keep it in his fucking pants over the girl that broke his heart and caused this whole mess. I'm going to tell you both one thing. Stefan Salvatore, you would be a total idiot for canceling this wedding over someone who is just temporarily in your life right now!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes as Stefan sat down on the edge of the bed, his elbows were on knees and his head was in between his legs as he tried to think of a solution to his problem. Although, he was thinking more so with his heart than his head at the moment.
"I'm still in love with Elena, Katherine. Look, I know you hate her for what she did to me. But, I forgave her a long time ago. She gave me something that money can't buy. She loved me and changed me for the better. She gave me the best gift on this earth, our son, Ben. Listen, I know that you hate her because of how she hurt me. But, she left me, not you. She was sick for years and I didn't understand it …" His voice trailed off as he spoke about Elena with a defensive tone.
Katherine scoffed, not being able to really believe what he was saying at the moment. "She left you? Right. She left you and she left that little boy. You know, what she else did, Stefan? Elena Gilbert left your brother, myself and all of our friends to pick up the pieces of your broken heart and your life. To fill the void of being a caretaker for Ben when you got sick. She left all of us! Everything stopped for you when Elena left and to be honest, that's when I started to hate her. I never did before. But, when she left Ben behind, it broke my heart. Then, you met Aubrey and I swear to god it was like this new life was being breathed into you whenever you were with her. Whenever you are with her." She told him, taking a seat beside him as Damon watched on, curious as to what else his wife was going to say because she really did seem to be on a roll.
"This woman who is waiting to marry the man of her dreams don't deserve to be lied to. She also doesn't deserve to be cheated on or deceived. It isn't fair. So, if you're going into this union without a clear mind and with thoughts of a past that you clearly can't change and should just be at peace with. But, aren't. Then, I suggest you call it off and are honest with this girl. However, if you promise yourself that you'll just keep things cordial between yourself and the mother of your son. That you can be true, honest and faithful to only Aubrey Whitmore and still be caring towards Elena in a nice way. Then, I say, get your ass out of this hotel room and let's go get you married." Katherine told him, watching as he processed her words, telling them both to leave the room as he needed some time to himself before the ceremony began.
Hours had passed by and now here he was looking at his brother and the large crowd that had gathered around for the ceremony. Damon patted his shoulder, leaning over and whispering that he was making the right choice. Stefan nodded, he knew that he was making the right choice and that being here was where he needed to be. His past was his past and he shouldn't have to relive it, no matter how much part of him was dying inside for her. He knew that deep down, they would never really make it. The main focus of his relationship with her needed to be simple. It needed to be all about their son and nothing more. Ben needed to know his mother and Stefan needed to put whatever his feelings truly were for Elena behind him because their son needed both of his parents to be civilized and around him without conflict.
Stefan's hands were shaking as he stood beside his brother, Klaus and a few others from within the Whitmore family. Stefan had taken the last 30 minutes before the wedding to process Katherine's seemingly wise advice. So, there he was now, looking out into the crowd as the music stopped and Aubrey held on to his hands. He felt sick to his stomach, an uneasy feeling crept into his mind. But looking at her smiling face made every unsure feeling that he had disappear.
"It's going to be okay." He whispered under his breath as he grabbed onto Aubrey's hands a little tighter and he heard the ceremony begin. "Dearly beloved, we are all gathered here this evening to celebrate a beautiful union between two lovely souls." The woman who was initiating the wedding spoke as she smiled at both Stefan and Aubrey. Everything else seemed to turn into a blur as they both nervously stood up there and Stefan glanced over at Elena for a second, just in time as the vows began. He looked over at her, her eyes filled with unshed tears as she nodded her head. They both knew it, this was the beginning of the end for them and now, it was all finally over. His heart still hurt as he looked over at her and then returned his focus back to his future wife, just in time to say. "Aubrey, with this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward, you shall not walk alone. May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home. May God bless you always. May we talk together through all things. May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are. May you always see your innocence in my eyes.
I give you my heart. I have no greater gift to give. I promise I shall always do my best. I feel so honored to call you my wife. I feel so pleased to call you mine and may we feel this joy forever."
The officiant cleared her throat, looking throughout the crowd as they smiled at everyone right after Aubrey had finished her wedding vows. Elena sat silently, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she suddenly let go of Kai's hand and excused herself before the happy couple's ceremony was over with.
"I need some air." She whispered to him, moving quickly through the crowd just as she heard the officiant tell Stefan that he could now kiss his bride. Elena didn't turn around, she didn't want to see the rest of it as she made her way to the door and the cool breeze coming from the ocean calmed her nerves once she was outside. Elena walked up and down the beach for what seemed like hours. She wasn't really keeping track anymore since all she could feel inside of her heart was numbness. She wanted the pain to go away. But, then she thought back to her time in Portland with Stefan and how she had picked up and left. Maybe this was how he felt at the time. Now she was feeling it too, torn apart inside and broken.
"Elena!" A voice called out to her, the wind making it echo as she slowly turned around, watching Kai ran towards her, his breath staggered when he finally caught up to her. "Elena! There you are!" He called out, finally reaching her. He was smiling for a moment, until he saw her mascara covered smeared cheeks in the light of the moon and the lights coming from the reception hall where Stefan and Aubrey had just finished dancing their first dance as newlyweds.
"Babe, talk to me." He urged her, watching her ran her hands through her hair, trying to prevent the wind from blowing it in every which way. "Elena, please." Kai urged again, feeling helpless as he clearly noticed that she was falling apart and it had a lot to do with the fact that Stefan just got married.
"I can't do this anymore." Elena replied, sounding distant as she looked back at the reception hall and Kai gave her a confused look, trying to understand exactly what she meant. "Can't do what anymore?" He asked her, listening as she struggled for words. Elena heaved out a breath, falling into Kai's arms, she spoke softly into his ear. "Take me back home, Kai. Take me back to London so that I never have to see Stefan Salvatore's face again. It hurts too much, seeing him with someone else. It hurts too much!" She exclaimed, feeling as Kai's arms unwrapped from around her and he cupped her face into the palms of his hands. "I'd do anything for you, Elena. But, I can't stand by you as you clearly still love someone else. You still love Stefan, don't you?"
The tears were cascading down her cheeks now as she nodded her head and replied simply. "I never stopped loving him and that's why I need to go back to London, to distance myself because staying here is only going to do me more harm than good."
A/N: I think we need a time jump of a few months...Thoughts?