Chapter 10

As much as I tried to reassure myself that it was really happening, I couldn't believe it. Damon was being too nice. I was still waiting for him to change his mind, or get sick of me, or something. I just couldn't believe that he was doing everything because he wanted too. I felt like he thought that he had too. I tried not to stress out over it, but it was hard.

Over the week, Damon and I had formed a kind of routine. Since the nightmares wouldn't go away if I was alone, Damon and I started sleeping in the same bed. I insisted that if he was going to continue to sleep in the same room as me in his own house, he might as well be comfortable in his own bed. He had no objections to this; since he was probably tired of having to run from my room to his anytime he wanted something in the middle of the night that was in his room. I was just trying to make it better for him, so while I still stayed in the guest room near his, I would sleep in his room. After we woke up, he would make breakfast, since he liked to cook so much and glared at me when I said I'd be fine with cereal, and then I would insist on cleaning up afterward. Then, if it was a school day, we'd get in our respective cars, go to school, then I would go to work, he'd go to football, come over when he was done, and then, when I was done, we'd go back to his house.

During the school day, I still didn't talk to many people since Caroline and Bonnie wouldn't talk to me until I told them my secret, and even though I had planned on telling them, I couldn't. It made me start panicking, and then of course Damon saw me panicking and said that it could wait, so it has.

A thing that has changed about school for the better is Damon. On the Monday we went back, he refused to leave me alone unless we had a different class. Naturally I had to put a stop to the constant supervision, or I would go crazy, which in turn would guarantee that I would make him go crazy, and everyone involved would be miserable. That logic is exactly how I got him to spend time with his friends and take a break from me.

"Damon, come on, you need to socialize with people besides me," I said with conviction.

"What if you have a panic attack without me there to help you?"

"Damon, while I may be carrying your child, I am not one. I do not need constant supervision, and I do know how to use a phone thank you very much."

"Look, Elena, it's not a big deal, I can hang out with my friends later,"

"What about football? You are a player and you have to go to practice, which is at the same time that I start work."

"I-," he started, but he knew that I had a point.

"Exactly! I need to learn to be alone, and you need to have a life. How about when you are done with practice, you can come to the grill if you want?"

"Fine, but only because I really do need to go to practice."

That was how I finally got him to be with other people besides me. The only problem was I really was afraid of being without him for long periods of time. The only way I git through it was him sending me texts while he was at practice, which, while he shouldn't be worrying about me, really did make me feel better.

When it was time for my doctor's appointment, I wasn't going to let Damon know, since he already did too much for me. I needed to learn to do things on my own anyway. Right? I decided I would only tell him if he asked me. That way, he could come if he wanted too, but he wouldn't feel obligated. Of course, I still had to find a way to get there without him knowing.

As I was attempting to leave the house undetected, Damon saw me. Of course he did, I forgot to avoid the living room.

"Where are you going?"

Damn.

"I have a doctor's appointment for the baby."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He quickly got off of the couch and grabbed his keys.

"I figured that you were busy, or that you wouldn't want to go," I said with a small voice.

"We can talk about this in the car, let's go. Oh, and I'm driving."

On the drive to the doctor, Damon kindly informed me that if it has anything to do with the baby, he wanted to know about it. To that I replied that he doesn't have to do that, he can just live his life, and then I asked him why he never went out anymore, since he hasn't hung out with anyone since I started staying with him. I finally got him to agree to go out that night, while leaving me home alone.

Everything was fine with the baby, and we both have ultrasound pictures now. Afterward, we went back to the house, and he called a friend of his that informed him of a party that was happening that night. I guess that made sense, it being a Friday night and all.

H e left at about 8:30, making sure that I said I would call him if I needed to. Of course I wouldn't, but he didn't need to know that. He said he wouldn't be out all night, and I told him to go and have fun and stop worrying about me.

I was okay for the first hour that he was gone. The second hour not so okay and on the verge of a panic attack, and by the third hour I was a complete emotional mess, jumping at every sound. I was panicking and was quickly escalating towards a panic attack, so I went to Damon's room to wait for him to get back. There was a loud creak in the house, and then I heard footsteps.

"Damon?" I tried to yell out but it was like I had lost my voice. I tried again, still nothing.

The footsteps got closer, and I started having a panic attack. So I lay down to try and calm myself. It didn't work.

The door opened and someone I didn't know came in the room. I tried to yell but I couldn't breathe. The guy seemed immediately wary of the fact that I was in this room, as if he expected someone else

"Who're you? You don't live here," the mystery guy asked, but I was too busy trying to be able to breathe to answer. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that he had asked me a strange question, but I was too busy to care

Suddenly, Damon burst in the room and saw me, quickly coming to my side noticing that I was having a panic attack.

"Elena, calm down. It's just my brother, Stefan."

He looked at his brother.

"Why are you home? You're supposed to be gone longer."

"We came back early. Damon, who is this, and why is she in your bed while you aren't here?"

"Later, brother, we can talk later. Now you really need to leave my room, which you shouldn't be in anyway."

"Fine, but we will talk about this." He left the room, and Damon tried to help me calm down.

"I'm sorry Elena, he was supposed to be gone longer. "

I was finally able to breathe now that he was back and had gotten rid of his brother.

"It's fine."

"How were you while you were alone?"

I was going to lie, but the look of sincerity on his face made me tell the truth.

"Terrified," I said, feeling so small.

"Why didn't you call?"

"Because you already do far too much for me. I wanted to let you have fun for once."

'"Who said I thought taking care of you wasn't fun?"

"Sorry."

"Come on, let's get ready for bed."

We got ready, and I drifted off to sleep in his arms thinking about the fact that I was in love with Damon Salvatore, and how I hoped that he had feelings for me besides friendship.