The flight was getting infuriating , his father had sent their own private plane, but Damon refused to travel in it, pretty content with his business class seats with Elena. However, his fancy fiancée insisted on the former.
After 25 minutes of a very heated debated on both ends, he was defeated and decided to board the plane.
Elena sat down in one of the huge seats and sighed, "Now isn't this better?"
He sat down across from her, "Sitting alone in a metal box, thousands of feet above the ground, with no other passengers- how ground breaking."
She groaned, "Oh please you're not a saint, you didn't mind when we took my jet to go to Meredith's Island party."
"It was your jet, your moral crime."
She rolled her eyes, "So you do admit this is yours, that all this money is."
He hissed, then sat back to refrain himself from saying anything.
She smirked, picking up a book from her bag.
"I never thought you'd wanna leave California." He said, after a few moments of watching her read.
She shrugged, not looking up from the book, "Home is where the heart is."
"Elena."
She finally looked up, putting her book down on her lap, "What?"
"You didn't leave home just because you can't be alone. Tell me what you want."
Elena sat back, enjoying that look of suspecion on his face, "What do you think, Damon?"
"I think-"
He leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees, her eyes now focused on his arms, his shirt sleeves were rolled back a bit and she could see the few veins under his skin.
"You think?" she trailed off.
"That you're on some mission given to you by Jonathan."
She smiled, "Well isn't that a given."
He added, "Jonathan is going into business with Giuseppe."
She clenched her teeth, "Okay maybe you know a bit more."
"I know everything."
"Really?"
"I am always one step ahead." He responded smugly.
She raised a brow, "Well- it's not the only reason I am going with you."
He asked, "Then what is, enlighten me my beautiful fiancée."
"I am curious, to see what you lived like and how bad it had to be to leave it."
He picked up a magazine too, huffing at the selection, most were business magazines with his father featured on the cover and a book his father wrote 12 years ago.
"I had my reasons but I don't expect you to agree with me." He said as he shuffled through them, "You never told me the whole story." She commented.
He looked up to see her looking right back at him, "It doesn't even matter now that I am back to where I escaped from."
"I see it now." She sighed, "But maybe you need to stop running and look back."
"At what?"
She raised her brows as if it were obvious, "You have to confront it, you ran away all those years ago, even though you might outrun your father, you can't outrun pain."
He bit the inside of his cheek.
She turned her attention back to her book. A while later, he knocked on the back of her book, she put it down, "Yes?"
"What do you mean?"
"I am sorry?"
"You said I can't outrun pain-"
She shrugged, "The pain, past- all the big Ps."
"What if I just wanted a new start, Elena."
"New starts don't require you to run as fast as you did, for as long as you did." She lifted her hand and put it on his cheek, "Well, maybe if you lie to yourself enough."
He chuckled, "Careful, you might catch feelings trying to figure me out."
He put his hand on top of hers, dropping it off his face. She bit her lip and leaned back in her seat.
After their 5 hours on the plane, and a very quiet ride in their car, Elena was surprised when they came to the Estate that seemingly was his 'home'. Elena was impressed to see the tall and vast lengths of the buildings, the never-ending gardens, the cars-
"How does one go from this to sleeping on their friends couch?"
Damon smiled wickedly, "Oh you'll see in a few minutes."
As soon as their door was opened and Damon carried his own bag after dismissing the servants trying to help, while Elena handed her bags- they went inside.
As soon as they entered, a dark haired woman came rushing towards them, Elena assumed she was his mother because they had the same eyes and those sharp cheekbones, "I cannot believe you!" the woman had such grace in her walk, it put supermodels to shame, she was fierce and for some reason completely poised while being enraged.
"Mother-" Damon had just started when the woman pushed at his chest, not even impacting him to move a centimetre back.
"You cut your own mother out and for what? Do you know how embarrassing it is for your father and I to see you leave what is yours to work a damn 9-5, isn't that hypocritical?" she said through clenched teeth, "And you got engaged. But I heard about it from your father! Not you."
Elena raised a brow, "Hello to you too."
She paused in her elegant rant, and looked over at Elena before back at Damon, who nodded.
Then she turned to Elena, "I suppose I am due an introduction to your fiancée."
Damon coughed, "Right, this is my fiancee, Elena Gilbert."
"Finally someone who doesn't need a shower to enter this house." The woman regarded her harshly, "The last woman he brought over was a dirty waitress."
"Mother."
Except Damon hadn't objected to his mother's harsh words.
It was his dusty blonde haired brother, Stefan, who had interrupted his Mother, "That's my girlfriend you're talking about."
Their mother raised a brow, "Oh like that's healthy, sharing."
Damon clenched his teeth ignoring his brother coming closer, "That's in the past and can you please not mention her in front of my fiancee, it's incredibly rude."
Elena pursed her lips, "Oh no please don't stop on my account, I find it incredibly entertaining."
Damon glared at her to which she stammered, "I mean- yes please this conversation is upsetting and inappropriate, I am feeling threatened."
Stefan declared, still eyeing his mother, "No one needs to feel uncomfortable, my girlfriend and I will take the next wing, we don't have to run into each other."
When Stefan stormed out, Damon shook his head, "I am going to unpack."
"This isn't over, you have made us look like a fool in front of everyone and you will find a way to make it up to us." His mother said it like she meant it.
Damon rolled his eyes and headed in a direction for the stairs without telling Elena anything, she followed after him, still looking over her shoulder to the woman.
"That thing gives warm motherly hugs?"
Damon muttered, "Only when you gift her rare diamonds."
As soon as Elena entered his room, she sighed in delight "Oh God-" she ran to the bed and threw her bag as she lied down on the bed, "Flights really make me appreciate the finer things in life, thread count being one of them."
Damon rolled his eyes, "You came here in a private plane."
"And you came here wearing your 'hippie suit' with extra protective layer of self-righteousness."
He shook his head, "You know this is actually a good idea because living here would make you realize how damn obnoxious you are, the same level of conceited and selfish as them with just a dash of total disregard for humanity."
Elena gasped, "I actually do care about humanity, what I don't care is about a silver-spooned idiot trying to shove it down my throat."
She got up and huffed, "You didn't even tell me that slut is still living here."
"My mother?"
"Your ex-wife." She spat.
He shrugged, "How would I know? I was not here for the last decade almost."
Then he tutted, "I figured their taboo romance would have fizzled out."
Elena eyed him suspiciously for a second before shrugging and getting up from the bed, "You're not upset, are you?"
"That my cheating ex wife is still here or that my brother is continuing to stab me in the back, no- it's great." He fake chuckled.
She rolled her eyes as he left the room.
She hadn't seen him so- negative.
Maybe leaving had a good impact after all because if this was his actual personality, Elena wasn't too thrilled about their marriage contract.
She showered in the heavenly massive bathroom, finally feeling at home when their was this level of luxury around her.
Damon was an idiot for escaping to sleep on a friend's couch, if it had been her- she would have figured out a way to kick the family out rather than leaving to live in poverty.
When she saw him later while taking a tour of the house with the helpful assistant of their first floor supervisor, Pearl, she saw the majestic rooms. Though she didn't seem to excited but it did meet and slightly exceed the level of luxury she was used to.
She paused when she saw Damon in the room what she seemed to be like a home office.
He was smoking while pacing near the desk, possibly waiting for his father.
She stopped Pearl, "Just a second." Elena strode to the room and put her hands on her hips, "You're stress smoking now?"
He frowned, looking at the tip of it, "Just smoking."
"I hate it. You know I hate it." She enunciated the words, a muscle in his jaw ticked but he looked away, "Then leave."
Elena grumbled and walked around, snatching it away "Your mother has asked us to dinner, now assuming you'd be giving me a nice kiss or two on the table, I do not want the taste of smoke in my mouth." She warned.
"Why do you have to control every aspect of this?" he frustratingly gestured between them without turning back to her.
"Well the choice is yours- do you want to kiss me?"
He seemed conflicted, then he took the cigarette from her fingers and put it out on the crystal ash tray near his father's coffee cup while Elena smirked inspecting the desk. She picked up a photo of a dark haired boy who barely looked seven in the photo with a gold medal.
"Oh look at you. Daddy's favourite."
He cringed, reaching it to snatch it from her hand.
But she pulled it away to get a better look, "Were your eyes always so blue? And why so pouty." She mused, he tutted taking it from her, opening a drawer and throwing the photo inside.
"I have to get a handle on this and get out of here as soon as I can." He muttered, "This is literally my nightmare."
"Oh stop being so dramatic, so what? Your mom thinks of her children as show ponies- big deal, at least you have a mother to detest."
He bit the inside of his cheek, realizing how it must feel for her, her mother died when she was too young, "I do not detest her, she's not the worst thing here to be honest, but I will not be honed in with my father's schemes and settle to live with my ex-wife romancing my little brother while I end up in the gilded cage with you."
She laughed, "Oh I know you're miserable but you kind of sound like a damsel in distress."
"Why are you enjoying this?"
She shrugged getting on top of the table, dangling her legs above the floor, "No reason. But honestly I don't see anything all that wrong with this place. Maybe you just need to be a bit more positive. Take a page out of your own book, 'Damon Salvatore ; skateboarding through life, California edition'." She held his collar bringing him lower and closer.
Her face brushed against his throat, "Or you could act on all your worst instincts, take over here, kick your bother and his girlfriend out, marry me, we will have two empires under our belts."
He sighed when her lips brushed against his jaw. Pulling away from her, he shook his head, "Or I do neither of those things."
She bit into her bottom lip, "I like when you withhold, because I know eventually it's mine."
"Save it, baby. I know all your tricks- this is a swing and miss." He kissed her temple, leaving her there.
DedededededededeDe*
At the dinner table, Elena could see the tension so thick that it could be sliced with a knife.
She was sitting next to her fiancé, stealing a glance every now and then. It didn't help that Giuseppe was at head of table trying to get Damon to be interested in his current business endeavours while he reciprocated with one word answers. His mother was also sitting there with a sour face, barely eating and busy inspecting Elena for flaws, his uncle Zach and his wife Christy had joined them, also.
The energy was stale but it went downhill as soon as Stefan joined with his girlfriend, Elena regarded Stefan's girlfriend and Damon's ex wife.
She had dark curly hair, sharp arched eyebrows, hazel eyes, thin and with very bold fashion, her shirt was way too much for a family dinner as it revealed half her breasts being pushed up by some anti-gravity bra.
Of course she looked like a complete slut, Elena thought, judging her harshly as she sat across from her, the woman looked prepared to make a statement and Stefan looked awkward as if he had made every last effort to prevent this.
Damon didn't even flinch, like she didn't exist, continuing his one word answers and eating his steak without pausing.
"Looks like we have guests." Katherine broke the ice.
Lily, Damon's mother, rolled her eyes and sighed, "That's what I thought when you first stepped in here, years later- didn't leave."
Stefan hissed, "Mother."
"My son isn't a guest here, she is- and she has over stayed her welcome."
Elena was startled to see Katherine didn't move, not a muscle tensed on her face, like being berated was regular programming.
"No need to create a scene, Mom, there are plenty of green beans to go around the table." Damon finally acknowledged her presence.
When his eyes fell on her, Elena followed the movement.
The curly-haired woman gave a small nod as if saying hello.
Damon blinked to respond.
Elena swallowed thick, unable to stomach such a small exchange, were they friendly?
Was he still in love with her? Of course he was, he would never marry again. She tortured herself by imagining them all those years ago, married, in love , with a child. That kind of stuff never goes away.
"Its good to have you back." His uncle Zach broke Elena's train of thoughts and she was back in the dining room.
"Well since Dad asked so nicely." Damon said with a edge to his voice, Giuseppe completely ignored the negative connotation to his response, "I am just glad you're back. You'll notice our new ventures will capture your interests much better, I've been waiting for this day- my two sons, with me, I need to make sure everything is prepared before passing the torch."
Stefan raised a brow, "You're retiring?"
He shrugged, "Something like that, I will never be able to not supervise but yes."
Stefan grinned knowingly, "So that's why you called Damon? To once again overlook me and pass it to him."
Giuseppe swatted his hand as if dismissing the idea, "That's non sense, brothers work in a unit, Zach and I did."
Zach Salvatore nodded.
Damon coughed, "Until you didn't- remember 4 years of family conspiracies before you both waved the white flag, you becoming the patriarch. I would never do that."
Zach spoke before Giuseppe could, "That was a tough spot yes, but then I had the opportunity to start my own business, Brother invested in me, believed in me. Family is above everything."
Giuseppe smiled, "Exactly."
Damon rolled his eyes, "Well depends, maybe there was trust left after what you did to each other but there is no trust here." He looked at Stefan.
Stefan breathed out, "I am afraid I agree."
"Well you'd just have to bury the hatchet, Stefan is my son." Giuseppe addressed Damon before addressing his other son, "And your brother is the future of this family and the business. Now will you two stop your pissing contest, because we do have new family here." His green eyes landed on Elena, "Miss Gilbert, I apologize for my sons."
"That's fine Mr. Maxim."
Giuseppe praised, "You've got an amazing mind Miss Gilbert, learning about you from Jonathan, your accomplishments, so young- it's like staring in a mirror, though my dear you're much more beautiful."
She knew the woman at the table envied her, Damon too gave her a true look of appreciation, like she was the belle of the ball.
"Well, I hate giving credit but Damon helped me a lot in getting where I am." She slid her hand over his and leaned in.
He resisted the urge to groan at her antics, why oh why could it not be real.
But he took what he got, holding her chin and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips, God shouldn't have made lips this soft if he only allowed them to be kissed under such complicated schemes.
When she pulled away she caught a glare from Katherine from the side of her eye and continued with her dinner.
"You know-" Lily started, "I ran into Sage Warner the other day."
"Yeah? What's she doing?" Damon asked.
"She's back in town, she asked about you. I didn't you were engaged at that point, but your father did tell me you were coming back, so I did invite her."
When Elena raised a brow in question, Lily answered, "Damon's first girlfriend, they broke up because she went for fashion school to France."
"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss this now." Giuseppe added, "Just un-invite her dear, our son is very happy with his lovely fiancée."
Damon looked over at Elena who had her one hand fisted in her lap.
Later when he walked in his bedroom, Elena was already in bed, in the middle, indicating that she wasn't in the mood to share while she read her book.
"Hey. You still up?"
"Ahuh." She flipped a page.
"I know that was incredibly awkward."
She stayed quiet, waiting for him to go on. She didn't know what she wanted, an apology? An explanation, a declaration that he would be hers forever?
It sounded crazy in her head as well.
"I do not want to put you in positions where you have to touch me or kiss me when you don't want to."
It was like someone put a triangle in a circle shaped mold. This idiot thought she cared about something she didn't give a second thought to and not the fact that she not only met his ex-wife but also found out about his first girlfriend, probably the one he lost his virginity to, who was desperate to meet him.
To him, it didn't even matter that two sluts were crawling up his house to get a taste of him.
Whereas kissing her was 'awkward' for him.
She saw the energy between him and Katherine, she didn't need to see his innocent virgin girlfriend.
"Get out!" she spat.
"What?"
She threw a cushion at him, "Get out of this room, if you can't be bothered to even know what you did wrong" her voice was getting shriller by the moment.
Damon's jaw dropped, "You're not mad about that weird dinner kiss?"
He was making it worse.
She got out of bed and rushed towards him with purpose and anger, she opened the door, "Get out before I murder you and bathe in your blood."
"Jeez psycho. I am going and just so you know, I am not a fan of the new cinnamon lip-gloss. Trying too hard with that one." He had to get one shot in.
"If you don't leave this instant-"
"Fine!"
She slammed the door, "All men are the same! Insensitive jerk!" she kicked a cushion in her way. She kicked the door for impact then marched back to bed and lied between covers with anger.
DededededededeDe
If she was mad last night, the morning wasn't different, her fiance had not attempted to come in at all.
Why would he?
He had an ex-wife and a girlfriend here.
She found out it was 11.30 am, the day had started long ago, She quickly showered and blow dried her hair, changing into a floral skirt and a while shirt, trying to appear less business and more- at home. In a less transparent attempt to look like a girlfriend.
She walked around to look for a familiar face, there was this sense of dread brewing in her since last night.
She wasn't even sure she liked Damon after the last couple of days but clearly, other women in his life affected her.
His mother doesn't seem to pleased with her, and then his ex-wife seemed to still have an eye-contact relationship with him.
She bit her lip in annoyance when she attempted to admit to herself.
Maybe she was still attracted to him, she hadn't denied it but then she shut it off.
However, she didn't enjoy feeling this territorial over him. Only if he knew.
It was like she materialized her worst fears into existence when she spotted Damon with a red-haired woman in the estate gardens.
The woman had a sharp figure, long legs clad with denim, a maroon figure framing shirt and red hair complimenting her shirt.
He had a pleasant expression on his face talking to her, "Mother did tell me you asked."
Immediately Elena knew it was is ex-girlfriend, Sage.
God, this man was surrounded by women.
Beautiful at that.
"It's just my luck to find you when you were engaged."
He chuckled, "I was in California. Had to get away from here."
"I heard about Rome. I am so sorry." She out her hand on his shoulder.
He shrugged awkwardly, "Yeah it was tough, but it was long ago."
"Your fiancée is very high profile." She commented, a hint of jealousy in her tone as well, "Remember when you used to say that you'd never end up with a princess- type. Your dad had made plans for you to court girls like that. You thought you were such a rebel when you dated me."
He groaned in embarrassment, "We both know I didn't date you for that solely, you were by far the most beautiful girl I had even seen at that point, of course I wanted to date you."
"I was?" she teased, "Am I not anymore."
Before he could open his mouth, Elena interrupted, "Yoohoo, fiance." She jogged the small distance and ended up next to him, putting her arm on his shoulder, "Hey baby." She kissed his cheek, "Why did you get out of bed without me, I missed you." Elena said pressing another kiss to his throat, he squirmed as if he were ticklish, "Oh hey, princess- how did- you sleep?" He said with pauses.
"Good- good, care to introduce me to your- friend?"
Damon nodded, "Yeah, uhm- Elena, this is Sage Warner, and this is my girlfriend, Elena Gilbert."
"His fiancée." Elena shook her hand and made sure to press a little harder.
"Heard about you from Mrs. Salvatore." , Sage said with clenched teeth.
Elena acted dumbfounded, "Oh really? She said she hadn't known about me at that point, whatever." She said waving her hand, "So you're back in town or just visiting?" Elena asked.
"Just visiting and catching up with some old friends."
Elena looked up at Damon, "Baby, we must send an invitation for our wedding, no plus ones though."
Sage couldn't help but glare a bit, "I am sure I'll be busy."
"I didn't even tell you the date."
She walked away as if extremely occupied all of a sudden, "I'll stay in touch."
"prefer if you don't."
Damon huffed, "What is the matter with you?"
She pulled away from him facing him now, "Oh I am sorry, did I spook your girlfriend, I only had the faintest impression that we are engaged."
"Fake engaged."
"Oh shut up."
"No, which one is it- can't touch you, can't talk to other women, it's like we're an old married couple."
He continued.
"Oh and you can rendezvous with Elijah while I get my dignity and my heart stomped on?"
She gritted her teeth, "I haven't even talked to Elijah in weeks!"
"It's only a matter of time before you do. You're hung up on that loser and I am done playing."
"I am not hung up on That loser." She said now catching herself before she could say more.
Okay, maybe denying herself what she wanted hadn't been the best plan. She had it going well. Casual relationship with him, business and friendship, it had been so great.
Then Elijah had to go ahead and ruin it.
Now Jonathan knew so there had been no point in continuing their relationship.
She had wanted to.
It wasn't expected anymore.
If only she knew what he felt.
She knew that he definitely was attracted to her and that he cared about her.
But she needed more.
More than Sage Warner or Katherine ever had of him.
Sage said that he didn't want to date the princess types, yet he called her princess.
She talked to Giuseppe about their venture later after breakfast.
Still unable to pinpoint why Damon hated this man.
So she decided to confront Giuseppe by herself.
"Damon knows." She told him. He nodded, "I'd hoped. I didn't want to go behind his back on this."
"Why didn't he want to come back?" she asked him point blank, not one for chasing suspense, the man seemed as clueless about it as her, but Elena knew that he knew more.
"He's always wanted to separate from the family business."
"There must be a reason."
He pulled out a cigar from a case in his drawer, also picking out a picture frame, the one Damon shoved in the other day, "I pushed him, I was a competitive father. He had to meet my unbelievably high standards, he did meet all of them- just to show me he could before abandoning my cause for him. I wanted to raise the perfect mind."
He lit up his cigar and leaned back in his seat, "I admit I was tough, I monitored his grades, the way he did in sports, his critical thinking, I know he was no prodigy but I knew I could make him into one, then I caught him- trying to do whatever to disprove me, he finally knew what I wanted. And he didn't want me to have it. But I didn't tolerate his A minuses or second place in the race, I knew exactly when he had the winning move in chess and didn't play it, how he had the perfect card and never used it. He loved one thing though – Architecture, building- making something out of nothing, I promised him, that he could go to MIT for it, but I didn't let him. Sent him to business school, made the worst mistake of my life when he thought he knocked up that part-time waitress who drove a wedge between my sons.
He resents me for everything, the way he grew up, the choices I made for him but I've changed, I do not wish to control him. I've made mistakes and I hope I could rectify them."
It did seem harsh to her, the way he had treated his son, Elena got criticism from Jonathan too but he didn't measure perfection to such detail, most of the time, she did experience being a child.
She faintly remembered ice cream trips on Friday after school.
Those few days after her Eleventh birthday when she had the fever and Jonathan had been up all night with her.
She distantly remembered being to a carnival that year. That was the last she went to any carnivals, she hated them.
"About Lily." Giuseppe coughed, "I know she's giving you a tough time but- it's just because she wants to bother me."
"Why would that bother you."
He sighed, "While she hates the waitress and even the red haired one as well, she knows- girls like you is what I had always approved of for Ace."
"Girls like me?" she didn't know she was reduced to a plural or a class.
He hesitantly added, "High society girls, intelligent, and elegant women."
She got it.
As Sage put it 'princess' types.
DedededededededeDe*
After dinner today, which she was glad that Stefan and Katherine skipped, Elena was back in room, pacing around.
This didn't seem like the secret that Giuseppe blackmailed him into coming back here but what could it be?
He didn't want to tell the authorities but threatened to tell her.
Was it something that criminal?
That could get him in jail, yet he feared her knowing.
When she saw him this time, she forced herself to be calm and collected. He always got on her nerves, before him, she never lost her cool like this.
He stepped in the room, eyes landing on her , especially on her floral skirt.
"You look- nice." The words came out more constricted than he had wanted them to.
"Where were you, we all waited at dinner."
Truth was his dad asked once and she waited a bit, lobster and pasta was too good to wait too long.
"I was hanging with some guys from highschool." He had a ghost of a smile as if thinking about it, "Such a weird group, one of those guys is probably gonna be a senator in a few years and one is on probation." He said as he walked towards his closet, looking for something.
Elena frowned, "What are you doing?"
"Trying to find this jacket I really liked but forgot home."
"Are you heading back outside?"
"Ahuh." He was too busy in his search for the jacket, her jaw dropped, "With the same senator- probation group?"
He rolled his eyes, "Elena-"
"You can't go." She announced calmly yet assertively.
He followed her as she left the closet- "Why not?"
She sat down at the foot of the bed, "Because I am feeling a bit alienated here and the one human being I know, should not abandon me."
He laughed, "You're feeling alienated? You? This place is filled to the brim with the kind of people you get along with."
She looked up at the accusation, "I do identify with them but I do not get along with them. Your mother could criticise paint getting dry, and your brother-" she got up and started pacing the room in front of him.
Damon raised a brow, specifically interested what his brother did.
"He intentionally moved the pasta dish away. I know he's doing some sort of power grab with you and bringing me into it. I swear to God I'll dye his hair platinum blonde in his sleep."
He pursed his lips, eyes on the movement in her skirt and those smooth legs below.
He had to admit, Elena in a flowy skirt- kryptonite.
She just looked too soft as opposed to the stiff dresses and power suits she usually had on.
Elena seemed to have noticed his divided attention and his wandering gaze.
"Can you please look at my face when I am talking?"
He blinked, looking up at her face, "I am- it's just, I didn't even know you wore stuff like that."
She shrugged, "It's a skirt, tell me you're familiar."
"I am." He was just annoyed because all he could wonder was what color panties she was wearing underneath or how would it look bunched up around her hips if she straddled him, when he moved her up and down his aching cock while she screamed to never stop.
"Damon?" she asked and he realized he had been staring again. Elena followed his faze on her legs and finally realized that he was turned on by a simple skirt, probably because they hadn't touched each other in weeks, unless his virginal ex got a quickie in but by the heat of his gaze, she knew he was as on edge as she was.
"Is it the little flowers?" She asked.
He bit his lip, "They are a part of it." He didn't even deny it, Elena sighed as if disappointed yet she walked closer making the pupils in his widen, his eyes go dark.
"It's a bit see through."
"Yet leaves a lot to the imagination." He said in a regretful tone.
She grinned standing in front of him. "Really? What does it?"
He shifted uncomfortably, "You don't wanna know." Though he had a good idea she knew, by the way she looked at him told him she did.
"Maybe I should decide what I want." She lifted her leg, resting her knee on his thigh as she leaned down.
"Maybe if you did, We wouldn't need to tiptoe this."
"What do you mean?" she narrowed her eyes.
He looked at her like a moth would to a flame, the self-awareness that it would be inevitable doom if he dove in and the flame knew it wouldn't offer the moth anything else as well.
"Figure it out." He said and got up, heading to the bathroom.
Elena sighed, knowing what he meant.
'Elijah'
Just on cue, her phone began blowing up with his calls.
She didn't pick again.
A bit annoyed at him.
She got in bed and switched off her phone, throwing it to the side.
A few minutes later he came out of the bathroom and Elena expected him to leave but he got in bed, putting the pillow wall between them.
"Weren't you leaving?"
"You didn't want me to go."
"Does that matter?" she asked in a sardonic tone.
"Well I couldn't leave you feeling alone or as you so dramatically put it- alienated."
She smiled, a true smile for once.
When he put the final pillow on top, she knocked them over, dragging herself a bit to his side.
"No wall."
"No wall." He repeated.
She rested her head on his pillow, "I always thought I'd hate sharing such close space but you make it comfortable- almost safe."
He rolled his eyes, "Almost?"
She sighed turning on her back, now looking at the ceiling, "Your dad and I talked about you, how you grew up here."
He too looked straight ahead almost pretending like he couldn't hear the words but Elena could feel his body get tense against hers.
She added in a voice above a whisper, "He really wants to make things right.
Damon huffed, "No, he just knows you're too-"
"Too what?" She challenged, but he surprised her with those next words, "Too trusting, too kind."
She felt a blush creep up her cheeks, never in her twenty- four years of life had anyone called her 'kind'.
"was that nice for 'dumb rich girl'."
Damon shook his head slightly, "No it's English for a 'girl who isn't as mean as she thinks she is.'
She sighed, "But I have this feeling, Damon. He really wants to fix this with you. You know I've never said it but- I'd give up anything to see my father or mother again." Elena pursed her lips, putting her hand on his forearm, she squeezed it in reassurance, "Its not because Jonathan is going into business with him. But maybe you can try to move on from the past."
He shrugged, "I can't." He turned towards her, staring down her thick lashes, "It's typical, I know. But he's always put me down, I've exhausted myself with trying to win him over, I did that ever since I was born and into my late teens- the minute I stopped, he became over-critical, hurtful, just shy of mentally abusive, the only reason he's being courteous now is because he knows that whatever he says or does, means nothing to me."
She couldn't help it, her hand found it's way into his hair, brushing it for comfort before caressing his jaw.
"I am sorry."
"You don't need to be." He leaned lower the tip of his nose touching hers.
"A part of me wants to belong here, I want the good life- the cars, the houses, God knows how much I miss a highly overpriced scotch."
She chuckled softly.
He continued, his polite smile fading, light blue orbs turning darker.
"but it's tainted, see- the last time I was here- I thought I had everything money could buy, I thought I could buy my son's life back from death, all the money in the world couldn't do that. That's when I realized- I was nothing."
She put her hand on his jaw, softly stroking his cheek.
He murmured, "I don't care if I don't ever see the same money I saw here, I can't have it all shatter in my face this time." His lips brushed against hers for a second.
A small gasp left her mouth, he was just too close, and she wanted to get closer to him, to burn in the heat of his gaze, melt against his lips, let him explore every nook and cranny of hers.
"I thought I'd never see you this way again." She whispered, almost mesmerized by him.
"This way?"
She confessed, "Before going to France, when we went to that club downtown- I really wanted you. When the next night, we were in bed, It had been so perfect- for once in my life- I didn't care about whether the guy I end up with owns companies or is the envy in a boardroom. I wanted- simple, guy who works a 9-5, has geeky friends, and obviously makes a semi-decent lasagne for dinner."
"Hey!"
She pat his chest, "But obviously makes up for it in bed."
He shook his head, "Well obviously."
Elena squeezed her eye shut, "Oh and I forgot, has a subpar but tolerable sense of humour." She smiled cupping a side of his face, "But that's not true, you're father is a multi-billionaire- no matter where you are, that is the truth. That's what I thought."
She continued, "But right now I can't help but see you as my boyfriend, who over-baked the lasagne and wants to make it up to me."
He was staring back at her, pure surprise on his face at her words, and for a second he thought his heart froze, because everything ceased to move.
The tension was unbearable.
Her eyes urged him to kiss her, do something to realize their thoughts.
But he didn't move an inch.
Sighing, he pulled away, leaving her with a gush of cold air.
She felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment, she might as well have opened her legs and he refused her.
Clearing his throat, he got out of bed, "I um- I gotta go." He said not being able to come up with anything.
"Okay." She said scratching the back of her head in nervousness. She felt like a complete idiot.
When he left she put her hands to her face, her skin was hot, groaning into her hands, she kicked her feet.
Her phone rang and she quickly thanked god to be distracted for a second.
Elijah: I know where you are.
Elena palmed her head, writing a response back but stopped when she received the next text.
Elijah: I am going to win you back, whether you like it or not.
She threw her phone back in bed and lied down.
She hadn't exactly been avoiding him, but ever since getting engaged, she wanted to avoid any gossip around her and Elijah.
Of course, he intentionally ruined her plan with Damon.
That pissed her off. But she had forgiven him for almost everything before.
This time, she was tired of it. Tired of the chase, the push and pull. She knew as soon as she would dive into it, Elijah would once again dodge her into another decade of her life.
And it felt like she didn't care anymore.
It was as if he lost all appeal.
Yes, she majorly embarrassed herself with her very blatant invitation to Damon but that was besides the point.
When the phone rang this time, Elena was surprised it wasn't hers.
She turned her head to see Damon's phone on the nightstand, hesitantly she reached for it.
Bon Bon
Elena huffed, his bestie was calling him at 11'o clock.
But for some reason she didn't feel threatened by Bonnie, because one- that girl was obsessed with her boyfriend and two- Damon and her had a very sibling- like bond, one that she didn't even see with Stefan.
She picked it up, wanting to let her know if there was anything urgent.
"Hello?" Elena used her 'polite' voice.
"Elena?" Bonnie still got a bit excited talking to her, not over the fact that Elena was a socialite- celebrity, now clearing her throat, she attempted to make her voice cool, "I mean hey- what's up?"
Elena had a hint of smile.
She was right about one thing.
His friends were dorks
Cute dorks but dorks regardless.
"I am at my in-laws, it's not going well." She confessed, "It's stuffy."
"That place is stuffy?"
Elena sighed, "Not physically, it's huge but- it's not right for us."
"Us- you and Damon?"
She blushed, "Yeah, he hates it."
"There must be something wrong with him huh, I mean a person would kill to live there for half a day." Bonnie mused, Elena found herself disagreeing, "I used to think that, but maybe there isn't wrong with him after all. Look- I know you know him, better than I do- I know you know about why he left here."
She heard a small sigh, "Yeah I figured no one would trade that place for a couch, his mom still a bitch?"
Elena chuckled, "Somethings never change."
"Why are you on Damon's phone? I was calling because he let Alaric his old apartment, the guy came by and I have the keys- Just had to check with him."
Elena sat back against the headboard, "I don't know where he is, we had a moment and he just- rushed out of here." She didn't know why she was being honest with this girl when she couldn't even tell Caroline or Meredith.
"Oh."
She rubbed her cheek, "Deep down- I know this is a mistake, he doesn't want a future with me, no marriage, no kids- I shouldn't want to want him." She said cursing herself for not making sense.
"But then he does this one small sweet thing and I delude myself into thinking it could work, that for once- someone could want me enough to deal with their baggage."
There was silence on the other line, Elena checked if she was there.
That's when Bonnie spoke.
"As far as I know my friend, he's obsessed with you, he will do whatever it takes to make you happy, I know that. But I also know that he's an idiot- something slightly goes wrong and he makes the worst decision possible-
Case in point, leaving billion dollar inheritance to live on a couch.
He's not brave, Elena. He thinks processing pain means stuffing it into a box, shoving that box in a dark corner of his heart and never let it bubble up again.
You know when he met you, was probably the only time in years I saw him genuinely looking forward to anything. He's an idiot."
Elena bit her lip, shaking her head, "I sure can pick'em."
"I know there's baggage but if you really want something-" Her voice trailed off. Elena bit her lip, "It's a bet right? I just have to bet on the odds that- he might change his mind about the future of our relationship. Do what I want. Yes I want him but I want other things- and I am sure he despises those things."
"What if he is making the same bet? That you'd change your mind."
"I wouldn't." She sighed realising how difficult it would be for her, "Maybe feelings aren't strong enough."
After a good talk with Bonnie, she lied down, trying to figure it out.
For a moment she closed her eyes and dreamed that things were her way.
She had the company, she woke up everyday – in-charge of every aspect of her life.
"I am so proud of you.", she heard Jonathan say in her alternative reality. "you deserve the reins of this company, you are the bright future I wanted."
"Isn't she?" she heard Damon, saw him in her dining room, sitting across from grandfather's chair, next to hers, pouring a cup of tea for her for breakfast, "This is all I wanted." She found herself murmuring as Damon held her hand, her ring sparkled alongside a classy wedding band sparkling on her finger.
She wiped the single tear from her eye- she wanted a family, she wanted love and she wanted to make her name.
She knew all that she wanted wasn't likely, especially when the man she wanted with, didn't want it.
…….
Author's note:
I am so so sorry for being completely gone. I've had the biggest writers block. I don't even know if anyone is reading but I've already written the last two chapters and will post them sometime next week.
Thanks for this journey. I am planning to work on a new plot, but I am not sure what platform should I write on. Also if you like this chapter, please review. It can be a birthday gift to me.
Thank you!
P s – plot ideas are appreciated.