My deepest apologies. We had been without internet for 10 days. Then we had a lightning strike that fried our computer. So we had to get a new one, unfortunately. Just what we didn't need in these trying times. Not to mention our dryer stopped working along with the hot water heater and my husband's surgery on top of everything else. It's been a gigantic cluster-F. Please know that if I disappear, it's because something is going on. I've never abandoned a story and that won't happen unless I die.
"Thank you, Damon, for driving me to the airport," Elena says as she watches him lift her suitcase out of the truck.
"I didn't want you to have to take the bus," he quips as he rolls his eyes and sets her bag down on the sidewalk.
Elena swallows hard as she raises her eyes to see Damon staring at her mouth. Her breath stutters as he brushes his lips over hers once, with the barest of touches. Before she can even contemplate what is happening, he's stepping away from her.
"I could kiss you," he teases, his eyes darting to her mouth once again, "But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that's exactly what you want me to do."
Elena blinks, taking a deep breath and attempting to gather her bearings. Damon is right. She was standing there—probably looking like a fool—waiting for him to kiss her.
"You're right, I do want you to kiss me."
Damon smirks as he takes her in his arms, his chest tightening at the way she wraps herself around him.
Heat rises from Elena's stomach to her chest. Damon's lips are getting closer and her heart skips a beat. She parts her lips and feels him washing over her like a wave of warmth, curling her toes, unfurling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silences all thought.
Damon wonders how he'll do this, how he'll get by without her...and yet he knows he has to let her spread her wings and fly.
It's time to go.
Damon steps back. "I love you, Elena."
The next thing he knows, he's behind the wheel of his truck. Rolling down the window, he calls out, "Goodbye," and waves as he merges into the flow of traffic leaving the airport.
"I love you, too," Elena whispers softly. Tears begin to trail down her cheeks as she watches him drive away, maintaining her stare until he's gone.
Taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure, Elena picks up her suitcase and enters the terminal...
Liz calls her the second Elena gets out of the plane. She said she'll be waiting in the parking lot, and that she better hurry the hell up, because there's been a huge accident on the road, and she doesn't want to get stuck in traffic.
After picking up her luggage, Elena walks through the concourse to exit the terminal. She spots Liz as soon as she steps outside. She's leaning against the hood of her car, eyes fixed on her phone.
Liz doesn't appear to notice Elena walking toward the car.
"Hi, Liz," Elena states as she approaches.
"You're here and the work starts now. Are you ready for that?" Liz asks as she pops her trunk and sets Elena's bag inside.
"I'm ready." Elena bobs her head excitedly.
"Mom, here's your coffee," a blonde girl about Elena's age appears and hands a cup to Liz.
"Elena, this is my daughter Caroline."
"Mom's told me so much about you. I know we'll be great friends," Caroline gushes as she takes a swallow from her own drink.
Liz interrupts before Elena can reply. "We need to move so we don't get locked in a traffic jam."
Elena enjoys watching the scenery pass as Liz drives. A half-hour later, she pulls into a beautiful brick home on a private piece of property.
"Wow!" Elena exclaims as she steps out of the car.
"You're in the skating business now, you haven't qualified for a big competition. So I'm going to defy the Skating Association by taking in an older girl and transforming her into a world champion. Maybe even the Olympics... Right, Cinderella?"
"I hope they don't send the pumpkin," Elena counters with a laugh.
"You have today, Elena." Liz casts her eyes on her. "Tomorrow work begins."
Letting out a deep breath, Elena Gilbert glances around the swank restaurant, unable to believe she's actually there. She's had the feeling of needing to pinch herself so many times since arriving in Colorado to train with Liz.
"Elena, are you listening to me?" Liz's voice interrupts her musings.
"I'm sorry. It just still seems like a dream that I'm here."
"It's not a dream," Liz answers and takes a swallow of her coffee. "I got you specialized time. Had to call in a few debts to do it. You'll get static from the other girls but don't worry."
"I don't mind taking the bad ice times," Elena comments as she smiles at the waiter when he brings her tea.
"We need it. You can't imagine what you've gotten yourself into. You have the raw talent, but you're virtually untrained."
"I thought you said that Sheila's-"
"We're talking about the Olympics. I want you to know what we have to do. It's never been done before, and I'm unsure we'll be able to pull it off," Liz pauses for effect. "There are four girls the judges have been watching since the last Olympics. They're the ones that everyone expects to win. Even if you're as good as they are, they'll win because the judges will think you're a flash in the pan."
"But if I can't win-" Elena counters as a weight settles in her belly.
"I didn't say that. I just want you to know what we're up against."
Elena sucks her lower lip between her teeth as she stares at her coach.
"If you're not tough enough you're never going to make it. The pressure, the pace, and even the other girls are going to kill you. All this takes a lot of time and money, and I can't afford to waste my time. There are sponsors that have put up a lot of their money behind my judgment."
"I'll work hard, I promise."
"If I didn't believe in you, you wouldn't be here," Liz reassures her.
"The only question is, Elena, how much do you really want to win?"
"Move on him! Come on, let's go! Go, go!" Damon yells as the puck comes whizzing toward him on a pass from Anderson. He puts his stick in position, plucks it out of its trajectory, and snaps it, barely missing the net.
For the second time today, he shoots wide, sending the puck into the waiting arms of his scrimmage opponent. And that asshole laughs. Damon doesn't pay attention to him, though, because he's glancing at Coach Gerard instead.
His face goes slack, and he shakes his head.
Damon's so fucking frustrated. His neck aches and pain radiates down his shoulder, wreaking havoc with his concentration.
He positions himself for another face-off. Then the puck drops and Griffith passes to Jordan. Damon puts on a burst of speed as he lines up to send it over to him.
Once more he gets his stick on it and Anderson steals with a poke check.
Coach Gerard blows the whistle. "Let's change a few things up."
Damon groans and when the final whistle blows, Damon leaves the ice so fast there is probably a contrail behind him.
He's in the showers before anyone else has even unlaced his skates. Under the spray, Damon kneads his shoulder while the hot water pelts against his skin.
His teammates shuffle in. They leave Damon alone, but he can feel their eyes on his back. He cuts the shower short and gets dressed.
"Last few days of tryouts. How do you feel?" Coach Gerard asks.
"How should I feel? I feel good," Damon lies.
"If I were a pretty good shot, skate fast, and once in a while score goals, I'd still be worried about someone who could skate harder, shoot harder and is more suicidal," Marcel comments as he walks beside Damon.
"There ain't nobody more suicidal than me!" Damon boasts with a smirk.
"I don't know why you want to beat yourself to death playing hockey."
"I didn't make the cut?" Damon asks, his mood turning sour.
"What were you taking in college? Premed someone told me. You'll be on the other side of the stitches in this game."
"Well, am I cut or not?" Damon grits out.
"Why would a kid, smart, not too ugly, want to play hockey?"
"Goddamn it, don't give me that. Did you cut me or not?"
"You're going to one of our farm clubs. You can go there and play with some of those killers for a while."
Damon looks dazed but happy as he leaves the arena.
"Hello there," Caroline greets with a smile, her head popping through the crack in the door.
"Hey, Care." Elena opens the door wider to let her new friend inside.
Caroline hands Elena a Seagrams Cooler and plops onto the bed. "I stole a couple of these from the fridge. Don't tell Mom."
"I won't." Elena shakes her head. "There's not much alcohol in them anyway."
"How are things?"
"Exhausting but your mom warned me," Elena yawns as she sits down on the bed and spreads her legs out.
"I know mom can be a taskmaster," Caroline laughs as she twists the cap off her bottle. "Do you have anyone special?"
Elena takes a sip of her drink, needing the alcohol if she has any hope of surviving this conversation. "If you're asking if I have a boyfriend, yes, his name is Damon."
"Ooh, tell me more. Is he cute?"
"He's gorgeous with dark hair and his eyes...they're hypnotically blue."
"Have you two...you know?"
"Caroline!"
"Well?" The blonde prods her.
"Well what, Caroline? That's for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot."
"Don't act so scandalized," Caroline mocks playfully, her blue eyes sparkling.
Elena sighs. There is no escaping the third degree. "Damon is amazing."
"I knew it!" Caroline bellows, pointing a finger in Elena's direction.
"Well, what about you?" she retorts and locks eyes with hers.
"I have and yeah, I enjoyed it, too." Caroline giggles.
Elena takes in a heavy breath, squeezing Caroline's hand as she takes another sip of her drink.
"Can we change the subject now?"
They both burst out giggling. For the rest of the night, they steer clear of any deep subjects, choosing instead to gossip and laugh and watch movies.
It is exactly what Elena needs to take her mind off of her feelings of homesickness.
The next few days speed quickly by. Elena spends plenty of time on the ice getting acquainted with Liz and her methods. Already she can feel her skating growing stronger and more consistent.
She's standing along the boards with Caroline watching some of the other skaters. "She's good," Elena mentions as Amy Bradley lands cleanly after a triple axel.
"She's a machine. Ever talk to her?" Caroline continues after Elena shakes her head. "She's as shallow as a kiddy pool," she quips.
"Isn't Amy on track to win nationals?" Elena comments as she stares at the skater.
"She's got it sewed up. Second in last year's worlds. Number one, retired to make a mint with Disney on Ice. Normally that would've meant number two, a French girl, Cecily something but she got hurt, or so they say." Caroline looks up at Elena. "Personally, I think it's mental. My mom used to really make an effort to watch her. I think she wanted to train her but she chose someone else. Anyway, whenever a skater disappears you hear he or she got hurt. But you never really know..."
"That's sad," Elena remarks with a tight smile.
"As Mom likes to say, it's a cutthroat business," Caroline comments as they watch Amy Bradley glide flawlessly over the ice.
"I bet she can't do a triple-triple."
"I've never seen her do one," Caroline comments.
Elena winks at her friend and skates onto the ice. She glides across the surface, picking up speed as she moves and launches herself into the air, completing a triple Axel flawlessly before launching herself into a triple toe loop.
Liz watches critically from the sidelines and as soon as Elena skates off the ice, she pulls her into an empty room.
"Next time you pull a stunt like that, it's over. Do you hear me? You can get hurt really easily and then where are we?"
"I've been working on it...I wanted to surprise you," Elena defends herself.
"It had poor form," Liz counters as she glares at her protege.
"You didn't even see it."
"Yes, I did or we wouldn't be in here. You have a lot of work to do and right now, you're not good enough."
"Why are you training me then?" Elena hisses, frustrated at her attitude.
"Let me tell you something, Elena. Those moves are big crowd-pleasers to be sure. To some of the judges, however, it's a showoff, in-your-face move. You can't win this game with that kind of crap and you could get hurt. Then your career is finished before it even starts and I'm out of both money and the time I've spent on you. And yes, those jumps are a very important part of every skater's routine but there's a time and a place for them...but not until you're a better skater."
Elena sucks her lower lip between her teeth as she tries to keep her tears from falling.
"You know what the judges want, and you do it better than the others. That's what wins. Amy knows that. Every coach here does. You can make a fool out of yourself, but I won't be made into a goddamn laughingstock." Liz pauses and looks away for a brief moment before turning her fire back on Elena.
"Now, which is it? My way? Or do I drive you to the airport right now?" Liz demands an answer as tears begin to leak from Elena's eyes. "Control yourself, you're not a child." Liz shows no mercy. "Now, which is it?"
Elena releases a breath. "I want to stay."
Forgive me for not replying to the last chapter's reviews. Just thank you all so very much. You're appreciated so much.
Barring anything unforeseen, I will update TQR tomorrow. Just so you're aware, next week there might be a lull, too. My husband and I are meeting our two daughters, Brittany and Sally, in Las Vegas for a long weekend. I'm not going to pay extra for internet at the hotel. They earn millions and millions with people gambling, their restaurants, shops, they could offer the internet for free.
Thank you, Eva. Love you. And kudos to CosmicAdventurer. Her stories are really so inspiring and original and compelling and amazing all around. And Kate is a brilliant writer, too. Her DE stories are all stellar. She also has Pirates of the Caribbean stories and Homeland if those are of interest.
Have a wonderful weekend.