Welcome readers!
As you may have guessed, I've finished writing A True Best Friend, and I'm now editing/updating on a schedule.
As such, my new story is starting. This is going to be a darker story, only loosely fitted to canon. It is Delena focused, including a supernatural pregnancy.
I hope you enjoy it!
Relationships included:
Elena/Zach, Caroline/Tyler, Bonnie/Jeremy, Alaric/Ric, Elena/Damon, Caroline/Klaus, Elijah/Katherine.
Trigger warnings:
Age-gap relationships, pregnancy, major character death, unhappy-ish ending.
Summary:
What if the comet wasn't due until Elena was an adult?
Elena returns from college, feeling like a stranger in Mystic Falls. Her friends are all grown, going in different directions as she struggles to find her own place in the world. The arrival of a comet signals that her life is about to change beyond comprehension.
TW: Pregnancy, Character Death
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She pulled the car up in front of the house with a level of precision only achieved through years of repetition. Elena Gilbert knew that when she opened her door, she would be able to step out straight onto the path that led to her Aunt Jenna's porch steps. Technically, the steps and the house were her and her brother's since they had inherited the property since the death of their parents almost seven years ago. However, her and Jeremy had both moved onto college whilst Jenna remained with her husband, Alaric Saltzmann.
Looking up at the double fronted house, the wrap-around porch it's most dominant feature, she briefly considered turning the ignition back on and setting off on the 6-hour drive back to Atlanta. Unfortunately, she had nothing waiting there for her. She'd packed all of her worldly possessions into the car before leaving, each of her friends doing the same. The only person left in the city who might care to see her was Peter, and she wasn't about to turn around to face him.
Lowering the sun visor and opening the mirror on it, she briefly checked her chestnut hair lay straight. She audibly winced at the bags around her eyes, she really hadn't been sleeping well since he'd moved out. It wasn't likely to improve, either. Jenna's youngest, Mimi, probably wasn't sleeping through the night yet and if she was anything like her elder brother, Edward, she'd have a set of lungs that could wake the entire neighbourhood.
Yet this was home for the next few months, whilst she got her life together. If she ever got her life together.
It was only moments after she pushed the car door open, before she even had a chance to retrieve her handbag, that the front door of the house opened, and she was met by excited calls of her name. She was practically forced to abandon the vehicle and run up the steps to embrace Ed, swinging him around in an excited hug before he began to try and run down the steps to her. Placing him back down with a kiss on his cheek, she went to retrieve the first of her things.
Looking back over her shoulder, she couldn't help but notice what an idyllic scene they painted. Her aunt had the widest smile on her face, her auburn hair pulled up neatly out of the way of the reaching hands of the infant she held. Alaric was greyer than the last time she'd seen him, his stubble now firmly in beard territory but his hair more neatly styled than she expected. Perhaps she's caught him on a good hair day?
It took 15 minutes to gather in the pile of suitcases, linens and other random objects she had collected over her years away. They piled it neatly in the corner of her childhood bedroom, the thought of unpacking it instantly draining her. Instead, she retreated to the comfort of children- searching for her young cousins.
Edward was in the room opposite her own, sitting on the floor playing with a large plastic fire truck and making the appropriate noises on the way. Standing in the doorway, she contemplated how he looked so similar to Jeremy, remembering her brother playing on the same floor at a similar age. This was his room that they had refurbished, with his permission.
Jeremy and his girlfriend, Bonnie, were living in Denver. He'd chosen to study there, opting for the free accommodation their aunt and uncle could provide. Bonnie, Elena's best friend, had chosen to join him after taking her own gap year. Realising her best friend wished to spend more time with her brother had hurt Elena at first, and she hadn't been the most supportive sister at the start of their relationship. She was fully on board now, though, and was excited to see them later today. Just like her, they were back for the summer.
This year, though, they were staying at Bonnie's. Since the arrival of Mimi, the Gilbert house was full (given Elena's presence, of course), and as Jeremy had recently proposed to Bonnie, her father had removed the objection to boys staying in the house. Elena wondered how different their lives might have been if Jenna had such a rule, or if Bonnie's dad had realised Bonnie wasn't staying in Elena's room for all of her sleepovers.
After hours of unpacking, the doorbell rang below, and Elena quickly ran down the stairs. She practically assaulted her brother, launching herself at him in a bear hug. Jeremy could take the impact; Elena was sure he had grown again. standing a full head above her and with muscles that must have taken him hours of gym work to build. His hair was a messy mop on his head, the same dark brown as her own; it was never controlled and gave him the rugged artist vibe he was probably hoping to achieve.
Bonnie snuck in behind him, and as Elena released him, she squealed at Bonnie- instantly taking her left hand. She might have seen the ring in its box, and on Skype, but that was not the same. When your best friend gets engaged, you have to squeal at the ring in person.
"It's stunning Bonnie, I'm so happy for you guys." She pulled Bonnie into a bear hug as well, the feeling warming her to her bones.
She'd missed her friends this year, terribly. Sure, she had Kate and Sarah at college, but it wasn't the same as friends who had known you forever. There were aspects of her life she would never discuss with Kate and Sarah, and aspects she simply couldn't. Bonnie though, Bonnie knew everything. Well, she usually did.
Elena hadn't been the best at keeping in touch recently.
"Thanks 'Lena," Bonnie said, giving her a big smile. She glanced up the stairs behind Elena, "Is Peter not coming to say hello?"
Bonnie loved Peter. Last Thanksgiving, they had attempted to cook together, absolutely wrecking the place as they'd gone. The food had, admittedly, been far better than either herself or Jenna would have produced, but the mess they had left behind had been phenomenal. At Christmas they had banded together to get everyone one sock each, on top of the usual presents. Given they were states apart, the level of coordination required had been rather impressive.
Elena bit her lip, looking down at her fingers as she picked at the skin by her nail. The words weren't coming naturally, how did she explain what had happened without revealing to the two people closest to her just how badly she had screwed up?
"He's not coming, is he?" Bonnie asked gently, reaching out to stroke her arm in comfort.
Shaking her head, she managed to breathe, "No. We, erm, we broke up a few weeks ago."
"Oh honey," Bonnie pulled her back into a hug, "Why didn't you say anything?"
They wandered over to the sofa, pulling aside the blankets, plushie toys and a plastic xylophone that littered the cushions. Jeremy had discretely disappeared into the kitchen, probably to warn Ric to avoid the danger zone.
"You were so happy and settled, plus we all had so much going on it just didn't seem like a big deal." She smiled slightly, trying to show Bonnie she was okay. She wasn't, but it really didn't have much to do with losing Peter.
"Not a big deal? You were together almost 2 years! You lived together." Bonnie tilted her head forward, skewering Elena with an intense gaze through her eyebrows, "You can't tell me that doesn't matter."
"It does" She gestured, "It did! It just wasn't a major deal, there was no big fight or anything. We just, we weren't right."
That was as close to the truth as she was willing to go. It was a lie by omission, and lying to Bonnie made her stomach feel knotted, sore. Telling her what she had done though, that would be a thousand times worse. Maybe once the dust had settled, and she wasn't unemployed, living at home and without a single iota of an idea of how she was going to spend her life. Plus, Bonnie had a wedding to plan- she already had enough on her plate.
When she had her life together, after the wedding, then she could tell Bonnie the full story.
Changing the subject to wedding planning proved to be quite easy, especially when Jeremy disappeared to play with their cousins and Elena and Bonnie could really focus on the details of dress styles, place settings and the most important feature- the bridesmaid dresses.
Elena was, of course, going to be the maid of honour. Caroline was a bridesmaid, and a couple of witches from Bonnie's coven in Denver. Bonnie had revealed her magic to Elena during their junior year, in a breathtaking display of floating feathers from her favourite pillow. Her grandmother, Sheila, had informed her that she was from a long line of Bennett witches who were particularly powerful. Elena would have probably dismissed it as nonsense, the way Caroline initially had, if she hadn't also found out about the supernatural world around the same time.
She'd briefly dated Stefan Salvatore, who she thought had been a brooding seventeen-year-old. A journal writer, like herself, she'd instantly clicked with him. Weeks into their relationship, before it had ever become serious, her brother had managed to convince her that Stefan was a vampire. He'd been reading one of the old Gilbert journals and recognised the signs, encouraging her to test it for herself.
Of course, he had been correct. Discovering vampires and witches existed within a month of each other had taken some getting used to. She could remember the months of trying to research everything she could at the library with Jeremy, finding article after article of animal attacks. To his credit, Stefan had backed off the relationship but had remained a solid friend. He had answered every question she had and had helped her adjust. She'd spent a lot of time at the boarding house with him, and his 'Uncle' Zach, who was actually his only human descendant. Stefan had left at the end of junior year, which had probably been a good thing. Whilst Elena appreciated his friendship, senior year had been a rough ride for the full Mystic Falls gang.
"So, are you coming to the grill?" Bonnie asked, pulling Elena out of her memories of high school.
Nodding and standing up, she checked her hair in the mirror over the fireplace. The grill was pretty much the only place to drink in Mystic Falls, unless you wanted to travel to the edge of town, so it was always a hive of activity. They usually met the gang there; Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy, Tyler and Matt. Jeremy was the odd one out, being a year younger, but as he was dating Bonnie and was Elena's brother he fit right in.
He'd also been friends with Tyler for a bit, both interested in art during high school. Tyler had historically been a bit of a dick, getting into fights and badmouthing people. The success of the football team had surprisingly mellowed him out, it seemed all Tyler needed was to burn a phenomenal number of calories a day and then he was a pretty good friend.
Despite the fact Tyler and Caroline had recently broken up, both had promised to be there tonight to greet Elena for her return. It promised to be an eventful night, if nothing else. As such, she felt the desire to change. She'd travelled in jeans and a college hoodie, so she slipped upstairs and pulled one of her overstuffed suitcases open. Quickly changing her top half, she appeared downstairs in record time with a low-cut vest and a shirt thrown over the top.
Smiling at Jeremy, she mouthed 'ready' and they departed for the grill, shouting their goodbyes to Alaric, Jenna and the kids.
Walking into the grill, it felt like she hadn't been away from home for the past four years. Every time she visited; the grill always gave her that feeling. The decor never changed; the position of the tables never changed. The only difference was the staff, the busboys rotating up to bar staff and eventually out to other fields. Matt was a good example of that, only recently had he managed to leave the job to join the Mystic Falls police force. He looked the part, having always been a big, muscly guy. His blonde, angelic hair and trusting face probably put anyone he was helping quickly at ease too.
He was over at the pool table tonight, with Tyler. Tyler was the opposite of Matt, whilst they were both big guys Tyler's colouring was darker, his hair almost black. He had sleek features, a future politician. He was also very good at pool; Elena always marvelled at how badly Matt played, especially given he was the only one of them to actually work in a bar. Surely, he should have picked up some skills at some point, but inevitably he always lost. At one point, she'd accused him of deliberately losing but he'd insisted he would never do such a thing. She wasn't sure how much she believed him.
"Hey, 'Lena." Matt called out, giving her a small wave. As the trio walked over, he pulled Bonnie into a tight hug and shook Jeremy's hand. Elena slipped over to Tyler instead, wrapping one arm around him in a light hug and kissing his cheek.
"How are you?" She asked, with a tilt of her head.
Tyler shook his head at her, with a slight roll of his eyes he answered, "Why is it that everyone keeps asking me that, with a head tilt? I feel like I've stepped out of a friends' scene."
She laughed, she knew the scene he was referring to with Richard, Phoebe and Monica in a kitchen. "Are you going to give me the head bob?" She asked, cheekily and he happily complied.
"Seriously, though, Ty. Are you okay?" She asked, though she probably didn't need to. His face looked hollow, his eyes in pain. Tyler had always lent to the angry side when things didn't go his way, not sad like this. "Breakups are tough." She added, biting her own lip.
Bonnie was bound to tell them all about her breakup with Peter, and she'd have to explain herself again. Caroline would inevitably ask for more detail, Tyler would offer to drive over there and beat Peter to a pulp, and Matt would sit there awkwardly. Matt and Elena had a history, they'd been each other's first love many, many years ago and only Elena had really moved on. Sure, Matt had dated a few people, but he'd always been interested in Elena.
She'd tried to ignore it, deflect it. Dating Stefan had helped, but they'd only been together weeks. Since she'd been with Peter, Matt had been more withdrawn from her. Their friendship hadn't been as close as the others in years. Perhaps she could consider fixing that this year, with a bit of work.
"It's been tough, I've had to stay with my mom and dad." He finally responded, before deciding now was the best time to take a shot. Elena wasn't sure it was even his turn, but Matt was so wrapped up in conversation with Bonnie and Jeremy that he didn't notice.
Elena winced as he hit the ball with a bit too much force, sending it ricocheting around the table and into a pocket. Tyler hated his dad, he'd even moved in with Caroline and her mom, Sheriff Forbes, part way through senior year. She'd only really seen him interact with his dad at council meetings, and those were often filled with arguments.
The town council was full of bigots, but Tyler's dad was the leader of them. He was mayor of Mystic Falls, which gave him the position even though the town council actually had very little to do with running the town; it was an organisation that had been formed by the town founders to combat the threat of vampires.
Not that there was a threat, anymore.
She'd been introduced to it when she turned eighteen; John Gilbert had insisted she read all of the Gilbert journals and learn about the existence of vampires. He didn't know that Elena had discovered everything a year before, or that she didn't agree with his views that all vampires should be exterminated. Learning that her parents, Grayson and Miranda, had shared his views had been painful.
Eighteen was too young to realise your parents didn't know everything, or that their views were so wildly different to your own. Luckily, she had people to lean on. Caroline and Tyler, both from founding families, had joined at around the same time. Neither were particularly zealous, Caroline enjoyed organising the town functions far more than she enjoyed participating in council meetings. She'd barely attended a handful.
Tyler attended every single one whilst he lived with his parents but had rarely been at one since. He'd joined a couple last summer, both of which had resulted in scorching arguments with his father. Tyler was convinced he'd found a vampire at college, one that could walk in the daylight. The council didn't know that was possible. Elena did, but she didn't want to back him up, revealing her knowledge.
Stefan's secret was safe with her.
After the game, they settled at a table with food. Elena had escaped long questioning about her breakup, as luckily, she wasn't the most interesting relationship gossip on the table. Caroline had let them know she was running late, to eat without her, which had allowed Bonnie to dive into questioning Tyler about what had happened.
"I don't know, Bon, we just grew up. I wanted to come back here, get a house, be part of the town life." His eyes flickered to Elena and Jeremy, the only two at the table that officially knew about the existence of the town council. Bonnie knew as well, of course, but she wasn't supposed to and Tyler wasn't aware of her magic.
Tyler sighed, wiping his mouth before continuing, "Caroline wants to travel. She wants to work in Paris, Rome, maybe Tokyo. She was applying for jobs in New York and San Francisco. We were arguing a lot and..."
Elena reached out, wrapping her arm around Tyler's shoulder. Tyler had always been a bit of a player before Caroline, dating other cheerleaders and even Matt's elder sister. This was his first real break-up; they'd been together since senior year. The stutter in his voice made it clear just how poorly he was taking it.
"... I kept getting so angry. You know I pulled a tendon? I couldn't work out; I was so frustrated. I lashed out."
Matt growled, "You hit her?"
Tyler's face dropped, "No, no man, no I would never. I hit a wall a couple of times, smashed a few glasses. I was an absolute dick."
The tension around the table dissipated, the group letting out a collective breath. Tyler's behaviour was bad, almost inexcusable, but it was forgivable.
"Why didn't you call me? We could have come, visited, helped." Matt said.
Tyler just shook his head, "It was only a few weeks, when I got back in the gym, I thought we were working things out. I was calm, we were discussing maybe spending a few years in the city. She had other plans."
He shrugged, emptying his bottle in one smooth chug. Elena's heart went out to him, she'd heard part of the story from Caroline. She knew he'd been in a foul mood before the breakup, but Caroline had kept the aggression part private. Elena knew it wasn't the reason for the breakup, even if it had contributed. No, Caroline had left because she'd found the engagement ring in his drawer.
Hopefully, she'd tell him that. Elena might have to prompt her a bit, whilst they were both still in town.
"So, you're staying in Mystic Falls?" She asked, changing the subject to give him some relief.
He nodded, "Looks like it."
"Perhaps we can find a place?" She asked, hopefully. He wouldn't do well staying with his dad, and she wasn't sure how long she would be able to tolerate two small children running around. Plus, what privacy could she possibly have?
"Aren't you heading to med school after the summer?" He asked.
That had been the plan, for as long as she could remember. Her dad, Grayson, had been a doctor. His clinic had been right there in the square, only a few hundred feet from where they were sitting. When he'd died, all she'd wanted to do was follow in his footsteps.
"Nope." She replied, popping the p and widening her eyes. She hadn't even told Jeremy or Bonnie about her change of plans. Jenna knew; she'd had to be honest about how long she might be staying at the house.
She was met by a cacophony of questions, her friends all wanting to know why. Was this to do with Peter? Was she okay? Had she been taken over by an alien?
"I haven't passed the MCAT yet." She said, before downing her beer and getting up to wander over to the bar. She needed more alcohol before answering that question.
Of course, Bonnie had linked the lack of med school with Peter on her first guess. The intuition of a witch, perhaps, or just of a best friend. She'd got the order wrong though. Elena hadn't failed the MCAT because she'd broken up with Peter. She'd failed the test because she was almost late, hungover and racked with guilt. Then, she'd walked out of the exam hall and broken up with Peter.
Every time she'd tried to sleep in their bed, that day had run on repeat behind her eyelids. The look on his face, the pain. She'd always known the breakup would be coming, Peter was the kind of guy you dated because he was good. He was studying finance; he was calm and loving. He came from a stable home, one in which there were only two married parents, and they were very much alive. He wanted a white picket fence, with three perfect children and regular family vacations.
Pretty much every day of their relationship, she had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. She'd been waiting for him to realise he was with Elena Gilbert. She had six parents, having been adopted at birth and then left in the care of Jenna when her adoptive parents had died. Miranda and Grayson had raised her, and she missed them tremendously. They'd died in a car crash, picking her up after she'd snuck out to a party. Her birth parents were never around, the biggest part 'uncle' John- sperm donor extraordinaire- had played in her upbringing was introducing her to the council. Which was ironic, as that was only shortly before she discovered her birth mother, Isobel, was now a vampire. Jenna and Alaric were the only parents she really had.
She might dream of a white picket fence, but it would only ever be that. A dream. She could barely look after herself, how would she manage children? She was smart, yes, most of college had been a walk in the park. Smart meant she could handle books, exams, essays. She could write, her short stories had won competitions. None of that made her perfect wife material. For two years, she had waited for Peter to realise that.
He never had. Every day he had loved her more, driving more and more guilt into her. He was perfect, he was everything she should want. So why was everything so beige? But she'd stayed. Peter was an amazing, accomplished, intelligent man and he wanted her. Their life would be idyllic. What made her so special to think that was anything short of perfect?
Caroline had joined the group by the time Elena returned from the bar, having snuck in a couple of bourbons before bringing a tray of beers to the table. Elena noted that she sat as far away from Tyler as possible, her head uncharacteristically stuck into her phone as she texted someone.
"Caroline!" she squealed, resting the tray down not quite gently enough. Her friend stood up, she'd lost weight. Caroline was always skinny. Being tall and blonde as well had made her popular through high school and college, though most of that time she'd had eyes only for Tyler. She'd been head cheerleader, Miss Mystic Falls, and organised half the town and college events. Now she looked slightly too skinny, and her hair had grown longer than usual.
Greeting her with a hug anyway, Elena decided to keep the questions about appearance for another time. They had a few weeks at least before Caroline was leaving town. That talk was best away from the ears of Tyler, Matt and Jeremy. Even Bonnie, she could be a bit judgemental at times.
In her absence, the conversation had travelled back to Jeremy and Bonnie's plans for the wedding and their final year of college. She was glad to listen to Caroline's long rant about venues, caterers and menus as she watched Tyler and Matt go back for another game of pool. Being with her friends at the grill always made her feel a bit more whole, a bit more complete.
That was, until he walked in.
She knew, coming back to Mystic Falls, that she would have to see him eventually. Zach was normally a recluse though, staying at the Salvatore Boarding House alone. It hadn't been used as a boarding house since she was a toddler, he mostly made his living from royalties having written a few successful novels a decade or more ago. Predictably, they were vampire stories.
His short curls were greyer than they had been, even a month ago, when she had last seen him. He'd shaved recently too, which she always thought made him look older. Sadder, almost. He was scanning the room as he walked in, his eyes meeting hers with shock. She was glad, that meant he hadn't come looking for her.
Giving her an awkward nod, he walked past. It seemed he was meeting Mrs Lockwood, Tyler's mom, at the other end of the room. They'd inevitably be discussing council business, despite also shielding Stefan's secret, Zach was an active member of the council. Elena's heart finally beat again, having stopped for a second when she saw him. She wasn't sure she was ready to talk to Zach yet.
Excusing herself, she went to the bar again. Bonnie would judge her for drinking so much, but the sight of him meant she didn't care much anymore. She'd spent several nights in the past weeks drinking until she couldn't replay events in her mind anymore. Once her memories weren't there, she could finally sleep.
It was hours later when she knocked on his door. She'd refused lifts off all of her friends, until Tyler was the only one left. She'd intended to refuse him as well, drink until closing and walk back, but he had seen through her. Insisting on a ride, she'd finally accepted on the condition he dropped her here, at the boarding house, and didn't ask why.
He was slightly perplexed, but the group all knew about how she would spend time here. When she'd first found out she was adopted, and about the council, the rough patch she'd been in since her parents died had gotten worse. Jenna had tried to help, getting her to embrace the journal writing she had all but stopped. Sending her to spend time with Zach, a published author, seemed like a brilliant idea.
It had been for a time; he'd relit the spark she'd held. She'd written her short stories with his support, his guidance. Zach had become a friend, someone to discuss the crazy world they lived in with, and Elena had spent countless hours at the boarding house in senior year, visiting every time she'd returned home from college. He'd even visited her a few times each year. He stayed in hotels, unlike the friends her age who would crash on the floor or the sofa. He'd take her out for a meal, she'd opened up to him about everything, anything, she'd even spoken to him about Peter.
"Elena!" He said, opening the large wooden door. He was only wearing sweatpants, his reading glasses on. She knew he was probably in bed reading when she knocked. "I didn't expect to see you."
She could hear Tyler driving off, having seen her received by the open door.
"I'm drunk." She stated the obvious, she'd been swaying on her heels in the doorway before he even opened it.
He nodded, tilting his head as he assessed her. She'd missed that frown, the way he always saw straight through her with that look. Zach was one of the smartest men she'd known, he was always able to read people with such ease. After taking a long look at her, he opened the door wider to let her through, "I'll put the coffee on."
She wobbled through the hall and into the parlour, collapsing into the large chair she favoured when she was there. Coming here was probably the second most stupid decision she'd made all year. Confronting Zach in a neutral zone had been the plan, to meet and explain she regretted what had happened and she wanted to rewind the clock.
Instead, she was drunk, and he was topless. That wasn't a good combination, even her drunk brain recognised that. He was well defined, for a shut-in author. She knew he liked to run in the woods, but she remembered how pleasantly surprised she had been to find the muscles he always hid under baggy shirts and jeans.
Trying to look anywhere but at his chest as he brought her a cup of coffee, she found herself staring into the unlit fireplace. As she took the cup off him, he bent down, stroking her hair off her face and laying a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I didn't think you'd want to see me; you've been ignoring my calls." He said softly, sitting on the sofa closest to her. He clasped his hands in front of him, keeping his eyes on the unlit fireplace as she had. Zach wasn't good with confrontation, either.
She shrugged, sipping the coffee despite it being scalding hot. A part of her brain registered that she'd feel the burn on her tongue in the morning, another part was just hoping to sober up.
He sighed, rubbing his face. Zach was used to her sullen periods, when she'd first been sent to him by Jenna, she had sometimes spent hours just reading the contents of their vast library and ignoring him. He'd learnt which buttons to press to get her to react, to open up and pour her heart into her writing. Unfortunately, that meant he knew what button to press now.
"How is Peter?" He asked. She could notice the slight bitterness in his voice, but his face didn't betray anything.
Sober, she would have broken down and told him the full story. She'd have told him how she wandered the campus after sneaking out of his hotel room, how she'd barely answered a question in the exam and then headed home to Peter. She'd tell him how she'd broken that poor boy's heart, for him.
She wasn't sober though, so a bit of venom crept out as she snapped a response, "I wouldn't know."
His eyes widened as he finally looked at her, then filled with understanding. He was the only one who would understand.
"I'm sorry Elena, I know a part of you wanted a future with him." He smiled softly, reaching out and touching her knee.
"Why can't I be that girl?" She asked, her voice letting out a little wobble that she was trying to hide. Her hand met his, her fingers wrapping around those resting on her leg. She bit her lip and looked to the ceiling, focusing on not letting the tears run loose.
He exhaled loudly, "Do you want to stay in the guest room? I'll go get it sorted." Before she could respond he had let go, standing up and walking off.
"Zach?" She asked, placing her coffee down and standing up with him.
He turned, and she stepped towards him, reaching out to place a hand on his bare chest. This man had been invading her dreams for months, years even. He'd been forbidden, the older man who was so wise, so able to read her. She'd never dreamt he may want her too, not until that night.
He shook his head but didn't step back. Looking down at her, he crooked a finger under her chin and looked down at her. "Elena, we shouldn't." He sighed.
Then he kissed her, and she wasn't sure if the world was spinning because she was drunk or because he was sweeping her off her feet.
