Pulling up in front of Bonnie and Enzo's home, after Matt turned the car off and pulled the keys out of its ignition, he exhaled deeply as he looked over at Elena. Ever since Matt came home from the station tonight, he couldn't help but get the feeling that there's something going on with Elena, something she's not telling him. But it's not just tonight; ever since Matt proposed to Elena, she just seemed so distant from him, and he doesn't know why.
Matt knows that Elena is really not ready to be engaged, which is why she still hasn't given him an answer yet, and Matt hasn't been pushing her. But he can't help but shake the feeling that he might have done something wrong to upset her.
"Elena?" Matt asked quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Is there something going on?" Matt asked, concerned and worried.
Elena exhaled deeply as she shook her head. "It's just work. I've been kind of stressed out."
"Are you sure that's it?"
" Yeah, why?"
"You just seem really distant, and you've been like that ever since I asked you to marry me. I've been trying to pretend that it doesn't bother me, and that maybe it would all blow over, and everything will go back to normal, but clearly it hasn't."
"I'm sorry, Matt."
"I don't want you to apologize, Elena. I just want you to be honest with me. Did I do something wrong?" Matt asked as he was still trying to figure it all out.
Elena exhaled as she shook her head. "You did nothing wrong, Matt. I've just been having a lot on my mind lately." She said, looking over at him with a small smile.
"Are you sure?"
Elena nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, let's go have dinner with Bonnie and Enzo." She said as she pushed the car door open and stepped out of the car to help Bella out and head towards Bonnie's door.
As Matt watches Elena walking towards the house, he exhales heavily as he shakes his head. He still isn't convinced. There's clearly something wrong, and Elena isn't telling him everything. A few minutes later, Matt finally got out of the car and caught up with Elena and Bella.
After dinner, Matt and Enzo went out back to chat about work over beer, while Bonnie and Elena caught up with each other in the kitchen over a glass of wine. Bonnie looked over at Elena for a moment as she set her glass down. "Is everything okay between you and Matt?"
"Yeah, why?" Elena asked as she took a sip of her wine.
"Well, it's just that you barely looked at him during dinner and when he tried to hold your hand, you pulled back quickly. So, again, I ask, is everything okay between you and Matt?" Bonnie could feel the awkward tension between Matt and Elena all through dinner, and she couldn't help but worry.
Elena sighs softly as she knew that she can't lie to her best friend. Setting her glass down, Elena exhales deeply. "There's a reason why I still haven't said yes to Matt's proposal."
"What is the reason?"
"I am not sure if I'm in love with him anymore." Elena said softly. Just hearing herself saying those words already made her feel even more guilty than before. Elena hates feeling this way, and she knows that she should tell him the truth. She just doesn't know how.
"Oh, wow. Um, if you're not in love with him anymore, then why are you still with him?" Bonnie asked in confusion.
Elena sighs as she runs her fingers through her hair. "In the beginning, everything was going great between us, and I was happy. But lately, I don't feel the same. I just feel like there's something missing in our relationship. I sense there's no heat or passion anymore, and it has been like this for a while now."
"Have you tried talking to Matt about this?"
Elena shook her head. "I never really had the chance to. Every time I think of telling Matt about the problem with our relationship, I end up chickening out and not saying anything." There are so many times that Elena wanted to talk to Matt and let him know how she's truly feeling about their relationship. She just couldn't find the words.
"You can't keep leading him on like this. If you're not in love with him anymore and if your heart isn't in it anymore, you have to tell him the truth, Elena. Matt deserves to know the truth."
Elena blew out a breath, knowing that Bonnie was right. Matt does deserve to know the truth. At least she owes Matt that much, considering she still hasn't given him an answer yet. Elena nodded her head as she took another drink of her wine.
"I'll tell Matt tonight."
Later that night, a couple of hours after they got back from Bonnie and Enzo's, and after Elena took Bella upstairs and into bed, she spent twenty minutes sitting on the couch with Matt in silence, trying to find a way to talk to him and tell him how she was really feeling. But how can Elena tell Matt that she's not into this relationship anymore without hurting him?
Elena loves Matt, and she always will. But it's just not enough anymore, and as much as it's going to hurt Matt, it's going to hurt Bella even more. Matt has become the father that Bella deserves, and Elena doesn't want to take that away from Bella or from Matt. But Elena can't live in a lie anymore, and just like Bonnie said earlier tonight, Elena can't keep leading him on, especially if her heart isn't in it anymore.
Elena exhaled deeply as she sat up. "Matt, there's something I need to tell you, and I honestly don't know where to start." Elena hated having this conversation with him right now, but she couldn't lie to him anymore.
Matt shut the TV off and gave Elena his full attention. "Well, I'm all ears, babe. Tell me what's on your mind." He said with a smile.
Elena exhales deeply again as she tugs a few strands of hair behind her ear. "There's a reason why I still haven't given you an answer yet on your proposal."
"So you finally got an answer for me?" Matt asked
Elena nods her head. "Yeah, I do, but it's not the answer that you want, though." She said honestly as she looked down for a moment.
"What does that mean? Elena, what's going on?" Matt asked. He was so confused right now and wasn't liking the way this conversation was going. He had always thought things between him and Elena had been going great. So hearing Elena talk like this was starting to scare him a little.
Elena exhales deeply as she looks up at Matt. "I think it's best if we take a break from this relationship." She said softly.
Matt was taken aback by what Elena said, as he wasn't expecting to hear those words from her. "You want to take a break from this relationship?" Matt asked, watching her nod. "Wanna tell me why?"
Elena hesitated for a moment as she saw the hurt expression on his face. She sighed as she shook her head. "I just need time to really think about our relationship and what I really want." She said honestly.
Matt reached for her hand as he scooted closer to her. "Just tell me what you want, Elena, and I will be happy to do it for you." He said as he placed his hand against her face and gently stroked her cheekbone with his thumb. "Come on, Babe, what do I have to do to fix this?"
Elena gently removed his hand from her cheek and sadly shook her head. "I think it's best if you just leave and give me time to think about this and about us," she said as she got up from the couch and walked past Matt and headed upstairs.
Matt looked dumbfounded but mostly shocked when he had no idea what just happened. Just a few minutes ago, he and Elena were just sitting on the couch, enjoying each other's company. The next thing he knew, she was asking him to leave because she needed time to think about their relationship and what she wanted, and Matt had no clue what that was.
Walking into the room that he's been sharing with Elena for a few years now, Matt looked around before looking over at Elena and placing both hands in his pockets as he exhaled heavily, "Are you sure that this is what you want?"
Elena exhales as she shook her head. "Of course not, but I feel like there's something missing in our relationship, Matt."
Matt removed his hands from his pockets and sat down in front of her. "What's missing?"
"Do you really want to know?"
" Yeah, I do. I think you owe me that much, Elena."
Elena was hoping he wouldn't ask that question, and she was hoping she didn't have to tell him either. But Matt is right; he does deserve the truth, and she does owe him. Elena exhales deeply as she looks down for a moment.
"I feel like there's no passion or heat in our relationship anymore, and it hasn't been there for a long time, Matt. I know that we've both been working a lot lately and barely see each other. But I feel like someone took the passion out of our relationship."
Matt sighs softly as he shook his head. "I love you, Elena, and I don't want to lose you."
Elena looks up at Matt with a single tear that fell down her cheek as she smiles sadly at him. "I know you do, Matt, and I love you too. But it's just not enough anymore."
AN: As promised here's a New Chapter. Elena and Damon will run into each other soon. Probably in the next chapter. As always leave reviews and as always, I will update as soon as I can xD.