Title: Sweet Caroline
Rating: T
Warnings: Stalker tendencies, Joe's inner monologue.
She doesn't just walk into a room; she owns it.
Caroline Forbes. Blonde curls cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, that saccharine smile masking something darker. I've seen it. The way her eyes flicker, just for a second, when someone doesn't meet her expectations. She's a perfectionist, isn't she? Demanding, exacting. But not in a way that pushes people away. No, she draws them in—like moths to a flame. Including me.
I first saw her in Mystic Falls Coffeehouse. A small town, quaint and full of secrets. At least, that's what I told myself when I arrived. I needed to get away from New York, from Love, from the mess I left behind. Mystic Falls seemed like the kind of place where I could start over. Quiet, unassuming. And then I saw her.
She was sitting at a table near the window, sipping something—an iced coffee, I think—while flipping through a bridal magazine. Planning someone else's wedding, I'd later find out. Of course. Caroline's not the kind of girl who dreams of someone else sweeping her off her feet. She's the one who does the sweeping.
I knew I had to know her. Not in the shallow, fleeting way that others do. No, I wanted to see behind the mask. To understand what made her tick. What kept her up at night. To be the one she'd confide in when the world became too much. And so I began to watch.
It didn't take long to learn that Caroline's life was…complicated. Vampires, werewolves, witches—Mystic Falls was anything but quiet. But she handled it all with the kind of grace that made it seem effortless. She'd smile even when the world was crumbling around her. But I could see the cracks. The way her hands clenched into fists when she thought no one was looking. The way her voice faltered, just barely, when she mentioned her mother.
I followed her to the Mystic Grill one night. She was sitting at the bar, talking to a tall, brooding man—Tyler, her ex. I could tell from the way she looked at him that she didn't love him anymore. Not really. But he was safe, familiar. And Caroline? She's the kind of girl who clings to the familiar when things get tough.
"Can I get you anything else?" the bartender asked me, breaking my train of thought. I shook my head and turned back to my book—something innocuous, Hemingway, I think. But my focus wasn't on the words. It was on her.
Tyler left eventually, and Caroline stayed. She pulled out her phone and started scrolling, her perfect nails tapping against the screen. I wondered who she was texting. A friend? A lover? Did she know how easily someone could reach out to her, pretend to be someone she knew, and worm their way into her life?
I shook my head. No. Caroline's too smart for that. But even the smartest people can be blindsided. And when it happens, I'll be there. Not to hurt her, no. Never that. I'll protect her. From the vampires, the wolves, the witches—whatever threatens to dim her light.
Because that's what I do. I protect the ones I love.
And Caroline? She'll love me, too.
Eventually.