Rylie stood there as she tried to register what was now going on in her head. For 24 years she never had a name. She never wanted to know a name. Knowing a name would bring questions. Knowing a name would bring pain. She never wanted the name. She wanted her mom. Her real mom. She wanted Stephanie Carter. She was her mom. She was the one that raised her. She was the one that kept her going when her life was hard.
But here she stood in the backyard of the Salvatore boarding house her mind spinning. Not knowing what to do. She just stood there looking at the woods. They were so close but looked so far away. The wind moved her hair slightly. But she barely felt it. She heard the birds chirping in the trees. But it didn't register. She just stood there like a statue. Not knowing what to do. Finally she turned her head and she saw Caroline. Her first friend in this new town. The one who helped her when she first got here. The girl who gave her the clothes that she was currently wearing. The girl that helped her get her room at the boarding house. The friend that helped her get a job at the grill. The girl in front of her now is her sister. A sister she never knew she had. Never needed to have. Because she had her parents. And that was always enough for her. She saw the younger blonde standing there looking at her. Her mouth was moving. But she didn't hear anything but the thoughts in her head. She knew Caroline was trying to get her to talk. To answer whatever was coming out of her mouth. But it just sounds like white noise. Nothing registered. When Caroline finally shook her she snapped out of it.
"Rylie, talk to me. Are you ok?" The now younger sister asked. Was she ok? She didn't know. She knew she was in shock. She knew that her life just changed. She knew that behind her in the living room sat the woman who carried her in her stomach for nine months and then gave her away. Like she meant nothing. She knew for 24 years she had two sets of parents. One set that didn't want her and one that did.
"I… I…I…" was all she could get out. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to act. She didn't know what to do. She just stood there. Trying to understand. Her brain was trying to put together a puzzle that she never wanted to put together.
She had only been in Mystic Falls for a few months. She had made friends there. She made home for herself for the first time in years. And in a matter of moments, it was all a lie. She shouldn't have stayed. She should have left in the middle of the night the first night here. She should have just walked out of Caroline's house and never turned back. But she stayed. And she ended up loving it here.
She was still looking at the young vampire when another face appeared. First she saw his eyes. The eyes she had come to really enjoy. Not that she even confessed that to herself yet. But there they were staring back at her. He didn't say anything. His mouth wasn't moving. He was the one person who never questioned her about her past. They had a weird friendship. They bickered in a friendly way.
But Caroline's mouth was still moving. She didn't know what was happening. And then she saw someone else come into her vision. It was the younger brother. The brother she thought was one of her really good friends here. He let her move into the house. They stayed up many nights together talking about everything. He was the one to make sure she was alright after the party at Klaus's house for days after. He asked so many times that she told him to stop asking or she was going to slap him upside the head. And he never did again. He's the one that drove her to work sometimes. Or let her borrow his red sports car. And now looking at him she saw betrayal. She saw lies and hurt and dishonesty. And that's when she finally moved. She moved toward Stefan and slapped him across the face. She had never hit anyone before. Especially not someone she come to care so much about. He looked pained. Not that it actually hurt him. But that she did it. She took one more look at the vampire and turned and walked away. She heard Caroline calling after her but she kept walking.
"Rylie, please stop. Talk to me. Please!" She heard from Caroline. So she stopped and turned on her heel. Behind Caroline were the brothers. Not directly behind. But close enough.
"What do you want me to say, Caroline? Yay I have a sister? Yay I have a mom who isn't dead? What do you want me to say? Because I really don't know what the hell I should say!" Rylie screamed. "How about this? Leave me the hell alone. All of you! I didn't ask for this. I don't want this. I don't need this. You caused all of this. All 3 of you! I didn't want to know who my birth parents were. You guys dug it up. And now I have to live with it! I'm gone! I'm moving out. And I'm leaving."
"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?" Caroline asked with so much sadness in her eyes.
"I'm moving, Care. I don't want to be around people who just want to stir the pot of my life. And cause me more pain. And drama I didn't ask for. I came here for a fresh start. And now I need to leave. So thank you to you 3 for doing this to me!"
"Rylie, Caroline and Damon didn't do this. I did. I did all the digging myself. Don't blame them." Stefan said looking broody as ever. She stared at him. She was so mad. She has never felt this amount of rage before.
"Screw you, Stefan. I thought we were friends. I thought you were better than this! But you are a liar. And you betrayed me." She turned around towards the house and kept walking. She heard Caroline behind her and she screamed over her shoulder "LEAVE ME ALONE , CAROLINE!!" And she kept going. She slammed the back door open to the house and was heading to her room. She would pack what she could fit in the backpack she came here with. She would grab all the money she saved. And her paperwork and leave.
As she walked into the living room she saw blonde hair and stopped. She turned around towards it and saw Liz was still in the house. And she was crying. Her face was red and tears were pooling on her shirt. She looked at her birth mother with disgust. She didn't care she was crying. Let her cry. She gave up her baby and went and had another one and kept the second. She had no pity for the woman who did that to herself. She shouldn't be crying. It should be Rylie. But Rylie was too mad to cry.
"Stop crying, Liz. You did this to yourself." Was all she can say before she turned away
"I'm sorry" she heard from Liz. It came out as a hiccup. And in between cries. Rylie turn to look at her.
"For what? Lying to me? Knowing who I was when you first met me? You probably figure it out as soon as you went back to your office and looked me up. And that's why I never see you. Because looking at me is too much guilt!" Rylie said screaming.
"I never wanted…"
"Never wanted what, Liz? To have me? To meet me? To see me? And that's why you gave me away?"
"To give you up. I never wanted to give you up" the sheriff choked out. "I never wanted to give you away." She whispered.
"YOU DID GIVE ME AWAY! Like I was trash! Like the red headed step child!" By this time Rylie was screaming at the older blonde. Not caring if it was making her birth mother cry more. She had a right to be mad. She was mad about the entire situation.
By this time the 3 vampires were back in the living room by the door. They didn't say anything. They stood there. Caroline was clearly crying. Damon looked… well annoyed. And Stefan looked guilty. Rylie looked at all 4 of them. And just shook her head. She couldn't believe this. She was surrounded by liars. Again. She ran away from people like this before. Just to be brought back. She saw 4 people in front of her. And they were all lying to her from the second they met.
"I'm moving. And I'm never coming back." Was all she can say before running back to her room to start backing.
She got up to the second floor. And slammed her door. She went right to the closet. Pulled out her backpack. And started to figure out what she needed and what would fit. She grabbed the hat box with the money she saved and put that in with her important paperwork. It went into a plastic bag at the bottom. Where it always had gone. She started looking at the massive amount of clothes she accumulated the last few months and was trying to decide what she needed to bring with her. The weather was getting colder out. She would have to bring a jacket. Which meant no room in her pack. She would need the boots she's wearing to keep her feet warm. And a pair of sneakers to walk in. Maybe a hat? She was so overwhelmed. She walked into the bedroom pacing. What was she going to do? Where can she go? She couldn't stay here. Not with these people. She needed to get out. And now. She needed her stuff. She needed her mom. And that's when the tears started to fall. And she collapsed onto the floor. Her knees gave out. And she was sitting on her legs. Just crying. Uncontrollably. It was a loud hard cry. She hadn't cried like this since her mom died. Not even when she ran away from her home to find a home here. This cry was different. This wasn't grief. This was pain. This was hurt. This was a betrayed cry. She was lost. She didn't know what she was going to do now. She was so overwhelmed. This morning she was eating breakfast. Taking a nice hot shower in the comfort of her own home. And now. She was planning an escape in the beginning of fall to find somewhere else to call home for who knows how long.
She continued to cry. She laid on her carpeted floor and just cried. She couldn't do anything else. Stefan betrayed her. Liz looked at her at the grill weeks ago and lied to her. Who else knew? Did Elena? She became friends with her too. Did Stefan tell his girlfriend what he was doing? Did Matt know? The friend at work who would drive her home late at night after a long shift together? Did he know? Was he in on it too? Did everyone know? Were they all lying to her? This was all too much. This is not how she wanted her fresh start to go. Where can she stay? Just until she figures this out? She couldn't ask any of her friends. She didn't trust any of them now. Maybe Chris, her manager at the grill? He was creepy. But it was better than here. Maybe Amanda? Her annoying coworker? No. She couldn't deal with her. She would ask way too many questions on why she moved out of the boarding house. Especially since she had the hots for Damon. Klaus? He didn't hang out with her circle. She saw him a few times at the grill after his party. Ran into him in the towns square. He was nice enough. But she didn't know him well. He reached out many times asking to take her to dinner. But she always declined. Maybe just maybe she can at least stay with him for a night or 2 until she can leave. She needed a plan. She had to leave. Before she can think about it. She got up. Went to her closet. Grabbed the plastic bag out of her pack. She then went to her end table grabbed phone and her pocketbook stuffed everything inside and left her room.
She walked the 2 flights to the main floor and towards the front door. She heard loud voices coming from the living room. She heard Caroline berating her mother. And then Stefan. And then her mother again. She then heard Elena yelling at Stefan. But she kept walking. When they saw her open the door they got quiet.
"Rylie, where are you going?" Caroline asked. She was clearly still crying. Deep down Rylie wanted to hug her. She knew Caroline had no idea. Not with the way she was yelling at everyone. But she didn't want to look at any of them. She was still crying herself.
"I'm staying with a friend for a few nights. I'll be back for my stuff when I know more". And she walked out.
She made it half way down the driveway when she pulled her phone out. She dialed his number before she talked herself out of it. The phone rang twice before he answered.
"Hello, love. Nice to hear from you."
"I need you to come get me." She said between sobs.
"I'm on my way."