Holding on (Vampire Diaries~Enzo)

Chapter 26: Moving Ahead

A/N: Dedicated to TheNinjaUnicorn for making this amazing new cover!!

~ Moving Ahead ~

2 January 1951~ Ruby

 

I never even considered that the goodbye before the party wouldn’t be our last. It never even crossed my mind. In my head there were two possibilities; we’d escape or we’d die. But the third one is one none of us ever imagined possible. We were saved. Mathew had risked his own life to get us out of that burning room – though he didn’t share any details – with a bit of help from Scott in the end, who had come running to the party when he saw the smoke. I was surprised he even listened to our warning not to come. Of course would Whitmore want Mathew to be there, but I imagined Scott sneaking in just because I told him not to.

Yesterday, I had been passed out for most of the day. And it took me a while to rip myself away from Enzo after being so afraid he was dead. We sort of clung on to each other as Mathew brought us up speed of what happened after we passed out.

Whitmore was dead.

Yes, really dead. And as Mathew told us I felt guilty about feeling relieved. I should’ve wondered how Mathew could keep us in the guestrooms when his father was around, but I had other things to worry about at the moment. I noticed Mathew looked torn too. Despite everything Whitmore put us through – his new friends – he was still Mathew’s father and he grieved for him. He was angry with him, yes, but he still grieved. I told him it was okay to grieve, that it was normal. After that he gave me a little smile and continued. The main hall I passed when I was brought to the party was also burned down, together with the ‘ballroom’ and the part of the house where the family used to sleep. Luckily the fire department had shown up fast to make sure the fire didn’t spread; the basement was still in one piece – something I was slightly disappointed about – as well as the guest wing.

I felt bad; all of it was our fault. The house burning down, Whitmore dying – though that would’ve happened one way or another. Mathew said not to worry about it but I did. We only brought him trouble despite helping us. His brother turning into a vampire, him betraying his father, the half burned house and last but not least his father ending up dead.

Now I am pondering over it all as I’m standing in the shower in the guest bathroom. For the first time in months I had a real shower. Sure, Whitmore let us clean up every once in a while, but that was mostly giving us clean cloths and a bowl of cold water. Now I let the warm water run over my body, washing away the pain, guilt and humiliation I have felt over the last months. It was all over. A new start was ahead. And we had a goal; finding Damon. I wash my hair with a flower shampoo – one that was already here, I’m not sure if Mathew got it for me or if it was for a potential guest. Either way, it smells amazing. I turn the heat up a bit as I wash out the foam and all my muscles relax. I suddenly wonder where Enzo is. Is he taking a shower too? I find myself wanting to know what he is doing and even wanting him in this shower with me. Oh, well, it’s not that weird considering I haven’t had a boyfriend for over ten years. And oh my god, I love him so much. After almost losing him I realize that even more. I turn off the water and grab a nice and soft towel while thinking about it. I smirk thinking about tonight. My life now will be so different. Now I won’t be on the road alone. Now I have a goal, a purpose, a boyfriend. Boyfriend isn’t even the right word for the connection that we have, but thinking the word still makes my smirk grow wider. After drying myself, I get dressed into jeans that fit better than I had dared to hope and a simple blue shirt Mathew had gotten me and I walk back into the yellow room. It was weird to wake up without Enzo lying next to me – I’ve grown more used to it that I thought I would. Unfortunately for us, the guest rooms are one person only and we both felt like we would be pushing our luck with Mathew when we would sleep in the same bed, packed against each other. Not that I would’ve mind, but Mathew wouldn’t like the idea. So we stayed in the rooms we woke up in before.