Silent Prayers

Chapter 7

"I just have to drop something off real quick" Stefan said, pulling into a gravel parking lot surrounded by construction equipment.

"Where is everyone?" Elena asked, jumping out of the jeep and looking around. None of the equipment was running, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Lunch break" Stefan said, smiling as he grabbed her hand and led her toward a construction trailer. "Everyone takes off except my brother" he informed, walking up the steps with Elena.

"He isn't working through his lunch break, is he?" she asked. Elena could see that happening, even though she hoped it wasn't. Damon was dedicated to his work, to his company that he had built.

Stefan laughed and opened the trailer door, where they both saw Damon with a stack of papers on his desk and a pen in his hand, writing frantically. Damon looked up to see his brother and Elena at his door, arms crossed and looking disapprovingly at him. "Hey" Damon said, smiling like he was doing nothing wrong.

"Working during your lunch break again I see" Stefan said, handing him the envelope he had been carrying.

Damon was guilty. "No, I was just finishing something" Damon told them.

"Yeah I bet" Stefan told him. He wouldn't give his brother too much shit for it. Not when he was about to ask him for a favor. "So, I told Elena I would check with you to see about a possible part-time job" he said.

Elena stood next to Stefan uncomfortably. She hadn't expected Stefan to bring that up with her right there. "We don't need to bother him with that right now" Elena said, brushing it off.

"It's okay" Stefan told her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. Damon looked curiously between the two. "Elena is looking for a few hours a week. I told her you might have something for her and you could work around her class schedule" Stefan explained.

Damon nodded. "Yeah, of course" he said. He watched Elena relax, like maybe she had expected him to say no. "Can I think on it and get back to you?" he asked her.

Elena nodded her head yes. "There's no rush" she told him, smiling. "Thank you so much." This alleviated the issue of her having to try and find a job that would be flexible. She had to take a moment to appreciate how fortunate she had been lately. Life had been good to her.

Damon gave her a small nod and returned her smile. "You're welcome, Elena" he said. Damon saw how happy Stefan looked, and not just about the job offer for Elena. Stefan looked genuinely happy with Elena next to him. "So, you two look like you're headed to the beach" Damon said, taking notice of their appearance.

"Yes we are" Stefan confirmed.

Damon smiled and leaned back in his chair. "I bet you have a surfboard and cooler in the jeep too." The days Damon spent at the beach were getting fewer and fewer as his business continued to grow.

"He's going to teach me how to surf" Elena mentioned. She was pretty excited, because the ocean was her favorite place to be.

"You'll do great" Damon assured her. "I taught Stefan when he was younger." He remembered the exact moment Stefan got up on the board by himself. He had never been so proud of his little brother.

"Do you want to meet us there when you get off of work?" Elena asked, extending an invitation to Damon. Stefan thought it was very sweet of her to offer, even though he already knew his brother's answer.

"I'd love to, but I've just got so much to do" Damon told her regretfully. He saw the disappointed look on Elena's face and he felt horrible. Stefan was used to his busy schedule, but Elena wasn't yet. "We're still on for dinner on Sunday, right?" he asked her.