The Vampire Diaries: Natalie Gilbert

92. Are You Back?

Natalie's POV

I quietly walk into the boarding house the afternoon after the ball. I had sped back here wearing just Elijah's shirt and my panties, my dress and heels in my hand. I close the door behind me, trying not to alert anyone I'm home. "Where the hell have you been?!" Damon suddenly exclaims making me jump and spin around to face him.

He stands behind me with a stern look on his face as Stefan stands behind him, a similar expression on his face. "None of your business, that's where." I reply before pushing past him, moving to walk down the hall. "None of our business? Do you know how worried we've been?" Damon questions making me stop and spin around to face them. "We? Or just you?" I ask incredulously.

"Both of us." Damon replies before I see his eyes trail down my figure. "Is that a man's shirt?" He questions making Stefan furrow his eyebrows at me. "So what if it is?" I ask annoyed. "Please tell me that's not Elijah's." Damon scoffs and I shrug. "Maybe...or maybe it's Nik's." I tease watching both of them look at me in shock.

"You slept with both of them?!" Damon shouts and I roll my eyes. "Yeah, so what?" I reply, shrugging. "Why did you sleep with them?" Stefan asks and I scoff. "What's it got to do with you?" I ask. "It's got everything to do with me, Laine." He argues. "No, it doesn't. We're not together, Stefan. You do remember breaking up with me, right?" I grumble watching his jaw clench.

"I don't get how you can sleep with them." Damon utters shaking his head. "I'm single, and can sleep with whoever the hell I want." I tell him. "But them?!" Stefan exclaims. "Yes, them. I don't have to explain myself to either of you. I'm an adult and I'm single. I can do whatever the hell I like!" I snap before speeding up to my room, throwing the dress and heels in my closet.

I hear my door slam shut behind me making me spin around to see Stefan looking at me with a unknown look in his eyes. "I'm not arguing with you about this." I tell him before he can say anything. "After everything, you sleep with them?" He scoffs. "You're the one who has a problem with them, Stefan, not me." I argue.

"Why?" He suddenly asks and I furrow my eyebrows as I look at him. "Why did you sleep with them?" He asks. "It's got nothing to do with you." I argue. "It's got everything to do with me!" He argues back and I scoff. "Why does it?!" I shout. "Because you're my girl, Laine!" He yells making me look at him in shock.

"Stefan..." I start as I look into his eyes and I shake my head. "Please tell me your humanity isn't back on." I plead as tears form in my eyes and he looks away from me giving me his answer. "Oh my god." I gasp in shock. "Laine-" he starts to say but I cut him off. "How long has your humanity been back on?" I wonder. "Since the night on the bridge." He answers sheepishly.

"And you didn't think to tell me?!" I yell in anger. "I was scared!" He admits. "I couldn't stop thinking about everything I've done to you. And then I remembered the moment I broke up with you and that broke me." He explains as tears well in his eyes. "God, I tried to kill you." He says in disbelief.

"So, these past few days that your humanity has been back, you've been pretending to hate me. Why?" I ask confused. "Because you told me you hated me! I thought you didn't want me anymore and you proved that by sleeping with them!" He exclaims and I shake my head. "Don't you dare! I did not sleep with them because of you." I argue.

"Then why?" He asks and I feel guilt rise in me as tears drip down my cheeks. "Stop making me feel guilty, Stefan. You have no right." I utter. "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I just want to know why." Stefan replies, his voice softening. "I lost you." I state watching his face drop at my words.

"I love you so much even after everything. And it hurt not being able to touch you, kiss you, sleep in the same bed in you. God, I cried the first morning I woke up without you." I admit and I watch tears start to stream down his cheeks. "You broke my heart, Stefan." I tell him truthfully.

"You don't realise what you did to me. I was broken. And I tried so hard to get you to come back to me but you refused. And in turn, you decided to hurt me more. I wanted nothing more than to have you back and I still do. I love you so much that I feel so guilty for what I did last night." I say as I cry. Stefan moves in front of me and cups my cheeks before I subconsciously lean into his hands.

"I'm so sorry. Don't feel guilty because you've done nothing wrong. I'm the one who should only feel guilty because I do. And I hate myself for how I've treated you. I feel disgusted. I love you and I am so sorry. I'm so sorry, Laine." He apologises as he wipes away my tears. "Why didn't you come back to me?" I whisper.

"There was a part of me that wanted too. But it's difficult when you flip the switch." He explains. "Do you hate me?" He suddenly asks. "I tried. I tried so hard but I couldn't. Because I just kept hoping that one day you would come back." I reply. "Oh, what have I done?" He whispers to himself as he moves away and drops down onto the bed.

"I've lost the only good thing in my life. I've lost my girl." He whispers to himself. I lean over my desk and grab the page from his diary before walking over to him. "Did you mean this?" I ask as I hand it to him. He takes it from me gently and reads over the words before instantly nodding. "Every word." He tells me honestly and I nod softly.

"Where do we go from here?" He asks and I sigh, dropping down next to him. "I don't know." I whisper. "I want you back." He tells me making me look at him, seeing his eyes already on me. "It doesn't work like that. We've been through a lot these last few weeks." I tell him. "I will do whatever I need to make you mine again." He say firmly.

"Like what?" I ask softly. "I will run around Mystic Falls naked if you want me too." He says and I chuckle. "I might get you to do that." I joke making him chuckle. "I mean it, Laine. I will do anything to get you back." He repeats. "Kiss me." I whisper, wanting to feel his lips in mine and not a second later, his lips are on mine. He cups the side of my neck, kissing me like he used too.

"I've missed you." He whispers, his forehead leaning against mine. "I've missed you." I tell him truthfully as his thumb rubs across my cheek. "I don't want to ruin the moment, but Klaus and Elijah?" He asks and I groan. "Stefan.." I start to say but he shakes his head. "I'm not mad. Honestly. I have no right to be. You're right. You're single, because of me, so you can do whatever you want." He shrugs and I look at him in shock.

"You're not angry?" I ask suspiciously and he shakes his head. "No, because it's my fault. I left you. But I will admit I'm jealous." He admits and I furrow my eyebrows. "Why?" I ask. "Because they took care of you when I didn't, especially Klaus." He replies. "But you have one thing they don't and never will." I say and he furrows his eyebrows at me. "What?" He wonders and I smile softly. "My heart." I reply.

A smile grows on his face at my answer. "I still have it?" He asks scared and I nod. "You never truly lost it." I reply. "I will never, ever break your heart again. And if I start to, kick my ass." He tells me and I chuckle. "I will." I assure. "I love you." He whispers as he stares into my eyes. "God, I've been waiting to hear that for ages." I say making him smile sadly.

"I love you." I tell him before a cheeky smile forms on my lips. "But you have a lot of grovelling to do, Salvatore." I state and he chuckles. "I will do whatever it takes." He promises, linking his fingers with mine.

******

Stefan's POV

"I heard shouting. Everything okay?" Damon asks as I walk into the living room, starting to pour myself a glass of bourbon. "Yeah, we're okay." I tell him and he furrows his eyebrows at me. "Why ain't you mad?" He wonders curiously. "Because I'm not, Damon." I answer honestly, taking a sip of my drink.

"She slept with Klaus and Elijah, Stefan." He says incredulously and I nod. "I know but look at what I did to her. I broke her heart, I talked to her like dirt, and then I tried to kill her." I exclaim before shaking my head. "If we were still together and she slept with them, different story. But we're not so she's done nothing wrong." I explain.

"Now, I feel bad for shouting at her." Damon grumbles. "Look, don't get me wrong. I'm jealous as hell. But I'm going to do everything I can to get her back and I will her back. Because I'll be dammed if I let her walk away from me again. She's mine. And I love her." I tell him and Damon nods. "Do everything you can to get her back." He urges firmly and I nod. "And while you think of ways on how to do that, I'm gonna go apologise to her." He tells me.

I nod, watching him walk off. "And also brace myself for her punches." He mumbles making me chuckle. "That girl has got a hard hit." I nod to myself as I gulp down the rest of my drink. "Yes, my girl does." I whisper.