Within Temptation

Chapter Six

Within Temptation -Chapter Six

It was Saturday already and Elena hadn't even picked out a dress yet. The week had been too busy with planning the venue with Caroline and finishing up her speech with Elijah that she had forgotten all about it.

But, it was something on her bed, a black box with a large red bow that made her stop in her tracks before she stepped inside the room. Then she saw him, sitting on the bed with hands to his sides, his hair a mess and the tie around his neck loosely hanging off his shoulders when he glanced up to see her surprised face.

"I was thinking about doing this a little differently. But, I figured that you've been so busy with all the planning for tonight and all the speech preparations that you probably wouldn't have had time to pick one out yourself. So, I had Caroline pick one out for you." Stefan explained, running his hands through his hair nervously when he heard Elena let out a small laugh, stepping further into the room and shaking her head, trying to disguise the tears that were threatening to slip from her eyes. Although, Elena was the only one who knew why she was really brought to tears. It was because no one in her life had ever done anything this nice for her, ever and just the simplest gesture made her feel like she was actually worth something more than what she had spent her whole life believing she was, a worthless girl that no one would ever love.

"Katherine, sweetheart. It's just a dress. Really, it isn't that big of a deal." Stefan remarked, glancing over as he watched Elena slowly undo the bow, her hands gliding across the black box before she opened it and gasped. It was beautiful and it must have cost him a fortunate. The yellow silk fabric and silver rhinestones just underneath the bust line, instantly made Elena love it. Although, it really did look like it cost him a pretty penny, Elena thought to herself when she looked over at Stefan who was softly running his warm hand up and down her right arm.

"I just thought that since tonight was all about you being back home. I thought I could do something special for you. Besides, you saved my life. However, I owe you a lot more than all these materialistic things. Katherine..." Stefan commented, his voice trailing off in a soft tone when he said her name, stopping the tracing of her skin with his fingertips, which caused Elena to look up at him.

"I saved your life? Stefan. You did that all on your own. Look, I know how much the drug addiction was hard for you and here you are. You're better because you put in the effort. It has nothing to do with me." Elena told him, trying to remember what Katherine had kept written in a journal she had found in Stefan's office. It had talked about how he was struggling, trying so hard to get past his addictions and yet, Katherine felt helpless in watching him destroy himself. But, she was also afraid that he was still using. However, that's where it stopped, the journal entry and as far as Elena knew at the moment. He wasn't using any longer or so she had thought.

"No, it has everything do with you..." He told her again, slowly getting up from his seat and watching as Elena placed her hands into the box, touching the silky yellow fabric under her fingertips, stopping abruptly when she felt Stefan's hands around her waistline, his mouth near her ear as he whispered. "You try that on after I leave here. I'm going early and meeting with Elijah and Damon. But, to be honest. I'm leaving because, it's going to be really hard for me to be on my best behavior and not rip it off you if I were to stay."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, letting out a nervous laugh and letting go of the fabric inside of the box and instead placing her hands where Stefan's were, resting against her hips. She smiled to herself, relaxing a bit in his arms. It was weird though, the feeling of wanting him and yet deep down knowing that he would never be hers. For Elena, Stefan Salvatore was her forbidden love and it was hard not telling him that she wasn't Katherine. But, that she was just a girl that looked exactly like her and that she was falling in love with him even if she tried to deny it. The tension and actions between them told a different story. Because, they always felt so much more than just a one sided feeling. It was as if he was trying to get under her skin too and make himself be all that she could think about.