𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 [𝟐]

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Riley's mouth gaped open immediately whilst Gwen wandered toward the door and shut it before she gave her one last look. Riley quickly jumped up from her bed and wandered toward the bathroom. She expected to see Elijah, though he had disappeared. With a heavy sigh, she wandered back into her bedroom and immediately noticed a note on her nightstand.

Meet me at the café across the street —EM

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After finally escaping the endless lecture Gwen had chosen to give her about the dangers of inviting strange men home with her, Riley headed down the high street and toward the café in which she assumed Elijah intended for them to meet. Once she entered, the bell rang above the door and Elijah's eyes immediately connected with hers.

"You left in a hurry, huh?" Riley mocked sarcastically as she wandered over to the booth he had chosen to sit in. Then, she noticed he had already ordered her a coffee. "For me? You shouldn't have."

"I had assumed that after a heavy night, you might require some caffeine." He smirked softly. It was clear he was still flirting with her by the way that he looked at her, but Riley admired that amongst the flirting and suggestive comments, he still remained respectful.

"I appreciate it. Thank you." She thankfully nodded and clasped her hands around the warm cup.

"So, back to my earlier attempted at conversation— what exactly are you running from?" He asked with a genuine look of concern on his face that startled her. "When we last met, I was so sure that you would never leave Mystic Falls behind. And, you would never leave Damon."

"Fine. Something's changed between Damon and Elena. There's something between them, and the more that I try to deny it and justify it the more I continue to hurt myself. I can't do it anymore." Riley explained with an exasperated sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. "It's almost like she's a completely different person now she's turned."

The suited Original furrowed his brows in confusion. "Elena is a vampire? How—"

"—Rebekah." The witch informed when she watched Elijah take a deep breath and lean backwards into the cushions of his seat. "The night that you were planning on luring Alaric away from Elena, She ran Matt's truck off of Wickery Bridge in some attempt to avenge your brother's death." She used her fingers to place air-quotes around the phrase death.

After hearing the actions of his younger sister, Elijah looked completely appalled. "I am deeply sorry for my sister's actions. If I had been made aware, I would have—"

"Listen, you can't control your sister's actions. Everything that happens, happens for a reason." Riley sighed out immediately as she took a sip of her coffee. "Though, I just wish Elena acted more like herself and not some mindless puppet that hung off of Damon's every word."

"And this sudden change in behaviour only occurred when Elena went through her transformation?" Elijah's gaze flickered back to her once he took a sip of his coffee.

"She was never like it before. She always respected that Damon and I were together. she never once tried to make a move on him. I just feel like since she turned into a vampire, he was the only one that she trusted to get her through it— the only person she was willing to lean on." Riley scoffed. "Just the other week I found her and Damon dancing together, high on blood like some freakin' crackheads."

"Riley, I think I know what's happened." Elijah trailed off as the strawberry-blonde's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I believe that Elena is sired to Damon. Meaning that Elena will do whatever she thinks Damon wants in order to please him out of loyalty. It's very rare, but it is very possible that is what's happening."