𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 [𝟑]

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄

CHAPTER TWELVE | THE DAY I TRIED TO LIVE

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

THE MINUTE THAT RILEY EVANS STEPPED INTO THE KTICHEN, SHE SAW MET WITH AN INCREDIBLY LARGE ASSORTMENT OF CUPCAKES. Her eyes then lingered to Damon, who hadn't seemed to notice her arrival, he seemed far too impressed by the decorations in honor of Bonnie's birthday. Riley loved the fact that he and Bonnie had clearly struck up a friendship given the time that the pair spent together in the Prison World. There was a time when she thought the two would never see eye to eye.

"Happy Birthday, Bon-bon." Riley then cleared her throat and the Salvatore vampire turned dramatically on his heels to face her. "Uh, hello. Morning. How'd you, uh— how'd you sleep?"

"Perfectly." Riley nodded. She walked over to the table, where the cupcakes were set, and perched herself on one of the bar stools. "Didn't hear you get up this morning. What's all this?"

"Caroline's planning a birthday party for Bonnie." Damon nonchalantly shrugged with caused Riley's brows to furrow. "Yeah, I know, it's a little sad having a birthday party where the birthday girl doesn't actually show up, but—"

"—I think it's a great idea." The strawberry-blonde shrugged with a smile. "Yeah. I mean, Bonnie would want us to celebrate her birthday in style. You know that. I know that Everyone knows that. Caroline's just trying to do what she thinks is right."

"To be honest, I think this party is just a way to distract herself from everything that's going on with her Mom." Elena sadly spoke once she had entered the kitchen to see the couple eyeing up the cupcakes. "She also said that if anyone touched those, she'd kill them. So, don't get any ideas."

"What? You think I'm scared of Blondie?" Damon bit back with a smug grin that soon faded as he pulled Riley into a small, affectionate kiss.

"Hello?" A familiar voice echoed loud through the halls of the Salvatore house, which caused both Riley and Damon to pull from each other's embrace while Elena turned to them with wide eyes.

Elena shook her head at the couple. "No. That's impossible because why would he—"

"—He didn't. He's all merged, he's packed and he's on his way to Portland." The Salvatore vampire rose his tone of voice as the words parted from his lips.

"Forgot how massive this house was," Kai confirmed their fears once he entered the kitchen. "Yum, cupcakes!" He then turned back to Riley and Damon, who were still very much in each other's hold, though their lips were inches apart. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Kai?" Riley asked the leader of the Gemini Coven, with annoyance in her voice.

"Funniest thing. I need your help." He then pulled out a letter from his inside pocket with Josette written on the front of the envelope.