I'll never love again [1]

MEMORY LANE

"Well, she's not the plus one I'm worried about." She looked at both girls before continuing. "Why is Damon coming?" Elena looked at her sister before answering.

"Because Alaric is a pity taker." Jenna rolled her eyes. "Come on Jenna, be nice."

"I'll be nice when Damon learns to keep his paws off you." That last part was obviously directed to Elena. Nat turned around trying to distract herself. The last few days she had gotten to thinking about her feelings for Damons and decided she would try to focus on something else, like her dreams and her weird interaction with Elena a few nights earlier. Thankfully, she didn't need to think about that anymore, Mason's voice interrupting her thoughts.

"Good news! I found the shot glasses!"

"That would be our exit." Elena said, beckoning Nat over. They went to the porch and sat on the chairs by the side. Just as they sat, Caroline arrived. She got out of the car and went to the twins.

"Hey guys." They both waved at her. "I'm starving, I'm gonna find something to eat." They nodded and she disappeared inside. Nat took out the book Elena had given her about Katherine's family.

"Have you found anything about her there?" Elena asked her curiously.

"Well, I've only started it today, so I'm still trying to find her name somewhere around here." Elena hummed and then stared ahead, obviously worried about something.

"What's up?" Nat asked her sister.

"I haven't heard from Stefan all day." Elena told her worried.

"Maybe you should call him, check if everything's fine." Elena nodded and took her phone out. "Did you tell him about the barbecue?"

"Yeah, but no answer." She dialed Stefan and put her phone on her ear. After a few seconds she looked at her sister. "He's not picking up." Weird, maybe his phone ran out of battery?

"Leave a message then." Elena nodded.

"Hey, just checking in. Did you get my message about Jenna's barbecue? Call me when you can." Caroline comes out of the house with a bowl of chips and sits next to Nat.

"Is that Stefan?" She asked.

"Yeah, he hasn't called me back. I'm trying to decide if I should be worried."

"I'm sure he's fine." Caroline started eating the chips, Nat stealing some. "God! I cannot stop eating. Stefan says it's a great way to sublimate the cravings. It's just horrible fighting the urge for blood every minute of every day." Nat looks up from her book, knowing how hard she's been taking the vampire thing, but grateful that she's eating chips rather than her boyfriend.

"I know that Stefan really hates that part of himself." Elena tells the vampire sympathetically.

"Yeah, and he hates that you're a constant temptation." Nat widens her eyes at Caroline's words. She pays it no mind and keeps eating. Elena looks at the blonde intrigued.

"He said that?" Nat could see Caroline's words were getting to her, so she closed the book to focus on the conversation, and if needed, intervene.

"The desire to rip out your jugular every time he's with you? Trust me, it's there. It's why I had to break up with Matt."

"Caroline..." Nat tells her, signalling to Elena with her eyes, trying to tell her to stop it. Fortunately Ric comes out to the porch.

"Hey! Food's ready, come get it." Caroline stands up excitedly.

"Finally, I'm starving." With that, she goes inside. Nat stands up to head inside but sees Elena's mood has turned sour after what Caroline said. She puts her hand on her shoulder, making her sister look at her.