Love With Class

Chapter 16

Jake let his hands run from the tops of her arms to her hands where he intertwined their fingers and brought them up to his chest, cradling them there like he used to do several times before.

Shocked, Elena froze and she felt her body stiffen at the unwelcome attention she was receiving. It was what they called an out of body experience. She didn't know what to do, so she stood there with her eyes closed waiting for Jake to be done.

When Jake noticed that she was refusing to kiss him back, he let go of her hands and broke away with a look of lust and confusion on his face.

But before he could say anything Elena had pushed him back as she slapped him across the face with all her power.

Jake grabbed his cheek and stared at her, and as he was about to open him mouth he heard a cough coming from behind him.

He turned around to see Stefan walking towards him, and he seemed mad. Jake turned around to see Elena but she was already walking away from him and towards Stefan.

As Stefan approached Jake quickly, he was leaning over him in no time and speaking to him in a hushed angry voice, "You better stay away from her, got it?"

Stefan didn't look at him long enough to hear his answer as he took Elena and got in the car as they drove away from Jake, leaving him dumbfounded over the fact that he drove away with her.

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When they reached a spot on the edge of the forest near the park, Stefan stopped and got out of the car. He went around to Elena's side and opened her door for her as she stepped out.

They had been quiet the whole ride over, neither of them knowing what to say. Stefan didn't know what to say or how to react. He knew it wasn't Elena's fault, and that Jake had pushed himself on her, yet he felt betrayed. But he had to quit his belly aching because this wasn't about him, this was about Elena. During the entire ride over here, not once did he ask her if she was okay.

Stefan let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and he turned around to face Elena, who was leaning against the car.

He walked up to her and took her into his arms without saying a word. Elena's arms came to wrap around his back as she said a silent prayer that he wasn't mad at her because he understood, he always would.

Elena kissed the spot on his chest where her head was resting as she hugged him tighter.

Stefan was the first one to loosen the hold as he began to speak, "Are you okay?" he asked almost silently.

"I am now" she said refusing to let go of him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Elena, he kissed you" Stefan said. He wasn't accusing, nor was he mad, he was simply stating.

"I know, I was there" she responded simply.

Stefan let go of her to step back and look at her.

"Elena you need to stop doing that. Stop pretending like all of this is okay. Not once did you want to speak about him and your past and I understand that and you don't have to. But I want you to know that you can. You aren't even blaming him for kissing you. What is going on?" Stefan asked, almost pleading at this point.

Elena closed her eyes shut and ran her hand through her straight brown hair before she spoke.

"I'm trying to be the better person here, Stef. I know what kind of person Jake is and I'm trying to do the right thing. I don't want to hold this grudge and have this affecting our relationship. He doesn't have the right to walk back into town and mess up everything I have with you. I want to accept and just move on, move on with you." She said looking at him.