I haven't left the house in a week because of the car that's decided to remain parked right around the corner.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?"
I looked up from the floor to Caroline. "Mhm."
She sighed and stepped closer, "I'm worried for your sanity. Staying inside all the time isn't healthy."
I sighed. "I just don't feel comfortable leaving the house."
She tilted her head, "Why not? We'll be with you the whole time." A smile formed on her lips. "Kai will be there," she sang.
I rolled my eyes. "You say that like it means something." It means more than anything.
"You're friends, Evelyn. And you're always in a better mood around him."
"We haven't even talked lately." I squeezed my arms tighter around myself. "And I don't feel like swimming."
"So just come to hang out! It will be so much fun."
"Come on, Evelyn." Bonnie walked over from the mirror. "Everyone's going."
Both of them stared at me with puppy dog eyes. I sighed and moved my hands to the bed. "Fine."
Caroline squealed and pulled me to my feet. "Get dressed. We'll wait for you."
I shook my head, "You don't have to. Matt called yesterday and said he was going to be late and that I could just call him for a ride."
She smiled, "Okay."
Bonnie smiled at me, "We'll see you there."
I smiled back at her. They both left. I let out an exaggerated sigh as I moved to my closet.
Even though I'm not swimming, I still put on a bikini. I pulled on a pair of shorts. I put on a white button-up, leaving it unbuttoned and rolling up the sleeves. I quickly put my hair in two braids before slipping on my shoes. I put on mascara before grabbing my phone and walking out of my room.
I followed the sound of Matt honking the horn of his truck. I got in and shut the door.
"Hey."
I smiled at him, "Thanks for the ride."
He started driving. "Yeah, no problem." He glanced at my outfit before looking at the road. "I thought Caroline said you weren't swimming."
"Oh, I'm not. It's just really hot out."
"Yeah," he breathed. "Loading those kegs in this heat was torture."
I glanced back at the bed of the truck. There were four kegs. I looked at him. "Who helped you?"
"Ty. He was going to ride with me, but he found a girl and they rode together."
"As per usual." I looked out my window. The music playing from the radio drifted to my ears.
"Hey, you're close with Kai, right?"
"I guess so. Why?"
"I was just curious."
I looked at him. His brows were furrowed. He tightened his grip on the wheel. I looked out the window again, brushing off his question.
I got out of the truck, taking in the lake. There were a lot more people than I pictured; at least forty people were in the water, and twenty people were out of it. All of them seemed happy, though. I walked to the bed of the truck. I watched Matt pull the tailgate down. He offered me his hands once he was standing on the truck bed. I took his hands, and he pulled me up. I walked behind the kegs and grabbed the tap.
"Hey, Ev! I didn't think you were coming."
I looked over at Jeremy, who was standing beside Tyler. "Well, I wasn't, but you know Caroline."
He laughed softly before climbing on the bed of the truck. He helped Matt unload two of the kegs. Tyler whistled to me and held up his hands. I tossed him one of the taps that were at my feet. He caught it easily and followed Matt and Jeremy.
"I thought you weren't swimming."
I looked at Caroline, who was standing beside the truck. She crossed her arms, resting them on the side of the bed. "I'm not."
"So the top is to what? Get your way."
"Yeah, pretty much. I've decided to stop using my wits and use my tits instead. It's way less work."
She laughed and tilted her head. "Can you use your wits for a minute and tap the keg?"
I nodded and turned toward the keg. I fixed the tap and then filled the empty cup she handed me.
"Me next!" Elena shoved her cup toward me.
I filled her cup and then handed it back to her. She smiled before taking a drink.
"Are you not drinking?"
I looked at Caroline. I remembered the last time I drank. I forced the smile to stay on my face. "Getting drunk really works against me."
She tilted her head, "Have a little fun, Ev. You're young, and you need to enjoy underage drinking while you still can."
I laughed and shook my head. "What?"
She pulled back and moved to the tailgate. She walked toward me. She put her hand on my shoulder. "You're scared to drink. Understandably. But nothing can happen to you. I'll be watching you the entire time. Promise."
I stared back at her. "Care-"
She shook my shoulder, "I won't force you to get in the water if you just drink a little."
I moved my hand to hers. "I-"
"I'll move the keg closer to the edge, and you can be the designated cup filler."
I pulled her hand off, feeling annoyed. But she won't stop until I agree. "Fine."
She dragged the keg to the tailgate. I walked to the tailgate and sat down, letting my legs dangle. Caroline filled a cup for me and handed it to me. She stayed until I drank the entire thing. She refilled it and then walked away. I stared at the beer in the cup, debating on just giving it to someone.
"Hey."
I looked up to see a guy I went to school with. I tilted my head, "Hey."
He held his cup out to me, "Fill me up?"
I filled his cup, and then he stepped back. Over the span of two hours, I was approached by the entire party. I felt slightly overwhelmed by the demand for beer. I filled every cup that came to me, and my own, a few times. The alcohol was getting to my head, making me giddier than I had intended to be.
There were at least eight hands holding out cups in front of me. I filled them as quickly as possible and accidentally spilled beer onto their hands and my thighs. The music got louder, and they all hollered and swarmed away.
I stopped giggling to take another drink. I pulled the cup away and turned it upside down, watching the last few drips fall into the grass. I looked up from the cup to see everyone close together and singing with each other. There were still people in the water splashing at each other. I looked back at my cup as I went to take another drink. I sighed, remembering the emptiness.
I tried to fill my cup, but nothing would come out. An empty keg. I carefully pulled myself to my feet. I watched my feet as I walked to the other keg. I looked for the tap, only to realize it's on the other keg.
I sighed in defeat and sat down. I leaned back against the truck and stared at my shoes. I realized that I hadn't seen Kai this entire time. I looked over at the hoard of people, not seeing Kai. I felt my stomach sink. He's obviously alive, but he's not here.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I focused my eyes on the screen, then called him. I closed my eyes as I put the phone at the side of my face.
"Hey."
"So you're not dying?"
He laughed breathily. "What?"
"You were supposed to be here at the party. Now I'm stuck, and I don't want to be here. Matt can't drive me because he started drinking. You were supposed to be my out. You've made yourself a new enemy, Malachai."
"Wow. My full name. How drunk are you?"
"Um, I can't remember anything, if that tells you something. Except, I remember hearing that you were supposed to be here. And you aren't, so..."
"How adorable, you were waiting for me."
"Actually, I'm just stuck here." I lifted my head and looked at the crowd of people. "Everyone I know is way past drunk." I furrowed my brows. "We just had this conversation." I sighed. "I'm really mad at you."
"How mad?"
"If I could, I would strangle you."
"Just strangle yourself."
"I'm hanging up. Don't call me."
"Look to your right."
"Why? Is there a gun aimed at my head?" I looked over to see him at the edge of the grass. "I have to go. I need to deal with my stalker." I pulled my phone away from my face and ended the call. I put my phone in my back pocket before rising to my feet. I stared at my feet as I walked to the tailgate, trying my best to keep my balance.
"Need some help?"
I looked up from my feet to see Kai staring up at me. "Why are you here?"
"You needed a ride."
"So you decided to show up when I needed you instead of being here the entire time?"
"Yeah." He held out his hands. "Let's go." He grabbed my waist, and I put my hands on his shoulders. He lifted me and put me on the ground. He kept his hands on me.
I looked up at his face. He was a little blurry, but I could still make out his features. His hands were firm on my hips, keeping me against him. "You have really pretty eyes."
He tilted his head, "Can you walk, baby?"
I slid my hands to his biceps. A small giggle passed my lips, feeling how muscular he was. "Yeah, but you can carry me instead."
He fought against the smile on his face. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he slid one arm around my back and the other under my legs. I stared at his face as he walked. The structure of his face was pleasing to look at.
He set my feet on the ground carefully. I slid my hands to his chest and looked at the door as he opened it. He helped me into the seat. He shut the door and walked to his side.
I closed my eyes as I leaned back into the seat. "I wish you were there."
"At the party?"
"Mhm. I was bored. If you were there, we could've snuck away and had sex against a tree or something. But you weren't there."
"Well, you were drinking, so..."
"So, it's never stopped anyone before." I furrowed my brows, "Why did I say that?"
"Just don't talk. People say weird things when they're drunk. Things they probably shouldn't say."
"Yeah." I breathed out slowly. "I'm tired."
"So go to sleep."
"You'll lock me in here and..." My words went unfinished as I forgot what they were. "I'm sorry for bothering you."
"You're not bothering me."
"But you were obviously busy, or else you would've come to the party. You were busy."
"I was helping someone."
"A girl?"
"Not any that you're thinking of. Just be quiet and go to sleep."
I was too tired to think of a rebuttal. I let myself relax further into his seat.
...
I took the last drink of water in the glass and got up. I started to walk to the kitchen, but there was a knock on the door. I answered it. I stood up straighter, seeing Kai. "Hi."
"You're avoiding me."
I rolled my eyes as I turned away. "I'm not avoiding you," I kept walking toward the kitchen.
He followed me, "Well, I haven't heard from you or seen you in a week. What would you call it?"
I put the glass in the sink. "Seclusion." I turned to face him. "It's not just you I'm avoiding."
"Why are you avoiding everyone, then?"
I crossed my arms. "Because I can."
"Really? Usually, when someone shuts everyone out for more than a few days at a time, it means something's wrong."
I tilted my head, "Strange."
He tilted his head, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me, I just want to be alone. I'm not hurting anyone, so you shouldn't care."
"Believe me, I don't want to care as much as I do, but I can't help it. Just tell me what's wrong so I can help you."
I stared at him, debating on telling him the truth. I uncrossed my arms and grabbed his hand. I dragged him with me to the living room. I pulled back the curtain and pointed toward the car that's still there. He put his hand on the wall and leaned down next to me to see the car.
"They've been there for two weeks. I don't know who they are, but they definitely know who I am. They follow me everywhere, which is why I don't go anywhere. I've tried to figure out who they are, but I can't get close to them, or they just drive away."
I looked at him. His face was inches from mine. I recognized the look in his eyes. The anger and the murderous thoughts. I squeezed his hand gently to pull him out of his head. He slowly looked at me. His eyes moved from my lips to my eyes quickly. My breath caught in my throat. My chest felt tight from the distance between us.
"How long have you been here alone?"
"A few days. It's been fine. They never come closer than where they are now."
"You can stay here."
"They don't do anything. They're just stalking me."
"They're tracking you and watching you. Being alone is dangerous for you."
"I'm not leaving just because someone wants to follow me."
"I'm not leaving you alone until you realize how dangerous this is."
I tilted my head, "I don't need you to protect me."
"I'm not arguing with you about this. I'm staying here." I turned away from him and started walking out of the living room. "Where are you going?" He started following me.
"Away from you. I don't need your protection." I reached for the door, and he put his hands on my shoulder, turning me to face him and holding me against the wall. He leaned closer. I felt my breathing stop.
"Unless you want me to go out there and kill them, I suggest you listen to me. I know you hate it when I'm right, but get over it. I don't feel like dying today."
I stared back at him, trying to understand why that made me feel the way I did. If he wasn't against me right now, I would be on my knees. I would never willingly do what a man says, except for Kai. Especially when he says things like that.
I stared at him, wishing he would do something. I don't care if it's a kiss or throwing me through the wall, but I need something other than him pressed against me.
He stared at my lips as he asked, "Do you understand?"
"Yes." My answer shot out of my mouth without a thought.
He pulled away, a smirk playing on his lips. "Good."
It took all of my energy to pull myself off the wall and follow him into the living room. I sat on the opposite end of the couch. I kept my thighs pressed together and my hands folded on my lap.
"Are you okay?" His cocky tone made me realize he could feel everything.
I looked at him. "I will castrate you."
"Then how will your problem get fixed?"
"It's not a problem, and I can deal with it on my own like I have been for the past year."
He lifted his brows, "A year?"
I rolled my eyes and looked away from him. "Just be quiet."
"Why? Are you getting off to my voice?"
I looked at him. "No! You're just annoying."
"Or you're just getting frustrated because you can't do -"
"Oh my God, just shut up!"
He shifted closer, "Why don't we just have sex?"
I scoffed, "You're not serious, right? That's what caused all of my problems."
He tilted his head, "It definitely fixed one of them."
"We're not having sex. Not now and not ever. So just," I gestured to the couch, "Sit back and be quiet or leave." I moved my hand back to my other.
The smirk stayed on his face as he sat back. He crossed his arms as he leaned back. He stared at the coffee table. "Just let me know when you change your mind."
I wish there was a knife in my hand that I could stab his chest with. "Change the subject or be quiet."
"Fine." He looked at me. "Why didn't you have sex with anyone?"
"Because I was busy with school."
"You had weekends and breaks. Did you not consider that you could use those to find someone to hook up with?"
"I didn't want to sleep with just anyone."
"Who did you want to sleep with then?"
I furrowed my brows, "What?"
"You said just, which insinuates that there was a specific person you wanted to sleep with. Who was it?"
I stared at him, debating on telling the truth. "No one." The doorknob twisted. Then there was a knock. "It was a slip of the tongue."
He smirked. "If you want, I can slip my tongue -"
"Don't finish that sentence." I got up and walked to the front door. I unlocked it before pulling it open. Caroline was staring at me with puffy eyes and wet lashes. She gasped softly.
"I forgot my keys."
"Care, what happened?"
She brushed her hair back as she shook her head and walked inside. "It's nothing." I turned to face her. She looked at Kai in the living room. "Oh." She shook her head once. "Hey. Sorry," she turned to me. "I can go."
I put my hand on her shoulder. "No, it's okay."
"Yeah," Kai walked over. "I was just leaving." He looked at me. "If you change your mind..."
"They weren't just threats, I will follow through and get away with it."
He smiled. He stared at me for a moment. "I'll see you later."
I tilted my head. "Bye."
He shut the door behind him. I turned to Caroline and walked her to the couch. She wiped at her cheeks, "It's really nothing."
"Caroline, you're upset. It's not nothing. Tell me what happened."
She took a short breath before looking at me. "I just - I broke up with Stefan -" Her voice caught in her throat.
My heart broke for her. I watched as more tears fell from her eyes. I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned into me, but she didn't hug me back. She rested her head against my arm. "What happened," I asked after her cries quieted.
She sat up and wiped her cheeks again. "Valerie is still in love with him, and he won't see that. Every time I try to point it out, he shuts me down and tells me that it's not true. And I just feel..." She stared at the ceiling as she collected her thoughts. "I feel he's choosing her over me." She looked at me. "I know that I'm just being insecure, but I can't do it anymore."
I shook my head, rubbing her back, "No. If he doesn't believe you, then it's his problem. You can't force him to believe you. If he can't see that it's bothering you then and you've pointed it out to him, it just means that he doesn't care. You don't deserve that, okay? I know that you love him and that you want to be with him, but that's not what you need. Especially if he's acting like that."
I could see the exhaustion on her face. "It's just hard."
I nodded, "I know."
She took a breath and looked away. "I just don't know what to do."
I moved my hand to hers. "First, you can start by getting some rest. It's late, and you've had a long day."
She nodded, "Yeah." She looked at me, "You're not leaving tonight."
I shook my head, "I wouldn't dream of it."
She got up and went to her room. I pulled out my phone and texted Elena and Bonnie. They both agreed to come over. I called Stefan, but I didn't get an answer. I kept calling until Elena and Bonnie showed up. I put my phone in my pocket and let them in.
"She's in her room. I have to go do something, but I'll be back. Thanks for coming. I know it's late."
"It's okay. Any time she needs us, we'll be here," Bonnie answered.
"Yeah, and the same goes for you too."
I smiled, "Thanks."
They made their way to Caroline's room. I tried to keep my anger at bay until I was out of the house, but it was kind of difficult. I started walking to my car, but I stopped. I walked over to Kai's car. He rolled down his window.
"What are you still doing here?"
"You look pissed. What did I do?"
"You didn't do anything this time. You need to leave."
He tilted his head, "Let me drive you to wherever you're storming off to, and then we'll see about that."
I felt too upset to argue. "Fine." I walked to the passenger side and got in. I buckled up, and he started driving.
He didn't try to speak except to ask me where to go. I told him, and it was the only thing I said the entire drive. Before he could even park, I was out of the car. I beat on the door after making sure it wasn't unlocked.
After two minutes of almost breaking my hand, Damon pulled the door open. "What the hell do you want?"
"Where's Stefan?"
"In the kit -"
I stormed into the kitchen. Stefan was standing behind the island, staring at a cup on the counter. He looked up at me, then sighed, "Not now, Evelyn."
"Yes, now!" I walked to the island. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He looked at me again. "This isn't about you! You don't get to insert yourself into this!"
"Like hell I don't! Caroline's my sister, and I'll be damned if I stand by and watch you of all people treat her the way you do!"
"She's the one who broke up with me!"
"Because of what you did! You can't just be buddies with the girl who hates your girlfriend, especially not when it's someone you've been in a relationship with!"
"That's complicated, and I still don't see how this is any of your business!"
"Then uncover your ears and take responsibility for your poor decisions!"
"Valerie and I are just friends! Caroline has no right to decide who I'm friends with!"
"She's not trying to control you! She was asking you to realize what it was doing to her, not to cut everyone out of your life! Valerie is your ex; someone you've slept with! Feelings like that just don't go away!"
"You would know that, wouldn't you?"
I was taken aback. "What?"
"You're projecting your feelings onto me -"
"You don't think I've wasted enough on you already? Get over yourself."
"You first."
I tilted my head, staring at him. He seemed careless and unbothered. I shook my head once. "You don't care."
"I never said that."
"Then why are you acting like it? You can't be nonchalant about loving someone, especially not someone like Caroline."
"Again, I'm not the one who broke us up. I didn't see a problem in our relationship."
"Obviously! You weren't listening to her! If you had been listening, you would've known she didn't feel like you loved her anymore. She knows she deserves better, and that's why she didn't fight you on this. You wouldn't have listened."
"Um..." The voice of a woman took me by surprise. I looked over to see Valerie standing in the middle of the kitchen. Damon was at the door by Kai.
I looked at Stefan. "You're kidding, right?"
He tilted his head, "It's not what you think."
"How long has she been here?" He didn't answer. "Would you tell Caroline that she was here?" He didn't answer. I put my hands up, "You're unbelievable!"
"Evelyn."
I walked past Valerie, then past Damon and Kai. Kai followed a delayed second later. I put my hand on the handle, but Kai put his hand on the door, stopping me from opening it. "Hey."
I looked at him, "I don't want to talk about it. Just take me home."
He tilted his head, "Evelyn -"
"Take me home."
He sighed before stepping away. I got in. A few minutes later, he was driving. I leaned my head back against the seat and stared out the window to try and distract myself.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this."
"I didn't have to, I wanted to."
"Still... Their drama is theirs, and you don't need to get involved in it. You did anyway because you're a good person and you care about the people you love."
"Or maybe I'm just bored."
"You're not."
"How would you know?" I looked at him.
He glanced at me for a second before turning his attention back to the road. "I know you. When you're bored, you go out and find someone to talk to. You don't wrap yourself up in other people's lives. You didn't do this because you were bored. You did this because Stefan hurt your sister, and you didn't like it. Caroline's not able to defend herself against him, so you did it for her. That's love, Evelyn, not boredom."
My chest felt tight as warmth spread through my chest. "It sounds like you're speaking from experience."
"Does it?" He took a breath. He gripped the wheel tighter as he leaned back into the seat.
"Yeah." Lifted my head off the seat. "Who did you love?"
He looked at me. His eyes lingered for a moment longer than before. He looked at the road. "No one. I just... I've seen a lot of movies."
For some reason, I don't believe him, but I don't argue the topic with him. "Kai Parker likes romance." I smiled, "Who would've thought?"
He smiled at me before parking the car outside my house. "I guess no one."
I unbuckled. "It could possibly be because of your homicidal tendencies."
He looked at me, the smile still on his face. "You think?"
"Or maybe it's because of your ulterior motives and the darkness you keep locked away inside of you."
His eyes searched my face. "Yeah." His voice was soft and delayed, but it filled the silence I left between us.
I stared back at him. The smile on my face felt easy to keep with the way he stared at me. I didn't want to leave him, but I know I can't start something with him. Our relationship is finally stable, and we're okay with each other.
"You're not going to stay here all night, are you?"
He looked from my lips to my eyes. "I was going to, but if you don't want me to, I can leave."
I wasn't sure how to respond. I shook my head once, "No."
"No, what?"
I moved my hand to the handle. "I'll leave the door unlocked." I opened the door.
The smile on his face was enough to keep me company for the rest of the year. As I got ready for bed, I kept thinking about Kai. Was he actually going to stay? I wanted to go out and invite him to come inside and just stay, but that felt too far. I have to keep reminding myself that we're not together and that we're not even friends.
I turned to face away from the door. I stared at the empty space of the bed beside me. I suddenly felt colder. I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to sleep.