I didn’t give Damon time to react to my sudden movement. I didn’t even realize what I was doing until I felt his soft lips against mine, and the feeling of déjà vu flooded my brain. I pushed Damon away and turned around, avoiding eye contact with either one of them. I could feel Elena’s eyes burning on the back of my neck, but I didn’t look back. I continued up the stairs. I didn’t think about the day’s events while I lay in bed, trying to will myself to fall asleep. Well, at least I tried not to think about them.
Fiddling with the hem of my corduroy shirt, I shifted my position on Damon’s bed. Maybe confronting him isn’t such a good idea. But it was too late; he had just entered the room. I gulped. Why does he have to be shirtless? I mean, I’m trying to keep my focus. He frowned when he saw me and raised his hand to ruffle his hair, which was doused with water. A towel was wrapped loosely around his waist. I sat cross-legged and tried to find a way to start the conversation without seeming like some desperate melodramatic puppy. After much contemplating on my behalf, and befuddled staring on Damon’s, I realized there was no appropriate way of asking this.
‘Why did you do it?’ Damon wasn’t demoralized. It was like he was expecting this, which only added to my frustration. He ignored me, putting on a black V-neck and leather jacket. I breathed in deeply and was about to ask again, when his low voice enunciated.
‘Do what, exactly?’
I gritted my teeth. ‘Why did you tell Elena you loved her?’
He furrowed his brows and looked at me intently. ‘I thought that was what you wanted me to do. You were so convinced that I loved her, so I told her.’
My eyes bulged out as I felt my face heating up with anger. You could practically see the steam coming out of my ears. Is he blaming this on me? ‘I was convinced that you liked her, that you were attracted to her! Not freaking in love with her!’ I screamed. ‘Why would you tell her that you loved her, then go ahead and kiss me the next day?’
Cursing under my breath, I jerked when I saw that he had somehow managed to sit next to me. He wore an indescribable emotion across his face. Whatever it was, it was far from the superiority he usually withheld in front of me. Our gazes caught and I inhaled sharply. After a moment’s hesitation, his lip curled into the smallest of smiles. I broke eye contact.
I didn’t expect a smile. I peered from the corners of my eyes at him, suspicious yet relaxed. I don’t know how I was so comfortable at that time. He was still regarding me with a smile. Not a smirk, an actual smile. I’m not gonna lie; that shit freaked me out. Why was he smiling? I repositioned myself, trying to scoot away without being too obvious.
‘You’re interesting,’ he finally said.
My face scrunched up. ‘Err, thanks?’ My voice rose in pitch towards the end, making it sound more like a question. He rolled his eyes.
‘In a good way,’ he added. My stance loosened up slightly.
I rested my back against the headboard. ‘Why did you even like Elena?’ I felt bitchy asking him that, but I had to know. Damon just wasn’t the type of person to fall for her. My assumptions were proven true when he sighed and started to speak.
‘Remember Katherine?’ I grimaced at the mention, but managed a nod. ‘Stefan and I both used to love her, about a century and a half ago. She chose Stefan. When Elena arrived here, it was a sibling rivalry all over again. But she chose Stefan.’
‘Why didn’t you just move on?’ I asked after much thought. ‘I mean, sure, you’re attracted to her in a way. But do you really want to convince yourself that you’re in love with her just because of some brawl that happened literally ages ago? You’re mental.’ I shook my head disbelievingly. ‘You really care about her. But you’re not in love with her, Damon. Just admit that.’
Our gazes locked and I sucked in a breath. My eyes darted to his lips, but only for a split second. ‘You need to apologize to Elena.’
The look that crossed Damon’s face was a mixture of incredulity and dismissal. He snorted. I scowled. ‘Good luck with that,’ he said.
I wanted to slap him. Hard. ‘Are you incapable of remorse?’ I asked. ‘Just fucking apologize!’ Damon grimaced.
‘Fine,’ he mumbled. He pulled out his phone then froze. His eyes widened as he stood up in a fleeting second, and started muttering words – which sounded shadily like profanities – while running a hand through his hair. ‘Stefan stole Klaus’s coffins. The ones where Klaus kept his family – daggered.’
‘He did what?’ Damon didn’t reply. Then I remembered something. ‘Why did Stefan stop you from killing Klaus?’
I stood up and followed him out of the house and into his car. He didn’t reply, probably because he didn’t know the answer himself. I could see a flicker of hurt in his eyes; hurt at how his brother betrayed him. But it was gone in a blink. We sped away, and it wasn’t long before we reached the same grounds Bonnie had taken me to burn the necklace.
The building looked the same: abandoned, scorched and cracked. I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.
‘The coffins aren’t here,’ Stefan calls from inside and I shudder.
‘I don't care about the coffins. We need to talk.’ Damon walked towards Stefan, who was sitting calmly in a chair. I stayed outside.
‘Okay,’ Stefan replied. ‘Let’s talk.’
‘Nothing's ever easy with you, is it?’ Damon lunged at Stefan and they came shooting out of the building, landing in the dirt beneath a nearby tree. Damon kicked him in the stomach then snapped a branch off a tree and drove it through his stomach. I gagged a little inside my mouth and looked away, but kept my ears alert.
‘That is for screwing up my plan!’ Damon raged. ‘You stop me from killing Klaus and you steal his family! Why? Doesn't make sense! Answer me!’
I’m too scared to look their way, but Stefan’s cries of pain indicated that Damon was probably hitting him.
‘Piece by piece Klaus took everything from me,’ he choked out. ‘I'm doing the same to him.’
‘But I had him, Stefan! Why did you screw it up?’
‘I did it to save you.’ I glance at them just in time to see Stefan throw Damon off him. Damon stared at him, mystified. So did I.
‘What? No. No way. You didn't do this for me,’ Damon sputtered out.
‘He was one step ahead of us.’ Stefan wiped the blood on his mouth, which made me feel queasy. ‘If Klaus died, his hybrids would have killed you.’
I furrowed my brows. Damon’s features tensed as he registered his words. He simply turned around and walked away.
I jogged lightly behind him, trying to catch up. ‘We’re not leaving!’ I screeched out. ‘Did you forget why we came here in the first place?’
His fists clenched and he sighed. We made our way back together, where Stefan was waiting expectantly. ‘You should get back to the car,’ Damon said. I ignored him and rested my side against a tree, crossing my arms over my chest. ‘Stefan might hurt you.’
‘We'll see, you clunky bag of boners.’ I smirked. He looked at me, shook his head, and sighed. I laughed quietly then focused on Stefan, who looked like he was anticipating an interrogation. And that was what he got.
A/N
Okay, I know I haven't updated in ages. And I have no excuse for that so feel free to lash out at me :D Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I just want to thank every single one of my fans and readers out there. Whoever you are, I LOVE YOU<3