A shrill ring echos through my ears. It's too loud to ignore. As my eyes flicker open, I realize that its the ringing of a phone. More specifically, my phone. With a groan, I lift myself to a sitting position. With the little energy I have, I stretch out my hand, blindly searching for my phone. Eventually, my fingers curve around the familiar object and I put it to my ear. Answering, I whisper pissed, "What?"
"Ouch, yeah. Stefan was right, you are not a morning person." Although I want to be angry at having been woken up, Caroline's friendly tone edges my anger.
"Care," I sigh, heavily. "Why are you calling me this early?"
"Early? Lily it's almost 10 in the morning."
"Point proven, Care. It's early. Now, what's up?" I ask, shifting into a more comfortable position. My back rests against the headboard as my body melts into the mattress. Damn, this bed is heaven!
"Well...I'm not sure how to exactly put this, but Stefan and I were talking and everything just started to add up and-"
"Get on with it care." I push her. I may not be as angry since it's her, but that doesn't mean that I'm in the mood to beat around the bush.
"We think Elena is sired to Damon."
Her words catch me off guard as I rub my eyes. It's another second before I actually process them. Sired? Sired! Of course. It all makes sense now and...and Klaus knew. That bastard was hinting at it yesterday!
"Of course," I mutter to Caroline. "It makes sense. I mean, it's rare, but it happens. The blood bag incident, it makes sense."
Caroline sighs in what seems like relief from the other side of the line. She's probably just happy that she didn't have to convince me. Damon did tell me once that my stubbornness was hard to maneuver to believe any thought that wasn't my own. "Yeah, Stefan and I were talking and the idea dawned on me. Tyler has told me what it was like to be sired to Klaus, to want to do whatever it took to make him happy. It just all fits with Elena."
I scoff. "Tyler might have gave you the idea, but I should've figured it out sooner. It was...it was hinted to me that the sire bond might be the cause behind Elena's recent attitude."
"What?" Caroline's voice sounds with surprise as she gasps. "By who? When?"
"Klaus. Yesterday at the pageant. I was ranting about Elena and Damon and he said it would all make sense soon. He knew that Elena was sired to Damon, and that eventually we would figure it out."
Caroline falls silent.
"Care? You still there?"
Another moment of silence. Then with hesitation she asks the question I've been dreading. "Lily, where exactly are you?" I suck in a breath. "I heard about the Elena thing and Stefan told me that you two are fighting, which you should've told me about yesterday, but that's beside the point, so I wouldn't expect you to come here when he's here. That leaves the question: if you're not at the Boarding House, not here, then...where?"
A long sigh drops from my lips. "Care, does it really matter? I-I..." My voice trails off. Then, knowing that she's probably already drawing her own conclusions, I huff. "Fine. I'm at Klaus's."
Another silence follows my confession.
"Caroline?" I squeak.
"I just, wow...Klaus, really?"
"I had no where else to go!" I yell in defense.
"Look, I get it Lily. I just...what's going on with you two exactly?"
"Nothing!" I exclaim.
With a raised brow, I'm sure, Caroline questions me. "Are you sure? Cause I saw you guys yesterday. With the champagne. On the bench. By the lake. There were a lot of smiles passed between the two of you."
"Caroline!" My fist slams into the bed below me. "Nothing happened. Nothing will ever happen," I seethe into the phone. "I only came here because I have no where to go and besides you, he's the only other friend," I hesitate on the word, "I have in Mystic Falls right now." I guess we could be considered friends. We've already determined that nothing more can happen, at least I did, so why couldn't we still be friends? I mean, we were friends once, long ago, why can't we be now? And although I would never admit it to anyone else, yesterday, talking with him, was nice.
"Lily, you know that's not true. You-" Care assures me, but I cut her off.
"It's okay Care, you don't have to lie. I'm not an easy person to be friends with. I'm used to being on my own." I sigh. I was on my own for so long. And now...I did it once, I survived once, so I will again. "Hey, Care, I got to go. I'll talk to you later."
"Lily-"
I hang up.
Sure, now I have Jess and Viv and Dary and Anna and others, but my friends...they only know me as Lily. The Lily they met decades ago. The Lily that parties and drinks with them. Even Jess, who I have trusted with things I've never told anyone, still doesn't know the whole me. And I guess a part of that is my own doing.
I learned quickly that you can't trust others to stick around, so why give them all your secrets. I mean, first, when mother died, Stefan grew distant. He was always closer to her, naive like her, and he took it harder than me. Then, Damon joined the army and our father, well our father the wretched man he was, expected me to become a proper lady leaving the maids to raise me. Next, Katherine came, stealing the rest of the love Damon and Stefan still held for me, and not long after she became the daughter father always wanted. I was pushed into the shadows. I'm used to being alone, it's normal for me. Family and friends is not a luxury I've known. Only rare times I find a true friend like Jess or The Mikaelsons and Marcel in the 1900's before they abandoned me, and now Caroline.
Being alone is not a sad thing unless you make it a sad thing. You just have to look at the positive side.
With a groan, I slide out of the bed, crossing the room to the attached bathroom. Stripping, I get into the shower. After washing off all the bad memories, I step out. Wrapped in a towel, I cross the room to a chair where I threw some necessities, such as clothes, that I packed last night in a bag. After making my dramatic exit, I had snuck back into the Boarding House and into my room to grab them. Fixing my hair, swiping on some makeup, I head downstairs.
"Good morning, Love," Klaus greets me when I step into the kitchen.
"Morning," I reply, opening his fridge, grabbing a blood bag.
Klaus, seated on a bar stool, leaning over the counter between us, continues the small talk. "How did you sleep?"
I shoot him a blank look. Really? Is this what we are going do? With a shake of my head, I mutter a "Fine," returning to sip on the blood bag, avoiding his stare.
A silence, awkward and filled with tension, follows. Then, a long sigh falls from the Hybrid's lips.
"I was going to be a nice guy and not ask why you decided to spend your night at my home instead of your own, but let's be honest," he grins, "I'm not a nice guy."
I scoff, turning to face him. "You can be when you want to be."
He meets my stare straight on. "Maybe," he takes a beat, "but that's not the case presently." He quips an eyebrow at me in question. I roll my eyes.
"Fine," I drag out. Klaus is smug with victory at getting me to crack. "Look Little Gilbert has been having these dreams about killing his sister, so Doppelbitch decided that it would be best to live with us. I protested, but Damon overruled me...so I needed somewhere to stay."
"And you picked my humble home," he smirks. "I'm touched that I'm who you chose to run to in your time of need." A glimmer of amusement shines in his eyes. He finds this whole thing funny.
I glare at him. A mock laugh falls from my lips. "Oh, yeah laugh it up, Wolfy. But no, you weren't my first choice. Caroline was. Though it just so happens that Stefan claimed her as sanctuary first. You," I whisper, learning across the counter toward him, our faces less than a foot apart, "were my last option." I suck up the blood bag obnoxiously as I lean away from him. A real laugh falls from my lips.
Klaus scowls at me. "Very funny."
"I thought so," I smile at him as I finish the blood bag, tossing it toward the counter behind me. Klaus tracks my movements with distaste, offended by the lack of respect I have for his home.
"So, you are in a brawl with both brothers then." His eyes find mine, a challenge sparkling in them. He's always known just how to bait me.
"Well, I wouldn't consider Damon and I in a brawl. We just had a slight disagreement."
Klaus shoots me a look of disbelief. "I don't know if any fight between you Salvatore siblings could ever be considered just a disagreement," he mocks the word.
I glare at him, lips pursed. Hands on my hips, I step toward the exit of the kitchen. "Then, I guess that's something we have in common: both of our families hate us." A toss of my hair over my shoulder, I stomp my way to the front door. "Thanks for the bed," I yell behind me, stepping out of the house.
...
As I walk into the Boarding House, I hear my brother's voices coming from the Library. Heading there, I find Damon surrounded by old papers with an old trunk and a glass of, what I can only assume to be, bourbon in front of him. Stefan stands over him. They haven't noticed me, yet. Too engrossed in conversation.
"Remember that?" Damon asks, handing Stefan a picture from where he kneels on the ground.
Stefan flips it over between his fingers as he glances at it. "New Orleans."
"1942, to be exact." Damon flips through more papers as Stefan kneels beside him, confusion drawn upon his forehead.
Deciding to announce my arrival, I stand up from where I was leaning against the wall. "What was in New Orleans in 1942?" In unison, my brother's turn their heads to look at me. They both eye my appearance, suspicion clouding their gazes. I keep my face neutral in hopes of giving nothing away about where I spent the night. After a few moments of unease between the three of us, I probe my question again. "So, New Orleans? What's special about 1942?"
Damon coughs, turning his head back to the papers in front of them, leafing through them again. I take this moment to walk toward them, eyeing the piles of papers as I go. "Other than bourbon and beads," Damon looks to Stefan than back to me. "Us."
Stefan frowns, recalling the time as he grabs a hat from the trunk in front of Damon. "Oh yeah," he sighs, moving it between his hands. He looks to Damon. "What was the name of that girl you used to hang out with?"
Damon shoots our brother a pointed look. I raise a brow. "That was no ordinary girl. That was Charlotte." Glancing from Stefan to me, Damon recalls his time with Charlotte, a girl who was once hung around him. He tells us about when he started first started wondering if there was something more going on with her. The girl snapped the neck of a solider in response to him spilling Damon's drink after Damon had told her to show no mercy to those who try to touch it. "That was my first clue." Damon's smile is bitter as he pulls his glass of bourbon from his lips, setting it on the trunk in front of him.
"She was sired to you," Stefan states the obvious, "and I can only assume you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?"
Damon rolls his eyes, brushing off the dig from our brother. "More like when she went all "Fatal Attraction" on me, then I had to make a clean break."
I frown, "How'd you do that?" I've heard of the rare case of a vampire being sired to the vampire who turned them, but I've never heard of someone breaking the sire bond.
Damon glances around the piles surrounding him, then sifting through some papers he comes across a square card. "Ah, phew, here." He hands me the card. I frown, flipping it over reading what's written on the back: "Valerie La Marche, 920 Dauphine St". I pass the card to Stefan, who takes it eagerly, as I frown at my oldest brother. "Who's Valerie La Marche?"
"The witch that I found to help me break little Charlotte's sire bond." I raise my brows in confusion. Damon really found a witch that helped him break the sire bond? I don't know. Something seems off about that, but I let my brother revel as he takes a swig of his drink before standing. Patting Stefan on the arm, he grins at the two of us. "Pack your bags, little siblings. We're going to Bourbon Street." Damon walks away but my voice stops him from taking more than a few steps.
"Sorry, but I think this is going to have to be a brothers only trip." Damon turns around to face me, his face scrunched in question. Even Stefan, who has ignored me this whole time, looks at me with interest. I sigh, clarifying. "I spent time in New Orleans once." My brother's eyes burn bright with curiosity. I shrug, "Let's just say that there's some memories that I rather not relive and people I'd like to avoid."
Damon smirks at my words, winking at me. "Oh, I get it." He looks to Stefan with amusement. "Our little sister grew up to become a Heartbreaker." He chuckles, finding humor in his own joke.
I smile faintly, letting him believe his own interpretation of my words. "Yeah, something like that," I mumble. Damon nods, taking what I say as it is, but Stefan, he seems to notice the hesitation in my voice as he stares at me all-knowing like.
"Well, don't worry Lilybug. We won't make you endure awkward conversations. I'll fill you in on what we find out." I nod at Damon's words as he leaves the room. I'm assuming to pack his things.
Once he's gone, Stefan frowns at me. I meet his gaze, biting my lip, unsure of what to say. He's not dumb. He knows that Damon got the meaning of my words wrong. I can tell that Stefan suspects something more as he stares at me like I'm a puzzle for him to figure out.
My shoulders tense as I prepare myself for his questions. But they don't come. Instead, with a quick flick of his eyes, Stefan dismisses me, walking past me to leave the room.
I sigh once he's gone. Will he ever forgive me?
...
Night closes in as I start the walk towards the Boarding House. I spent most of my day at The Grill, drinking bourbon as I eavesdropped on other's people's conversations. It relaxes me. As I step up to open the door I hear voices inside. Confused, I open the door.
"Elena, come on," Bonnie says as I step through the main entrance. As the door shuts behind me Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline freeze before turning around to face me. I raise an eyebrow as I take in the obvious tension in the room.
Feeling awkward in the silence, I speak. "It seems I walked in on the wrong moment." My eyes scan over the mess they've created in the living room, wine bottles scattered. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll just leave." I turn on my heel to face the door. I have no desire to be here while three teens party.
"No, Lily." Elena's voice stops me from turning the knob on the door. I face her. "You can stay. The party is over. Bonnie and Caroline were just leaving."
Caroline sighs. Elena's words prompt her to continue their conversation from before. "Don't be mad, okay? We're just looking out for you."
Elena frowns at her two friends and the awkwardness I feel increases tenfold. "Do you think it makes me happy that you guys hate him? I get it. His track record has been kind of spotty but I don't hate him. I can't. He's - I think I'm falling in love with him." It's easy to guess that she's talking about Damon, and it makes me want to vomit. Falling in love with him? I wrinkle my nose in disgust at the thought.
Caroline must feel the same notion as she stomps her foot. "Ugh, you're not falling in love with him, Elena. You're sired to him."
Bonnie and Elena look to her in surprise. A new tension filling the air. Well, cat's out of the bag then.
"What?" Bonnie questions.
"What are you talking about?" Elena echoes.
Caroline steps toward Elena. "I...Look, I'm sorry that it came out like that, but it's true. Damon's blood turned you. You couldn't feed from animals or blood bags because he told you so. Then he suggested that you try again with blood bags and suddenly..." Caroline gestures to Elena, then looking over her shoulder her eyes connect with mine. Seeing the thought in her eyes, I start to shake my head, but it's too late. "Lily can tell you. She knows."
I glare at Caroline as Bonnie and Elena's eyes turn to me. "I, uh, I think it's best if I stay out of this. Biased party and all." I go to step away but am stopped.
"No." I look to Elena in shock. The authority in her voice surprising me. "I want to hear what you know."
I face her, watching her for a second. Her tense posture, shoulders thrown back, chin jutting out tells me that she's not gonna give up that easy. I roll my eyes. "Fine. Caroline's right, you're sired to my brother. All the signs point to that as the obvious answer. I mean, think about it Elena, since you've become a vampire, haven't you had the urge to make Damon happy? And not just brighten his day, but do whatever you can to make him happy?" Elena's expressions twists into one of confusion, frustration, thoughtfulness, and a whirlwind of other emotions. "It's rare, but I've met a vampire or two that have been sired to other vampires. It's easy to mistake as love."
My words leave a trail of silence in their wake. Bonnie's face is full of hesitation. Caroline's is full of relief for the truth to be out but also guilt for having to break it to her friend. And Elena...she has a whole storm of feelings behind her eyes, but one sticks out: Denial.
"You guys need to leave."
"Elena."
"Come on, Elena." Both Bonnie and Caroline protest.
Elena shakes her head, stomping past us to the front door. "Out now!" She demands as she opens it. But two people wait out on the porch.
"Hello girls," A dark-haired girl smiles at us. Then she rushes into the house, knocking Elena into the wall as she rushes toward Caroline, grabbing her by the throat. The guys she is with heads in my direction, but I shove him to the side, pinning him against the wall. He fights back and I catch a whiff of his scent. Not quite wolfy, but a Hybrid. Screw Klaus and his goddamn Hybrid.
The Hybrid fights me back, straining against my obvious upper-hand. Though, a push and a stumble has him gripping my hair, using it to spin me around, leading me to face-plant into the wall. The lights flicker around us as I groan at the effort to turn my head underneath the Hybrid's grip to see Bonnie performing a spell.
"Stop!" The female Hybrid yells at Bonnie. "One bite from a hybrid and she's dead, remember?" She threatens, referring to Caroline still in her grasp.
The male Hybrid grips my hair once again, using it to throw me to the floor. Bonnie rushes to my side, grabbing onto my arm to help me up. I wave her off.
It isn't until I'm fully standing that I notice something is off. Elena groans, standing up from where she was thrown previously. We all look around, obviously missing someone very important. "Caroline?"
...
I stalk with Tyler Lockwood and Elena through the woods. We're on a mission to rescue Caroline from Klaus's stray Hybrids, Kim and Adrian as Tyler informed me. "I get it, Hayley. I'll find them and I'll get them in line," Tyler growls, hanging up the phone. Hayley? Hayley. Where have I heard that name before? It takes me a second before I remember Caroline complaining about some werewolf, Hayley, that showed up in town. One of Tyler's friends apparently.
"Bonnie says no luck with the locator spell," Elena says, checking her phone.
"They've gotta be here. They're not dumb enough to risk getting caught by Klaus in town," Tyler assures her.
"Well, what do they want with Caroline?" Elena asks, pausing in her steps. Tyler sighs, looking to her.
"Kim is trying to prove that she's the Alpha. If I can make her submit, the pack will fall in line and we can finally get them free of Klaus. You'd think they'd play along with how much they hate him."
I snort at the thought. I wonder if Klaus knows that all of his Hybrids are trying to break free of their bond to him. This is some interesting information to hold on to, I think.
"But Adrian doesn't, does he? I mean he's still sired to Klaus." Elena frowns at Tyler.
Tyler shakes his head. "Being sired doesn't mean you feel differently about someone. I hated Klaus but I still did everything he said. The bond affects how you act, not how you feel."
His words ring in my head. Really? Well, if that's the case...
I look to Elena to see her processing Tyler's words as well.
...maybe Elena does actually love my brother after all.
Suddenly, a scream rings through the woods. "Caroline." We take off running.
We find them in a barn. Caroline chained to a stall gate, Kim standing over her. "Stop! Stop it, Kim. Caroline's with us. All right? We're all on the same team," Tyler attempts to get her to stand down.
Kim shoots him a wicked smile, "She's on your team, not mine." Behind us, the rest of the Hybrid's file in. Two grab Tyler's arms to restrain him as one grips Elena around the neck. As two approach me, I grin at them.
"Really, boys? You're gonna attack an innocent little girl like me?" They sneer at me. The one on my right reaches out to grip my arm, but I see it coming as I duck below his reach, sliding out my leg to kick his shin, sending him crashing to the floor. The other one, on the left, growls as he charges for me. Waiting for him to get close, I slide just out of his reach, spinning around and kicking his back. He lands beside his buddy. I look the the rest of them. "Who's next?"
Though before any of the rest of them could attack me, a stake is pointed at my chest as Kim grabs me from behind. "I am," she growls in my ear. I roll my eyes, annoyed. Maybe I got too cocky. Two other Hybrids step up to grab hold of my arms, wrenching them back harshly, as Kim steps back to Caroline.
As she nears her, Tyler attempts to break out of the Hybrids' hold. "Stop it! Stop!" He yells at Kim.
Adrian steps up with a protest. "Ease up, Kim. Klaus won't like this." I scoff. No shit Sherlock.
Kim smiles at him. "That's a very good point. Do you think he'll like this?" She flashes the stake she holds, moving it closer to Caroline.
"Kim! Don't do it. I swear to God!" Tyler screams at her, rage pouring out of him.
She lowers it over Caroline's heart. "Stop," I tell her. "You're an idiot. You are all idiots." Kim freezes at my words, facing me with a dagger-like glare. I roll my eyes at her, pursing my lips. "If you really want to get back at Klaus, you're doing it all wrong. But I mean, what do you expect from a couple of wolves. I always heard that stupid dog came out in your kind a more than the human side."
The Hybrids behind me let out a low growl. I turn my head to flash them a wide smile, making sure to show my fangs. "Lily," Elena hisses in warning.
I ignore her. Pleased that they're reacting just how I expected them too. "Like seriously, does the saliva and thought of bones and chew toys just consume your thoughts that you can't actually formulate a good plan?" I laugh as Kim stands, walking towards me with a snarl on her lips. "You had two better targets to pick to take hostage but you pick Caroline? The one with the most loved ones around who would come searching for her." I make a show of shaking my head, tsk-ing at Kim. "If you had any brain cells you would've known to take Elena, the girl Klaus wants alive so he can keep on making Hybrids, or better yet, me! I mean, have any of you been paying attention." Kim blinks at me in confusion. I sigh dramatically, slowing down my pace of talking and raising it an octave like I'm talking to a toddler. "You're master kind of likes me. If you really wanted to hurt him, you would've taken me, not Caroline to just get back at Tyler." I chuckle, mocking them with my patronizing tone. "Seems to me like you missed a chance to actually wield some power."
Kim's lips twitch as she raises the stake to my heart. "Shut up!" She shouts at me. I roll my eyes. She leans back with the stake before launching it toward me, but before it can break any skin, Tyler breaks free, rushing to her, shoving a hand through her stomach, gripping her heart.
I smile. Moments earlier I saw Tyler struggling with the Hybrids holding him and by how they had to strain to hold him back, I knew he could get the upper-hand. I just had to buy him some time. Also, pissing them off was a good distraction too!
"Stay back! I'll rip her heart out right now!" Tyler warns the other Hybrids. The obey, watching carefully. Tyler turns to stare Kim in the eye, who looks at him with terror. Then, he addresses the rest of the Hybrids. "Kim put you all at risk today but I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm not Klaus. I don't kill and torture my own friends to get what I want. Now, we broke the sire bond, but if you want to be free we have to work together. No one can step out of line." He looks to Kim, "Now, you're either with me or you're against me. Submit. Submit or you die." Kim lowers herself to the ground, Tyler comes with her. His hand still around her heart.
Once she's kneeling she looks up to Tyler. "I'm....I'm sorry." Tyler takes his hand out of her chest as she huffs to catch her breath. As he stands and faces the rest of them, the other Hybrids kneel to the ground, submitting to their Alpha. Elena and Caroline's eyes widen in shock. I scoff at the sight. I never did understand the pack thing, but good for them I guess.
...
I decided to walk Caroline back to her house with Tyler. She definitely needs a few hours of rest after everything that happened. Elena had gone to the Boarding House to update Bonnie and clean up the mess from their little party. I think she would have come if it wasn't for me. Oh well.
The young couple walks in front of me, their hands intertwined. I know their love should make me want to 'aw,' but it doesn't. Instead, it saddens me. How much longer of this happiness do they have left together? How long until they're ripped apart due to Mystic Fall's unwavering ability to attract supernatural drama? Throughout the years, I've seen so many couples torn apart due to several reasons. And although I shouldn't, I can't help but wonder what the reason will be for Caroline and Tyler.
I follow the two onto Caroline's porch. Tyler turns to face me. "Hey, thank you. For everything you did tonight."
I nod in his direction. "It's all good Lockwood. I was glad to buy you that time and ruffle some fur in the meantime." I smirk at him. He smiles, shaking his head as he steps into the Forbes house. Caroline and I are left alone.
Before I can even process what she's doing, Caroline throws two arms around my back, squeezing me tight. I freeze. Then, I return the hug. "Thank you," she mumbles into my hair. "Thank you so much." She pulls away.
"Of course, Care." I shrug, "I couldn't leave you to the wolves."
Caroline grins at me. Her eyes soft and wide. "But you could have, Lily. You didn't need to help, but you did. So, thank you." I nod, accepting her gratitude as I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Her smile fades as she watches me. "Where will you go tonight?"
I shrug at her question. "I don't know. Elena is still at the Boarding House, so I have no desire to go back there. I don't know what Stefan will do, but I'm sure whether it's Stefan or Tyler, your house is occupied." I flash her a quick smile as she starts to frown. "Don't worry, Caroline. I'll figure it out. I always do."
Her brows pull together as her face twists into one of judgement. "Yeah, but your figuring it out had involved one big bad wolf lately."
"Caroline." My voice is one of warning. I'm not in the mood to do this.
Her hands are thrown into the air. "I'm not judging. I just don't think that you should keep going back to him like this. You even admitted it tonight that he has feelings for you, so why go back there and complicate it more?"
I groan in frustration, flinging my arms out. "I don't know. I...I have no where else to go."
Care's lips pout. "That's not true."
"Yes, it is." My determination holds strong. "The only people I have in Mystic Falls is my brothers, who hate me, you, who has taken up Team Stefan, and then...Klaus. Klaus, who yeah, maybe likes me in ways different than how I feel, but at least I know he'll keep me safe. He's already offered up his home to me and his food and..."
"And what?"
My gaze drops to the ground as my voice lowers. "A ticket to wherever I want to go. A promise of adventure."
"And you're going to take it?" Caroline exclaims. Her eyes flash with rejection and anger.
"Care, I never said that. I-"
"Yeah, but you've considered it, haven't you?" She cuts me off, eyes shining with a rage of emotions. I avoid her gaze, giving her the answer she already knew. She huffs. "Of course you have." Her hands grasp the sides of her face as she paces in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't want to be the one to say this, but it's what everyone thinks." She turns to me, her gaze burning as she stares right at me. "You like Klaus. Maybe not as much as he likes you, but you do. That's why it's so easy for you to go running to him. Stefan told me about when Klaus was desecrated you looked heartbroken. He told me how you just stared at his body with what he said looked like mourning. He-"
"Wait, you talked to Stefan about that? You two seriously just sit around and talk about my life?" I look at her with betrayal and disgust. "You're supposed to be my friend, Caroline. I get that you're Team Stefan, but I thought that only went against Damon. I didn't know that it was against me too."
Caroline scoffs, "You're being ridiculous, Lily. I am on your side. Though you have to admit that sometimes you're a hypocrite. You go on and on about not liking Klaus and wanting to get rid of him as much as the rest of us, but as soon as you're face to face with him your tune changes. Just admit it, Lily. You have feelings for him."
"I don't! And if you were really on my side as you claim, then you would believe me. You wouldn't question what I say."
"I am on your side! I'm your friend! But obviously you've never had a true one. Because if you did then you would know that true friends are supposed to call you out on your bullshit! I'm just trying to help-"
"Help," I echo the word with disdain and a dark chuckle. "Yeah, whatever." I turn on the heel of my shoe. "I'm done." I step down the porch stairs.
Caroline huffs in frustration behind me, yet I keep walking away. "Okay, Lily. Run away like you always do!" She yells behind me. "You want to know why you have no friends here?" I pause at her words, keeping my back turned toward her. "It's because you push them away. Just like you're doing to me right now. That's why you're alone!" I flinch at the word I uttered to her this morning. "It's not anyone's fault except your own."
Her words pierce me like a sword through my back. I clench my fist to stop myself from shuddering at the pain. My vision blurs as I bite my lip to focus on anything else. "Wow, Care," I whisper, though I know that she can still hear me. "You really know where to stab the dagger." I crack my neck, standing straight to appear unaffected. "Thanks for that."
And though she calls my name, I walk away.
After walking a few block, for the second night in a row, I stand in front of Klaus's door.
I knock. A few seconds pass and then there's Klaus's smirk greeting me. "Back again?" He asks, his voice teasing. I shove past him into his house.
"Well apparently you're my only friend."