CHAPTER FOURTEEN | BREAK ON THROUGH

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RILEY AND DAMON WANDERED HAND IN HAND, UP TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF WICKERY BRIDGE WITH ALARIC AND MEREDITH. In the last couple of days, the group had worked out that the Gilbert thing that Alaric used to cheat death was slowly turning him into something worse— a psycho-killer who appeared to hate vampire sympathizers just as much as vampires.

The group glanced around at the dozens of construction workers and builders, but in amongst all of the chaos stood Rebekah Mikaelson. "Rebekah's up to something," Damon told them with his eyes fixed on her. "She's been snooping around places she shouldn't be."

"Tell me again, why are we here?" Alaric shoved his hands into his jean pockets and furrowed his brows.

"Ric, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho-killer."

Meredith widened her eyes toward Damon and scoffed in disbelief. "Do you have any tact whatsoever?"

"Unfortunately, no. He doesn't." Riley shook her head and then gently slapped Damon around the back of his head. "He's a dick."

"Alaric, I'm glad you're here!" Carol Lockwood sauntered over to the group once she noticed the Saltzman's arrival. "Did you bring the sign? The restored Wickery Bridge sign. The history department promised you would have it today."

"No, I— I don't have the sign, actually. It slipped my mind. I've been busy."

"Well, it's not an emergency. We'll just, um, unveil it when the bridge is complete." Carol innocently told them, though there was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Once Alaric noticed Carol had wandered away, he turned his attention to Meredith. "Get me out of here."

"My pleasure." She chuckled.

"Riley and I are gonna stick around for a bit," Damon told Alaric and Meredith whilst his eyes were fixed on an unfamiliar redhead a short distance away from them.

"Um, who the hell is that?" Riley asked. She tensed up the moment she saw the woman and Damon lock eyes.

"Blast from the past." Damon wriggled his eyebrows and tugged his girlfriend right over to the unfamiliar woman before them.

"Damon Salvatore, my favorite student." The redhead beamed with a grin on her face, then she turned her attention to Riley who was stood silently beside him. "And, who's this?"

"Riley Evans. Girlfriend." The witch innocently smiled and then glanced at Damon. "Who's this?"

"Sage, my old teacher." The Salvatore told his girlfriend before he set his sights back on Sage. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just passing through."

"Oh, come on, no one just passes through Mystic Falls."

"Look what the cat dragged in." Rebekah's voice drawled out as they all turned their attention to the blonde vampire who stood beside Riley.

"Easy there, Rebekah. You know she used to beat men for sport." Damon mocked with a light grin across his face.

"She always was quite common." Rebekah narrowed her eyes toward the redhead. Riley, however, couldn't help but find amusement in Rebekah's comment. She didn't know Sage, but Riley hated that she and Damon obviously had history. "What're you doing here, Sage?"

"Well, I heard Finn was finally freed from that casket your rage-aholic brother, Klaus, carted him around in."

Riley glanced at Damon, who looked just as confused as she did. "Ooh, Finn. You just missed him." Rebekah taunted. "He left town and didn't tell a soul where he was going."

"He probably went looking for me." Sage shrugged.

"Or, quite possibly, he forgot all about you because he didn't seem to mention you. Sorry, you came all this way for nothing. Have a nice life." The blonde sarcastically waved and then headed back over to Carol Lockwood.

"God. I hate that elitist Original bitch." Sage spat as her eyes followed Rebekah away from them.

"Huh. Well, as fun as this is—" Riley twirled on her heels and set her sights on her boyfriend with a smile. "I think I'm gonna head home. All the construction noise here is giving me a headache."

"Yeah, sure. Okay." Damon gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "Call me if you need anything."

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Once Riley headed back home, she sat on Damon's bed with a box full of photographs that she had taken over the many years. Pictures of her parents, her grandmother, and everybody that she adored laid around her in a circle. Every single memory that she had ever wanted to keep.

Her eyes suddenly fell to a photograph of Riley and Stefan for a year ago. A smile slowly began to form across the Evans witch's face once she remembered back to the time the photograph was taken. It was a Saturday night, the group had all spent the entire evening at the Grille playing pool and having food. Back then, they had no drama and no troubles. Everything was simple. Now her friendship with Stefan was virtually non-existent.

"I remember when we took that." A voice called out from the doorway. Riley looked up and noticed Stefan's eyes were fixed to the photograph on the bed, whilst he wore an unreadable expression on his face. "It was right after I beat you at pool."

"Huh, I think you're hallucinating. You never beat me." Riley scoffed playfully as a smile appeared on the witch's face. "How're you doing?"

"I'm, uh— I'm okay, all things considered." The Salvatore simply replied back with a light shrug. "Elena just left to pick up a book about her ancestor, Samantha Gilbert."

"Oh. And, how was that conversation?"

"Awkward." He chuckled softly. "I did some terrible things and I don't expect her to forgive me. Hell, I wouldn't forgive me. But, I just wish I could fix things, you know?"

"Oh, believe me, I know all about that." Riley exhaled deeply whilst her eyes scanned the pictures around her. "To be honest, I think everyone would fix mistakes they made if they could."

"Look, I know I don't have any right to say this, and I certainly don't expect you to forgive me, but I miss you, Riley. I'm sorry for everything I did to you— to everyone. Leaving with Klaus was the only way to keep Damon alive."

"Stefan—" Riley tried her best to interject, but the Salvatore cut her off again.

"No, I'm not finished yet." He told her in a stern voice. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I miss my best friend. It kinda feels like I've lost a limb, you know?"

The witch chuckled softly and then looked up to him with a small smile. "I really don't think that you have any idea how long I've been wanting to hear you say that. God, I have missed you so much, Stefan!"

Riley bounce off of Damon's large bed and ran straight over to the Salvatore. She threw her arms around his neck whilst his remained wrapped around her waist. After a few moments, the pair of friends pulled away from their hug.

"I never got a chance to say this before, obviously 'cause I had my emotions off, but you and Damon? I think you really balance him out, you know." Stefan chuckled softly.

"Yeah. Believe me, I was worried about admitting how I felt about him since he's so unpredictable."

"How'd Gwen take the news?" Stefan raised an eyebrow as he perched on the edge of Damon's bed. "Last I heard, she wasn't Damon's biggest fan."

"Well, uh— I actually think she's warming to him. In the beginning, she just thought he was a sarcastic ass. But, I think she genuinely likes him now. Either that, or she's just pretending to keep me happy."

"D'you miss her?" Stefan asked softly the moment he noticed Riley's eyes glance toward a picture of her grandmother.

"Like crazy." Riley exhaled deeply. "But, I'd rather miss her and her be alive than she be here and unprotected. As much as I want her back here, it's just not realistic."

"Hey, do you, uh— do you wanna go grab a coffee?" Stefan asked and then suddenly saw the strawberry-blonde witch smile at the mention of caffeine.

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After Riley and Stefan's coffee date, the Salvatore headed over to Alaric's place in an attempt to assist the female in getting some more answers. But, Riley decided to head home to Damon. She was excited to tell him that she and Stefan had actually fixed their friendship. Before, she was lucky if he would speak more than three words to her.

Riley stepped up to the Salvatore house and shoved the door open. She shook her jacket from her arms, hung it up but when she turned around she noticed empty bottles of Bourbon and Vodka scattered around the floor. "Damon?"

Before Riley could even get toward the staircase, Damon sped in front of her. The witch examined his shirtless torso and furrowed her brows. "Riley. Hey, how're— you okay?"

"I will be once you tell me why you're being weird." The witch countered, then folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not."

"You are." She snapped. As she attempted to push past him and up the staircase, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back to him. "Okay. Now, you've just proved it. What's going on, Damon?"

"You can't go up there, Riley," Damon warned her, eyes narrowed on her but she just scoffed and pushed past him. As she ran up the staircase and into their bedroom, she saw Rebekah passed out on the large bed and Riley instantly broke.

"What the hell! You cheated—" Riley exclaimed loudly, tears streamed down her face as Damon sped her out of the room and back downstairs. "Oh, wow. Removing me from the room in case I wake her? You're such a gentleman, Damon!"

"But, no! Look, look—" Damon stammered. Panic ran through the witch as she tried to back away from Damon. "It's not what you think, Riley. I haven't—"

Before Damon could speak any further, Riley used her magic to pin him against the nearest wall. "Shut up!"

"Riley, please just let me explain. I promise you, it's not what you think."

"Not what I think?" The strawberry-blonde began to laugh through her tears. "You're stood here, shirtless with Rebekah upstairs in our bed and you tell me it's not what I think? Don't patronize me, Damon. I am not stupid."

Riley was so hysterical that she couldn't even hold herself up anymore. Magic required clarity of mind, and right now, Riley didn't possess that. Damon broke free from the restraints on the witch's spell and sped straight over to her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Just—" Riley pushed Damon's arms away from her, her eyes filled with tears as he looked back at her. "Just, please. Please, leave me alone right now."

"I can't leave you alone. Not like this." Damon's voice was full of emotion but Riley couldn't tell if that was because he was telling the truth, or because he was worried about being caught.

"Then, I'll make it very simple for you. We're done. Now you've got every reason to leave me alone, haven't you?" She turned on her heels and hurried out of the Salvatore house, whilst she heard Damon calling her name from behind her.

With her breathing frantic and erratic, Riley pulled her phone from her pocket and pressed Stefan's caller ID. She didn't know who else to turn to, but she knew that considering the chat they had earlier in the day, Stefan would be there for her.

"Hey, Riley—"

"Stefan, where are yo—" She cut herself off with her crying. Riley's breathing was so shallow that she could barely even get her words out.

"Riles, where are you?" He asked, panic in his voice.

"Home." She hysterically cried out. Before she knew it, Stefan had appeared right in front of her. Her best friend. She fell into his embrace quicker than anything.

"It's okay, I've got you, Riley. I've got you." Stefan held her tightly as she cried heavily into his chest all while he whispered comforting words into her ear.

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