𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆: 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫

...🌑...

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓, 𝑀𝑌𝑆𝑇𝐼𝐶 𝐹𝐴𝐿𝐿𝑆

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟎

𝐈 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞.

The night was quiet, but my mind was anything but. I slipped out of the car, the cool air biting at my skin, and hurried up the porch steps. Fumbling with my key, I finally unlocked the door and stepped inside, the familiar creak of the floorboards greeting me.

I moved up the stairs quickly, exhaustion seeping into my bones. 

I needed to get Elena's things and get back to the Salvatore house. Stefan needed her, and despite everything, I wanted to help. I pushed the door to Elena's room open and headed straight for the closet, grabbing a bag and tossing it onto her bed. I began pulling open drawers, grabbing clothes, and stuffing them into the bag.

As I turned to grab more, I gasped, startled by the sight of John hovering in the doorway.

"Sorry," he said, his voice flat.

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want?"

"I thought we could talk. We haven't had a chance to catch up."

"I'm not interested, John." I turned back to the dresser, grabbing more of Elena's things.

"Well, it won't take long," he insisted.

"Again, not interested," I snapped, shoving clothes into the bag more aggressively.

John's voice lowered, taking on a more insidious tone. "I know you know that the Salvatores are vampires."

I froze, my hand hovering over a drawer. Slowly, I turned to face him. "So?"

"What do you think your mother would say if she knew you were interested in a vampire?" he asked, smirking.

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of anger. "Which mother?" I shot back, the words laced with venom.

He blinked, taken aback, and I took the opportunity to brush past him, bag in hand. I needed to get out of here before he could say anything else.

"Selene, wait," he called after me as I rushed down the stairs.

I ignored him, yanking the front door open. "Just stay out of my life, John," I said over my shoulder before stepping outside.

I hurried to my car, threw the bag in the backseat, and drove away, the tension in my shoulders slowly easing as the distance between us grew.

...🌑...

I arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House, the weight of the day pressing down on me. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I stepped inside and made my way to the living room, dropping Elena's bag of clothes onto the couch. As I moved around the coffee table, planning to sit down and gather my thoughts, a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. My palms landed on a solid chest, and I looked up to see Damon staring down at me.

"You've been avoiding me, Sunshine," he said, his voice low and accusing.

I shook my head, trying to find the right words. "No, I've been busy."

Damon's eyes narrowed, his hands moving to my hips, rubbing soothing circles into my skin. "Hmm."

I knew I needed to be honest with him. "Look, you said you want us to be together."

Damon nodded, his gaze unwavering.

"For that to happen, I need you to do one thing," I said, searching his eyes for any sign of understanding.

"What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Give up on Katherine," I said, the words hanging heavy between us.

Damon stepped back, his expression shifting from surprise to anger. "I won't let her get away with it, Sunshine. She has to pay."

I shook my head, frustrated. "What did she do that was so horrible that you'll hunt her down? What if it takes another 145 years?"

He opened his mouth, but Elena walked into the living room. I turned away from Damon and grabbed my sketchbook, plopping down on the couch and bringing my knees to my chest.

"I brought your clothes," I told Elena, my voice tight.

"Thanks," Elena replied, sitting beside me.

Damon cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "He's just being dramatic. He's not gonna starve himself."

"Why would he say that?" Elena asked, worry etched into her features.

"He feels bad about hurting that girl. It's very typical Stefan martyr stuff. It will pass," Damon said dismissively.

"Will it? Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain," Elena pressed.

"Yeah, well, that will pass too once he eats," Damon replied, exasperated.

"I didn't mean physical pain," Elena said softly.

"I know what you meant," Damon admitted. "Look, are you two gonna be okay here if I have to run out? I have to run an errand with the teacher."

I furrowed my brows, confused. "Alaric? Are you two friends?"

"I don't have any friends, Sunshine," Damon retorted.

"Whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"You two should stay up here. Don't be down there by yourselves," Damon warned, his tone serious.

"We'll be fine," Elena assured him.

"You know...you're very trusting of him, given the circumstances," Damon said, his eyes flicking between us.

"So are you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving," Elena countered.

Damon sighed. "I won't be long."

He turned his gaze on me, his eyes intense. "We'll finish this when I get back."

I just stared at him, and he turned and walked out of the living room, the door slamming shut behind him.

"What was that about?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I told him if he wants us to be together, then he needs to give up on his obsession with Katherine," I explained, feeling the weight of the ultimatum.

"Do you think he's going to?" Elena asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I don't know, Elena. But he keeps chasing down every lead about her, and all for what? To protect me. But he won't even tell me what he's protecting me from," I said, frustration seeping into my words.

"I get it," Elena said, looking at me empathetically.

I turned to her, feeling a connection in our shared struggles. 

"Stefan won't feed, but I know he's hiding the real reason why," Elena said, her voice tinged with sadness. "I just wish for once that they would tell us the truth," 

"Me too," I replied, the longing for honesty and normalcy hanging heavily between us.

...🌑...

A finger brushed my cheek, rousing me from sleep. I blinked my eyes open to find Damon sitting on the edge of the bed. His touch was gentle, his gaze intense.

"I like seeing you in my bed," he murmured, a hint of a smile on his lips.

I pushed myself up, my hair cascading down my back as I sat up. "I was waiting for you. Elena stayed down in the cellar with Stefan."

Damon's room had become a sanctuary, a place where I felt safe enough to think and rest. Ever since my ascension, my mother has been relentless with my training. The weight of my impending role as Queen was overwhelming, leaving me with little time for anything else.

"How was the 'errand'?" I asked, trying to push the fatigue from my voice.

"Futile," he replied, shrugging out of his leather jacket. "Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis."

"Really?" I arched an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself.

He nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"Last time I checked with Elena, no. Why?" I asked, my concern evident.

"Chalk it up to morbid curiosity," he said, his tone casual but his eyes serious.

"Elena said he has a lot of guilt he has to deal with," I said softly.

Damon's expression darkened. "What do you think?"

"I think he's hiding something," I admitted, watching as he got up.

"You would be right," he said, his voice carrying a weight that made my heart clench.

I watched him pace around the room, his movements agitated. "When my brother and I woke up as vampires, we decided not to complete the transition. The woman I loved was killed, and I had nothing to live for. Stefan didn't want to be a vampire. But it all changed when Stefan went to see our father."

I listened intently, drawn into his story.

"They fought, and our father tried to kill Stefan. But being in transition didn't mean we weren't strong. Stefan tried to help him...tried to save him. But...the bloodlust was too strong."

"So he completed his transition," I whispered, my heart aching for Stefan.

"Yeah," Damon said, lost in the memory. "I loved her. She meant everything to me, and Katherine took that away."

His voice was raw, and I could see the pain and anger simmering beneath the surface. "After Stefan completed his transition, he came to me. He brought a gift."

"A gift?" I repeated, confused.

"He compelled this woman, a gift to me, to drink her blood so we could be together forever," Damon said bitterly. "I tried to resist, but in the end, I couldn't. After I turned, I learned that Stefan, my dear brother, played a role in the death of the woman I loved."

I stared at him, the weight of his confession settling over me. 

"I promised my brother an eternity full of misery."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I want you to know about my past. Also, I need you to understand that I can't give up on my revenge. Katherine needs to pay for killing her," he said, his eyes pleading for understanding.

I stood up and walked over to him, my heart breaking for the man before me. "Would you kill anyone who got in your way if it meant getting your revenge on Katherine?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"I'm sorry that your brother betrayed you, and I'm sorry that Katherine killed her," I said, my voice trembling.

"But?" he prompted, sensing my hesitation.

"Maybe we met at the wrong time," I said, tears welling in my eyes. "You're going to chase her until you catch her and either kill her or she kills you. I can't stand by and watch you die, Damon."

"Selene..." He reached for me, but I stepped back.

"I'm also a witch, which means I'm mortal. I'm not going to live forever. I can't keep waiting for you, hoping that this will be the day you kill her," I said, my voice breaking.

"I'm doing this to protect you," he insisted.

"You keep saying that, but you won't tell me why," I said, frustration seeping into my tone. "I've thought long and hard about this, Damon, for two months. I'm putting a target on my back if I am with you. I will be risking my life, and I can't say it will be worth the risk if one day you're off creating enemies to get to Katherine or you die trying to kill her."

"So what are you saying?" he asked, pained.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm saying goodbye."

I turned and left his room, my heart shattering with each step. I rushed down the stairs, holding back my sobs until I was out of the house and inside my car. 

Once inside, the dam broke, and I cried, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Maybe I was being irrational, not giving Damon the benefit of the doubt. But I had to think about more than just myself. I had to think about the witches who would call me Queen and Damon. Because I meant what I said—I couldn't watch him get killed by Katherine, and if he wouldn't give it up, then I had to be the one to walk away.

Another sob wracked through me as I pulled out of the long dirt drive, leaving the Salvatore Boarding House and a piece of my heart behind.