CHAPTER THIRTEEN | TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART 

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EVELYN REMAINED STARING AT THE HORIZON WITH HER BACK PRESSED AGAINST THE FRONT OF HER CAR. After Evelyn had seen Damon and Elena sharing what appeared to be a loving embrace just a short distance away from her, Evelyn and Damon engaged in a heated argument about how the doppelganger quite clearly still had feelings for Damon. The argument was so intense that the pair ended things instead of resolving it like adults. She didn't expect Damon to actually agree with the breakup. She wanted him to fight— but, he just surrendered.

She yanked her phone from her back pocket and saw a number of missed calls. Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, Matt, and even Damon— He left the most. As well as a few messages, which she deleted before even reading. She watched yet another incoming call from Stefan light up her phone and regrettably answered.

"Eve, where the hell are you?!" The Salvatore almost yelled out of panic and frustration the minute Evelyn answered the call.

"Away from anything Salvatore related. I'm sure you can understand since your brother seems to have shrugged off our entire relationship." Evelyn deadpanned, then rolled her eyes after she mentioned Damon.

"Evelyn, I get it. I really do, but I need you to come home. I've got a situation."

A loud scoff escaped the Austin vampire's lips. "Come home? Oh. You mean the home that your brother lives in. The same brother that I want to be miles and miles away from? Sorry, Stefan, but I think I'll pass."

"Evelyn, don't be stupid. He cares. I mean, he cares so damn much that I think it's the reason he's off the rails." Stefan explained. "He's gone on a killing spree."

"A killing spree?" Evelyn scoffed then rolled her eyes again. "Damon does what Damon wants, and killing spree is his natural instinct. The minute something goes wrong, he kills someone. You of all people should know that. And, to be honest, I don't have the energy to care about that, or him right now."

"You can lie to yourself all you want, Eve, but you know you care about him. You always have and you always will. It's your default setting."

"I can't talk about this right now." The Austin vampire ended the call, jumped up from the front of her car, and got into the driver's seat.

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The Austin vampire arranged to meet up with the one person she actually wanted to talk to right now— a certain blonde vampire. Caroline and her perky, positive attitude were exactly what Evelyn Austin needed to feel somewhat better about the situation.

"How are you feeling?" Caroline's eyes glanced up and down Evelyn. Her hair was up in a messy bun placed on top of her head. Her eyes were red from she had obviously been crying, and she was wearing clothes from a few days ago. "Actually, don't answer that. Have you spoken to Damon?"

Evelyn shook her head in response while she anxiously nibbled on her bottom lip. "Nope. And, I don't really want to. I mean, he's left messages, and called a few times. I can't face it right now, you know?"

Caroline nodded. She understood exactly what Evelyn meant. "I have an idea, how about you come out with me tonight. Whitmore's hosting a Bitter Ball. Yes! Yes, you are coming! Even if I have to drag you there myself."

"Caroline, I— I don't know." Evelyn hesitantly spoke, then her eyes widened. "Will Elena be there?"

"Uh— yeah." Caroline's voice wavered for a moment. "But, that doesn't mean you have to acknowledge her, she'll probably be too busy with Stefan anyway."

"Stefan?" Evelyn's eyebrow raised as a look of curiosity swept across her face. "By the looks of that hug the other night, I figured she only had eyes for Damon."

"I don't have a clue. But, what I do know is that you're coming. You can get ready with me, I'll get you looking hot." The blonde vampire smirked when she finally saw a small smile appear on the girl's face. "Because, let's face it, Eve. You're not going to win any hearts looking like that."

"Wha— hurtful, Care! I'm mourning my relationship." Evelyn pouted as she rested her chin in her hands.

"Yeah, well, by the time I'm done with you, Damon will have regretted the breakup, if he doesn't already."

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Evelyn wandered into the Bitter Ball wearing a white, figuring-hugging dress and a pair of matching heels while her hair in a curled up-do with two pieces of hair that framed her face. For the first time since her break up with Damon, she actually felt confident and she owed it all to Caroline, who had spent the past two and a half hours making Evelyn feel a million dollars. The Austin vampire stood at the top of the staircase, while she overlooked the party-goers below. She had absolutely no idea how long she was going to feel good for, but she wanted to make the most of it.

Caroline stepped out beside Evelyn and looked her up and down with a smile, almost as if she were admiring her work. "You look totally gorgeous!"

"Thank you. I actually feel it, too." Evelyn gave an appreciative nod toward her friend. Caroline grabbed her by the arm and they carefully walked down the large staircase and headed over to a table. On the table laid hundreds of plastic red cups with tragically cheap alcohol.

After a while, Caroline and Evelyn separated. The blonde headed over to Elena while Evelyn decided to spend some time with Stefan. He grabbed her by the hand and they headed out onto the dance floor, swaying to a few of the slow songs. "Evelyn, you look great. I'm glad you decided to come."

"Thank you, me too. And, I'm sorry I didn't help this morning. It was kinda selfish of me, is everything okay?" She looked up with a fearful look in her eyes. "Is he okay?"

Stefan sighed heavily while his left hand snaked around her waist. "Look, I know you're having a hard time with this all of the Damon stuff, and I should've been more supportive it's just— he's bad, Eve. Really bad."

The Austin vampire's eyes widened fearfully as she glanced back up to the Salvatore brother. "Okay. Define bad, Stef. Because it can't be as bad as what I'm thinking.

I've seen Damon at his worst, Evelyn, and, I actually think he enjoys the way it makes him feel. It's like the more pain he can cause, the more reasons there are for people to hate him. He wants to confirm everyone's lowest expectations of him and, I just honestly don't know how to fight that side of him."

"Why all the dramatics, brother?" Damon's voice immediately interrupted the two's conversation as he wandered over with a devilish smirk on his lips.

Evelyn turned on her heels the moment she heard Damon's voice. It felt like so long that she had even heard or seen him. She tried her best not to look at him, just as he did with her but the moment their eyes met there was a look of longing. Though the moment didn't last very long, that look faded the moment he glared back at Stefan.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan narrowed his eyes viciously toward his brother.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Caroline questioned as she walked over and noticed Bonnie was beside Damon. Though all eyes fell to Bonnie, who looked completely uncomfortable about being stood beside Damon— something was wrong.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not her date. We're not gonna break any Bitter Ball rules." He smirked out, then his eyes drifted back to Evelyn's once more. It was like no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist the hold of her gaze.

"How about you just answer the damn question?" Stefan rolled his eyes out of irritation.

"Well, Bonnie is gonna find me a witch to do a locator spell on the elusive Dr. Wes Maxfield. She's gonna find him, I'm gonna kill him." Damon's eyes drifted to Bonnie, who looked more frightened than before. "Bon Bon, should I tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Evelyn's voice lowered as she gritted her teeth and glanced between Damon and Bonnie. "Damon, what the hell have you done?"

"Enzo has Jeremy." The Bennett girl immediately blurted out with tears and fear in her eyes. "If I don't get a witch to find Wes by midnight, he'll kill him."

Evelyn couldn't believe it. As she glanced at Damon, she saw a flicker of himself in there but, it was almost like he had flipped his switch. The Austin vampire stepped closer to him, their faces were inches. "You're a dick." She spat viciously.

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Evelyn had left the party with Stefan and Elena, once the doppelganger had worked out the location in which Jeremy was being held by Enzo. Once they headed inside, Stefan sped straight for the British vampire and pushed him against a wall but, Enzo easily flipped them so Stefan was the one pinned against the wall.

At the sight of Stefan being restrained by Enzo, Evelyn behind Enzo and yanked him away from the Salvatore. "You just keep getting in the way, don't you, Enzo? How about I make everyone's life easier and just end you." The Austin female spoke through gritted teeth with her eyes fixed to the British vampire.

Stefan grabbed a piece of chair and managed to plunge it into Enzo's back. He then looked down at the vampire, who was trying to crawl away from them. Evelyn shook her head, broke another piece of a chair off, and held it right above Enzo as if she were going to plunge it into his chest.

At the sight of Damon's entrance, Evelyn immediately froze and the vampire used it to his advantage. He jumped back up to his feet and smiled toward Damon. "You missed all the fun."

"Spell worked. Wes is in Richmond." Damon informed from the doorway. His eyes glanced to Evelyn as he noticed her lift her eyes back up toward him.

"Brilliant." Enzo clapped his hands together and headed outside, past Damon. "I'll drive."

Damon, however, didn't follow. He remained frozen with his eyes fixed on Evelyn, Stefan and, Elena. Almost if there was a hint of regret for what he had caused. Stefan and Elena both glared at him disgustingly while Evelyn's expression remained emotionless.

"Just go," Evelyn muttered softly, her voice barely a whisper. She took a shaky breath and nodded slowly. "I'm not going to stand here and try and convince you, Damon. Nothing I say matters to you anymore, you've made that perfectly clear. So, do whatever the hell you want."

The Salvatore stared at her in complete and utter shock. He knew that Evelyn probably hated him. Their argument had spiraled out of control and he did things that he had regretted. The first thing was ending their relationship. He wanted nothing more than to run over to her, kiss her and, tell her what a complete and utter dick he was. Evelyn was everything that Damon wanted, but he feared that, after everything, she didn't want him anymore.

With one final shrug and a scoff, he turned on his heels and, headed straight for Enzo. "Hey, Damon," Stefan called out to his brother, and his voice immediately made him halt. "Don't bother coming back."

The Salvatore glanced over his shoulder to Evelyn. The light and fear in her eyes had faded and was replaced with nothing but disgust— or at least, that's what he saw. He shook himself from the void of sadness and replaced it with a bitter smile. "I wasn't planning on it." Damon then turned on his heels and finally wandered out of view without a second thought about anyone else.

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