𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 13 ♡︎

The house hasn't changed a bit since he last came here. Stefan pushes the door open, and he walks in.

"Elena?" He calls.

"Hey. Thank you for coming," she says as she appears in front of him.

"You're alone? Where's Jeremy?"

"He's staying with Matt. We think it's better if he's not around vampires."

Stefan wonders if by "we" she means Damon and her. They sit in the living-room. Elena asks him if he wants anything to drink and he declines politely.

"I don't have a lot of time. Why aren't you with Damon?"

"Damon broke the sire bond. I don't know where he is. He said he doesn't want to see me."

"He doesn't mean that. He loves you."

"Why do you act like this doesn't even bother you?" She asks. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Stefan. I realize now that I've made a mistake."

"A mistake?"

Stefan isn't sure what she means by that. Her eyes are shining with sudden tears.

"Elena, what's wrong?"

"What have I done, Stefan? Why did I ever let you go? Was it because of the sire bond?"

She moves closer to him and his body stiffens. He doesn't feel comfortable and he doesn't really know why. This is Elena, his ex-girlfriend. They've been much closer than that.

"Elena… What do you want from me?"

"I want a second chance, Stefan. I want us to be together again. When Damon broke the sire bond, my feelings for you came back more intensely than ever. I love you. It was always you, Stefan."

She reaches for his hand and Stefan immediately stands up and backs away from her. She looks surprised.

"Are you crazy? Do you really think I want us to get back together? You promised me, Elena, that you would never do anything with Damon. But you fell for him anyway. You love him. And that's not due to the sire bond. You heard what Katherine said. You had feelings for him before turning."

"Yes, that's true. But without the sire bond I would never have acted upon these feelings."

"Well it's too late. I'm sorry but I don't love you anymore, Elena."

They stare at each other intensely. In that moment, Stefan realizes that he's really over Elena. In his mind, there are pictures of Katherine, and only Katherine. He remembers their night on the balcony of the hotel room. He remembers her lips on his the previous night in the park. In front of him, the girl he was claiming to be in love with forever just three months ago. Oh, how things change.

"You don't love me anymore?"

"No."

"When did you stop loving me?"

"Elena—"

"When!"

He sighs and tries to think of an answer to give her.