[ BOOK ONE ]
Erin Gilbert believed the worst thing that could ever happen to her was the death of her parents. But when the Salvatore brothers waltz into town, she finds herself longing for the sorrow-filled days of the past.
All too soon, Erin's n...
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ERIN COULDN'T TAKE it anymore. Every thought within her mind began to jumble together. The heavy pit that consumed her stomach grew, making her nauseous at a constant level. Food became an afterthought, coffee even more so. Sleep eluded her, and she felt as though she had gone insane.
Not in the way Alaric seemed to, but Erin wouldn't count that out just yet.
In the days after Bonnie's mother decided to complete her transition into a vampire, Erin began to lose herself. The guilt of what happened, what her part in helping Elijah led to, started to eat her alive. No one knew just how intermingled she was in the plan, and Bonnie's angered silence pushed her over the edge.
Erin couldn't even bring herself to help Elena and Matt break into Meredith Fell's apartment. Something she should've jumped at the opportunity. After all, the woman put Alaric in jail and had him framed for the Founders Council murders.
It did end up being him, something to do with the Gilbert ring he wore, but that didn't matter. Alaric was Alaric, and Erin should've helped him.
But she couldn't. The weight of what happened to Bonnie's mother and the part she played began to drive her to hysterics. Erin had to tell someone. She had to let everything off her chest. But everyone she could possibly tell would hate her more than Bonnie.
All except one. At least, she hoped.
Erin rapped her closed fist against the wooden door, causing loud bangs to sound across the home. She should've just gone inside, but she didn't know where they were and wandering around the home so late at night seemed wrong. The side of her hand began to ache as the door ripped open, revealing the person she wanted to see.
"What the hell, Erin? It's two in the morning," Damon exclaimed as he stood on the threshold. His shirt was gone and a pair of sweatpants hung from his hips. She woke him up.
Erin swallowed hard and dropped her arm, wringing her hands together before her. "I, uh, I - can I come in?" she muttered out.
Damon paused, brows creasing as he looked her way. "Uh, yeah, you don't have to ask." He stepped away, and Erin strode inside. He closed the door and turned back to her. "Okay, what's going on? You look like you're about to combust."
Erin continued to play with her hands and lifted her gaze to his. Dark circles had developed beneath her eyes, and she hoped he couldn't tell. "I - I did something, and I - everyone's gonna hate me when they find out."
