Wayward Heart: Book 1

Part 13

Emma opened the door to the boarding house quietly and listened for where Rebekah may be, but she didn't hear anything. She made her way upstairs to the room she shared with Damon, she had beat him back to the house; with the spare time she decided to work on some of the homework the school had been sending to her email while she was out. As she browsed through the work she skipped anything given by Alaric, instead she chose a quick math quiz.

"I could just compel you a high school diploma," Emma's head snapped up at the sound of Damon's voice.

She relaxed quickly, "Where is the fun in that? What's the point of playing the balancing game of Jenga that is the supernatural life?"

"You're right," Damon shook his head, "God forbid we do anything the easy way."

Emma closed her laptop, "Says the guy that just let his emotionless brother out of the cell that was keeping him from hurting anyone."

Damon clutched his chest in a fake surprise, "Ouch Em, no trust in me anymore?"

As he moved his hand Emma noticed his shirt was bloody and had a giant hole right in the center of it, "Why does it look like someone punched right through your chest."

"Because that is exactly what happened," Damon's lips pursed in the admitted defeat, "Mikael is not a nice dude, but he did get Stefan to help us force Klaus to come back, he found some kind of loophole in the compulsion Klaus has on him."

"Woah," Emma's eyes got big, "he used you against Stefan?"

"Can you not nerd out at the vampire hunter's method of torture for a minute? The guy almost pulled my damn heart out of my chest before Stefan even flinched."

"Are you really gonna stand there and pretend you aren't a little impressed."

"That's besides the point," Damon pushed the conversation away from himself as he stripped off his shirt, "did you guys learn anything good today?"

"Rebekah didn't know that Klaus killed her mother, not Mikael," Emma pointed out their big revelation of the day.

"Now that is something juicy," Damon laid back on the bottom half of the bed with a huff.

"So are you just like, completely fine after literally having a guys hand holding your heart or are you sore or something?" Emma ran her hand over Damon's chest where his heart was beating.

"I think we both know me well enough to know that my pride is way more hurt than any damage he could do to my body."

Emma nodded in agreement.

"Em," Damon said quietly, "I'm sorry I let him out, and it kind of backfired a little."

"I'm not mad Damon, I know more than anyone how desperate someone can be to get their sibling back."

"He killed yours."

"Yes he did."

"And you're going to forgive him?"

"Forgive, no, but would you prefer that I try to kill him, because trust me, that's what I would like to do."

"No, I'm just trying to understand."

"Did you know that you aren't the first vampire friend I've had?"

Damon leaned up on his elbow, "I don't think we ever really had a 'friend' phase, we kinda jumped that step and right into your bed."

"Anyway," Emma ignored him, "her name is Lexi, and her whole thing is getting vamps with their emotions off to come back to the light, so to speak."

"Uh, really?"