The vampire diaries part 1 (The Awakening)

Chapter Eight

Elena had gone into the bathroom dazed and numbly grateful. She came out angry.She wasn't quite sure how the transformation had taken place. 

But sometime while she was washing thescratches on her face and arms, annoyed at the lack of a mirror and at the fact she'd left her purse inTyler's convertible, she started feeling again.

 And what she felt was anger.Damn Stefan Salvatore. So cold and controlled even while saving her life. Damn him for his politeness,and for his gallantry, and for the walls around him that seemed thicker and higher than ever.

 She pulled the remaining bobby pins out of her hair and used them to fasten the front of her dresstogether. Then she ran through her loosened hair quickly with an engraved bone comb she found by thesink. She came out of the bathroom with her chin held high and her eyes narrowed.He hadn't put his coat back on.

 He was standing by the window in his white sweater with bowed head,tense, waiting. Without lifting his head, he gestured to a length of dark velvet laid over the back of a chair."You might want to put that on over your dress."It was a full-length cloak, very rich and soft, with a hood. Elena pulled the heavy material around hershoulders. 

But she was not mollified by the gift; she noticed that Stefan hadn't come any closer to her, oreven looked at her while speaking.Deliberately, she invaded his territorial space, pulling the cloak more tightly about her and feeling, even atthat moment, a sensual appreciation of the way the folds fell about her, trailing behind her on the floor.She walked up to him and made an examination of the heavy mahogany dresser by the window.

 On it lay a wicked-looking dagger with an ivory hilt and a beautiful agate cup mounted in silver. Therewere also a golden sphere with some sort of dial set into it and several loose gold coins.She picked up one of the coins, partly because it was interesting and partly because she knew it wouldupset him to see her handling his things. 

"What's this?"It was a moment before he answered. Then he said:"A gold florin. A Florentine coin.""And what's this?""A German pendant watch. Late fifteenth century," he said distractedly. He added, "Elena—"She reached for a small iron coffer with a hinged lid. "What about this? Does it open?""No."

 He had the reflexes of a cat; his hand slapped over the coffer, holding the lid down. "That'sprivate," he said, the strain obvious in his voice.She noticed that his hand made contact only with the curving iron lid and not with her flesh. She lifted herfingers, and he drew back at once.Suddenly, her anger was too great to hold in any longer. "Careful," she said savagely. "Don't touch me, oryou might get a disease." 

He turned away toward the window.And yet even as she moved away herself, walking back to the center of the room, she could sense hiswatching her reflection. And she knew, suddenly, what she must look like to him, pale hair spilling overthe blackness of the cape, one white hand holding the velvet closed at her throat.

 A ravaged princesspacing in her tower.She tilted her head far back to look at the trapdoor in the ceiling, and heard a soft, distinct intake ofbreath. When she turned, his gaze was fixed on her exposed throat; the look in his eyes confused her.But the next moment his face hardened, closing her out."I think," he said, "that I had better get you home." 

In that instant, she wanted to hurt him, to make him feel as bad as he'd made her feel. But she alsowanted the truth. She was tired of this game, tired of scheming and plotting and trying to read StefanSalvatore's mind. It was terrifying and yet a wonderful relief to hear her own voice saying the words she'dbeen thinking so long.

 "Why do you hate me?"He stared at her. For a moment he couldn't seem to find words. Then he said, "I don't hate you.""You do," said Elena. "I know it's not... not good manners to say it, but I don't care. I know I should begrateful to you for saving me tonight, but I don't care about that, either. I didn't ask you to save me. Idon't know why you were even in the graveyard in the first place. And I certainly don't understand whyyou did it, considering the way you feel about me."He was shaking his head, but his voice was soft.