Capital Letters

four

Nathan has been trying to speak to Caroline for a few days now. But she's been avoiding his calls. And he's gone by her house a few times but she's brushed him off and he doesn't understand it. The other day they were fine and making out in the woods and now she was ignoring him?

It didn't make any sense. So, he went over to her house, again. But this time he didn't knock on the door, he wasn't going to have her slam the door in his face. Again. He opened the door to her house and walked in.

Her mom wasn't home, the car wasn't in the driveway. And he walked straight into Caroline's room. And saw her sitting at her vanity. Caroline snapped her head toward him, her voice laced with irritation. "So, you just barge into my house now?"

Nathan's eyes locked onto her, his frustration evident in his tone. "Uh, yeah, when you stop answering my calls. What the hell is wrong with you? You've been ignoring me for days."

Caroline avoided his gaze, her words evasive. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy."

Nathan's brows furrowed in disbelief. "Yeah? With what? Actually, you know what, I don't care. But when I didn't answer your calls, you were all angry with me. So, I'm here for my epic apology. Because you went AWOL."

"I didn't go AWOL, I messaged you back."

Nathan was having none of it. He recalled the times he reached out and the responses he received—or rather, the lack thereof. "Yeah, I asked if you wanted to go out to lunch, and you said no. What the hell is that?"

Caroline finally turned to him, her voice now tinged with indifference. "It's an answer. We don't have to spend every day together."

Nathan scoffed, the frustration building in him. "Right, yeah, I'll remember that the next time you want me to decorate some stupid sign or float for a dumb Mystic Falls celebration. What's going on with you, Caroline?"

Caroline knew she had to say something, something that would drive him away, even if it broke her heart. Her life was being threatened by Katherine Pierce, and she couldn't let Nathan get caught up in her dangerous games.

"You want to know what's going on with me?" she burst out, her voice trembling. "I can barely hang out with my friends without wanting to kill them. I have this urge to sink my fangs into every living person I see—all because you gave me your blood."

Nathan stood there in stunned silence. He didn't know how to respond because deep down, he knew she was right. He had unwittingly changed her life forever, and he couldn't deny the consequences of his actions. Without a word, he turned and walked out of her house, leaving Caroline to grapple with the turmoil inside her.

Caroline sighed, burying her head in her hands, overwhelmed by guilt and the weight of her secret.

"Well done, Caroline," Katherine's voice purred as she materialized in Caroline's room. "I must say, I have never seen Nate speechless in all the time that I've known him. He must really care about you. And you just shattered his heart."

Caroline took a step back, putting as much distance between herself and Katherine as possible. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I need him angry," Katherine replied casually, reclining on Caroline's bed. "He's better when he's angry. He's also better in bed when he's angry."

Caroline rolled her eyes, her frustration with Katherine's manipulations evident. "Oh, my god."

Nathan strolled down the sunlit streets, lost in thought when Damon suddenly jogged up to him. His older brother slung an arm around his shoulder, but Nathan quickly brushed it off, displaying his typical annoyance.