Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

Hello, Sister

A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER...

"I don't hate you, Bonnie!" Kol declared, his voice laced with frustration.

Bonnie stifled a chuckle. "Funny you say that because you told me you strongly dislike me. Isn't that what it means to hate a person? It's even worse coming from you because you're not just any guy to me, Kol. You're my boyfriend!"

Rebekah and Hayley loitered just outside the bedroom, their curiosity getting the best of them. They felt guilty knowing they urged Kol to tell Bonnie how he felt. With Kol and Bonnie at each other's throats for over twenty minutes, Hayley and Rebekah feared they would break up again.

Rebekah shared an uneasy glance with Hayley, silently urging her to listen closely as the two's argument only worsened.

Kol grabbed the back of his head, pacing back and forth in the room. "I can't keep pretending everything's okay when it's not, Bonnie. It's tearing me apart."

And I don't want you pretending everything's okay, Kol. Bonnie crossed her arms, her eyes flashing with anger and hurt. She wasn't trying to make this whole thing about herself, but it didn't change that she had feelings just as much as he did.

"You say you don't hate me, but ever since you and I spoke earlier about being honest with each other, you've been avoiding me like a plague. You can't just drop a bomb like this and expect me to be okay with it," Bonnie said.

Kol halted, looking into Bonnie's eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you, Bonnie." His voice cracked as he spoke.

I never wanted to hurt you either, Bonnie mentally agreed.

"But I can't ignore that I'm drowning in confusion. I don't even know who I am anymore," Kol continued.

Bonnie knew that Kol needed time to heal from everything that happened, but it sounded as though Kol didn't want that time and instead just wanted to run away from it all.

"So, what?" Bonnie slapped her hands to her side, suppressing her frown. "You're having an identity crisis, and I'm just collateral damage? Is that it?"

Kol's flat eyebrows furrowed, and he snapped, "It's not about you being collateral damage!"

Bonnie flinched at the sharpness of his voice, her cheeks blazing red. He had never spoken so aggressively towards her.

Kol didn't care that his tone hurt her as he continued to shout, realizing Bonnie had been talking more than listening. "It's about me figuring out my bloody mess before I drag you into it any further!"

Bonnie's eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling. "You don't get it, Kol! We're supposed to face these things together, but you're shutting me out. A few minutes ago, you said you needed a break from everyone when you promised you wouldn't leave me." She scoffed, shaking her head. "Davina fixed the problem with your sires, and now you just want another problem, so you're lashing out at me. I'm not your enemy, Kol."

Kol's expression softened as he saw Bonnie's tears. He sighed, running a stressed hand through his disheveled hair. "I'm not shutting you out; I'm trying to protect you. I'm a mess, Bonnie. I can't be what you need right now."

"It's not about what I need, Kol. It's about what you need. You need me to help you get through this. You can't expect to figure this out by yourself," Bonnie expressed. "It's like our love just means nothing to you."

"Our love means everything to me. I'm just trying to be honest with you for once. Is that not what you want?" Kol asked.

Bonnie hesitated to answer. She wanted Kol to be truthful, but honesty sometimes brought hurt. Unsure if she could handle that pain, she knew she had to face it for their relationship to work.