If only | Damon Salvatore

017. THREATENED TO BE REVEALED TO THE TOWN

Chapter seventeen

"Threatened to be revealed to the town."

A few days had passed since the terrifying incident with the tomb vampires. Beatrix was doing her best to move onwards and upwards, focusing on her schoolwork just like everyone else in town. It helped that Mystic Falls was wrapped up in its own tragedy; that very same night, the police had finally discovered Vicki Donovan's body, drawing all the town's attention away from the farmhouse. Beatrix hadn't seen Stefan since the rescue. When she had woken up the morning after the attack, she realized the marks on her neck and wrist were virtually non-existent. It didn't take a genius to figure out he had slipped her some vampire blood after she fell asleep, but she chose not to dwell on it.Instead, she focused her energy on helping her mother and grandmother repair their ruined backyard garden. She was buried deep in the soil when a familiar voice broke the silence behind her.

"Beatrix."

Beatrix jumped, dropping her trowel as she whipped around to find Stefan standing there. "Hey, um... haven't seen you around much," she shared, wiping her dirt-stained hands on her pants.

Stefan nodded tightly, his posture rigid. "Yeah, I've been, uh... busy. And I see that you have been, too," he noted, motioning toward the newly planted flowers.

Beatrix turned back to the garden, a small shrug escaping her shoulders. "Yeah. I just needed a distraction, you know?"

"Way too much," Stefan muttered under his breath, looking weary.

Beatrix furrowed her brows, sensing the heavy tension rolling off him. "Did you need something?" she asked gently.

Stefan quickly shook his head, offering a faint, forced smile. "No, no. Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Okay," Beatrix replied softly, nodding.

Accepting his answer, she turned around to go back to her gardening. Stefan stood there in silence, his eyes fixed on her for a few more minutes, before he finally turned on his heel and disappeared into the trees.

Tonight was the 150th Founders' Day celebration. Beatrix wore a striking, off-the-shoulder black gown, matching the elegant black dresses worn by her mother and grandmother. As the three of them stepped into the crowded venue, they began navigating the bustling room together, heading straight toward the bar. Along the way, their eyes caught Stefan swiftly snatching a glass right out of a passing guest's hand.

Winnifred raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Looks like someone is completely off the rails," she remarked, turning a sharp gaze onto her granddaughter. "Did you know about this?"

Beatrix furrowed her brows, watching Stefan swallow the drink. "No, but he was acting really weird this morning. Just... standing there, watching me."

Cassandra frowned at that. "Watching you?"

"Whatever," Beatrix sighed, shaking her head. "That's not the point of tonight. Let's just get some drinks." She led the way toward the bar to kick off their evening, determined to put the drama aside.

Later in the evening, Beatrix left her mother and grandmother to use the restroom. As she walked out of the ladies' room, she accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry," she muttered. Looking up, she froze. It was Stefan.

"You're ignoring me," Stefan stated bluntly, his eyes dark and intense.

Beatrix let out a dry chuckle. "I'm not ignoring you, Stefan. I'm spending time with my family. There's a big difference," she told him. She stepped around his rigid frame and began walking down the long hallway.