la casa di Salvatore | 02 | c. forbes

[ 10 ]

Chapter Ten
June 24th, 2009
06/24/09

"It's so insane," Elena muttered as she and Caroline lay on her bed, "I mean... watching your uncle get mauled by a mountain lion. That has to be seriously traumatic. I wouldn't blame her if she left."

Caroline sighed a bit. She hadn't spoken to Athena since the 22nd. The redhead had hovered around her during the whole questioning process, a lot more clingy than Caroline ever thought she could be. The blonde hadn't minded, and let herself be Athena's rock.

Then Athena stopped talking to her.

Maybe she was already gone.

"Did you..." Elena turned her head to look at her friend, "did you see it happen?"

Caroline shook her head immediately. "No, no. I just heard something following me and then they were yelling at me to get inside—" Caroline shrugged a bit, "Athena—she was so devastated, Elena."

The brunette frowned sympathetically. She knew what it was like to lose a family member. Especially someone you were so close to. "Have you heard from her?" She asked softly.

Caroline frowned a bit and shook her head again. "No."

Elena gave her friend a sad smile. She knew Caroline had grown to like the woman, either platonically or romantically.

They both heard the doorbell ring downstairs.

Elena frowned a little, looking toward her door. "Are you expecting someone?" Caroline asked her friend, confused as well.

"No," Elena said, sitting up on her elbows when she heard her aunt talking with someone.

Caroline sat up when she heard Athena's voice. The two best friends shared a look before quietly exiting the brunette's room.

"You look better," they heard Jenna say.

"I feel... a little better," Athena replied and Caroline could imagine the smile on her lips. "Thanks for the woodworker contact—I ended up just building a replacement myself though."

"You built a door?" Jenna asked incredulously, laughing a bit, "Well, I guess, whatever helps you cope. When Miranda died, I threw a tennis ball at the wall for hours."

Athena laughed. "Whatever helps you cope, I guess," the woman mocked.

Caroline glanced at Elena out of the corner of her eye, worried that her friend would get sad at the mention of her deceased mother. Elena though, looked a bit amused by the conversation which led to Caroline untensing.

"Is Caroline here?" Athena asked suddenly and there was something in her voice that made the three women know she didn't really need an answer. She knew.

Caroline walked down the steps, leaning against the railing and staring at the redhead who was at the entrance. Jenna and Elena shared a look before excusing themselves.

Athena hummed a bit, walking up the small set of stairs and to the landing. "Can we sit?" She asked, tapping the third stair, two away from the one Caroline was on.

"You sure you want to be so close to me?" Caroline shot back.

Athena raised an eyebrow and hummed again, tapping the place next to her. "Sit," she said.

Caroline huffed a little but sat down beside the redhead, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Athena was silent for a moment, staring out in front of her. "I apologize for the way I acted after everything," she said, fidgeting with the car keys in her hands, "I... I have had a lot of people die on me. It's not something you ever get used to and I've been known not to cope... well."