Klaroline: Worlds Apart (Revamping)

Chapter 8

That night, I didn't sleep a wink. All night, I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. About what it meant. Was he just trying to comfort me? Did he regret it? The questions raced through my head, refusing to let me think about anything else.

After we kissed, I quickly dismissed myself. My head was a mess, and I needed some space to sort myself out. I was still confused, and I wasn't sure how I felt, or what I was going to do next.

With a groan, I toss the covers off and stumble to my vanity. As I sit down and glance in the mirror, I pick up my brush and start detangling my hair. Downstairs, I hear a knock on the front door, so I get up and walk downstairs to open the door.

"Bonnie, hey! Come in," I say, throwing on my best fake smile.

"Hey, Care, I come bearing gifts," she says, setting a bag of donuts and a cup of coffee on the counter.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Bonnie. I talked to Klaus, and he said he didn't do it. I believe him."

"But Care-"

"Bonnie, you should've been there to see the look in his eyes. He promised me he didn't touch Vicki, and I believe him," I say defensively, and she starts to protest, but she quickly thinks better of it and stops.

"Okay. I trust you. How did the conversation with Klaus go?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

I sigh, still feeling conflicted. On the one hand, I was happy it finally happened -- it was all I'd wanted for so long, but on the other hand, I knew how all my friends felt about him.

"It is was complicated, to say the least. We talked about Vicki, and like I said he swore he didn't touch her..."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow, shooting me a skeptical gaze. "And you believe him? Just like that?"

I paid. Deep down, there is was still a sliver of doubt, but the emotions I'd seen in his eyes were convincing enough.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. But..." I trail off, at a complete loss for how to explain what I was feeling.

"Like I said, you had to be there to see the look in his eyes when he promised he didn't do it. There was something about him, Bonnie. A vulnerability I've never seen from him before."

"But was it vulnerability or was it something else like, say, a guilty conscience?"

"I mean, it's possible, but he told me something nobody else has ever mentioned before. Which is what makes me think he's being truthful."

"And that was?" Bonnie pries, her full attention turned to me.

"He told me the reason the Salvatore's hate him -- that he was the reason for Stefan's ripper bend way back in the day. And that he compelled Stefan's romance with Rebekah away after someone tried to kill them, and then they went on the run again."

"I see. Well, that sure doesn't paint him in the best light, now does it?" Bonnie asks rhetorically.

"Exactly! That's what makes me wonder if he's telling the truth. I mean, why incriminate himself?"

"So, what happened after that?"

I pause, debating if it was worth mentioning right now or not. Bonnie, however, picked up on the hesitation immediately.

"Care, what aren't you telling me?"

"Klaus and I... Kinda... Had a moment," I whisper gently, praying she couldn't hear me.

"What do you mean by 'a moment'? I need details, Caroline," Bonnie insists, a mixture of intrigue and hesitation in her tone.

"Well... We kissed," I say quietly, hanging my head, a wave of shame washing over me.