Vampire Diaries Imagines

Better Late Than Never - Tyler Lockwood

The Founders' Gala was always a night to remember-an elegant celebration of everything Mystic Falls stood for. The YNN and Lockwood families had always played pivotal roles in keeping these traditions alive. For generations, someone from my family and someone from his would become inseparable, bonded by an almost unspoken legacy. For Tyler and me, it felt as natural as breathing.

But somewhere along the way, my feelings shifted. Tyler wasn't just the Lockwood boy anymore. He was Tyler-the boy who used to catch fireflies out in the backyard, who could make me laugh when I was on the verge of tears, and who, at some point, I fell for without even realizing it.

And now, watching him with her outside his house, I couldn't help but feel like an intruder.

Vicki Donovan was everything I wasn't-bold, rebellious, and completely unpredictable. Tyler was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, but it was a kind of chaos I couldn't understand. When she was around, he became someone I barely recognized. The real Tyler-the one I'd grown up with-seemed buried beneath this shallow, arrogant jock facade. I hated it. I hated her.

But most of all, I hated that it hurt me so much to watch.

I had been on my way to find him when I saw them. Tyler leaned against the porch railing, his head tilted down toward Vicki, whose laugh cut through the night like nails on a chalkboard. She reached up, touching his arm, and he didn't pull away. My chest tightened, and for a second, I thought about turning around and walking out of the Gala entirely.

Instead, I steered myself back inside, avoiding eye contact with anyone, especially Carol. Mrs. Lockwood had a way of seeing right through me, and I wasn't in the mood for one of her knowing looks. Sure enough, she caught up with me as I reached the ballroom.

"YN, dear," Mrs. Carol's voice was warm but curious. "What are you doing inside? I thought you and Tyler were catching up."

I forced a smile. "I, uh, forgot something upstairs. I'll be back down in a minute."

Carol's eyes narrowed slightly, and I knew she wasn't convinced. "If there's something-"

"There's not," I interrupted gently but firmly. "I promise."

Carol didn't press, but the way her gaze lingered told me she wasn't entirely buying it.

Once I was out of her sight, I climbed the staircase to the guest room I practically considered my own. The Lockwoods' house had always felt like a second home to me, but tonight it felt foreign, almost suffocating.

I sank into the window seat, drawing my knees up to my chest. Below, the Gala carried on without me, glittering and alive. I spotted Caroline and Damon weaving through the crowd until they joined Tyler and Vicki. From my perch, it was easy to watch unnoticed, and I wondered what Tyler was thinking, what he saw in her that made him change so much so often.

The longer I sat there, the more the sting in my chest deepened. This wasn't who I was. I wasn't the girl who sat on the sidelines, wishing for something she couldn't have. I wasn't the girl who let herself get pushed aside.

But for Tyler, I made an exception.

I sighed, leaning my head against the glass. The night stretched on below me, and I couldn't bring myself to go back down. Maybe I could blame a headache or say I wasn't feeling well. Or maybe I'd just stay here, tucked away in this room, while everyone else danced and laughed.

Including Tyler.

With her.

The sound of muffled music drifted through the thick glass, the rhythm matching the slow throb of the ache in my chest. My gaze remained locked on Tyler and Vicki, despite the torment it brought. He smiled at her-really smiled-and it twisted something deep inside me. How many times had I wished that smile was meant for me?