No Strings Attached

Day 5

            Elena had risen early every day this week, excited she was one day closer to seeing Dean again. She didn't truly understand her excitement, but she had accepted it in replace of the guilt that had initially wracked her brain. Her joy only seemed to be palpable in the day light, for when night swept through the town and Damon came stumbling home, she would be overtaken by crippling guilt and regret. Then the sun would come, bathing the small town in light and washing away her pitiful remorse.

            Damon was still suspicious about the night she disappeared, and rightfully so. He didn't believe for one second she had simply spent the night at a friend's house, for he knew all of her friends. None of them admitted to housing her, but he wasn't about to confront her without all the facts.

            Knowing this, Elena had done everything in her ability to stay out of the house. She had worked overtime at the hospital, picking up several extra shifts. Her false excitement wasn't enough to make lying easy and she had already done enough lying to last her a lifetime. She was ready to see Dean again to remind herself why she was putting herself through so much trouble.

            And so, just like every other morning, Elena rose bright and early Saturday morning with a smile on her face. The early morning light seeping through the curtains cast the room in an orange glow, lighting up the picture frames that sat upon their dresser. The light touches everything, clawing its way across the bedspread until it reached Damon's peaceful face.

           Barely giving him a second glance, Elena pushes the sheets back and places her feet gently on the floor. She was quick to get ready, consciously dressing to impress. When she exits the bathroom, the sheets have been pushed back and the bed lies empty.

           "Damon?" Elena moves to her closet, shrugging on a sweater as she peers down the hall. It wasn't like Damon to rise with the sun. "Babe?"

           "Good morning," Damon murmurs, sneaking up behind her. Startled, Elena nearly jumps out of her skin as his hands slink around her waist. "Where are you going so early? Isn't it your day off?"

           "Yeah, but I'm meeting up with some friends from work," Elena says, attempting to settle against him. It's been difficult for her to do so lately, her guilt eating away at her far too much.

           "I thought you were going to spend the day with me," Damon grunts, pulling away from her. Elena ignores his statement, instead choosing to move to the dresser to put on her earrings. "Elena, we talked about this. You spend all your time with those people. The least you could do is spend your day off with your boyfriend."

           "And I will." Elena turns to face him, her hands trying to put the earring on without a mirror. "Next time. Or after I get back. I'll probably only be a few hours. Then I'm all yours."

           "Yeah, whatever," Damon scoffs as he exits their bedroom. Sighing, Elena gives herself a quick onceover before wrapping a scarf around her neck and heading toward the door. The fall air is biting, cutting through her sweater to nip at her skin. It instantly brings color to her pale cheeks, easily masking how sick to her stomach she suddenly feels. Damon will most definitely have some choice words for her when she returns and she regrets giving him a reason to pick a fight.

            Pushing the feeling aside, Elena climbs into her car, cranking up the heat as she heads toward the café.

            The café they chose was on the edge of town. It was small, cozy feeling, and thankfully didn't get a lot of foot traffic. It was one of those family businesses that appealed to everyone, but Elena had only stepped foot inside a handful of times. So when she stepped through the door, her nerves skyrocketed due to the unfamiliar surroundings. She should've picked a place she knew instead of allowing Dean to choose. He already had the upper hand, but Elena was uncertain if that mattered to him.