Keeping My Distance

twenty nine

I lean in close to Stefan's face, and lift a hand up, flicking him hard on the ear.

"Get up," I tell him.

His eyes flash open in shock,

"Ow! You flicked me!"

I lean back in my seat and open my car door to get out,

"We are here, come on."

New Orleans was alive this time of the afternoon. Humans walk past us through the French quarter, buzzed on alcohol and sins.

There's a hint of citrusy smell about the air, along with smoke and wet pavement from the dampness of the air.

The south was muggy this time of year, my hair already felt heavier than it really was.

I check my phone again, looking at the address Elijah gave me.

"The compound isn't far," I tell Stefan who is stretching out his body after sleeping for the last four hours.

A few blocks down and I push open a wrought iron gate, once through a slim corridor of brick wall, we are in a beautiful courtyard.

"Evelyn!" Elijah says, coming down the stairs from the second story, a smile on his face.

The original vampire embraces me. I hug him back. It felt nice.

I fume internally at my emotions coming up.

Elijah releases me after a moment and raises an eyebrow at Stefan,

"You brought Stefan?"

"Against my own will, might I add," Stefan points out and makes a snarky face.

I narrow my eyes at him in response.

"So is this a friendship or a hostage situation?" Elijah looks between us, amused.

"Depends on how you look at it," I shrug and turn back to Elijah,

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"You're a vampire now, our witch friend of sorts says she knows how to bring Kol back. We can link him to you," Elijah explains quickly.

My dead heart beats faster. Hope threatening to rip through me like a blade.

I shake my head,

"No way."

Elijah nods, smiling gently at my shocked expression,

"Kol wants to return to his original body, the one he is in right now doesn't suit him enough. And to do that he needs to be linked to a vampire. And he said you once I told him you turned."

My brain processes all of this at lightening speed. Trying to make sense of all the information Elijah is throwing at me.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, Stefan is steadying me. I didn't realize I had begun to shake violently.

It's been months since I've talked to Kol. He doesn't come even when I tried to call for him after turning into a vampire.

Like I could reach out and feel our connection, but it was one sided. He didn't want to see me. It was a push and pull, he had to want to see me too.

"He is? Kol, is here?" The question leaves my lips in a horse like whisper.

Pain.
Anger.
Frustration.

"Yes, Esther brought him and Finn back as witches. In different bodies, she has an agenda right now but Kol wants out of it. He went along with it at first, but he misses you," Elijah keeps talking but I've tuned him out now.

Kol has been here.
For at least two months.
Eight weeks.
And he hasn't come to find me.

My feet move me away from Stefan and Elijah. Before I know it I'm back outside. The sun beats down on me, engulfing me in warmth.

I take in deep and heavy breaths.

I'm tired and angry. But someone should be.

How dare he not immediately come and find me? The audacity that stupid man has.

My emotions come back full force in this newfound knowledge.

I go across the street quickly, avoiding the spare cars driving down it lazily.

A bench, in the shade. My head rests on my hands as I stare at the old concrete side walk at my feet.

Maybe he just doesn't want me anymore.

"Hey, are you okay?" An unfamiliar voice says from my right.

I look up.
A man around my age is standing there.
Handsome.
But human.
His eyes are blue.

I look back down at the ground,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," he says to me, stepping closer.

My patience is wearing thin as it is,

"Then don't look at me, dude."

My watch makes a quiet tick, tick, tick. Two minutes pass and this stranger is still standing there. Other people move around him on the sidewalk, but he just stands there looking at me.

A thrum begins in my heart, or behind my heart. At my core.

My eyes flash up to meet this strangers blue ones.

Familiarity in our stares at one another.

"Kol?"

"Hello, darling. We are long overdue for a chat, aren't we?" He winks at me.