One and Only

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN-One And Only-

Elena's P.O.V.

No. That's it, the answer.

But why is that when he turns around towards me that I can't get that one simple word past my lips. It's stuck as Stefan stares at me, hands in his pockets and a frown on his face when he rocks on the balls of his feet, clearing his throat to speak.

"That's what I thought." Stefan says, locking his eyes on me as my voice finally breaks all this tension, all this crap that I've never wanted to keep us apart. But, over the years it has. The day he went missing, I couldn't function. The day that we got his ashes and buried what was left of his uniform was the day I closed my heart off to everyone, everything. But, then months went by and it got easier to breathe a bit, with Matt by my side..

"I love you. I loved you. But, you were dead...You weren't supposed to come back and I'm not supposed to choose." I tell him, watching as he glares at me, the veins in his forehead are bigger than ever when he gets mad and right now, I can see everyone, even the small invisible ones that I know he has on his face.

"Loved me? What the fuck is that exactly supposed to mean. You can't just fall out of love with someone that has loved you since the day I met you! But, than again you bring that son of bitch back into this house and he sleeps in your bed, makes love to you. So, I guess I can see where you have a choice to make. Me or him, Elena." He says, a pain in his voice that lingers around me as I run my hands over my face. I'm angry with myself for what I've done, torn us apart..Just by following what he had once said, Make sure that Matt or Damon takes care of you..if anything happens to me. But, it was never supposed to be a choice, it was always supposed to be Stefan...not Matt, who I was supposed to grow old with, who I was supposed to love for all of eternity.

"I don't love him, like I loved you..Okay! With you it was simple and safe, you made me feel alive. With Matt it's different. But, it's harder..Because he knows that I lost you. I lost you the day that Matt and Tyler came to the house in the early morning and told me that you were gone. So, it took me months to figure out what I was going to do. Yet, overtime..He never left my side and eventually we moved into the house. So that it would be easier for Sam and Olivia..Stefan. I never meant for this to happen! It was supposed to be you, with me forever. It was never supposed to be Matt who I started to develop feelings for. It was always, supposed to be you! Don't you remember?" I hear myself repeating my words. I don't know what else to say, but the truth. Over the years, Matt and I developed feelings for each other. I guess that's why I said 'Yes' to him. But, my connection with him, doesn't run as deep as my connection with Stefan as my love for the father of my beautiful children.

Yet, I know it's wrong. That word, that one 'Yes' that's changed everything. Because years earlier I had promised myself to someone else and here he is. The love of my life, the man that I had tried so hard to forget, but I couldn't because our memories, our time together overpowered my mind, my heart and soul until I found myself forgetting the sound of his voice, the smell of his skin and then before I knew it, Stefan started to fade all together and all that remained were pictures and memories.

I watch as Stefan laughs a bit, his voice is still raw and emotion filled. Tragically pained by my words. He looks up at me and shakes his head as he speaks. "Of course, I remember. But, why didn't you keep your last name..Why did you change it to Salvatore. If you knew that you were going to be marrying Matt, eventually."

"Excuse me? I never knew! It happened the other night. Are you not hearing what I'm saying? Matt asked me to marry him the other night, Stefan! I kept your damn last name because of Sam and Olivia! Because you are their father and even if you don't think that you mean something to me, that I forget you. I haven't, that is why I kept your last name. Because, it was the only thing that I had left to hold onto!" I find myself yelling back at him, lifting my hands up into the air as he shrugs his shoulders and turns to leave once more. Although, not before telling me something that sends a shiver down my spine and makes me regret everything I've said about having feelings for another man, since Stefan's walked into the house.