No Strings Attached

Day 267

            "He's nobody! A friend from work."

            Elena rubs her eyes harshly, trying to keep the tears from obscuring her vision. There isn't anyone on the road, but she vaguely remembered a video she watched when she first got her license and she did not want to hit a stray dog.

"What do you mean you met him for coffee?!"

            Her phone is buzzing again in the seat next to her. It has been on and off for several minutes now, but she couldn't bring herself to look at it. It was probably Dean wondering where she was. She'd never missed one of their dates before.

"Damon, he means nothing to me! Please—"

            She can feel it rising up in her, another wave of anger and frustration threatening to crash into her. Smacking the steering wheel, Elena lets out a stifled cry.

"You don't even care about me!"

"At least I stayed faithful!"

"Faithful to what? Your liquor?"

            "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Elena hits the steering wheel again, this time swerving into the other lane. She nearly takes out a mailbox, but she pulls it together just in time to save the cute little box. "So stupid. Stupid, stupid..."

"How many times?"

"How many times did I screw him? It wasn't about that, Damon."

            Elena's phone goes off again, and this time she chances a look over at it. Dean's picture lights up the screen, his smile beaming up at her. Scowling, Elena hits the ignore button before cursing herself again.

"Do you love him?"

"I'm with you!"

"Do you love him?"

"Damon, I love you! I'm with—"

"You didn't answer my question."

            It had all happened so fast. One minute she was upstairs changing for bed and the next she was screaming at her boyfriend. There was no point denying it, Damon had already seen the texts. So they stood there for hours, the sun rising around them as they fought.

"Of all people, a construction worker!"

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with what he does for a living!"

"You're defending him? Are you kidding me?!"

            Elena's phone goes off again, interrupting her train of thought. Wiping her nose, she finally reaches over and picks up her phone. There's Dean's face again, smiling at her as if nothing's changed. Swallowing hard, Elena accepts the call and puts the phone to her ear.

            "Elena? Thank god you picked up. You scared me half to death," Dean says, chuckling as he unlocks the door to his house. He'd waited at the café for nearly an hour, but eventually he had to leave. It's nine forty-five now, and Lisa would kill him if he was late. "Did you oversleep again? 'Cause there's something I gotta tell you and—"

            "Dean," Elena says weakly, her voice cracking. Dean freezes, listening intently to the sound of her ragged breathing. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.