Pale Faces || Damon Salvatore

NINE:

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For all it counts, Elena didn't stop calling when I told her to. I'm tempted to change my number just to stop her from blowing up my phone eight times a day; although I strongly suspect it'd do no good, she'd just get the new number somewhere else. For some reason, she is determined to get a-hold of Damon – despite the fact she constantly tells him to go away. How ironic that the one time he does as he's told (Literally the one time, he never has before) she doesn't like it and wants him to do the opposite of what she told him to. Honestly, that girl is never pleased. She's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met – and I've shopped with Caroline on Black Friday. In my opinion, it's surprising she's still alive. No wonder so many people try to kill her so often, I'm tempted to attempt an assassination on her myself.

Not sure Stefan would be too pleased about that though – not that I care. I just like to aggravate Stefan as little as possible, which isn't as easy as you'd think when I spend a majority of my time with Caroline – who always manages to get herself kidnapped, or attacked, or in a situation she totally shouldn't be in – or Damon – who is probably worse than Caroline.

So yes, it is safe to say the past week has been spent dodging my sister and her freaky fiancés' family, and declining Elena Gilberts' phone calls. I guess Damon has been included on both of those, a little. He gives me my excuse not to go to the Cullens with Bella, and technically he's my excuse not to answer the phone too.

"What're we doing today then, Fire Starter?" Damon asks, as he leans back in the chair, his head on the arm of it, the pillows cramped underneath him. He barely leaves my bedroom, and I think he's draining my fridge dry – pun intended.

I raise an eyebrow at him from my place on the bed, my legs spread out in front of me – skin showing from my mid-thigh to my ankles due to the length of my skirt. Damon's' eyes have strayed down to them more than once.

"What makes you think we're doing anything?" I reply, watching him roll his eyes at my response.

He scoffs, "Please, you don't like anyone else."

I grin over at him, tilting my head sideways a bit, "I don't like you either."

"Liar." He retorts, smirking over at me.

I go to reply, but am cut off by the sound of my cell phone ringing from the space next to me. He glances down at it, raises an eyebrow, and then looks away from it – all traces of expression falling from his face.

"I swear to God if that's Elena I'll tell her where she can bloody shove it." I hiss, picking up the phone and looking at the caller ID.

INCOMING CALL: Caroline

"Who is it?" Damon asks, keeping his attention on the pictures hanging above him on the wall as if he's completely unaffected by the chances of Elena being on the other end of the phone.

He acts all tough, like nothing could touch him, but I can see right through him. I can't tell if he wants to go back to her or not, but I can tell he's dying to hear her voice. I'm not sure why he bothers hiding it, if he wants to go then he should go. I won't hold it against him, it's his decision.

I answer the phone, putting it to my ear, "What can I do for you Caroline?"

Damon relaxes as Caroline speaks, "You could put Elena out of her misery so that she'll put me out of mine."

"I don't follow?"

"Oh come on El," Caroline whines, "she hasn't shut up for ages. 'Damon should be here' she says, 'Damon always goes running to her' she goes. Jesus, she has Stefan. Why does she feel the need to keep both?"

I shrug, despite the fact she can't see me, "It's not like she does much to secure her position as the infatuation of both Stefan and Damon's lives — she's always 'accidentally' turning them against each other."

Damon makes a face that looks like he agrees, but doesn't comment.

"Look, can you just answer one of her calls, pass it to Damon and let him tell her to either go away or that he'll be back soon?" Caroline asks, and I can hear the sounds of the Mystic Grill bustling around her. Someone is sat across from her, I can just about make out their breathing. It's either Bonnie, Stefan, or Elena herself. They're the only people she'd have present with her while making this phone call.

I sigh, glancing over at Damon before answering, "Why doesn't she just call
Damon? I can't do much if he won't speak to her Caroline. Maybe she shouldn't be so selfish and she wouldn't have this problem."

"Well perhaps you could just do me that favour? Please? I can't take it anymore I don't want to physically harm her — but I will!" Caroline says, and Damon raises an eyebrow at me, but still doesn't say a word.

"Just get Stefan to distract her." I tell her, sighing again and growing desperately bored of talking about Elena.

"They aren't speaking." She replies, and suddenly Damon is more interested. He pushes himself up from the position he was in, sitting up straight now with a concentrated look on his face.

I should've known, even with his 'I'm not in love with Elena' he is still obsessed with her.

Why does that hurt so much? It shouldn't. He isn't mine. He never was.

"Why not?" I ask Caroline, knowing Damon will want to know the answer.

Caroline sounds like she could do with a drink when she speaks again, her voice tired and low, "He heard her say she loves Damon."

"Ouch." I say, and Caroline hums in agreement.

Damon looks torn for a second, before I see something flash across his face and he stands up.

"Caroline I have to go." I tell her quickly and hang up — throwing the phone onto the bed as I get up.

"You can't be serious." I direct my statement at Damon as he bends over the beside table for my car keys.

He doesn't answer. Of course he doesn't, the arrogant sod. He doesn't need to though, because it's obvious enough. He's going to go back to her, after everything he said just over a week ago. He's going to take my car and go back to her. I'm not sure why it bothers me so much, but it just seems so wrong. What's the point of it? It won't change! Everything he said before will still be the same! She's going to continue changing him until he doesn't even know who he is anymore, until he forgets how to be Damon. He's been fine here, without her. Avoiding her calls and ignoring any indication of talking to her, instead choosing to stay here with me, be himself, and have regular sex. I can't believe he's going back.

"I'll bring your car back, I'm only borrowing it." He says quietly, taking the keys into his hand.

I shake my head in disbelief, "I can't believe you're actually going to go running back to her, after everything you said about not being in love with her."

"You don't understand." He counters, shrugging on his jacket before turning around to look at me.

"You're right, I don't. You have less of a backbone than I thought you did." I cross my arms across my chest, a defiant look on my face as I watch him.

He sighs, looking me up and down, before stepping closer to me, I smell his cologne as he whispers, "Don't set anything alight while I'm gone Fire Starter."

His lips meet my forehead as he breathes in — which is totally ridiculous because he doesn't need to breathe at all.

I don't reply, and within seconds I feel the swish of air as he disappears. I hear the sound of my car starting up as he drives it out of my driveway, and it disappears down the street.

Goddamn coward, he can keep the fucking car. I don't care, I'm done being his distraction if he doesn't even stuck by his word.

I hope Elena makes him happy, because I'm done trying.