Love, Ian Somerhalder

Chapter 1

[IAN'S POV]

You are the stupidest man alive! How could I ask to take a girl that is a complete stranger home? This could be a paparazzi plot for all I know!

I thought to myself as I took the young girl, Elena, outside. I held her back from going back to the tour group and led her to our main offices where all our rooms are.

"The group is that way." Elena pointed out and I shook my head.

"What about I give you my private tour?" I say and wiggle my eyebrows at her.

She nods her little blonde head and I open the glass door to let her in. I see Nina,Paul, Kat, and Candace talking silently about the script. Nina notices me and smiles but gives me a confused look when she sees Elena behind me.

"Who's this, Ian?" Paul asks and I turn to look at Elena who looks like she's just seen a ghost and in less than a second she was on the ground.

"Did she just faint?" Kat asked and I quickly kneel beside Elena.

"Damn! Wake up, Elena! Or your sister will kill me." I say worriedly and tapped her cheeks.

"Her name is Elena?" Nina asked now kneeled beside me and so was Paul.

"Yes it-- wait, no it isn't," I realize remembering what Sage called her. "RILEY! WAKE UP, RILEY!"

I shouted her name a couple of times and her eyelids flickered.

"Am I in heaven like Mom and Dad?" Riley whispered and we all let out a sigh of relief.

"I HAVE WATER!" Candace came running with a cup of water but before we could stop her she splashed it on Riley's face which made her sit up faster than a jack-in-box.

"Okay! I'm fully awake!" Riley gasped and Paul helped her stand up and walked her to a chair.

"I'm so sorry, Riley!" Candace says while desperately drying her off with a towel Kat had given her.

"Sorry? For what? I got to see you all in real life, which made me faint, got drenched by Candace Accola, and have a ride home with Ian Somerhalder!" She squealed and we all laughed except for Nina who pulled me away to a corner.

"Did I hear right, Ian? That that girl who you barely knew her first name has a ride home with you?" Nina whispered to me with a hint of disbelief.

"Yes, but--" I started but Nina cut me off... As always.

"Are you crazy? I think you are 'cause--" Now it was my turn to cut her off.

"Listen, it was an accident,okay? I went to get my phone 'cause I left it in the make-up room and the girl just barged in the room! I told her to leave but then her older sister came and she was kinda scary..." I stopped when Nina was giving me her death glare.

"And how does this leads to taking the girl home, exactly?"

"Well, Sage--Riley's sister--got a text message that made her go red and on the verge of tears while I was giving Riley an autograph... And I don't know! The question just came out of me!" I say remembering Sage's delicate face in so much pain.

"Everyone has problems, Ian! It doesn't mean you can go offering people rides home." Nina cried out clearly irrtated.

"I know! And it will never happen again..." I say and Nina takes a deep breath and uses her acting to turn her face peaceful.

We went back and see Riley taking pictures with her iPhone and she pleaded us for a group picture. We agreed and gave her our autographs. After that I decided to take her home.

"Ready to go home, munchkin?" I say and ruffle Riley's blonde, damp hair as we made our way towards my car.

"Hey! I'm not a munchkin. I happen to be 4'11." Riley says proudly and walks ahead of me on her toes.

"Okay, twinkle toes, whatever you say..." I say jokingly and she sticks her tongue out at me.

We got in my car and almost instantly Riley takes a notebook out of her bag and starts drawing. I minded my own business while I drived but curiousity got the better of me.

"Watcha' drawing?" I ask and try to get a glimpse of her notebook.

"Nothing..." Riley mumbled with red cheeks. I stop at a red light and stretch to see the drawing.

It was an unfinshed sketch of a man driving with the sunset coming through his window through the eyes of the passenger.

"Is that me?" I ask and she nods shyly. "You're good."

"Thanks... My mother always said that when you see something beautiful or inspiring to draw it." Riley says and continued drawing. The light turns green and I drive forward.

The mention of Riley's mother made me remember something that disturbed me when Riley woke up from when she fainted.

"Riley? What did you mean by "Am I in heaven like Mom and Dad?"" I asked quietly and Riley replied absent mindly.

"Oh, because my parents were murdered last summer so--" Riley gasped and covered her mouth, realizing what she just said.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said anything." I quickly apoligize and Riley lowered her hands from her mouth.

"You shouldn't be. It was my fault, Sage said to not say anything personal-- turn left here," Riley pointed out.

We both were silent until we got to Riley's house. It was a two story apartment that was pretty big. There was a white Camry and a truck parked in front of it.

"Thank you for the ride." Riley says as she got out and immediately I hear voices screaming inside the house.

"MY PARENTS WERE RIGHT! I SHOULD'VE NEVER GOTTEN ENGAGED TO A DRUNK ASSHOLE LIKE YOU!"

That was Sage.

"YOU'RE SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL BITCH, SAGE, YOU ONLY TRUST YOUR STUPID FRIENDS."

That was a man's voice.

By that time me and Riley were at the front door and opened it to reveal the man raising his beer bottle and hitting Sage squarely on the head with it. She gasped and fell to the ground bleeding.

I was now red with fury and I lunged for the man.