HIGH HOPES | S. SALVATORE

five

"I'm going to get some air," Stefan announced, standing up and walking out of the boutique.

The vampire strolled down the street, searching for a post office. He passed an alleyway where loud sobs echoed. He stopped walking and turned, if anything he'd get a snack.

Stefan crouched down next to the blonde girl, whose head was in her hands.

"Are you alright miss?"

The girl looked up, her eyes locked with his and her jaw dropped a little.

"Stefan?"

"Hope!" He furrowed his brow and stood up, extending his hand to the young girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I, um, I was looking for you," she answered honestly, using his arm to balance herself as she stood.

She wipes the tears from her face as they exited the alleyway and began to walk down the street.

"Why were you crying?"

"When I was in the 8th grade my dad left. He didn't even wait until I got home from school, or say goodbye. He just took his stuff and left," Hope looked down at her feet while she talked. "I knew it wasn't likely, but I hoped, that one day he'd come back. I ran into him today, and now I know that he's never coming back."

"How do you know that?" Stefan pushed open the door to a small coffee house, letting her enter first.

"He was with some woman, I assume his new girlfriend, and he wasn't wearing his wedding ring."

"How'd you find me here?" They sat down across from each other.

"Tracked your phone," she shrugged. "Listen, I have some questions."

"Shoot."

"Did you mean what you said in that letter?"

"You'll have to be a bit more specific," Stefan chuckled.

"About liking me."

"I did mean it, yes," he spoke after a few moments of silence. "But we can't."

"Why not?" Hope's face fell.

"Because Klaus is still around and I don't want to put you in danger," he paused, let out a sigh, "and because – "

"It's always going to be Elena, isn't it?"

"I love her," Stefan said simply.

"Then that's it, I guess." Hope stood up from her seat. "Goodbye, Stefan."

"Hope, wait!" He called out, latching onto her wrist. He pulled a crisp white envelope from his jacket. "I was gonna mail this, but seeing as you're here I might as well give it to you."

She took the envelope, not bothering to look at it and tugged her wrist free from his grip.

"I'm not going to stop writing to you."

"It doesn't matter," she shrugged, "because I'm going to stop reading them."

Stefan watched as she exited the coffee shop and walked down the street until her figure was suddenly lost in a sea of people.

And as they went their seperate ways, they both knew that only one of them had told the truth.