Gabriella Gilbert Two || Vampire Diaries

Chapter Thirty - Eight

Edited

I didn't pay attention to anything during these past few days. Elena has her humanity off and Stefan and Damon are arguing about how to deal with the mess they made.

I guess nothing's changed.

Well, sort of. I've spent the past few days grieving my brother, trying to not rage out or completely lose it at this point.

Whatever. Since Elena burned our house to the ground, with our dead brother inside, I've been focusing on keeping my emotions in check. I'm starting to feel like myself, pre-humanity switch flip, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

I can't feel the compulsion anymore. I guess burning our brother to ashes broke it. As I said, there was nothing left to protect.

I've barely apologized to anyone. To be honest, the only one I feel bad for is Klaus. I helped kill his brother and made it seem like it was his fault. Everyone else...well, the more I recognize our current situation, the less badly I feel about it.

But I'm feeling sort of better. I'm ready for some sort of distraction.

Someone knocks on my door, earning a noncommittal grunt from me. I turn in my bed to face the door, watching as Stefan slowly opens it and takes tentative steps inside. In his hand is a clear container filled with a strawberry smoothie.

He wants something.

"Hey," he greets softly, trying to seem casual.

"What is it?" I sigh before sitting up. I'm sure my curls look like a rat's nest right now. Hopefully showering and a deep conditioning session will fix it.

"Just checking on you." The bed dips when he sits at the edge of it. "Here." I'm handed the smoothie. I eye him skeptically as I take a sip. Delicious, as always.

    "What do you want?" I ask after a moment.

    Stefan sighs. "You're more than welcome to say no. We won't fault you, and I get you still need a little time to process everything—"

    "It's fine," I sigh, leaning forward after I rest my arms on my knee. "I'm tired of feeling this miserable, I could use a distraction."

    "Are you sure?" Stefan questions. "Seriously, we can do this without you. No one will be upset if you don't."

    We're both silent for a moment. "Do you know why I turned it off?" I ask, refusing to make direct eye contact.

    "Gabby, you don't—"

    "I want to," I reassure before taking another sip. "Yeah, my feelings for Klaus were part of it, and so were my feelings about the sire bond. Those things pushed me to do it. But lately? I feel like I did everything to make everyone happy and safe, but it didn't even work out." I barely glance at him. "Not long before, Damon mentioned how alike we are. Well, it was more about our will to protect the people we care about. We'll do anything, no matter the consequence. I know it sounds weak to blame stress, but the combination of that and all of my other feelings just..."

    "It was too much," Stefan finishes for me. "Especially since everything's heightened."

    "Exactly," I answer. "I'm only saying all of this because I want to help, I'm just not sure if I should."

    He frowns. "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

    "You want me to watch Elena, right?" I ask. "I don't know what you and Damon need to do, but that only leaves Caroline and me to deal with my sister. The problem with that is I'm not sure I can be around Elena without wanting to kick her ass for burning our house down." I take another sip of my smoothie.