The Touch Of The Obsession (Steroline AU)

Chapter 8: Drifting apart and finding each other

STEFAN

I woke up to feel a warmth next to me. I opened my eyes to see Caroline laying near my left shoulder. She looked so peaceful and I couldn't help but smile. Then I realised that my right arm was wrapped around her waist. We were cuddling!? I quickly moved my arm from her body even though I would rather keep it with her. I saw her stir a bit and realised it was because of a strand of hair covering her face and I couldn't help but just bring my hand up to tuck that strand of hair behind her ear and cup her cheek. Then suddenly I felt a burning in my head and realised that I was hungover, again. Slowly everything came back to me. The dance, the drinking, the hot make out session, the mini fight, Caroline's past, my past, the panic attack, Caroline calming me down, me realising I had feelings for her and us falling asleep together. I backed up a little bit knowing how awkward it was gonna be when Caroline woke up. So much had happened in one night and honestly, it scared me. I mentally cursed myself for everything I did last night and everything that had happened last night and a sudden fear that this could ruin me and Caroline's friendship. I was about to get off the couch but I felt Caroline move and turned to see Caroline opening her eyes. For a mere second our eyes met and locked in eye contact until Caroline got up and moved her eyes from me and I guessed yesterday's memories dawned on her.

To fill awkward silence I said "Hey", what else could I say?

"Hey." She replied while forcing a smile. I knew we had to talk but I would rather just get up, have breakfast and go home.

"So I'll-" I started but Caroline interrupted me and said,

"We were both really vulnerable last night and we had to talk about stuff since we are so close so it really wasn't a big deal, and it's totally fine that you can't take the case so don't worry about any of it." So we were basically having the talk now.

I didn't really know how to reply to that so all I said was, "Yeah, I can get pretty crazy when I'm drunk."

She half smiled, "And, Uhm about the other thing..." You mean the amazing make out that was probably wrong yet felt so damn right.

"Oh um, that. I'm sorry about that, I guess it was just a drunken mistake."

***
THIRD PERSON

A drunken mistake

Drunken mistake

Mistake.

That word tortured Caroline. Did he really think it was a mistake? Did he just think of me as a best friend? Did he really have none of those feelings that she thought he had for her and she knew she had for her? It was a mistake?

Stefan didn't mean those words he just thought it was the right thing to say because he didn't think she had feelings for him and neither did he want to ruin their friendship so he thought it was the right thing to say.

"Yeah you're right- it was wrong and um-" She gave a sort of chuckle, "We were at a really bad place last night."

Stefan could feel it getting awkward in the room and only had one thing he could do. He smiled and said, "Thank you though, for helping me last night." She smiled and he quickly said "I'll make breakfast."

She replied, "I'll take a shower."

And they both thought that last night would just vanish and they'd both go back to normal.

***

STEFAN

A week had passed since that night and I hadn't seen Caroline since and hadn't talked to her either. I called her two days back but it had gone straight to voicemail. I had figured it was because she was busy with setting up her new wedding business here and she just didn't have the time to talk. But a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she was avoiding me, I mean I had called one of the best kisses, sorry makeouts, of my life a mistake but that shouldn't have bothered her unless she also had feelings for me. I shook my head from those feelings, I couldn't ruin mine and Caroline's friendship by thinking we could be more than friends.