Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

twenty-seven: In Which There's a Runaway

"Why are you glaring at me?"

Elena blinked, "I'm just thinking."

Damon hummed as he took a large gulp from his drink.

The events of the past couple weeks, and especially the past few days, left him in an annoyed mood. He did not sign up as a babysitter to a twenty-year-old spitfire with an attitude worse than a certain Petrova.

"I can't believe she's going through all of this. She shouldn't be going through any of this."

"Well, I am still way too sober for this discussion,"

"Damon," she narrowed her eyes and took his drink away. "I'm serious. She's depressed, she hasn't eaten anything for two days now, she cries. I don't want to see her like this."

He dropped down on the couch with a shrug, "Yet you're the one who sent the little weasel into her room."

"Damon he knows her more than we do. She was in that Prison World for two years before finding someone else. We can judge as much as we want but they have a history together."

"A history of sexual tension and unprofessed love sure."

She clenched her jaw feeling annoyed with his pessimistic attitude. "Even if there's a small chance that he can get through to her then I won't stand in their way."

"He's going to hurt her," Damon muttered looking away. "That's what he does, he's a sociopathic freak who uses people until he gets what he wants. Don't say I didn't warn you."

It was then that Kai stepped into the room. He clasped his hands together in fake happiness and announced: "Well, this sociopathic freak will be leaving,"

"Kai, wait," Elena followed after him. Damon contemplated going after her but then paused. He wondered if he should go and check up on Ria. Who knew what Kai fed her brain, but then again, who knew what he'd do to Elena.

He rushed after them.

Elena stood outside, yelling. "What do you mean? Kai, what do you mean you won't have anything to do with her? Kai?"

"Don't get me wrong," he yelled staring at them as he walked away. "She's just as hot as you are, but it's not really worth it."

"Kai!"

"I believe there are eight billion people on earth now, I'll find another one."

Damon wrapped an arm around her. She was too shocked at his indifference to move. He tugged her back into the house and said: "We should check on her."

"Damon, he's a sociopath."

"Yeah, I know. We established that quite a while ago,"

"Sociopath's are protective of their possessions. Ria was his possession."

"She was a toy to him, Elena" he rolls his eyes as they stood outside her door. "Now that she's broken, he's going to get a new one."

Elena physically shook as her face became pale, "He wouldn't just leave her Damon. He'd kill her."

The door was thrown open and to both of their horror, the room was empty.

~~~

She stumbled in the woods, barefoot and shivering. Her mind was blank.

She didn't think about the boy's heart she broke, or the nuisance she was on the Salvatore vampire who was no doubt searching for her, or even her cousin who was crying frantically and trying to get help to find her.

Ria was done.

She had been walking for hours and her legs were prepared to collapse when she finally reaches the end. Before her was a cliff and underneath it was a violent current.

"I can never forgive myself for those thoughts," her lips quivered as she looks down.

"I can never forgive myself for the person I became when I promised I wouldn't." She inched closer to the edge, a shiver runs down her back and she feels sick in her stomach.

"How can I love him when I can't even love myself?"

She didn't scream or cry.

She didn't think or regret.

She took one step forward and fell.