Gabriella Gilbert Three || Vampire Diaries

Chapter Nineteen

   The Mystic Falls Grill has been a staple in this town for decades. It shouldn't be surprising that I'm meeting Caroline, her mom, and my sister here.

    I'm more surprised that I got here first. Damon and I were the only ones in the house last night. Stefan's still gone and Jeremy moved out after that disaster of a parent-teacher conference. I left just in time to see Damon setting up a pool table.

    "You're here early," Caroline chirps as she slides into the seat across from me. I give a greeting smile to her. Elena absentmindedly sits beside me. She doesn't say anything.

    Caroline's giving me a look. I can tell she wants to talk about what I confessed to her the other day, but my sister's presence makes her hesitate.

    I try not to think too hard about what I need to do. "Where's your mom?" I ask instead. Caroline gives me a look but goes along with it.

    "She should be in here about five minutes, right Elena?" We both look at my quiet sister. I frown at her lack of reaction. "Elena...?"

    "Hey," I say, snapping my fingers in front of her face. "Elena!"

    She bristles in her spot before blinking. She frowns at us before looking back at the entrance. I frown at her just as she faces us again. "How did I get here? I was just standing at the doorway."

"Uh...you walked?" Caroline responds. Elena still looks confused, making Caroline lean forward. "Hold on. Did you just have one of those dreams? Like, right here?"

"Dreams?" I chime. This isn't the first time Elena has had dreams we should be worried about.

Caroline, for some reason, hesitates. "Elena...has been having dreams about Stefan."

"The same dreams from when Stefan was in a safe?" I ask.

"Not exactly," Elena sighs. "They're...romantic. Our parents are alive. We're both human. It's...what our lives could've been if they were normal."

"Does this mean you aren't having these dreams?" Caroline asks me.

"Are you?" Elena adds, looking at me with wide eyes.

"No," I'm quick to answer. "Why would I?"

"Well—" Caroline starts but quickly cuts herself off after feeling the wrath of my glare. Unfortunately, Elena doesn't look like she's going to let it go.

"Well, what?" Elena asks, switching her gaze between us. "Did something happen?"

    Caroline looks at me with an apologetic cringe. I roll my eyes at it. "It's not a big deal," I start as I grab my mug. "Stefan kissed me the other night," I mumble quickly before hiding behind my mug.

Elena's eyes widen. "Oh. Wow, okay. That..." she's trying to wrap her mind around it. "I didn't...Wow. What about...?"

"I'm figuring that out."

    "You haven't told him yet?" Caroline gasps, eyes wide with shock.

    "I'm figuring that out."

    "Okay..." Elena nods, also surprised by this turn of events. "Was it...good? Did you like it or—?"

    "I am not talking about this right now," I interrupt again. "You're the one having sex dreams about him. This does not need to be more awkward than it already is."

    "So..." Caroline starts, "the dreams?"

Feeling my desperation, Elena thankfully switches subjects. She sighs. "It didn't feel like a dream. It felt like it was real. Like I was just...there."