Reverse Psychology (Book Three Zach's Daughter Series, TVD)

Chapter 3__The End of the Affair

My alarm blared me awake.

"Rise and shine, Nikki. You're late for school."

Damon.

"It's summer break, dick," I said, tiredly hitting the snooze button, sitting up and looking at the time. "And 5:30. What the hell do you want? It better be something important to wake me up this early."

Damon smirked. "It is."

~

On the way to Chicago, where Klaus and Stefan were now, I sat in the backseat as Elena held her necklace.

Damon was driving, looking at the necklace. "I sure hope we find him, 'cause it would suck if the last momento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace."

"It's an antique, Damon," Elena said.

I smirked. "Like you."

"Hmm," Damon hummed sarcastically as he pulled out an old journal. "Read this. Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago."

"It's Stefan's diary," Elena said. "I'm not going to invade his private thoughts."

"You need to be prepared for what you're both about to see," Damon told us.

"I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods," Elena said. "We both have. We can handle it."

"If you won't, I will," I said, taking the diary, opening it. "Here's one. March 12, 1922."

"Wait," Damon said. "Give us your best Stefan impression."

I scoffed, shaking my head, but humoring him, I did my best Stefan impression. "'I've blacked out days. I wake up in strangers' blood, in places I don't recognize with women I don't remember'."

Damon looked from me to Elena, mocking a gasp. "I'm shocked! Stefan's not a virgin?" He looked at me, nodding. "That was good, that was good. Wanna do another?"

Elena took the journal from me, looking at Damon. "Eyes on the road, grandpa."

"Fine," Damon said. "Back to my game. Tell me if you see a Florida plate."

I sat back, holding my head, relaxing, my eyes closing as Elena read Stefan's diary.

I fell asleep on the ride there.

~

I woke up alone in the car in front of an empty, abandoned apartment building, already getting out and going inside, knowing that Damon and Elena would be inside.

I walked up the stairs, toward them. "How long was I out?"

"A few good hours," Damon answered.

"And you didn't wake me up because . . ?" I trailed off.

"'Cause I know you haven't been sleeping the last few . . .months," Damon answered. "And you've had these insane headaches at least once a day."

"I've been sleeping fine," I lied. "And my head's fine."

"Liar," Damon said as he broke the lock to the door. "Any few hours of sleep you can get is precious, Sleepless Nikki." I rolled my eyes as he opened the door. "Here we are. Stefan's second personality home."

"He obviously hasn't been here," Elena said.

"Tour is not over yet," Damon said.

Damon went toward a built in counter-like door and opened it. There was a lot of alcohol inside.

"Stefan hid his alcohol," I said in mock. "What a monster."

"Look harder," Damon told us.

I walked in first, Elena and me looking at a wall, written on from the ceiling to the floor, in many different columns.