Reckless Love (Elena & Damon)

14 - Dinner

Perhaps we were just a maybe. Never a must.

Stupid. 

That's how Elena felt. 

Completely and utterly stupid. 

It was the night of Damon's dinner, and now she just felt that this was going to be some sort of massive mistake on her part. She couldn't understand why she had accepted his invitation, she had no idea why she was so eager to spend time with her, when he had shown time and time again that he didn't care about her, at least not past her body. 

Since Elena had met Damon, they had been through a whirlwind of phases. These days, with the way Damon was acting around her, it was almost like he never stood her up. But then she remembered he did. And she had no idea how she could forget that so easily.

She had no idea how she could forget the way he acted after he kissed her for the first time at his father's gala. But then she remembered how he tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead when she got too drunk, and perhaps she did understand why the bad things felt second to the good. When he was good to her, it made her feel like she was flying. And every single time she would take the risk to fly again, even if more often than not she would slam back against the ground.

It didn't mean she didn't still feel stupid for agreeing to go to this dinner, though. Caroline, Stefan, Damon, Elena and Bonnie. There was absolutely zero chance that would end well. The five of them weren't a good group all together. It was no secret that Bonnie didn't really like Damon all that much, and Elena knew that Caroline would be spending most the night with a watchful eye on Damon and Elena. It would be tense and uncomfortable, it would end badly, someone would end up hurt. Somehow, Elena couldn't shake the feeling it would be her that get's hurt.

After all, it always is.

Caroline's continuous nagging about this night wasn't making her feel any better. Ever since Elena had told her Damon had passed on the invite to her, she had begun her interrogations, getting suspicious all over again. And now, as Elena sat in the back seat of Caroline's car, next to Bonnie, with Stefan in the passenger seat, the interrogation was still going.

'Its not that I'm upset you're coming,' Caroline said, matter-of-factly, 'its just that I don't understand why. I mean, why would Damon invite you?'

'Gee, thanks Caroline,' Elena mumbled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes in sync.

'You know what I mean,' Caroline replied, shooting Elena a worrying look through the rear vision mirror, 'I just find it strange, you're not really even friends. And Bonnie and Damon definitely aren't.'

'Hey, I wish I wasn't invited. I could think of way better things to do with my time then hang out with Damon. No offence, Stefan,' Bonnie joked, earning a smile from Stefan.

'None taken. I know my big brother is a lot to handle sometimes,' he admitted, as he looked over at Caroline, 'I think it's a nice thing he invited you two, though. He's trying to get to know your friends, Caroline.'

'It's Damon,' Caroline continued, eyes still on the road, 'he's always up to something.'

Elena tuned out and focused on the New York streets passing before her. She loved Caroline, she had always loved Caroline and she always will. But right now, she was getting on her last nerve.

It seemed that every single moment Elena spent with Caroline these days was filled with Caroline talking about how happy she was, or how much she didn't want Elena and Damon to be anything. It was almost as if she didn't even want them to be friends, like she would rather them hate eachother then share any kind of bond.