Unstoppable | The Vampire Diaries

96. Die Another Birthday

Happy birthday Bonnie!! We all miss you so much, and we love you. When we get you back, we're gonna throw you a kick-ass birthday party Xx

"Concentrate," Damon scolded Riley, who was staring at her phone. He looked over her shoulder. "What are you doing anyway?"

Riley waved her phone at him. "Texting Bonnie. Jeremy's been paying her phone bill, so when we get her back, she can see everything she's missed."

"Right..." Damon said, looking at the list that Caroline had given them. "Is this love of cake a family thing? Or is it just Caroline being... overprepared?"

Riley raised an eyebrow at him. "You're kidding, right? Who doesn't love cake?"

"Eh," Damon shrugged. "I'm more of a cookie guy."

Riley scoffed, taking the list from him. "You're more of a bourbon and blood guy," she reminded him. "Cakes or gift first?"

"Gift," Damon decided, walking into the nearest store. It was a small, empty shop that held trinkets and handmade jewelry. When the lone woman behind the counter barely glanced up at their arrival, they knew that they wouldn't be bothered. "So, about last night..."

"Elena told me," Riley responded quickly. "Luke tried to merge with Kai and he died. It's not really the kind of thing I want to think about on Bonnie's birthday."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I was talking about the other thing that happened yesterday," he said, waiting for some kind of recognition in her face. "You know, the thing that involved our lips..."

"Oh, that," Riley sighed, heat rising in her cheeks. "What about it?"

Damon shrugged. "You don't want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Riley dismissed. "I was delirious with tiredness, I thought Liz was gonna die but she didn't, so... I kissed you. I know I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry."

"Will you stop apologizing?" Damon asked, clearly annoyed. "Plus, I kissed you back. And I wasn't 'delirious with tiredness'."

Riley looked at him, smiling. "You were comforting your best friend. It's fine. I won't tell Elena anything."

"Elena?" Damon frowned, as if the brunette vampire had been the furthest thing from his mind.

"Yeah, Elena. Your girlfriend," Riley reminded him. "Or, she will be when she gets her memories back."

"Fletch, even if Elena still wanted her memories back, I think it's safe to say that we're over."

Riley glanced up at him in surprise. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Yeah, something happened, I died," Damon reminded her. "I changed. I'm not the same person that I was, and neither is she."

"You love her," Riley insisted. No matter her own feelings for Damon, she wanted him to be happy. And when he was with Elena, he was happy. "Isn't that all that matters? Unless... that's changed?"

Damon sighed, picking up the first thing he saw. It was a chunky necklace that wasn't Bonnie's style at all.

Riley touched his arm lightly, urging him to speak to her.

"What if Elena and I aren't meant to be together?" he asked softly. "What if we never were?"

Riley scoffed. "Are you insane? I had to listen to you go on and on about how much you love her, only for you guys to just give up on each other?"

"That's your duty as a best friend," Damon smiled. "Look, Elena's happy without me, and if I'm happy without her too, isn't that a sign that we don't need to be together?"