To Be Or Not To Be » Stefan Salvatore

Chapter 19 - Shattered Loyalties

Delicate fingers held onto soft feathers, careful not to let them slip as she struggled to ignore the single stray strand of hair that kept falling into her face.

She didn't move. Not an inch. The feathers were impossibly light—one wrong breath and they'd float away.

Around her, the room buzzed with activity. People flitted from one place to another, scrambling to finish the preparations for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. And, of course, Caroline was in the middle of it all, barking orders like a general leading her troops into battle.

That was how Skye had gotten roped into helping with the decorations.

She didn't particularly mind—except there were far more pressing matters she could be dealing with.

Like freaking out over the fact that she was competing.

That morning, she had been jolted awake by Caroline's signature screech, demanding to know why Skye hadn't told her she was on the list of participants.

That had been news to Skye, too.

Apparently, Rebekah had compelled a few people to enter her into the pageant without her knowledge.

If her sister weren't already lying in a coffin, Skye would have daggered her herself.

Now, she was stuck in this mess, dreading the moment she'd have to step onto that stage and make a complete fool of herself. Caroline was convinced she could win, but Skye wasn't.

There was nothing special about her.

At least, not the kind of special that won beauty pageants.

Caroline had shown her pictures of the other contestants, and every single one of them looked like a better fit than her.

A few feathers slipped from her grasp, drifting toward the floor. She exhaled sharply, lips parting in an annoyed sigh—just enough for that stubborn strand of hair to lift for a moment before landing right back in her face.

Biting back another sigh, she bent down to pick up the fallen feathers—only for even more to slip from her arms.

Her nose scrunched in pure frustration.

This was not how she had planned to spend her morning.

By the time she finally gathered the last feather, a familiar voice cut through the noise, and she nearly dropped them all again.

"Oh, I'm not depressed. I just want to rip into someone's artery and feed until I can't breathe anymore."

Skye stilled, subtly tucking her hair behind her ear as she turned her head slightly toward the conversation.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Caroline pacing with her phone pressed to her ear.

"Well, you can't," the blonde shot back. "As your sober sponsor, I am not going to let that happen. Try and sublimate."

Silence.

Then—

"She said she has feelings for Damon."

This time, the feathers did fall from her arms.

Skye barely registered Caroline's reaction, too stunned by the words still ringing in her ears.

Elena Gilbert had feelings for Damon Salvatore.

It shouldn't have shocked her as much as it did.

Deep down, she had known something was there. But in her mind, Stefan had always been the obvious choice. It hadn't even felt like a choice.

Apparently, Elena felt differently.