White Lies (The Vampire Diaries)

| 01 |

The damp, soft pink towel dropped to the floor of the grand bedroom as the dark haired girl strolled out of her connected bathroom. Her bare feet carried her across the room to her closet, unaffected by the open door in her bedroom, showcasing her nude body. She was aware of her nephew downstairs in the kitchen, preparing his dinner, well out of range of potentially walking past the bedroom and allowed Presley to freely walk around her room as she wished.

Her hands unwound the tie from her hair and let it fall past her shoulders in soft curls. She kept her ears open for any possible noises on the second floor, just in case Zach migrated away from the kitchen, though she easily heard his light whistling downstairs along with the knife tapping on the cutting board. 

An underwear set was pulled on her body followed by a black, cropped top. Her movements ceased when the doorbell rang downstairs. Presley tilted her head to the side in confusion, curious to know who stood on the other side of the front door. They rarely ever got visitors, not even from her friends. She purposely met up with them somewhere else.

A sigh from Zach replaced the whistling as he set the knife down on the counter and wandered to the foyer. She listened carefully to his steps as she pulled on a pair of high-waisted jeans. Her ringtone sliced through the air before she could discover who stood on her doorstep, startling herself. A frown slipped on her face as she lost concentration and focused on the ringing phone on her bed. 

She carried a pair of ankle boots in her hands as she walked over to her bed, perching herself on the edge while she wildly rushed for her phone, smiling at the familiar contact name on the screen. 

"Hey, Elena," Presley greeted her best friend. She balanced the electronic device between her ear and shoulder to allow herself to pull the boots on. 

"Hey, I'm running a little late to the Grill," Elena Gilbert admitted with a low, frustrated groan. 

"Honestly, don't even worry about it," she responded with a small smile as she shifted the phone to her hand. "I haven't even left my house yet," Presley added, giggling. "I just got out of the shower and I'm about to leave in a few minutes. I just have to say bye to Zach." 

Her left hand reached out to grab her infamous leather jacket from the edge of her bed. Presley's eyes drifted to her reflection in the full length mirror hung on the wall, checking her makeup and outfit a final time, pleased her eyeliner matched for once. After a few decades of practice, she still couldn't perfect her winged eyeliner. 

"Okay, I don't feel as bad now. I thought you were both waiting on me, but hopefully, Bonnie already got us a table," Elena said. "I can't believe tomorrow is our first day as juniors." 

"Are you sure you're ready for it?" Presley softly questioned, gently hinting at the awful events that occurred over the summer.

Elena heaved a sigh. "I have to be."

Presley's heart ached for her best friend, wishing she wasn't forced with the weight of her parents' death on her shoulders. The main reason she returned back to Mystic Falls was to protect her new best friend, but she didn't realize there would be some things she couldn't protect Elena from. 

The day Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert died was a hard day for the people of Mystic Falls. Presley had only been in town for a few months, barely settling in and creating her new life, but she felt the pain Elena felt when she woke up in the hospital with the horrendous news of her parents.

That night, Presley was back in the comfort of the boarding house, sharing stories with her nephew about the different lives she lived over the years. She received a call later that night from Bonnie Bennett, informing her of the news of Elena's parents how the car drove off of the Wickery Bridge. That was the night Presley realized she needed to increase her protection duties, all without being caught or seen as being suspicious.