An Elemental Difference - AIR - Book 1 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 65 - Roadtrip!

GILBERT HOUSEHOLD

A pin could have dropped, and any of the three women would have heard it, it was that quiet. Stefan looked between the three as they took in this information.

Jenna rubbed her nieces back, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, E," Aella held her hand tight. "Do you want to break something?" She clenched her teeth at Stefan, this was definitely something to have told her before he told everyone else, "My boyfriend is available."

Stefan gulped when but settled when Elena chuckled softly, "No." Her eyes met Stefan, "You're safe. I don't know what to say, what to think, what to feel."

"As would anyone in this situation," Jenna consoled her. "Let's just sit on this for a while, we could even go and see Trudie still. But I think we may have to talk to Ric about all of this first."

"Yeah, okay," Elena nodded.

Aella turned to Stefan, "Got anything else to say, Brutus."

Stefan wondered if he should tell them his suspicions of Damon, but if Ric's wife being Elena's mother was a far stretch, then Damon having some involvement - two years before they returned to Mystic Falls - was an even bigger stretch. But, they had agreed to be open with each other, so he opened his mouth to tell them his suspicions when Elena nudged her best friend with a laugh, "Leave him alone, A. How was he supposed to know Ric's wife might have been my birth mom."

Stefan smiled lightly; Jenna and Elena seemed to think that was it, but as his eyes met Aella's, he knew she wasn't so certain.

"Time to go, Aella. Carol Lockwood waits for no one," Jenna announced, standing up.

Stefan had never been so happy to hear Carol Lockwood's name. Yet, as Aella leaned down to kiss him goodbye, her lips caught his ear, "You better spill when I get back; otherwise, you might be joining your friends Brutus, Cassius, and Judas."

Stefan had never been so scared, and so turned on before.

MYSTIC GRILL

"Oh my god!" Aella gasped as she read the paper.

Planning for the auction had been done, and now the three women were finishing their drinks as Aella caught up on this week's news.

Mrs. Lockwood tutted, "Reading in front of other people is extremely rude, Aella."

"Tanya Hasting stabbed her husband!"

"What?!" Jenna and Mrs. Lockwood exclaimed, shocked.

"Tanya Hasting, you remember her?" Jenna asked Carol.

Carol scoffed, "Of course I remember her, she was a few years younger than me, lovely girl, terrible hair."

Aella snorted, "Well, apparently, this lovely girl with terrible hair came home to find her husband giving a nice little bonus package to the maid." Aella tutted at the two ladies, "And they say good help is hard to find."

"That's just gossip," Carol waved off.

"Gossip!" Aella laughed, turning the paper to her and jabbing her finger on the article, "The man was stabbed 35 times! He looks like the sprinkler system you made Mayor Lockwood install in your garden!"

Instead of glaring at Aella like Aella thought she would, Mrs. Lockwood took hold of the paper. "I can't believe this! Tanya was always so nice. She was bright, well-spoken, traveled-"

"-And a big Michael Myers fan." Aella whispered to Jenna, and they both sniggered.

"This is not funny!" Mrs. Lockwood declared.