Promise You Won't Fall In Love With Me

Chapter 13

The Salvatore family was sitting in the dining room, eating their dinner together, like their father would have always requested. That was one of the rare family traditions Stefan would enjoy, when all of them would sit together, and even for an hour, be one happy family. Not even Damon dared to be snarly at the dinner table, although that was probably because of their mom.

But tonight, Stefan wanted to be anywhere else but in that room. Everything felt wrong, something in the air was smothering him. He was sitting across Damon, and he couldn't even raise his head to look at him, although at few occasions he could feel Damon's eyes on him. His father was sitting on the head of the table, but Stefan didn't want to be in his presence either. It was enough he was controlling his life, he didn't have to spend any more time with the man than it was needed. The silence in the room was uncomfortable, but Stefan felt like he has no other choice. He had no topics to discuss with his family, he had nothing to say to them anymore.

„Stefan" – he heard the pleasant voice of his mother coming from the other side of the table – „Where is lovely Katherine, I haven't seen her for a while" – she asked curiously.

Stefan could see Damon's body stiffening with the corner of his eye. He suddenly stopped eating, and started gulping on a glass of grape juice that was resting next to his plate.

„We broke up" – Stefan replied. He had no intentions telling them why they broke up. But if they do ask, he's not going to lie to them. Damon doesn't deserve to be protected, or to be portrayed as innocent, not after everything that has happened.

He raised his head and saw a shocked expression on his mom's face. „In heaven's name, why?" – she asked with more curiosity this time.

A devilish smile appeared on Stefan's face. „Because she moved in the room down the hall" – he replied while struggling with his peas.

When he raised his head he met Damon's unfriendly look. Stefan sent him a you-deserved-it-brother look before meeting his mom's confused face expression. He looked over at his father who was looking at Damon, but Damon was trying to avoid his judgy eyes.

„I do not understand" – Stefan could hear his mother saying innocently with a silent voice.

„He's trying to tell you she cheated on him with his own brother" – his father, who unlike their mom got a hang of what was going on, hissed through his teeth while keeping his angry and disappointed face expression fixated on Damon. Damon was too scared to turn his head around, so he kept his look locked on Stefan's face.

It was funny seeing Damon so scared of their father. When they were younger, Damon was the one who would talk back and slam the door in his face, so Stefan would have to endure his words of punishment before hearing a life long lesson how his brother is no good and how one day he's going to pull him down with him. Stefan wouldn't hear such a thing, because he never believed Damon would do such a thing. He didn't find Damon as bad as their father did, especially not when they were kids. Stefan knew better because there was not a person in the world who knew his brother better than him. But he never thought Damon is going to hurt him so bad, or that their relationship will disappear completely.

Damon met their mom's how-could-you look, so he lowered his head down and looked at his plate. Stefan knew Damon wants to defend himself, but he also knew he can't stand up to their father. Not with the way he was feeling recently. Yes.. feeling. Stefan remembered Damon telling him he's in love with Katherine and the only reason why he's putting up with their father is because she told him he can be a better man than his father. Which made Stefan feel sorry for Damon, and which made Stefan regret putting his brother in this kind of a situation.

„I'm with someone else now, though" – Stefan said, trying to convey their parents attention to him, because if they kept looking at Damon for one more minute, he would burn down.