Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter 29

Elena's P.O.V.

I couldn't tell you the last time I felt this good. This happy and content with my life as I am now...Sitting in front of the fireplace at my parents house, Stefan sitting next to me, smiling widely as my dad asks him a question.

"So, Stefan...I know that you and my daughter have been off and on for a few months now...You two getting pretty serious or are you going to be using her..just like the others?" He asks in a stern tone, narrowing his eyes on Stefan whose got his hand on my knee, gripping it tightly at my dad's words.

"Mr. Gilbert. I love your daughter...Elena changed me a lot and I'm thankful for her. And, no. I would never hurt her or use her in any way. Look, I know that you've probably heard a lot of things about me in the tabloids. But, to be quite honest, it's best to not take everything they say so seriously." He states, suddenly pushing himself off of the couch that we're sitting on and excusing himself. I watch as he smiles at them, cell phone in hand and he says "I need to go make a quick call to my brother. Check up on a few things at home. Excuse me."

I feel like they're trying to make him feel like shit. Yes, I may have told Stefan a bit of a white lie and said that I've never really brought anyone who I was serious with, home...Well..I did...twice and both times, my father tore into them like they were a piece of leftover meat on a dead animal. Which made both of the guys stop dating me and eventually it made me move far away from them all. I guess that was one of the many reasons, why I chose to move to LA...Far enough from them. But, still somehow close enough as well.

"What is wrong with you! I told you...Wait, I actually begged you to not rip into him like that. Forget about who he is and that his face is on every damn magazine or newspaper throughout the world..Because that should not matter at all! Please, will you guys just act normal around him and stop being so rude." I tell them, a bit of harshness in my words as my dad gets up, locking his eyes on me.

"I just want to make sure that he's good enough for you. My daughter, my little girl..deserves the best. I wasn't trying to be rude..I was just asking a simple question. I didn't mean it to come out like that." He tells me, turning around to look at my mother whose just placed her cup of tea on the coffee table, getting up from the couch to stand next to my father as she states "Honey, does he know, does Stefan know about your condition?"

"My condition..? You act..Both of you..act like I'm damaged and that no one will ever love me..That I can't be happy because I can't have my own children! For god sakes, mother! Stefan knows..He knows and he still loves me..Okay. He's fine with it and you know what? He even said that if we were to ever get married..He'd adopt kids with me. Look, just because I can't have children of my own..Doesn't mean that I can't have a happy life..Stefan has made me realize that." My words are stuck in the air, the room goes dead silent as I hear Jeremy and Bonnie come back inside the house. They'd gone out to give us some 'bonding' time with my parents..Which, I knew would turn into an angry shouting match, like it is now.

"I...Honey, I never said that to you..Elena, we just want you to be happy. That's all." My mom says, trying to deny what she had told me when I had first found out, making me feel like 'my condition' was all my own fault.

I turn towards Jeremy and watch when she shrugs her shoulders back. I shake my head, watching Jeremy grab Bonnie's hand and pull her into the other room with him as I step closer to my mom, our faces just a few inches apart as I speak in a stern tone. "Yes. You did! The day that I came home from the doctor's office and told you what they had said about the pain that I had been having and that it was a very slim chance that I could ever get pregnant and have my own kids..You looked at me and said 'Elena, who will ever love you..like that!'"

I watch for a moment as her face goes pale, shaking her head when tears being to well up in them and she says in a soft tone. "I was wrong..I..Elena, honestly..I was wrong and I shouldn't have said that. It's not fair to you and it was more than hurtful! I'm sorry. Okay? I just- I want you to be happy and healthy and eventually have children..If you choose too..I just want you to have a full life, with amazing experiences." She states, placing her hands on face as I close my eyes, exhaling deeply before I open them again.