Perfect Match

Chapter 20

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Running back into the lobby as fast as she could, Elena tried to make sure the infatuated couple at the bar -Stefan's brother and ex-girlfriend- did not see her. Her mind spun with possible scenarios as to how that would have happened. Maybe Damon was eager to meet some girls and just happened to see Katherine; maybe they started to flirt and, knowing Damon and Katherine, it turned into more.

Somehow though, she knew that wasn't right. Not from the way that he kept asking about Katherine and mysteriously mentioning a girl that made him hate Stefan a little more each time he thought of her.

Something just wasn't making sense.

Elena wanted to gain the courage to turn back around, get the answers she desperately wanted, but for some odd reason, she just couldn't; she didn't want to face Katherine's cold glares of interruption, didn't want to come in contact with the girl who had darkened her stay during Perfect Match. She could always ask Damon once he got back upstairs...

But Stefan! Oh god, what would Stefan think of this?

Her mind and heart raced; would this crush him? Would he care? Could this distract him from getting better?

As these thoughts consumed her mind, she began to absently pace through the lobby, until she came in rough contact with a hard chest, making her and the tall man in front of her stumble. "I'm so sorry!" she started nervously, spitting out random apologies and excuses until she recognized the all-american face. "Peter!"

He smiled in response, his blonde hair blowing gently from the Californian breeze rushing through the open windows. "Sup, Lena?" His blue eyed twinkled, especially when Mia, who was obviously at his side squealed in a mix of delight and pity, running up to her and hugging her as tightly as she possibly could. The scent of too much Britney Spears perfume temporarily inundated her senses, but Elena didn't really mind.

"E-le-na!" Mia practically sang, giving her a long squeeze before letting go. "We all missed you soooo sooo much!" Smiling, Elena politely said that she had missed everyone too, but at the moment her mind was still concentrated on that odd moment at the bar. "How's Stefan? Oh my god! The things I read and saw on TV were scaring the living daylights outta me! I heard from somewhere that he lost, like, all of his memory... and another said he was actually dead for about thirty seconds! I almost had a heart attack..."

Laughing lightly, though talking about Stefan and his injuries was a touchy subject that brought up bad memories, Elena explained. "No. He didn't lose his memory. But he was... dead. They saved him. It was a miracle."

Mia, always one to get overly sentimental, teared up and gave Elena another huge hug. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Elena. You must have been so scared. At least he's ok. He's here, isn't he?"

"Yeah," she replied, forcing a smile. "You'll see him in a few days at the show."

"Epic," Peter drawled out, making Elena giggle a little bit. "Guess we'll see him then! We're about to go surfing and meet up with Janie and Jem... wanna come?"

Mia shook her head. "Baby, I'm sure she has more important things to do than go surfing."
"No!" Elena responded instantly. "I haven't had much fun lately, with everything that's been going on. I'd like that. I haven't surfed in a while." Internally, she let out a sigh of relief. This would give her time to make sense of Damon and Katherine and figure out exactly what to do about it.

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"Ugh, where's Elena?" Caroline complained, plopping down on the couch beside Stefan. "I want my ice cream!"

Approaching the main room of the suite and taking a seat on the chair across from them, Bonnie laughed. "You're like a little kid. It's not the end of the world if you don't get your scoop of strawberry. I promise, you'll have another in your lifetime."