Redamancy | Elena Gilbert

Chapter 25

Klaus was talkative.

Rosalind knew he was trying to distract her, to help her think less about her heartbreak and more about the hybrids. She appreciated it. But honestly it just made her feel worse. Klaus running her through his entire life story meant hearing even more depressing things than what she was going through with Elena.

"That was such a bitch move," she murmured after he told her about the year 1002. "This Aurora chick sounds like a nightmare."

Klaus stared out the window, the plane steadily flying them to Montana. "And still, I cannot quite get her out of my head. I haven't spoken her name in a thousand years. I thought I was over her, but it appears I am not."

"They say that first passionate love always sticks with you. It eats away at you and it remains in the back of your mind... tormenting you."

"What was your first love like?"

"Not the nagging type. I've been over it for a while. I was fifteen, I was dating this girl from school. We snuck around and had fun together. She was beautiful and smart, she wanted to be an astronaut. We'd spend nights on the roof of my house just curled up next to each other under the night sky. But her parents found out, and they weren't as accepting as my dad. They made her go to a different school to stay away from me. Keeping in touch became more difficult until she just ended things for her own sanity. I don't blame her, but all the same, it hurt."

He toyed with a string on the seat cover. "I've never understood that. Parents telling their children not to fancy people in that way. When I was growing up, it was normal and common. People often fell in love with someone of the same sex as them. It was more prominent in the wolf packs with native roots, but it wasn't unnatural in our village."

"I have never fully understood it, either. From the start, my dad was okay with it. Maybe some part of it was because he was so young compared to other parents of kids my age. He had long since learned to be more accepting. Whereas the rest of the class parents were older people who insisted on ridiculous, outdated views."

Klaus hummed. "I think everyone ought to explore, otherwise they will be insufferable. Not understanding themselves makes them obnoxious and a pain to deal with."

She smirked. "So, you want people to explore their sexuality so that they'll be comfortable in their bodies and therefore not be an inconvenience to you in any way? Adorable."

He was silent for a moment. "Regarding what I said about Aurora. Should you mention it to anyone—"

"I know," she said. "You'll kill me. You started the story by telling me you don't tell anyone about that. So don't worry... it's safe with me. I won't ever bring up her name again. It's just... that's it, Klaus? That's the only love story you have to mention to me aside from Tatia?"

"I haven't been with anyone romantically since her. Not in that genuine way. Sleeping together, a few flings where I put out a romantic gesture or two. For both men and women, depending on where my interests were at the moment. Her vile words give me no confidence that I won't experience that pain again. I'd rather not succumb to that."

"So, ever since then, you've closed yourself off to protect your heart. She and Mikael combined convinced you that you're unworthy of love and you believe them?"

He was silent. "Klaus," she said firmly, "they were trying to hurt you. And they said things that were untrue to get this reaction from you. I'm very sorry that they were so harsh about it. That they caused you to believe you didn't deserve love. I think everybody deserves love. All people want affection and to be cared for in one way or another. You were so young back then, you cared for your siblings and you cared for her but she didn't appreciate it. It doesn't mean you will be escaped by love forever."