Devil in Disguise ➳ S. Salvatore [COMPLETED]

➳ 60: let her go

IN the middle of the night, Caroline woke up on the couch of the boarding house and looked around to see that Tyler, Matt, Elena, Stefan, and Efah were all sleeping around her in random places. She smiled at each of them as she quietly tiptoed  toward the kitchen. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh after seeing that Efah was sleeping upside down on a dining chair. The only one missing from the group was Damon, who was in the kitchen trying to write Liz’ eulogy.

Caroline entered the kitchen, taking notice of him, and walked over to the sink to get a glass of water. The pair exchanged an awkward conversation about dealing with grief before she wandered back into the other room.

The next morning, she had already written a to-do list for Liz’s funeral and held a meeting with the group in the living room to go over their tasks. “You’ve all asked what you can do to help. There are five day’s worth of projects on here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day.”

“Sure, Care. Whatever you need.” Matt immediately agreed while Tyler and Stefan nodded in turn.

“Elena, you’re coming with me.” Caroline pointed at her best friend with a smile causing Efah to raise an eyebrow.

“Where are we going?” Elena asked curiously.

“Casket shopping.” Caroline grinned at her then directed everyone to get on it. “Let’s move!”

Stefan had returned from doing his part and began searching for Efah around the house. He heard her voice coming from their bedroom and decided to follow it. She was alone, sitting at the desk while speaking in a hushed whisper. The door was already wide open so he just strolled right on in without a second thought. He opened his mouth to speak until realizing she was talking to someone on the phone.

“She get there safely?” Efah anxiously asked the recipient of the call.

“Yeah.” A deep male voice, which Stefan immediately recognized as Uriel, replied. “She’s okay. Raphael came up to show her the ropes. Thought it be best to have a friendly face.”

“Thank you.” Efah breathed out in relief as she ripped up a post it note into tiny shreds. “How’s, uh… How’s she doing? Settling in okay?” She inquired quickly and started rubbing her palm along the denim of her jeans. “Is there anything---”

“Selaphiel.” Uriel spoke in a soft manner, trying to soothe his sister’s concerns. “She’s perfectly fine. She’s in Heaven with everything at her fingertips.”

“Yeah. Yeah. No, you’re right. I’m just… I don’t know.” She rambled on, blinking repeatedly and shaking her head. “It’s stupid to think otherwise. Thank you for looking out for her. I appreciate your help.”

“Anytime.” Uriel promised fondly then sighed, obviously reluctant to hang up. “I’m due back. Raphael’s watching the gate so I could call you. Can’t keep him any longer. Listen, Elizabeth is okay. She’s safe. There’s no need to worry, alright?”

“Alright.” Efah mumbled quietly and clenched her jaw. She didn’t seem at all convinced but didn’t let him in on that.

“Alright.” He repeated and his tone changed into a happy one. “I’ll call when I can. Reception is nonexistent up there. Tell Stefan I said “hello”. Love you.”