Unstoppable | The Vampire Diaries

66. You Don't Know What I Did Last Summer

Three months didn't seem like a long time in the real world, but in Mystic Falls, everything had changed. First of all, Damon and Elena were still together, and weirdly, they had the most normal relationship in town. Then there was the fact that Bonnie went travelling with her mom... after bringing Jeremy back to life. That's right, Jeremy Gilbert was alive once again, with nowhere to live but the Salvatore house (thanks to Elena burning their old house down). Matt and Rebekah had been travelling around the world together, sending postcards home from every new location. Caroline, meanwhile, had thrown herself into college preparation – she would be attending Whitmore College and couldn't wait to start, even if Tyler was busy helping a wolf pack in Tennessee. Oh, and the biggest change came in the form of Katherine Pierce, who had been forced by Elena to take the cure, making her a human. Katherine Pierce – human. Who would have thought?

And then there was Riley. It had been the weirdest, craziest, most terrifying three months of her life – and it didn't look like things were changing anytime soon.

"I can't believe you got back on the day I'm leaving," Caroline complained while Liz and Chris loaded the car with her bags and boxes. "I can't believe you're not coming with me."

Riley sighed. She hadn't had contact with anyone while she'd been gone (apart from the usual 'I'm still alive' text to her parents once a week), so she had to drop the bombshell on Caroline right away: she wasn't going to college with her and Elena.

"Portland reminded me that there's more to life than school. I want to stay here, get a job, live in the real world," she told her step-sister, who frowned.

"Working in the Grill is living in the real world?"

Riley smiled. "The Grill wasn't my first choice, but Matt put in a good word for me, and it's better than nothing, right?"

Liz peeked into the room. "We should really get going if we want to beat traffic. Plus we have to pick up Elena on the way."

The girls stood up and hugged loosely.

"I hate you for not coming," Caroline sighed.

Riley smiled. "I hate you for going."

Then they pulled each other in for a tighter hug, holding onto each other as if they were never gonna let go. If they had their way, they wouldn't.

Then they let go, and Riley and Chris waved the women away as they headed for Caroline's new life. When they were out of sight, Riley's smile dropped.

"Hey," her dad said, noticing her face. "What's wrong?"

Images of the summer kept making their way into her brain; images that she wanted more than anything to forget.

"Nothing," she lied, walking to her bedroom. Her phone started ringing, and she knew who it was before picking it up. He wouldn't leave her alone. As if spending three months together wasn't enough.

***

Later in the day, after feeling extremely suffocated in the house due to her dad's 1001 questions about her summer vacation, Riley went to the town square for the end-of-summer celebration before her first ever shift at the Grill, hoping to bump into a friendly face.

What she didn't expect to see was Stefan, draining blood from Liz's wrist.

"What are you doing?!" she hissed angrily, sliding into the bench next to her step-mom. Liz looked at her in confusion but didn't say anything.

"I'm having a drink," he stated the obvious, smiling nonchalantly. He was holding Liz's wrist over a Styrofoam cup.

"We had a deal," Riley reminded him. "I didn't go to college with my best friends because you want me to stay in town. So don't drink from my friends or family."