Until This Lie Do Us Part

Chapter 11

It must have been about five or six in the morning. He couldn't tell. The fire had gone out and the entire room was dark. He hadn't fallen asleep since they laid down. Somehow, he had pulled them up from the floor and into his bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out, probably exhausted from her day at school along with the emotional toll that night had taken on her. He was just glad that she had been able to sleep.

He couldn't though. A million things were running through his mind. Where was Derrick? Was he planning on coming back for Elena? Was he going to hurt some other poor unsuspecting girl? Then his thoughts would jump to Katherine. The evil, lying bitch who had taken him for granted and left him crushed, unable to love another woman for fear that she would do exactly what Katherine did. He should tell Elena. Because she had revealed her past to him. Even though they said they weren't going to do that. But it made no sense. Her sad story for his? No. This wasn't about fair trades. He was pretty sure that Elena was not expecting his story in return for hers. He was pretty sure that Elena telling him wasn't even about wanting him to know or even trying to protect him. He was pretty sure that Elena had needed to let it all out. To tell someone besides her brother and best friend. Maybe she was tired of being strong, building up her walls so strong and making sure they stayed strong enough so no one could get through. Because every man was bound to hurt her the way Derrick had done. Just like every woman was going to hurt him the way Katherine had.

Stefan broke free from his thoughts to find Elena awake, lying completely still and watching him. It was almost creepy the way she could do that. Elena looked at him, her eyes filled with caution. She realized what had happened last night. She had let Stefan in. Not all the way in, but far enough where he could get all the way in if he wanted. It was a big risk for her, but having been able to tell someone about it was worth it.

Stefan looked away from her, not being able to take her looking at him any longer. Not if he was going to tell her. "I met Katherine just after I graduated from high school" he began, remembering back almost seven years ago now. "We spent the entire summer together and I decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her" he said.

Elena swallowed, realizing that he was going to tell her about Katherine. She had wanted this, but seeing the pained look on his face was making her change her mind. But maybe he needed to tell her. Elena abandoned her own pillow and moved herself closer to him, resting her head mere inches from his. Stefan's eyes returned to hers, realizing just how close she was now. Her eyes were now full of understanding, letting him know that she would lay there quietly and let him talk.

"At the end of the summer, I asked her to marry me. She said yes and moved to Connecticut with me so I could start at Yale" he explained. "She wasn't happy there though. She had been modeling before she met me and there just wasn't a lot of work where we were. So she moved back to New York about a month later." Stefan sighed as he thought about what to say next. "I flew out to see her every weekend. I came back to New York for all of my breaks. She seemed happy though." Even if he wasn't. He hated being away from her, even for five days. "I missed her like crazy."

Stefan readjusted his head on his pillow, trying to get comfortable. "Then people started talking, saying that Katherine was cheating on me while I was away. Caroline was the first one to say something. Zach was next. But I didn't believe any of them. Know why?" he asked. Elena shook her head no. "Because I asked Katherine if she was cheating on me and she got really upset and said that everyone was just trying to break us up. She said that no one would ever come between us though" he said.

"I believed her" Stefan stated. "But this little part of me wondered if maybe she was lying" he admitted. He had felt terrible back then for thinking it too. "A few weeks before the end of my first year at Yale, she called me and told me she was pregnant. She was all kinds of excited and she started talking about moving back to Connecticut with me and us getting a house and getting married ..." he trailed off. "I was shocked, to say the least. We had always been so careful." He went quiet again for a moment before continuing. "And I had no idea how to be a dad or if I was even ready to learn. But the thought of having Katherine back in Connecticut with me and us moving forward in our relationship gave me hope that things would work out" he said quietly.