The Mending Of Hearts | 𝑫𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆

eighteen

[ updated 4/7/21 ]

The day had me chasing lead after lead and running around in circles, searching for witches to help me. During many times of the day, I just wanted to throw myself in bed and give up. I didn't want to spend my last days exhausting myself for something that doesn't exist.

From the witches I was able to find and contact, they said there was no hope for me. That the last thing I could do was say my goodbyes. I decided to stop searching, to sit in my apartment and down a whole bottle of bourbon. Halfway through the bottle, Stefan had texted me to meet at his house, saying he had news. I groaned and decided to finish the rest of the bottle before I was surrounded by optimists during my last days.

...

"Better late than never," Damon says, opening the door for me. I just glared at him and walked towards Stefan, who already had a frown on his face.

"You're 20 minutes late," he says with crossed arms. Elena was sitting on the couch next to him, and she was glancing between the two of us.

"I'm here, aren't I," I tried to say humorously, but the frown on his face didn't falter. "Alright, why'd you call."

He stood staring at me for a few seconds before speaking. "I think we may have found a cure."

I glanced at Damon, and he gave me a slight nod. "How?"

"Caroline said there are witches in New Orleans who are familiar with this type of magic. They can help," Stefan says.

I started chewing on my nails and pacing around the room. This could be another dead end. "How do you know it's real?"

"We don't, " Damons grins, "but it doesn't hurt to try. Pack your bag, Mels. We're taking a trip to crescent city."

"Me and you?" I glare at him. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend a seven-hour car ride with Damon Salvatore and his unbearable jokes. "It's an incredibly long drive."

"I'll make it worthwhile," he smirks. I rolled my eyes and directed my attention back to Stefan.

"You need to go, Mel. I don't know how much longer you can survive with that mark on your arm," he says.

"I told you I'm fine, Stefan."

"Another thing Caroline found out from those witches is that the mark is slowly draining you. It's taking pieces of who you are and all your strength until all that's left is pain." They all looked at me, waiting for an answer, but I stayed silent. I had been feeling weaker like my life force was slipping away. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry them more than they already were.

"That means we need the cure now more than ever. Let's go," Damon starts towards the door and grabs my arm with him. I didn't feel like fighting and pulling my arm away, so I looked back at Stefan, and he gave me a sad smile as I exited the house.

He opened his car trunk and started putting his bags in there while I just stood there looking at the distance of the woods. He closes the trunk loudly, which snaps me out of my daze and makes me revert my eyes to him. He was just watching me as if trying to understand what I was thinking and feeling.

"What?" I say more harshly than I intended. He continues staring at me with the same expression and moves towards me until he's a few inches away. He scans my face and sighs.

"I'll get you that cure if it's the last thing I do." I release the breath I was holding in, and I managed a smile. He looks at me a few seconds more and leans in but stops himself and backs away. He turns around and opens the car door for me instead.