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I kept tracing the lines on his palm, letting my nail graze his skin. His phone started ringing. I looked at it, seeing Damon's name on the screen. He sighed as he started to pull away. He grabbed his phone and sat back as he answered it.

"What?"

He moved his arm around me again, putting his hand on my lower back. I couldn't hear anything else he said, as I was too focused on staring at him. He's too perfect.

I leaned forward, putting my hand on his leg as I started kissing his neck. I slid my hand higher, rubbing his dick through his jeans. I heard his breath catch in his throat. I moved my hand to his stomach, flattening my hand against him as I moved to straddle his leg.

I grabbed his hand, moving it to rest against my inner thigh. I moved my hands to his shoulders. I rocked my hips against him, grinding against his thigh. He slid his higher, the tips of his fingers sliding into my shorts.

I heard him sigh before putting his hand on my hip, stopping my movements. I pulled my head back to look at him.

"Yeah. See you in a few minutes."

I grabbed the phone from his hand and ended the call. "Are you serious?"

He let his hand fall to my waist. "He just needs us to come over for a while."

I placed his phone against his chest as I pushed away from him. "You could've said no."

He tilted his head, "Do you want me to call him back and tell him no?"

"That's not the point. And you already agreed to go." I moved off of him then started to walk out of the room.

I could hear him walking up behind me. "Evelyn."

I stopped and turned to face him. "What?"

"What's wrong?"

I tilted my head. "I'll let you know when you get back."

"You're not coming?"

"I wasn't the one who agreed to it."

"Yeah, but he doesn't need me. He needs you."

I furrowed my brows, "So now you're volunteering me to go?"

"It's not like that -"

"Really? Because that's exactly what it sounds like."

He sighed. "I don't want to fight with you about this."

"Then don't. Go over to Damon's because that's what you want."

"He just needs to talk to you. Why is this such a big deal to you?"

I could simply explain it to him instead of turning it into an argument, but it may just turn into an even bigger argument that I'm not willing to have. "While you're over there, you both can try to figure out how I could possibly be upset by being called to fulfill some stupid favor that apparently only I can repay." I turned away from him and made my way to my room. I pushed the door shut behind me, filling my ears with a loud slam.

I heard the front door open and close after a minute. I walked to my bed and sat down. I was still for a moment, processing what just happened.

I should've just told him what was wrong, but that would be too easy, apparently.

I looked at my phone on the nightstand. I reached for it and pulled it in front of me. I swiped away the missed calls from Damon and then turned my phone off. I laid back and stared at the ceiling.

I thought of every possibility of why he could be so withdrawn, but nothing seemed like him. The foundation of our relationship was sex and suddenly, he wants nothing to do with the physical aspect of us.

The thought that something could be wrong with him didn't cross my mind until hours later, but once it did, I was overthrown with guilt.

I sat up and called him. The call was sent straight to voicemail. I called again, and after it failed, I called Damon. After a moment, he answered, "Hey."

I pushed my hair back behind my ear. "Hey. Is Kai there?"

"No. Why?"

I closed my eyes. "He's not answering me."

"He texted earlier and said you guys couldn't come, so I assumed he was with you." I breathed out shakily as I opened my eyes. "What's wrong, Evelyn?"

I shook my head once, trying to pin my thoughts in place. "He always answers me."

"Okay. Let me call him, and if he doesn't answer, then you can panic. Just give me a minute."

"Okay."

He hung up, and then after a few minutes, he called back. I answered immediately. "He's not answering." The moment he said not, I jumped to my feet and started out of the house. I grabbed my keys. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Just don't go after him alone, Ev."

"I have to go, Damon." I started the car. I ended the call and sat it in the passenger seat. I drove to Kai's apartment. I reached for the door as Damon called my name from the end of the hallway. I looked over, dropping my arm. "What are you doing here?"

He walked closer. "I knew you'd check here first. What's going on?"

"Go home, Damon." I turned to the door again, opening it and stepping inside. I didn't have to flip the light switch because it was already on.

"I'm worried, Evelyn. It sounded like you were crying over the phone."

I walked further into the living room. There were empty beer and liquor bottles on the table. There was a jacket on the arm of the couch that didn't belong to Kai. I recognized it from seeing Steven in it the day I slammed his face into Kai's couch. I was starting to get an idea of what he did.

"What is it?" He stepped beside me.

I walked to the bedroom and pulled a map from his desk that was under the window, then walked back to the living room.

"Evelyn, you're going a little psycho and I can't really keep up with your train of thought, so could you just -"

I shoved the glass bottles off the coffee table and placed the map on the table. I looked up at him. "He and I had an argument. Instead of telling him what was wrong, I pushed him away. He told you we weren't coming when I told him he should have. Instead of going to you, he went out with my least favorite people, his friends." I turned my attention back to the map.

I used my magic to set it on fire, burning to where he is. The only place on the map left was the bar. I rose to my feet. I grabbed the jacket before starting toward the door.

"As much as I enjoy your raging, I think you should just let him be tonight, Evelyn. You're both upset, I mean, you're handling it in extreme ways, but you're still both very upset. I think you should take some time to cool off. What did you even plan to do?"

"Kill them."

He laughed, "Come on, Vale, this is just an argument between you and Kai. Bringing his friends -"

"I didn't bring them into it. If you don't move out of my way, I will snap your neck. Let me do what I need to do."

He tilted his head as he stepped closer. "Let's be rational, Evelyn. Killing everyone isn't going to help you. In fact, it will make it worse. Why don't you just take a minute to breathe and calm down? It'll clear your head."

Calm down. The number of times I've heard the phrase in the last two years is enough to fill the dictionary. "Or I could just... not."

He lifted his hands, "You're not capable of doing something like this. You won't be able to live with yourself. Just take a seat and-"

I snapped his neck using magic. The repetitiveness in his vocabulary was pissing me off. I stepped over his body and walked out of the apartment.

I made my way to my car and sat the jacket in the passenger seat. I thought for a moment. Killing them would cause more problems. Really, I just want to upset Kai and make him feel how I do. I want his attention, his undivided and fully devoted attention. The best way to get his attention is to make him jealous.

I made a stop at home to change into the most provocative dress I could. It was a black mini dress that was snug to my body. The only way it would even reach past the middle of my thigh was if I pulled it down to where my boobs were practically bursting out. I didn't bother putting on any makeup other than mascara and lipstick. I straightened my hair before putting on some small silver hoops.

I grabbed the black heels from my closet, pulling them on as I made my way out of the house. I drove to the bar.

I pulled on Steven's jacket before making my way into the bar. My ears were bombarded by the music playing loudly over the speaker. The bar had turned into a club. I walked to the bar. I slipped the jacket off and placed it on the back of a chair before sitting down.

"What can I get you," the bartender aimed his question at me.

I thought for a moment before answering, "Three shots of tequila."

He nodded before turning to the drinks.

"How about we make that six," a man suggested to the bartender as he took a seat next to me. When I looked at him, my eyes were immediately pleased. His sharp jawline was accompanied by a sweet smile. His bright green eyes were mellowed out by his dark brown hair. "Dean."

I smiled back. "Evelyn."

He tilted his head. "You look a little young to be drinking."

I tilted my head, "You think?"

He shook his head, "I really hope not because you're really something to look at."

I furrowed my brows, "Is that a compliment?"

He nodded, "Absolutely."

I looked at the shots as they were being set in front of me. Then, they were being set in front of Dean. Six total shots. "Thanks, then." I looked at him.

He was still staring at me. "So what's a girl like you doing here, drinking alone?"

"Trying to have a good time."

"Good time as in.... drinking with a handsome guy you just met?"

I stared at him for a minute. "Only if we dance after."

He reached for a shot, and then I did. We drank at the same time. I nearly gagged at how strong it was, but I suppressed the thought and downed the other two as he did.

After about an hour of drinking and talking, he took me by the hands, drunkenly leading me into the crowd. His hands fell to my waist as his eyes did. I moved my hands to his wrists.

He pulled me toward him, rocking my hips side to side as the music swarmed through our bodies. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin as he turned me and pulled me against him. His lips were only a breath away from linking with my skin. I could feel his fingers digging deeper into me as he moved me with his body.

He moved his hands to mine, crossing my arms over my body and then lifting them to twirl me to face him. The laugh that escaped my throat was cut short by the rush of air that left my lungs. He pulled me back to him, holding my hands against his chest. He smiled as he looked at my lips.

The half hour that followed was a drunken haze of near kisses mixed with alcohol laced breath. The touch of his hands lingered on my body, filling me with need.

I was taken over by the urge to drink the blood from his neck. I watched as the vein in his neck throbbed faintly. I could smell the metallic scent of his blood. The veins under my eyes twitched as my fangs pushed through.

I pulled my head back and looked into his eyes. "Don't scream and don't be scared. You want this."

His pupils dilated slightly before he responded, "I want this."

I smiled before leaning up and sinking my teeth into his neck. I felt his hands grip my waist tighter. I moved my hand to rest against the other side of his neck as I drew more blood from him.

I pulled away from him as I licked the blood from my lips. There was a stunned look on his face, his eyelids drooping and his lips parted. "What are you?"

"A vampire."

"Are you going to kill me?"

I shook my head. "Not without letting you buy me another drink first." I glanced over at the bar. I stared for a little longer, my eyes landing on Kai as he stared at me with intrigue. By his sides were Steven and Denny. Past the intrigue in Kai's eyes, though, was a hint of jealousy and some anger. I looked at Dean again.

His hands were lower now, slightly lower than my hips. "Let me buy you a drink, then."

I moved my hand to the side of his face. "Do you see the three guys at the bar staring directly at me?" He nodded after glancing at them. "The guy in the middle is my boyfriend, and he really doesn't like it when I get drunk and let guys like you grind against me. And the thing he hates the most is when I make him watch. So now he's going to be really upset. Now, what I need to know is if you would like to survive."

"Yes."

I smiled. "You're doing such a great job, baby." I moved my hand to his chin, tipping his head down to stare into my eyes. "All you have to do is keep your hands on me and tell me a little bit about yourself."

"If I do, I'll die."

"As long as you do what I say, I can keep you from being killed by my boyfriend. If you don't listen, I'll make sure he rips out your heart and sends it to the person who loves you the most. Do what I say."

I could see the fear in his eyes as he slid his hands to my hips, holding me tighter. "I just moved to town. I have a younger sister and an older brother. My dad passed away a few years ago, but my mom's still alive. I go out to places like this -"

I moved my hand to cover his mouth. "That's enough." I moved my hand to his chest. "What you're going to do is walk away from me. You're going to call your sister as you're walking home. She'll ask you what you're calling for, and you'll tell her you need to stay with her for a while. Once you wake up tomorrow, you'll only remember that you came out and had a bad time. You've decided you hate your new town and want to live with your mom again to help her out." I moved my hands down to his stomach as I stepped back. "Go."

He pulled away from me and walked toward the exit. I turned and walked to the bar.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

I stopped and turned to Kai. "Immensely." I took a step closer to him. I glanced at the other two stooges before focusing my attention back on Kai.

"That was pretty obvious from the grinding," Steven replied. "I would ask if you have no self-respect, but that's obvious from the dress."

I looked at him, "Go find someone to make them feel bad for you so they'll sleep with you instead of projecting your sex deprived incompetence onto me." He pushed off the bar and got up. He walked past me, going into the crowd of people with Denny, who was laughing. I looked at Kai again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." I stepped closer, "But I already know the answer, so I won't bother."

"Do you?"

"You keep pushing yourself further and further away from me. You could've stayed with me and bothered me until I gave you an answer, but instead, you came out with your goon squad after drinking everything in your apartment."

His brows pulled together as he stared at me inquisitively for a minute. He sat up straighter, pulling himself to stop leaning back against the bar. "You want my attention. That's what all of this is about?"

I crossed my arms. "That's not everything," I muttered as I looked at the ground.

A moment later, he was a foot away from me. He tipped my head up to look at him. "Talk to me, baby." He tilted his head, "Tell me what's wrong."

His breath smelled of alcohol, as mine did too. I felt lightheaded. His eyes felt like magnets, keeping my eyes on his. "I want you to pay attention to me."

"I am."

"You haven't been lately."

"I just don't want you to feel suffocated. If I go too fast-"

I moved my hands to his chest. "I would've told you, and you would've listened. But if we do nothing, even though I'm instigating it, then it feels like you don't want me."

He furrowed his brows, "You think I don't want you?"

I stared at him, afraid of my own answer. "I just want things to be normal with us again. I want you to do things to me that I would never think to ask for." I grabbed his other hand, moving it to my waist. He instinctively leaned closer, his hand sliding to the side of my neck. "As much as I love who you are now, I wish you had kept some aspects of yourself."

There was a lustful glare that flashed in his eyes as he looked at my lips. He slid his hands to my back, pushing my body into his. "Is that what you want?" I nodded. He looked into my eyes. "You want me to fuck you so hard you forget everything except what's happening to you?" He slid his hand to my ass while his other hand rested at the side of my face. "You want me to take control for a while?"

I nodded, "Yes."

A smile crept onto his lips. "Then maybe we should go."

I smiled. Relief washed through me. He leaned forward, kissing me slowly. It was impossible to pull away from one another. We separated for a moment, finding our way out of the bar. His hands never left my body as he walked behind me. His lips worked their way around my neck, leaving soft, sloppy kisses on my skin.

I felt his hand press against my lower stomach, pulling me back against his body. I let my head fall back against his shoulder. I moved my hand to his head.

"They took my keys."

He hummed against my skin. I lifted my head, moving my hand to shield my eyes from the headlights shining toward us. I dropped my hand as I pushed away from Kai. I walked toward the passenger door of the car as the window rolled down. Stefan was in the driver's seat, Damon in the passenger.

I smiled. "Great timing."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Get in."

I felt Kai grab my hand after he opened the door for me to get in the backseat. I got in and sat in the middle seat. Kai sat beside me. Stefan started driving after a minute.

"Considering how touchy you two are, I'm going to take a guess and say you didn't kill them."

I looked at Damon. "No, I had a much better idea that seemed to get my point across just the same."

"And you couldn't have figured it out sooner?"

"You mean before I snapped your neck?"

"What else would I be talking about?"

"Anything, honestly. Most of the words that come out of your mouth are just complaints. It's really annoying."

"You know what else is annoying? Being kill-"

"Here we go."

"I was trying to help you calm down and you repaid me by snapping my neck."

I looked at Kai. "We could've walked." He smiled as he put his hand on my thigh. I looked at Stefan. "Where's Caroline?"

"With Alaric and Jo."

"Because..."

He sighed, "Because she is, Evelyn."

"I'm sorry, am I annoying you?" I leaned forward, resting my arms on the seats and looking at Stefan. "Or do you just not want to talk about her for... whatever reason?"

He glanced at me before focusing on the road again. "Both."

"What's the reason?" I looked at Damon after a minute. "You seem to know everything about everyone, considering you're always in everyone's business. Why is he not talking about her?"

He looked at me. "They're fighting."

"Caroline and Stefan? Fighting?" I looked at Stefan. "What did you do?"

An offended look crossed his face when he glanced at me. "This isn't any of your business."

I smiled as I sat back. "Did you know," I looked at Kai, "that Caroline and Klaus used to have a thing?"

"A thing? When?"

"Evelyn, stop," Damon warned.

I kept staring at Kai. "A few years ago, when the Mikaelson's were staying in town, Klaus started having feelings for Care. After a while, she gave in and they had sex. She didn't fall in love with him, but she did like him. Klaus, though, was in love with her and couldn't stay away from her. They lost all contact when he left. Caroline told me that when he came back a few weeks ago that they started talking again." I looked at Stefan. "Is that why you're fighting?"

He was silent and wore a contemplative expression. "No."

I stared at him for a moment longer. "Because she never told you."

"She wouldn't be talking to him again," Damon started. "She's different and he's the exact same."

"And she wouldn't keep it from me," Stefan added. "We're married. We don't keep things from each other."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

He pulled into the driveway and parked the car. "Goodnight, Evelyn."

Kai opened the door and got out. I grabbed his hand he was offering to me and got out. He shut the door and we started walking. He opened the door and let me in first. I started to take my shoes off as I walked.

Kai grabbed my waist and turned me to face him. I would've fallen over if he wasn't holding me. His lips crashed against mine, kissing me roughly. I placed my hands against his chest. He walked me backward. My back hit the door to the kitchen.

He removed a hand from me and wrapped his arm around me as he pushed the door open. I moved my hands to the bottom of his shirt and untucked the black button up. He leaned closer as he gripped my thighs and lifted me onto the kitchen counter. He placed himself between my legs as he moved a hand to my neck, using his thumb to press against my jaw and tilt my head back.

He slid his tongue past my lips. I moved my hands back up his shirt, finding the buttons. The first few were already undone. He slid his hand into my hair.

Loud knocking on the door pulled me from the moment. I groaned as I pulled my head back. He shook his head, "Ignore them."

I moved my hand to the side of his face. "They will just walk in if I don't answer the door."

He groaned as he stepped back. He lifted his hands. I put my hands in his and hopped off the counter. I started out of the kitchen. The front door opened and I stopped in the middle of the hallway. Stefan walked in. I could see Damon step inside.

"What do you-"

"Does she have feelings for him?"

I furrowed my brows, "Go ask her."

"Evelyn!"

"I don't know! Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"But you do know!"

"Going back and forth about this is not helping anything. Go ask her yourself if you're so interested in the answer, but I can already tell you that they're probably just friends."

"You don't know that."

"You're right, I don't. What I do know is that Caroline wouldn't cheat on you. She loves you."

"That never stopped the people you were with."

His comment went straight through me, making me freeze for a moment. I'm way too drunk and it's way too late to let him get to me, yet he did. The anger that ran through me made me feel cold.

"Stef, let's go," Damon exhorted.

"No." He tilted his head. "You were bored and wanted to get under my skin, Evelyn. You did it. But when I attack you back, you're speechless. So you get someone else to try and save you. It doesn't work like that."

"I'm not threatened by you, I'm just stunned by what you're saying. I mean, do you not remember what happened between you and Elena? She left you for your brother. I feel like that's way worse than what I went through." I stepped closer. "Go home or go talk to her. Do whatever you want, just stop arguing with me because you're upset with my sister."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me if she has feelings for him or not."

"Then you're never leaving." I tilted my head. "I don't have an answer for you because she never told me anything beyond talking to him again. But if you don't trust her to not see other people then I think you two need to work on some things."

"Caroline and I are fine. You are the one who started all of this."

I shook my head. "This conversation is over. I'm not arguing with you about this anymore."

I started to turn away but he grabbed my arm. The rough hold he had on me brought me back to when I was chained to a table. When he turned me to face him again, I used my free hand to punch him in the face with the firmest fist I could manage. He let go of me as he stumbled back a few steps. I rolled my eyes as I turned away from him.

Kai had a proud look on his face. He had his arms crossed as he was leaning to the side, propped against the wall. I grabbed his arm, pulling him with me toward the stairs. I heard him laugh breathily. I let go of him as I walked into my room. I sat at the end of my bed and pulled my shoes off.

"Is that usually how your arguments end?"

I looked up at him as I pulled off my second shoe. "No, but I knew he wouldn't shut up unless I made him." He started walking toward me. I looked away from him as I sat the shoe on the ground.

"Well, you did it beautifully." He was a few feet from me. I moved my hands to the bed. He stepped closer, moving his hands to cup my face. He tilted my head back to make me look up at him. "Are you okay?"

I pulled his hands away. "I'm fine."

He lifted his brows, a look of disbelief donning his face. "What's with the attitude, Forbes?"

I rolled my eyes as I got up. I started walking toward my closet. "I don't have an attitude."

"You just rolled your eyes at me. I asked you a question, you could have just said no instead."

I turned to face him. "But I gave you an answer. I'm fine."

"No seems more fitting for you right now." He stepped closer. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! I just don't want to talk to you right now!"

"Then what do you want?"

"I don't know! I just want you to stop talking!"

He tilted his head, "Do you want me to leave?"

"I don't care, I just need-" I shut myself up. Why am I lashing out at him? I'm not even upset with him. He's just trying to help. I walked to him. I wrapped my arms around him, resting the side of my face against his chest and closed my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry." I opened my eyes again.

He moved his hands to my face and I pulled my head back as I moved my hands to his sides. He brushed his thumb across my cheek. He brought his eyes to look into mine. "Will you tell me what's wrong?" His voice was softer now.

Staring at him and feeling his touch on my skin altered the way I was feeling entirely too fast. "I don't want to talk right now." I moved my hands to his belt. His eyes moved to my hands as his hands drifted to my neck. I pushed against him and started walking, urging him to do the same.

He looked into my eyes again and I smiled. I stepped closer as I slid my hands to the buttons on his shirt. He moved his hands to my hips, pulling me forward. I stared at his shirt as I worked with the buttons, slowly revealing more of him to me. I could feel his hard on against my lower stomach.

I looked into his eyes again. I hooked my leg around his as I pushed him back onto the bed. He gripped my hips and pulled me down on him. I felt my dress push up. I pressed my lips to his, kissing him. I lifted my hips and reached down to undo his belt, then his pants.

His hands moved to my dress, pushing it up to my stomach. He placed his hand over my clothed pussy, drawing a moan past my lips. He dragged his fingers up toward my clit, then back down.

I reached for his hand, pressing mine against his. His other hand moved off of me. I stopped kissing him, pulling away just far enough to look and see his hand wrapped around his hard cock. I moved my hands to his chest. I started to move off of him, but moved his hand to my hip, pushing me to stay down.

I looked at his face. "I have to take them off."

"No."

I furrowed my brows, "They're in the way."

He moved his hand to the back of my head, pulling me down to kiss him again. I moaned at the sudden motion. I felt him tear them from my body. I groaned as I pulled my head back. I looked into his eyes, ignoring the cocky grin on his face.

"You're unbelievable."

"You're telling me you didn't expect that?"

I pushed his hand away from my head. "Of course I did, it's you. But if you keep tearing my clothes off of me-"

"You'll have to be naked. Which I'm perfectly fine with, and I believe you should do it more often."

"I thought I said no talking."

"And I thought you liked it when I told you how great you are."

"When you're fucking me, not when you're-" The words escaped me as he pushed me down on his cock.

Both of his hands were on my hips, slowly guiding me down to meet his. My eyes fluttered shut as I took in his entire cock. It was on the brink of being uncomfortable. It took a moment to adjust to having him inside of me.

I planted my hands on his chest, sitting up further. I opened my eyes and looked down at him. "You could've at least let me finish."

"Oh, I'm going to." I couldn't avoid the infectious smile that was plastered on his lips.

I leaned down to kiss him. He moved a hand to my face, pushing my hair back. I lifted off of him, then sat back down. He moaned into the kiss. I moved a hand to rest beside his head as I rode him faster. His hand moved from my waist to just below my stomach.

I paused for a second, caught off guard by the sudden stimulation to my clit. I stopped kissing him, losing my concentration. I started riding him again. After only a few minutes, I was struggling not to cum. I rested my head against his as I sunk down on his cock.

I moved my hand to his wrist, gripping it tightly. "Kai." I moaned, unable to form any other words.

"Does that feel good, baby?"

I opened my mouth to speak, only for a moan to slip past my lips. I started to fuck him again, rocking up and own his hard cock.

"Fuck," he groaned. His low, sultry voice coaxed me to go faster.

The movements of his fingers had become erratic. I struggled to keep going, the overwhelming pleasure that flowed through my body searching for a release.

I sunk down on him with finality. I felt him cum seconds before I did. He moved his hand to my thigh, gripping it tightly. His other hand was pressed firmly against my neck. The string of sensual noises that escaped me blended with his.

I forced my eyes open as I lifted my head. My alcohol scented heavy breathing was mixing with his, blurring my senses. I swallowed as I sat up. I moaned as he shifted inside of me. I grabbed his arms, pulling him to sit up. His hands met my waist as mine connected to his neck. He tilted his head back, staring at my face for a moment.

He leaned forward, burying his face in my neck as he wrapped his arms around me. He trailed kisses up to my jaw, slowly and fluidly. I slid my hand to the back of his head, moving the other to his shoulder. His soft lips dragged across my chest before he pulled his head back. He looked at my face and I moved my eyes to meet his gaze.

"What are you thinking about?"

I moved my hand to the side of his face. "Do you want me to tell you or show you?"

A smile crept on his lips. "Show me."

I kissed him softly as I pulled his arms from around me. I moved my hands to my dress and pulled back as I lifted the dress over my head. I let the dress drop to the floor. I placed my hands on his shoulders as I moved off of him.

I got up and walked to the bathroom. I turned on the shower. I turned to see him a foot away from me. I stepped back as he took a step forward. I walked through the water then my back hit the wall. He walked closer, letting a hand drop to my waist and placing the other at the side of my face. I tilted my head back, looking up at him.

His eyes wandered my face for a moment before drifting to my chest. I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me. A familiar look crossed his face, but I couldn't place it. I pulled him down to kiss me. I moved my other hand to his cock, wrapping my hand around it. I pumped him slowly from base to tip, twisting ever so slightly.

I pulled back from the kiss. I tilted his head back as I trailed kisses from his jaw to his chest. I lowered myself to my knees. I placed soft kisses along the length of his dick, starting at the tip, then ending at the base. I dragged my tongue back to his tip.

The sound of him moaning brought my eyes to his. I stared up at him as I rubbed the tip of his cock along my bottom lip, then along my tongue, once he was in my mouth, I closed it around him, taking him deeper. He hit the back of my throat, and I took him a little deeper. I pumped the base of his cock as I moved my mouth along the length of it.

He placed his hand at the side of my face. He pushed my hair back, then grasped it in his fist tightly. He pulled my head back by my hair. My mouth hung open as I stared up at him.

"Touch yourself. I want you to cum when I do."

I moved my other hand between my thighs, circling my clit with my middle and ring finger. He pushed my head back down on his cock, keeping it pressed against the back of my throat. I moved my fingers faster as he used my mouth to get himself off.

The pulsing between my thighs was getting harder to suppress. I moaned as my eyes fell shut. I moved my hand that was wrapped around him to his hand that was in my hair. I flattened my tongue against his cock. He moaned loudly as he pushed me down on his cock. My nose brushed against his skin.

I swallowed the cum that shot down my throat. I slowed my fingers as I came. The cum slowly dripped down my thighs as it spilled out of me. I moved my hand to my thigh. He pulled my head back and I forced my eyes open as I looked up at him. I licked the saliva and cum of my lips.

He pulled his hand away from my head. He held out his other hand and I reached for it. He pulled me to my feet and pushed me back against the wall. He planted his hand against my stomach, keeping me against the wall. I put my hand on his.

He sank to his knees. He used his other hand to lift one of my legs. He dragged his tongue along my skin, collecting my cum. He did the same to my left leg. He buried his face between my thighs, devoting his full attention to sucking and licking my pussy. His hand kept me from moving. I moved my hand to his hair, fisting it in my hands.

I leaned my head back. My stomach fluttered as the sensations passed through my body, making me shudder. He sucked my clit gently every few seconds, making me yell out. I tightened my grip on his hair, bringing him closer to me, if it were even possible. He groaned as his jaw worked slowly with his tongue.

I gasped as the familiar feeling that I've grown fond of consumed me. My eyes practically rolled back as shudders rolled through my body. The moans that spilled from my lips were uncontainable.

After I was able to stand unsupported by his hand, he pulled his head back and stood up. He moved his hands to my hips. I blinked my eyes open.

I slid my hands to his shoulders. "That was not what I was thinking."

He smiled. "Sure, it was, the roles were just reversed."

I could hear his phone ringing. I glanced over at the door. "Who do you think that is?"

"It doesn't matter."

I looked at him. "What if-"

He moved his hand to cover my mouth. He stared into my eyes, conveying what he was trying to tell me by just staring back at me.

He moved his hand to the side of my face and leaned down to kiss me. I slid my hands to his neck as I pulled myself off the wall. His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me with him as he took a few steps back.

The heat around us accumulated, filling the room with steam. I pushed up onto my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hand that was against my neck glided down to my side, then around my body, wrapping in my hair.

In an instant, his lips were off of mine, and I was turned away from him, facing the shower door. He removed his hand from my hair and placed it on my shoulder. He gently pushed my head to the side before pressing his lips to my skin. His other hand was against my stomach, keeping my back pressed against his front.

He kissed his way up my neck, stopping just below my ear. His hand slid around my neck. "I was really looking forward to bending you over the counter and fucking you till you couldn't stand, but I guess now I'll just have to improvise."

His hand moved from my stomach to my thighs, pushing them apart. Before I could react, he pulled away just far enough to grab his cock and bury it inside of me again. I grabbed his arm that was against my chest, gripping it tightly as he started fucking me slowly and roughly.

I pressed my other hand against the glass to keep myself steady. His other hand moved from my stomach to my waist, grasping it tightly.

He cursed under his breath as I screamed out. I arched away from him, moving my other hand to the glass. His hand slid from my neck to my shoulder, holding it just as tightly as my waist.

A gasp that fell from my lips turned to a moan as he sped up. I closed my eyes as stars filled my vision. His hand that was once on my waist was now resting below my stomach as his fingers circled my clit.

"Oh my God," I whined. I moved my hand to his, sliding to his forearm and gripping it tightly. I felt dumbfounded by the swarm of pleasure that was drowning me. "Kai," I cried. "I can't..." I moaned loudly. "It's too much."

He thrusted into me abruptly, making me cry out. He pulled me back against him. I moved my other hand to the one on my shoulder. His lips were next to my ear and his breath was fanning my face. "Do you want me to stop?" His fingers sped up, circling my clit erratically.

I dug my nails into his skin. "Don't stop!"

He stretched his arm across my chest, keeping me from moving away from him. My legs were trembling as an orgasm absorbed my self-control. I pushed against his arm that was against my side, trying to gain some control.

I rocked my hips back, inadvertently pushing his cock deeper inside of me. He moaned and leaned his head against mine. His heavy breathing was followed by another moan. A few seconds later, I felt his cum shoot inside of me. My pussy clenched around him, making him whine.

I sunk into him, pulling his arm from my chest to wrap around my waist. I slid my other hand to his, stopping his fingers from moving. He slid his hand higher as he pressed his face into my neck.

I felt his lips moving slowly against my neck as his nose brushed against my skin. He moved his hands to rest on mine then wrapped our arms around my body. A quiet whimper passed my lips as I felt him pull out slowly. A moment later he was holding me against him again.

He pressed a soft kiss to my shoulder, then another beside it, then a few more leading up to my jaw. I angled my head back to look at him.

His eyes moved to mine after staring at my lips for a moment, "Are you okay?"

"Mhm." I moved my hand to his face, pulling him forward to kiss me.

He moved his hands away from mine and grabbed my waist. He stopped kissing me and turned me to face him. He kept his hands firmly against my body, making sure I was steady. I pulled him to kiss me again. His lips moved slowly against mine.

After washing away our sexual desperation, we got out and got dressed.

I pushed my hair back behind my ears as I walked to the bed. I sat criss cross facing the headboard and put my hands in my lap. I felt exhausted, but I didn't want to sleep. I couldn't shake the feeling of Stefan's hand around my wrist. I looked down at my arms, more specifically my wrists.

"What's wrong?"

After a moment, I looked at Kai. He leaned closer, pulling himself away from the headboard. The concern in his eyes made me want to cry. I looked down at my wrists again. "Um, earlier when... when Stefan grabbed my wrist... it was really tight and..." I drew in a breath to try to ease the lump in my throat, but it turned shaky. "The way it felt reminded me of... um... it reminded me of when Joshua had-" my voice caught in my throat. "I'm sorry."

Before I could fully cover my face with my hands, Kai moved closer and wrapped his hands around mine, pulling them to his chest. "Look at me, baby."

I opened my eyes and lifted my head to look at him. I struggled to breathe steadily. "I'm sorry," I repeated.

He looked confused and hurt. He shook his head, squeezing my hands gently. "Don't apologize. You don't need to." He moved a hand to my face, wiping the tears off of my cheeks.

"Yes, I do. I should be able to talk about this. It happened forever ago. I need to just get over it and stop making such a big deal about-"

"Hey." He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Where is this coming from?"

I felt another tear slip from my eyes. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to refill my lungs. "It's all my fault." I pulled back, slipping my hand from his. I eased his hand away from my face. "If I had listened to everyone and- and stayed away from you, he wouldn't have gotten to me. I wouldn't have been kidnapped and tortured and... and he wouldn't have forced me to get pregnant. Everything that's happened has been because of me and my need to keep you from hurting everyone. That's why I have to apologize; part of me blames you for what happened to me, and none of it was your fault."

He looked contemplative. There was hurt in his eyes, and it made my head spin. His eyes drifted from mine then he looked down at his hands.

"Are you going to say something?"

He looked at me, "What do you want me to say, Evelyn? You just told me you blame me for what's happened to you. You're saying that what happened to you is because you love me!"

"I don't want to feel like this! Everything they said to me while they had me was about you or our relationship!"

A sympathetic look swarmed his features. "Why do you believe them?! They were the ones who hurt you, Evelyn! It was by their own volition; nothing that happened to you can be blamed on us!"

It felt like I couldn't breathe. I dug my nails into my palm. "How can I not believe them when you're proving their point?!"

He shook his head, disbelief clouding his eyes. "What are you talking about?!"

Anger settled in me as he proved he didn't understand. "You're yelling at me because I told you how I feel! They had me locked away for a month! Every day, I had to go through the same torture and mental torment! They took away everything from me, including my hope for this relationship! And I had to go through the same thing after he died!"

"How is this my fault?!"

"I'm not blaming you!"

"Yes, you are!"

"I'm trying to make you understand!"

He shook his head and looked away from me. The pit of guilt subsiding in my stomach rose to my throat. I hate when we fight. This wasn't supposed to be a fight.

I moved my hands to wipe the tears off my cheeks. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath.

There was knocking on the front door. I lifted my head and looked at my bedroom door. I could hear the front door open, then the voice of Caroline carried through the house. I moved off the bed and went to greet her. I stopped at the bottom of the steps and turned to see the front door. She was standing a few feet from the doorway, wearing a furious expression on her face. Behind her was Stefan.

"What?"

She took a few steps closer. "Why would you tell him?!"

I crossed my arms. "Why wouldn't you? You're his wife."

"Our relationship isn't any of your business, Evelyn."

"But when I tell you my relationship isn't any of yours, I'm overreacting." I nodded. "Makes perfect sense."

She scoffed, "It's because of who you're with. They're completely different circumstances!"

Exhaustion was beginning to feel like my best friend. "You're texting your ex and hiding it from your husband. Keeping it from him was hurting him."

"And you care so much about everybody's feelings!"

I rolled my eyes and looked away from her. "I could just flip a switch and not care at all." I looked at her. "I'd actually prefer it over all of you."

"If that's what it takes for you to stop ruining everyone's lives then so be it!"

"I'm ruining your life because I told your husband about your friendship with Klaus?"

"You told him I was cheating with Klaus."

"Actually, I didn't. I implied that you both have trust issues and you're hiding it for a reason. He just assumed you were cheating. Maybe you should spend less time arguing with me and more trying to find out what actually happened instead of blindly trusting the guy who ruined you not too long ago by talking to his ex."

A hint of shock was absorbed into her angry expression.

"That's ridiculous." Stefan walked forward, stepping beside Caroline. "You basically ambushed me, telling me she was involved with Klaus."

I shook my head, "Now I understand why she would hide things from you. You act like such a saint, but really, you're just a hypocrite who lies to make himself out to be the hero." I looked at Caroline. "Stay if you need to, but I'm not devoting myself to your drama anymore tonight. I have enough of my own bullshit to deal with."

I turned to go up to my room again. I shut the door. I turned to the bed again. Kai was laying down, staring at the ceiling. He seemed lost in thought. I didn't want to get close to him, fearful of any reaction he may have. I wasn't going to let this stay between us, either.

I crossed my arms again. "You feel guilty, and me saying that I'm involuntarily blaming you didn't help that. That's why you're so upset. You didn't want to hurt me, but I got hurt anyway. There was nothing you could do to stop it, even though it was killing you." I stepped closer. "You could feel everything that was happening. You knew I was suffering, and it was killing you. You had no way to help me or help me feel okay, so you felt guilty. It also didn't help that the two people who took me were people you knew."

The silence seeped into me, making me feel fidgety. I should never have brought it up. Everything could've been peaceful and fine if I hadn't opened my mouth. I wanted this all to be over. The overwhelming urge to be near him was making my chest feel tight.

I slowly worked my way toward him, taking quiet steps. I sat the way I did before I left. I kept my hands folded together in my lap as I stared at his face. "I don't want to beg you to acknowledge me." The silence that followed made my head feel light.

"Lay down, Evelyn."

I was afraid to speak my mind, intimidated by the sole thought of arguing with him still. But I refused to sacrifice my integrity to please him. "I'm trying here, Kai. I'm telling you what's wrong. Why are you refusing to hear me?"

He pulled his arm from behind his head and sat up. He looked into my eyes. "You have no hope for this relationship."

I shook my head, "You're twisting my words-"

"How are we supposed to be together if you don't see a future?"

"You're not listening to me!"

"Yes, I am! How else would I know you don't want to be with me?!"

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to!"

My throat felt like it was closing. The pure disbelief was chilling. "What?"

"They told you we're doomed, and you believe it. No one wants us to be together because they think I'm corrupting you and breaking you. That day when we were out together, and I walked away Ryan and Damon were trying to convince you to get out of my life. They told you I was tearing you apart and leaving the pieces, Evelyn. And you believed it. That's why you left."

I shook my head. "No, it's not. I left because I didn't want to hear what they had to say! I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and I never want to give up on you or our relationship! Listening to everyone tell me we won't make it and that we can't be together makes me feel horrible. I would never willingly listen to anything that is trying to destroy us."

"What about Elijah? You two seemed pretty close."

I looked away from him, trying to stay calm. "I was never in love with Elijah." I looked at him. "I had a crush on him because it was convenient. I owed him a favor, and I repaid him."

"The party at the lake. You made out with Jeremy."

"We weren't together!"

"Because of a decision you made! If you want to be with me so badly then you wouldn't have broken things off just because things got rough!"

"You married another woman while we were engaged."

"I had to!"

I shook my head. "And I forgave you! I've forgiven you countless times, and you still can't seem to grasp the mere thought of it!"

"And do you not think that's because of things you did? Or is everything my fault?"

"Oh my God." I got up and walked away from him. I took a deep breath before turning to face him again. "Honestly, I think it's because you're still afraid to feel any emotion, especially when it comes to me. You don't want to get hurt and it's fucking up your brain and causing you to make horrible actions that you think are protecting you but really just end up killing your ego, so you take it out on everyone else."

"I've been hurt, Evelyn."

"Yeah, like right now. You're hurt and you feel like I'm attacking you just because I mentioned how you were involved in how I got hurt."

He shook his head, "This conversation is repeating itself."

"Conversation?! This isn't a conversation!"

"Fine! An argument! Call it what you want!"

I buried my face in my hands as I groaned in frustration.

"Are you giving up again?"

"No." I lifted my head and looked at him. I stared at him, trying to decipher his expression. "But it feels like you're just dragging this out to get a reaction out of me and it's really starting to piss me off." I took a few steps closer. "You're not trying to resolve this; you're just trying to win. There's no winning when you're in a relationship."

"I'm not trying to win."

"Then what the hell would you call it?"

"I just want you to tell me the truth."

I shook my head, "I told you the truth, you just won't believe me."

He looked away from me, sighing. I moved to sit on the bed again. I sat on my knees, closer to him than before. I grabbed his face, turning his head to make him look at me. I rested my other hand against his shoulder.

I stared into his eyes, trying to convey what I was saying through more than my words. "What happened to me wasn't your fault or mine. The only people to blame here are Joshua and Lillian. You saved me, Kai. In every way possible, you saved me. And that overpowers anything that you could possibly do to me. Fighting with me because you're hurt isn't going to solve anything, you know that. The only thing it does is hurt us, which is the last thing either of us wants."

He stared at me, his wide eyes pouring into mine. I could see the desperation that I felt to fix things between us in the way he was staring at me.

"My desire to be with you could never be overshadowed by doubts other people have about us. They're not us and they don't know us. Only we can decide what happens to us, and I don't see myself ever giving up on you." I felt tears brimming my eyes. "But if you can't see that, then I don't know what else I can do. I'm trying so hard to keep going for you and it feels like you're just letting it happen."

"I just don't understand how you can keep forgiving me after everything I've done to you." His eyes were full of tears as mine were. "I don't know how I can be with you when I can't even live with myself after everything I've done."

My heart broke for him. The broken boy who had never felt true love, so how could he believe someone could love him? I slid my hand to rest against the side of his face, stroking his cheekbone with the pad of my thumb.

I could see the struggle in his eyes to not pull away from me. Vulnerability has never been his strong suit.

"You believe you're unredeemable because it's what you've been taught. It will take a lifetime to forget the role that's been forced onto you. You had to live without facing how you felt for most of your life, and no one was there to help you understand. They made you believe you couldn't love or be loved. Which made you think you were heartless." I slid my hand to the left side of his chest, placing my hand over his heart. "But it can't be true because I can feel it beating. None of it can be true. You love so deeply that it hurts you and you hate it. You closed yourself off from love because you weren't receiving it and you couldn't live with that."

He placed his hand over mine, which was against his chest. I could see the exhaustion living within him.

"You deserve to be loved and feel happiness. You're worthy of forgiveness, especially mine."

"No."

I shook my head, "Don't say that." I pulled his hand to my chest, holding it tightly. "What I feel for you is capable of overcoming whatever action you think is unredeemable. My love for you is one of the scariest things I've ever had to face because I can't think of anything that I wouldn't do for you. My unconditional love is yours, and I need you to understand that. I need you to feel it." Tears spilled from my eyes.

His glossy eyes encapsulated my attention, preventing me from feeling anything other than blind faith in his capability to change.

He drew a short breath. "I'm sorry."

I smiled, "There's nothing you can do that I won't forgive."

The tears in his eyes started to spill over. "I love you."

I moved my other hand to his face, cradling it between my hands as if he were the most delicate thing. "I love you."