𝟓𝟕

a/n: Cherry's outfit for the chapter is on the left and dress for the Mikaelson Ball is on the right!

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍━═☆

It was nighttime. Charlotte had remained with Caroline as the blonde tried to avert the conversation so it wouldn't have to do with her father that died a few hours ago, "So, where were you all day?"

Charlotte folded her arms together, resting her head on the bed's headboard, "I was with...someone."

"Like...a date?"

"No, no, of course not," She shook her head, brushing it off quickly before realizing that if it wasn't a date then what was it? It couldn't have been a friend's hangout, "Well, it kind of was but no labels. Did we kiss? Yes, and we made out, actually but that was it, you know...nothing else."

Caroline shook her head, a small smile making its way onto her face as she asked, "Yeah, sure...Charlotte Bernard stepping out of her comfort zone and you wanna call it nothing? Girl, no."

"Who was it?"

She rubbed the back of her neck, blurting out, "Kol. It was Kol," Noticing the blonde's raised eyebrows, Charlotte defended, "He is actually very nice and supportive. He is cute and he makes me laugh...and I miss that. I miss being happy. I haven't been in a while."

Caroline wasn't questioning it further as she realized how relaxed and happy Charlotte was, just by talking about him, "Well, I definitely need to see him so that he would know I approve, so long as he doesn't hurt you."

"Wait...so you aren't mad? Because he is Klaus' brother? Also known as, one of the bad guys?"

The blonde vampire reached over, squeezing her friend's hand in reassurance, "Charlotte, you are my friend. Your happiness comes before whatever drama he and his family were involved in." Charlotte mirrored her smile, squeezing her hand back.

✵ ✵ ✵

Serena turned on her kettle, yawning as she pulled the toast out of the fridge. The brunette turned on the television as background noise as she went through the kitchen, pulling her mug out and the peanut butter from one of the cupboards.

If someone had told Serena Bernard a year ago that she would be the typical routine girl who woke up, made breakfast, and started her day fresh. She would have laughed in their face. She wasn't much of a healthy girl with healthy routines.

However, things changed. She changed. She needed to keep going, take the hit, and get back up. It was the only thing she could do to stay alive. Wish that someday it won't hurt as much.

When she had lost Cassie, life stopped for a few seconds. She could see her every memory with her sister, every time she helped her with homework, babysat her, drove her to school but also every time she yelled at her without meaning to or skipped an important occasion. Every time she wasn't the sister Cassie deserved.

The first few weeks were the hardest. To walk around her home, look at the pictures on the walls and pretend she wasn't falling apart. She would go on her day and cry twice before lunch. Serena had to adjust. She breathed, ate, smiled, slept, and repeat. Kept doing it until one day it wasn't as painful.

Her lips made contact with the mug before she took a sip from her coffee, looking straight ahead at one of the pictures on the shelf. It wasn't much but it meant a lot, just looking at it now. She was hugging Cassie, tickling her as the younger of them's toothy smile lit up the whole picture.

Serena smiled, remembering what it took to take that picture.

"C'mon, Cassie, darling," Nana Izzie caressed her youngest granddaughter's cheek, "Just smile for the picture. Please?"

"I don't want to take a picture," Cassie folded her arms over her chest, her lips forming a pout.

Serena chuckled, pulling something from her back pocket, squatting down to her sister's height, "What if I gave you a lollipop?"

"Then yes!"

Nana Izzie shook her head, scoffing, "You can't bribe her to take a picture, Serena."

The brunette shrugged her shoulders, "Why? What's the big deal?" She turned to her sister, pulling her into her arms, "C'mon, smile for the camera and me, okay?"

She blinked, coming back to the land of the living before she set her mug down and picked her bag up. Serena quickly shut off the television and made her way out, accidentally stepping on something.

She looked down at her feet and frowned, spotting an envelope. Serena bent down, picking it up. There was an ornately-handwritten Serena Bernard on the front.

She opened the envelope and picked a card from inside, reading out loud, "Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration..."

The brunette shrugged her shoulders to herself, turning the card around to find a note on the back, I think it's time we meet, I am actually quite the company, Lina.

Serena recognized the name as one of Charlotte's oldest friends before sighing and putting the card back into the envelope before slipping it into her bag.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte smiled widely, decorating the breakfast plate. She had the sausages formed as a heart with the omelets in the middle, put in as if they were smiley faces. She woke up positive, contrary to popular belief. The brunette had left a similar breakfast plate on Caroline's nightstand and gave one for the Sheriff on her way out.

Knowing that with Alaric in the hospital and Jeremy in Denver, Elena probably won't have breakfast and it happened to be the most important meal of the day, she had to cook.

She grinned happily, placing the plate in front of the doppelganger accompanied with juice, "Eat up, it's healthy and it's delicious!"

Damon raised his eyebrows, offended, "What about us?" He pointed over to Stefan and himself who were still in the room. They were there to discuss what they were going to do about the unsealed coffin matter after Rebekah almost killed Elena, thankfully she was saved by Paulina—something that Charlotte took pride in knowing.

She smiled, sitting down next to the island in the middle of the kitchen, "You have hands, help yourselves out. I am not the maid."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" The older Salvatore commented, shaking his head as a huff left his lips.

"Actually, this is me at my happiest and most relaxed state."

Elena briefly thanked the Bernard vampire for making breakfast before she started, "It was their mother Esther who was sealed in that coffin."

"As in the Original Witch?"

"What? How is she even alive?" Damon questioned, raising his eyebrows before justifying, "Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago."

Charlotte shrugged, assuming, "She is a pretty old witch...It's obvious that she would have a few good connections in the witching community?"

Elena folded her arms over the kitchen's island, revealing, "Lina said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus."

Stefan rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration, "She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus."

"Well, not anymore...at least not according to Lina," She shook her head in response.

"That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds," Stefan ran a hand over his forehead, stating.

Charlotte fiddled with the ends of her sleeves, pointing out, "Well, hypothetically speaking, if someone hadn't taken the most valuable thing from him to toy around with without a plan in mind then he wouldn't have been hypothetically inclined to rip that someone to shreds."

"Are you hinting at something?"

She shrugged her shoulders to Stefan's question, "I am only brainstorming. Like I said, hypothetically speaking."

Stefan rolled his eyes at her, "That's just like speaking in code."

"I still wasn't the one to steal from a one thousand years old hybrid that could kill me, I wouldn't be that stupid," Charlotte pursed her lips in a straight line, claiming, "That's a whole new level. Congratulations, you have created a new kind of stupid."

Elena chose to cut in before it could farther, reassuring, "Look, Lina said that Elijah promises that his family wouldn't hurt any of us."

"And suddenly all of us trust Lina," Damon rolled his eyes at that before the doorbell rang.

"I believe her," Elena claimed, turning to Damon before going to open the door just as Charlotte stuck out her tongue at Damon, causing him to roll his eyes at her childishness.

She took a while to come back and the three vampires moved near the lobby to check on her, Damon asked, "What is it?"

"It's an invitation," She opened an envelope and removed a card from inside, reading out, "Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration."

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?"

"The Original Family."

Damon scoffed out, "It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?"

Elena turned the card over and saw the writing on the back, "Wait, there's a note on the back. Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther."

"As in...Klaus' mother? The Original Witch?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows, asking.

Elena shrugged her shoulders, stating, "If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why."

"Well that's a dumb idea, she already tried to kill you once," The oldest Salvatore said, shaking his head.

"I agree," Charlotte nodded, folding her arms over her chest, "Trusting Lina and Elijah has nothing to do with trusting Esther."

Stefan shook his head, agreeing with the doppelganger, "No, Elena is right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there is more to this than just some family reunion."

"Can we go back in time where the old Stefan cared if Elena lived or died?"

"What for? It's your job now," The younger of the two Salvatores shrugged his shoulders.

"Can you two not make it about yourselves?" Charlotte looked between the two, raising an eyebrow, "Like...for once?"

They both turned to her and her stare didn't waver, "Did I lie though?"

Elena sighed, claiming, "Look, Charlotte...Damon. Stefan has a point; I should find out what she wants."

Damon said, "You can't protect yourself."

"Okay fine, then I'll go," Stefan suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"You've pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime. I'll go," Damon finished, snatching the invitation out of Elena's hand.

"Hey!"

"End of story."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte had gone back to the Salvatores for a quick change of clothes before meeting up with Caroline and Elena at the Mystic Grill. She frowned, finding a box with a ribbon around it on her bed.

Charlotte sat on the bed and looked down at the envelope that looked a lot like the one Elena had received earlier, except it had her name on it, Charlotte Bernard.

She pulled the card out, not bothering to read what was on the front as she turned it around, finding a note.

Charlotte had expected an invitation and note, what she didn't have in mind was for it to be from Klaus instead of Kol. She assumed he was still holding on to the few times they talked in that summer or got a little too close.

She rolled her eyes, giving herself a mental note that she would have to apologize about her behaviors at the time and alert him of the fact that she is not interested in him that much.

Charlotte opened the box and saw a beautiful dress inside that she couldn't begin to describe. A gasp escaped her lips before she shook her head and placed the lid back on the box.

"Yeah...no. Don't even think about it, Charlotte," She told herself, taking in a deep breath before walking into her closet to change.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte and Elena were with Caroline in the Mystic Grill as Elena shook her head, sighing exsaperatedly, "It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an actual ball."

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is," Caroline claimed, shaking her head before asking, "And why does the Evil Witch want an audience with you?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea. There's only one way to find out."

Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows together, turning to her, "I thought you told me, Damon, and Stefan that you weren't going."

"I did and I would appreciate if we keep this between us since I am going," Elena pursed her lips together, addressing the Bernard vampire, "I just need a drama-free bodyguard."

Caroline folded her arms over the table, "Well, I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux. And by that I mean Stefan."

"They are both equally a terrible idea," Charlotte rolled her eyes, stating, "Stefan is an asshole and Damon is too...well, Elena can tell you about that time when—"

Elena interjected, shaking her head, "It's just not a good idea."

"Why, cause you two made out?" Caroline raised her eyebrows before revealing, "Bonnie spilled the beans."

"See? She already knows," Charlotte shook her head, huffing out.

"I was gonna tell you. Just, after everything happened with your dad—"

Caroline cut her off, "Elena, when you and Matt kissed for the first time freshman year, you called me the second it happened," She sighed, almost disappointed, "And now I don't hear about this til now, and from somebody else."

"I'm sorry. It's just I, I don't even know how I feel about it yet. All I do know is that it just used to be so much easier," The Gilbert girl sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Rebekah walked up to them, "Careful Caroline, Lottie. It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back."

"What are you doing here?" Elena turned to her, stating, "I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals."

The blonde Mikaelson rolled her eyes, "Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you."

Rebekah walked away over to Matt and gave him an invitation envelope to the ball, just as Caroline gasped out, "Oh my god. She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, "Beats me. Probably for the fun of it."

"Or to get this reaction from us."

Caroline scoffed out, asking, "What time is this stupid dance?"

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte wasn't planning on going. She truly wasn't but Elena was and with that Stefan and Damon, as well. She had also heard from Paulina that Serena should be coming as well. The brunette didn't want to raise any troubles between the two hotheaded Mikaelson brothers but she had nothing else to wear for the ball. It was too quick for her to prepare something to wear.

By the time she had arrived, the party was in full swing and she was one of the last people to arrive. The double doors swung open to reveal the Bernard vampire, a small hush falling over the crowd that gathered in the foyer. Charlotte silently noted that her dress was one of the most extravagant and flashy ones in the crowd.

She just wanted to disappear by then. Maybe listening to Caroline and going to the extreme with her hair and makeup to match the dress was a bad idea after all. Charlotte stuck out more than any of the other girls in the ballroom and she had never hated it more.

She was contemplating leaving by the time she had walked in about twelve times already before Paulina approached her, she was dressed in a beautiful blue dress, white towards the ending and with gold freckles on the top. Her hair was curled and she looked more relaxed than Charlotte had seen of her in a while.

"You look beautiful, Cherry," She claimed, leaning over to kiss her friend's cheeks, "And you are just so fashionably late."

"Thanks, Lina," Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, thanking shortly, "So...a ball?"

Paulina wiggled her eyebrows, pursing her lips in a straight line, "The Mikaelsons could be a little overdramatic," She sighed before stating, "The dress is fantastic."

"Thanks, it's not mine."

The Gilbert noticed Charlotte's line of sight and looked ahead to find her exchanging a look with Klaus, "Oh, my God...no, no c'mon, no. Please don't."

"Don't what?" Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows together, turning to her friend in confusion.

"Don't get yourself between two brothers least of all Mikaelson brothers, they are crazy and neither Kol nor Klaus are worth the pain of it," Paulina stated, squeezing her best friend's shoulder in reassurance.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, claiming, "I am not trying to get in between of them...I came here to make it clear for Klaus that what happened that summer was only cause I had my emotions off but that's it."

"That's really it?"

"Yes."

Paulina sipped on her drink, reminding the brunette, "I mean you slept with him and then with Kol. Klaus was a little late to go from where you started so he must have been having thoughts about—"

Charlotte huffed out, cutting her off, "Can you not, please?"

"Wait...does Stefan know that you and Klaus happened or was it just a guess that using you would get to him?" Paulina asked, wondering out of pure curiosity.

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously before shaking her head, "No, he doesn't know...He used me to get to you, knowing that will get to Klaus. And can you not mention this, ever again?"

"Aww, baby Cher is embarrassed that she gets all the hot guys with her humanity off only?" The Gilbert vampire smiled teasingly as Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Lina."

"I can't help it sometimes," Paulina shrugged her shoulders, chuckling, "I will see ya, got guests to take care of. Excuse me."

She nodded just as her best friend walked away from her. Charlotte's hand was instinctively clutching the necklace around her neck nervously as she looked around the room that she barely knew anyone in.

"You look...exquisite, love."

"Klaus," Charlotte turned around, greeting, "Hey or good evening? I can't really remember what I used to say in this kind of big events," She shrugged her shoulders, a nervous laugh escaping her lips, "You look handsome, by the way."

Klaus nodded, giving her one of his famous trademark's smirks as he stated, "They usually say Hello."

"Right...," Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head at herself, "Hello, Klaus. Thanks for the dress and the invitation but you didn't have to."

"I know but—"

She interjected, "I am sorry but you can't go there, not with me," She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, shaking her head, "I don't want to get in between you and Kol and the drama in my life doesn't need me to add another handsome hybrid to the list."

"And I hope you can understand that..."

"I can understand," He started as Charlotte smiled in relief, proud that she didn't overstep her boundaries or say anything out of line, "But I am willing to wait."

"That's not what I meant—"

She started but was cut off with someone nagging at her shoulder, she turned around and saw Serena, raising her eyebrows, "Hello, been calling over you for a while now?"

Serena shook her head before turning to the hybrid, "Hi, can you give us a few? Like go away now," She asked, raising an eyebrow as Charlotte turned to her with narrowed eyes, forcing her to add, "Please?"

Klaus chuckled at the interaction between the two Bernards before leaving them be and Serena huffed out, shaking her head, "This is too posh. I am not used to it."

"Your dress says something else," Charlotte commented, taking a look at her niece's dress. It was a puffy sleeve printed organza gown with white gold diamond earrings—that the vampire assumed were her grandmother's originally. Pairing them with black Louboutins, "You look stunning, Serena!"

The Bernard human raised an eyebrow, "Really...I didn't have time to look as stunning as everyone in the room. Given my shifts at the Grill and all that."

"Well, they are all fakes, your beauty is effortless."

Serena smiled, "Thank you...this means a lot to me."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders before looping her arm with Serena's, "I have no idea who to hang out with so I hope you don't mind if we stuck together?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

✵ ✵ ✵

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please."

Elijah stood at the top of the staircase with the rest of the Originals in tow and Paulina as he addressed the company, "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

Charlotte had her arms folded over her chest from where she stood next to Damon and Stefan, noticing Esther walking along the staircase, "Do you see who I see?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom," Elijah announced as Esther retreated silently back upstairs.

Charlotte watched Damon and Elena arguing about the latter speaking with Esther before she rolled her eyes, making her way farthest from the ballroom before accidentally pumping into a hard chest, "Again?"

She chuckled, looking up at Kol, "We have got to stop meeting like this."

"Would you like to dance?" He raised an eyebrow, offering her his hand.

Charlotte shrugged, smiling up at him, "With the dress and the hair, it would feel weird not to."

Kol shook his head, smiling at her before leading her into the ballroom. Everyone was dancing the waltz and Charlotte smiled, resting her hand on Kol's shoulder, "You have gotten better."

"Oh, I know," He nodded, winking at her with a killer smirk on his lips, "I had a good teacher."

"Mhm, really?"

"Yes," Kol replied before commenting, "It's quite the beautiful dress you have got there. Looks kind of familiar like I have seen it somewhere."

Charlotte pursed her lips together, not knowing if he was hinting that he knew his brother gave it to her if he was just being nice but it certainly didn't put her at ease before he stated, "Either way, you look absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you," She smiled, nodding.

"Time to switch!"

A small gasp left her lips as she landed in Stefan's arms. Charlotte cursed under her breath, what kind of luck was that. He didn't look quite bothered or maybe he was but managed not to show it, focusing on dancing more than talking.

"And you said coming was a bad idea."

"For Elena," Charlotte responded, shaking her head at him, "I know how to protect myself and I haven't pissed off any Originals lately, unlike some people."

"Alright, I get it Charlotte, you hate me and my actions," Stefan rolled his eyes, huffing out, "I don't think there are any more ways for you to put it out."

She raised an eyebrow at his tone before smiling in an attempt to lighten up the mood, "I can think of a few..."

Noticing her change of tone, a small smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head at her.

Serena wasn't having the time of her life truly. She sat outside the ballroom, drinking through the bar before she turned to the bartender, "Is there coffee?"

"Is that an actual question?"

"Yeah," She rolled her eyes, huffing out, "Is there or not?"

"I can get some?" He raised his eyebrows, suggesting, "Why do you want coffee after the fourth bottle of whiskey."

"I have a night shift at work. Need to look and sound like an actual human being when I get there," Serena replied, running a hand through her hair.

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte managed to pull herself away from the crowd after the dance was over. It was getting too loud for her liking as she walked around the mansion, not meaning to be prying or anything but the brunette vampire was looking for a quiet place to take off her heels and relax.

She stopped in front of an oddly quiet room before walking inside. Charlotte found a chair and sighed in relief before taking her heels off and sitting down, "Finally..."

"You look a bit worn out."

She squeezed her eyes shut before reopening them to see Klaus standing at the end of the room, surrounded by many paintings, too beautiful to even be critiqued. Charlotte's lips formed an 'o', speaking up, "I am so sorry...I didn't know someone was here. I am gonna go—"

Klaus cut her off, brushing it off, "You don't have to, stay, please," He paused, stating, "I want to show you something."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, rising to her feet. She didn't bother putting her heels back on as she walked up to him, "What is it you wanted to show me?"

"One of my passions," He claimed, looking up at all the paintings in the room.

The Bernard raised her eyebrows, questioning in awe, "Wait...you drew these? All of these?" The blond hybrid nodded and she looked around herself at all the paintings, "Wow...that is just mesmerizing! You have such a talent."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Oh, no, me?" Charlotte scoffed, shaking her head, "I can't draw to save my life but I love paintings so much. My dad used to buy them at really high prices because I liked them even though we never decorated the house with them and they just lied around in my room."

"I find art very...rare," She stated.

"Indeed it is."

Klaus smiled, claiming, "Actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow his way and the hybrid nodded, realizing his mistake, "Right...I could take you. Wherever you want Rome. Paris. Tokyo?"

"Venice?"

"Venice," He confirmed, nodding before curiously questioning, "Why Venice specifically?"

"Just about anywhere works out but it sounds like a cool place to start a world tour," Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, smiling.

"Decided?"

"Maybe one day...I could really use a break so maybe one day when you are not too busy with weird family business and I am not too busy with school and life then I could use a world tour by the great Klaus Mikaelson, deal?"

Klaus offered the petite Bernard his hand, "Deal."

Charlotte chuckled, shaking his hand before shrugging her shoulders, "Alright...I will show myself out. It's getting a little late."

The brunette vampire sent him a sly wave before bending down to pick her heels off the ground. She stopped to wear them at the door and sighed, walking down the hallway.

She ran a hand through her hair, making sure it looked somewhat acceptable as she stepped on the foyer, gasping when Kol fell off the balcony, Damon on top of him.

The Salvatore kept beating him before he snapped his neck just as Charlotte chose to interfere, "Damon! What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Stefan had joined her, shaking his head at his brother, "Are you crazy?"

The rest of the Mikaelsons and Elena had come out from the opened door and seen what happened. He shrugged his shoulders, answering, "Maybe a little. Far be it from me to cause a problem."

Damon turned his back and walked away as Charlotte scoffed out, shaking her head. Elijah and Finn had moved to pick their brother off the ground and carried him upstairs followed by Charlotte just as Paulina said, "Look, you don't have to say. He will be pissed when he wakes up. Too early for you to deal with that."

"I know he will be pissed. I just want to make sure he won't be pissed enough to kill Damon," Charlotte sighed, walking upstairs.

"It's Kol, pissed enough to kill is normal for him!" Paulina called out, claiming.

✵ ✵ ✵

Serena had changed into her uniform, standing behind the bar as she handed Matt his coffee, "You can wait if you want. I don't mind driving you home."

"No, it's fine," Matt sighed, shaking his head before he asked, "How did you sober up so fast?"

"Luck," She shrugged her shoulders, smiling teasingly.

Serena walked away behind the bar, rearranging the glasses she had washed in their place. She noticed from the corner of her eyes Rebekah trying to apologize to Matt after the incident. He wasn't quite forgiving, considering he just had his hand crushed and discovered that he had no health insurance.

He left the Mikaelson girl just as Serena stepped in to take his empty cup of coffee off the table.

She felt bad for Rebekah so she shrugged her shoulders, stating, "If it helps, Matt is always like that. Not totally your fault."

"I got rejected," Rebekah repeated over to herself, "By the captain of the football team. Knew I should have killed him. Mother wouldn't let me."

Serena raised her eyebrows, huffing out, "Very healthy of you. Rejection leads to death, yeah?"

"Well, what are you suggesting?"

"Matt is sweet, he won't handle this...crazy," She stated, folding her arms over the table, "Take it from me. You are too much for him."

The Mikaelson looked at her in amusement just as Serena added, "You should find someone a little tougher. That's all."

"And who would that be?"

It happened too quickly, somehow the two of them were suddenly in Serena's house. The blonde vampire had Serena's bottom lip tugged between her teeth. Her hands were tugging at Rebekah's hair, their bodies pressed together even harder as their kiss turned a little too heated.

✵ ✵ ✵

gosh, this is so long. I can't even—