'I love you.'

I stop, my hand already on the doorknob and breathe in deeply trying to control my emotions. I turn and find her standing at the bottom of the staircase, tears still leaving tracks on her cheeks. I have to fight to keep myself from walking back and pulling her into my arms. 'I know.' My grasp doesn't loosen on the doorknob because I know that this isn't an exclamation of a changed mind, her decision is still the same. She's simply still trying to reassure me of her motives.

'It's not forever Stefan.' She cries again. I know she is trying to reassure herself this time. 'I just need to learn how to be a vampire without worrying if I'm going to pull you over a cliff. And he's the only person that can show me how to do that.'

'I know.' I appease because I understand why she can't see it for what it is, not now, not when her world is already falling to pieces around her. I give her one last encouraging smile, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from everything Mystic Falls, as possible. I pull the door open but before I can take even a step she's in front of me, her arms around my neck.

'I'm sorry.'

I hug her back for as long as I can before I start to pray for a stake to drive through my own heart. 'Goodbye Elena.' And then I'm gone.

That was five years ago.