Some say that everything happens for a reason. This is something, I also believe in. I didn't plan on any of this happening. Three years ago I was a sophomore in college, studying to become a pediatrician. I had all of my priorities laid out. I had a stable side job to save up for medical school after my four years at North Eastern. I was maintaining a 4.0 GPA and had achieved my usual ranking on the Dean's List. I had a great group of friends that understood me and cared more about other things than just partying and sex. I remember feeling a sense of independence back then, I didn't know very much obviously. Sure, I thought I did. I thought that having good grades and goals were enough to know about the real world. I was just a young foolish girl.

When I think back to those days where I still worked at the bar near Fenway, I think how simple my life was. Of course, at the time I thought I was super woman. Balancing my grades, friends, and job all at the same time. I also was madly in love with Matt Donoven. It's hard to imagine the feelings I felt for him. At the time, I was convinced he was my soul mate. We had met at a mutual friend's Christmas party and when I saw his baby blue eyes, I was hooked. I thought I knew what love was, we both did. I thought that sex and promises of love were the only things that were important in love. I didn't know the half of it.

Perhaps, if I had stuck with Benjamin my life would have been much simpler. He wasn't from a wealthy family, but we could've supported ourselves fine. We didn't have to live on Champaign and endless charades of fake gestures and smiles. We could've had children and small house with a picket fence.

But deep down, I never wanted that. Maybe at the time I would've agreed to any kind of future with him. But that was before everything. Those blissful 2 months of lust and first love are memories that I will look back fondly of. But the love we shared wasn't nearly as passionate or consuming as ours was. It didn't even come close.

I don't even know where to begin, how to describe the moment I first met him. It's as if I'm looking back on a past life I had, it's hard to believe I had someone before him. He was like no other. I will never forget the first day our eyes met. Brown on Blue. Maybe even back then I knew that he was going to be something special for me. But he was so much more.

It was a Thursday evening in October. The Patriots had just won a game against one of their rivalry teams. Needless to say the crowds were rowdy. It was packed that night. Elena would roll my eyes internally every time my eyes would reach the clock. The minutes felt like hours as she simply existed in this stuffy bar. The room smelt of heavy liquor and cheap cigarettes. Her stomach would turn with every inhale.

So maybe she didn't live a dream life, it didn't bother her most of the time. But for some particular reason, it was really getting on her nerves tonight. Every face in the room, she wanted to shout at. Why couldn't they just leave already? The game had ended ages ago.

Elena's eyes traveled the room in silent judgment of the low lives that were still there. She was a haughty little thing at the age of twenty-one. She didn't grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth. More like a one bedroom apartment on the crappy side of Dorchester. She grew up with a single mom, who blamed her non-existent father for the life style they had to endure. When in all actuality, Elena blamed her for it. Her mother was one of those ladies that expected things in life to just be handed to her. She didn't realize that actual work had to be put in to live a functional life style. Elena had to give her some credit where it was given. She scrapped together enough money to pay her way through college, although most of it was due to Elena's scholarships and generous financial aid. It was really Elena who busted her ass to get where she was. Oh and where was she? In a smoky bar room filled with incoherent, middle-aged drunks.

She ran a hand through my long, silky chestnut hair. Her eyes shifted down cast and surveyed her outfit, fighting the urge to rip it off an burn it. Elena was in a body-con, black dress that fit her snugly in all the right places. She ditched her white leather jacket, for it was starting to get humid in the small bar anyway. She even had to wear high heals. In a bar! Elena remembered the massive rant she composed when she first started working there, the thought of being on her feet for more than five hours, in heels. It was almost unthinkable for her at the time. But soon enough Elena had gotten used to it, plus Matt seemed to like her work wardrobe better than her regular one.

The bar for some odd reason thought that women dressing in provaocative clothes would attract customers. This worked about a quarter precent of the itme, every one knew why these people came to this bar, to get drunk fast and for cheap.

Her silver ring got caught in one of her silky strands and she scowled in discomfort. She brought her hand down and studied the ring. Wasn't she supposed to feel something looking at this? Why couldn't she feel the same way she did when Matt gave it to her?

Because it's only temporary, until you get the real thing.

She quickly scrunched her eyes and shook her hands as if the ring would disappear. Her twenty-first birthday present was beginning to feel more like a padlock than a promise ring. She remembered her stomach filling up with tiny butterflies when Matt showed her the small piece of jewelry. A sense of relief and pleasure washed through her as he explained the sentiment behind the gift. She was genuinely touched all up until he mentioned, "soon you'll have diamond on that finger".

That sentence had been haunting her every time she gazed down at her ring finger. It wasn't Matt who was the problem; it was the idea in general. Elena enjoyed the relationship they had now; She liked being envied by other couples. She didn't want to put a label on it just yet. She was comfortable in her role as a girlfriend. She didn't want to start her obligations as a wife. The word marriage itself sent a shudder up her spine. She couldn't even talk about her dilemma with anyone, not even her best friend Caroline. God knows she'd work herself up like a little alarm clock with possible table setting ideas. She wouldn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't actually want to get to married. By then Caroline would be in hysterics and pestering her about being "too picky". Elena never thought that being too picky was a bad thing. She would rather have extremely high standards than settle for someone she didn't really want.

Except with Matt, she didn't feel like my standards were being lowered. He was good looking of course and had the means to support her comfortably. He made her feel special and at the time she thought that was enough for me.

Her eyes traveled over to the clock again and inwardly growled. It was half past eleven and the bar still hadn't seemed like it was in any hurry of slowing down. She was supposed to have gotten off at nine but her boss begged her to stay later. Her young feminine mind was displeased because she had plans with Matt later. She had to disappoint him, again. They hadn't seen each other all week and the stress of mid terms had been taking its toll out on both of them. He attended Simmons and their studying schedules never matched up. He would invite her out to countless of restaurants that she knew must have cost him a lot, just for reservations. She knew money was tight for him, so it made her immature heart break at the thought of him wasting more money on her. He would brush it off, but she would lose sleep on how much he was willing to give. Then again, Matt wasn't as nearly as sacrificing as he was.

It's funny to think that my biggest problem at the time was missing a date with my precious boyfriend. Looking back on that autumn evening made me feel almost nostalgic for the juvenile devotion that I had once possessed. What a joke that was. It didn't take long for me to start second guessing that meaningless ring that rested on my finger. It took even a shorter time to ditch my sorry school boy romance. That's what he did to me. Knowing him put a lot of things into perspective from then on.

I had no idea who'd I meet that night. Part of me wishes that I could've walked out up until the moment we met. I could've said to hell with my boss and be on my merry way with my vanilla relationship and equally vanilla boyfriend. I would've never met the man that put an end to any hope of having another relationship. The man that destroyed me from the inside out and yet gave me enough confidence to call him out. The only man that made me want to pull my hair out when I was with him and make me feel as if I was drowning when we were apart.

"Sir, could you please not smoke in here, we have a policy!" The petite brunette squeaked. She wasn't very good at asserting authority, it made the gentleman smoking chortle. Not knowing what else to say, the blushing young girl hurried back behind the bar.

She ran her dainty hand through her smooth mahogany locks. This was the last thing she wanted to be doing at the moment. Having to practically babysit a bunch of full-grown men in their mid-thirties who were shouting like fools.

" Hey sweetie, how you feeling tonight?" a scruffy man questioned. She gulped and put on a fake smile. Better to kill them with kindness, she thought.

"I'm fine thanks. Can I get you anything?" She asked in a casual tone.

"Oh I think you know what I want." He licked his lips and ogled the soft curves of her body. Her face distorted into an unfriendly expression of disgust.

"I'm not on the menu sir, I'm afraid you either order a drink before I get my boyfriend to knock your lights out" She retorted in the most confident tone she could muster. The man scoffed as if her rejection was unthinkable.

"Ah, I see your one of those stuck up Boston bitches. I should've known." He sneered as he stumbled away. She rolled her large chocolate eyes and continued to study her watch. It wasn't even close to midnight and it felt like 4 a.m. The shouting was starting to give her a migraine and she moaned at loud.

"Well I can't blame him for trying" A sensual voice bellowed out. She didn't look up but she knew that the recipient was probably very masculine. Just from the sound of his smooth, alluring voice made her paint a picture in her mind. She almost didn't want to raise her head, in fear that his face would disappoint the illusion she was creating. When she finally realized how ridiculous she was being, she rose her head up. She gasped out loud and quickly blushed at her uncouth reaction.

This man surpassed any expectation she could've compiled in her head. It was if he wasn't real, some sort of fallen angel that tumble off a dark cloud. He had hair as dark as midnight and it was tousled gracefully a top his head. It wouldn't be classified as messy, more like artistically draped across his pale forehead. His skin was alabaster and completely free of any sort of blemish or mark. His cheek bones were pronounced and as rosy as the skin her face was probably now turning. His lips were one of favorite features she noticed. They were parted in a sensual form and were a beautiful color of sunset. She couldn't help but notice how smooth they appeared and how much she wanted to test out her assumption. But her favorite feature, would probably have to be his eyes. They were nothing short of breath taking. The color of the cerulean ocean didn't seem to justify the unique quality they possessed. Not only was the color stunning, it was the emotions that she could see swimming in them. At a glance you would think he was just trying to seduce her by the way he was looking at her. But Elena knew that these eyes held something much more. She could see his brooding stare but also discover the pain they held.

He held her gaze for a few moments longer before, extending his hand out to hers. She looked at it with mild curiosity and he furrowed his perfect, darkened eye brows.

"May I get your name beauty?" The beautiful man asked with genuine curiosity.

Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes. She did a quick shake of the head and grabbed her tray of cold beers and excused herself. As she ventured past him, she could hear the soft snicker of his laugh at her reaction.

Elena gave the drinks to the ever-so eager men and stomped her way back to the bar, only to be welcomed back with the stranger's bright blue eyes. Wow. She really had to get used to that. She rolled her eyes and gently pushed him out of the way.

"What does a guy have to do around here to get your attention?" He asked with a cocky smirk.

"Go away for one thing. You think I don't know guys like you?" Elena retorted.

Beautiful stranger raised one of his eyebrows with amusement and gestured her to carry on.

"Your one of those guys who waltzes into these bars for an easy lay and cheap drink. You see someone like me and automatically assume that I will surrender to your every pleasure, but I'll have you know sir that those kinds of girls aren't around here." Elena falters slightly.

"Well some of them are. But I'm not one of them. So you can get your cocky little smirk and that weird eye thing you do and high tail it out of here pretty boy. Because guess what? You just got rejected; bet you never hear those words huh?" She questioned with a smirk.

Instead of the look of mortification Elena expected to see splashed across his face, it was a mixture of amusement and surprise. He started to laugh and Elena scowled at his reaction. He started waving his hands at her, in attempts to calm her down but it was too late. Elena marched away but he grabbed on to her arm.

"Angel if you think I'm letting you go that easily then you obviously haven't met me." He said with a condescending tone in his silky voice.

"Oh shut up, who do you think you are? One of those guys who like a challenge?" She said with a sarcastic tone of voice that made him laugh.

"No. I just like you."

"But you don't know me?" Elena said with hesitance.

"Yet. I would love to get to know you, but this one really attractive waitress is a stubborn kitten and won't let me buy her a drink." Damon remarked drly.

Elena raised her eyebrow and this action caused Damon to laugh once more. Jesus, why did this man find everything she did amusing?

"Let's get one thing straight, I'm a woman not a feline so I would appreciate if I wasn't referred to as 'kitten'. Also, I'm on duty, do you really think I would just drop everything to drink with you? Listen you may be attractive, and you know that. But no offense baby blue eyes, I actually have to work for a living. So scurry along and tell the rest of your entourage that I'm a stuck up Boston bitch. I've heard it all before."

Just when Elena was about to pick up her next tray, he spun her around and she collided with his chest. The tray spun to the floor and was left forgotten, as Elena assessed her current situation. She couldn't help but get lost in his beauty once more. His lips were so perfectly parted, sending out little puffs of air that she could almost taste. He smelled of masculinity, wealthy, and power. Elena couldn't help but get cloudy minded when she looked at his aqua eyes again. It's like they change colors in different lights she thought. I wonder what they would look like in contrast to the moon light, or perhaps in the morning after a long night of sleep?

As she was doing her quick assessment of him and he seemed to be suffering the same affect. The thought alone gave Elena a satisfaction she knew she shouldn't want. But she couldn't help but she felt in powered by the affect she was having on this gorgeous specimen. His eyes seemed to darken with lust as her gaze zeroed in on her eyes.

"Please tell me your name." The words escaped him almost like a plea. His voice was breathy and his gaze seductive as he stared at her pouty lips. His little pink tongue escaped the confines of his mouth and quickly licked his lips. Elena contained her gasp.

"I'm..E-Elena" She stumbled out. She felt like throwing a hand over her eyes and yelling "re-do". But she knew that she couldn't take back her embarrassing introduction. So she played it as if nothing happened and continued to be affected by his presence.

He gave a faint little exhale, almost like a sigh and shook his head.

"You have a beautiful name." He murmured sensually. His gaze zoomed in on her lips once again and he seemed to be having a hard time trying to form a thought.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Elena." He breathed the name out like a caress and she shivered involuntarily. The way he pronounced ever syllable rolled off his tongue effortlessly.

This man was bad news. Very bad news. Just by the way he was looking at her made her forget the little tiny ring that possessed her thoughts day in and day out. She had to get out of here. Now. This man was having too much of an effect on her and she found herself dragging him to her bed by the end of the night if she didn't get out of here soon. To hell with her boyfriend, he could watch for all she cared.

That thought alone rescued her from her reverie. She parted her lips to say something but the words couldn't form out. He stare was now on the top of her head and he reached his hand out to smooth her hair. A ripple of desire ran through her and she knew had to do something fast before this man laid his hands on her. She knew that the feeling of his skin on hers would probably be her undoing.

All of a sudden his hand ventured down the shape of her head and ran itself smoothly down the side of her face. His hand then cupped her cheek and started to caress it with his thumb in smooth circles. She couldn't help her reaction when she shut her eyes and leaned into his touch. His touch felt like liquid warmth spreading through her body. Her mouth let out a small moan and his sharp inhale was no unnoticed by her.

"God you're mesmerizing. Oh Elena." He said with a strangled whisper.

It was when he pushed himself up against her and inhaled her scent at the base of her neck that warning bells started to go off in her head. His hard body was pressed up against her front and the feeling was almost sigh worthy. He positioned himself so he was snug in between her thighs and both his hands now were caressing her face. The pads of his thumbs were making small little circles on her cheeks as he inhaled her. He was completely consuming her and she had to get out. Now.

"I have to go." She forced out as she mustered up the strength to free herself from the confines of his body. At the loss of his body heat pressed up against hers, she almost felt like moaning in pain. The feeling was too pleasurable to be taken away.

"No please beauty." He whispered as he latched on to her hand to pull her body back. She quickly shook him off and fled to the back of the bar to retrieve her coat.

She didn't stop her legs from walking as she zeroed in on her target. Her feet moved her effortlessly to the storage room where she had left her coat. When she had finally received her coat she slowly crept out from the confines of the storage room. She did a quick scan of the room and noticed that her companion was not there. She ignored the pang of disappointment that ran through her at the realization. Honestly Elena, you don't even know his name.

She sped through the still populated crowd of the small bar and emerged out the door. When she did she took a deep breath of air and started to feel as if she was out of breath. The outside of the bar was empty considering the amount of people inside. She shrugged on her coat and began her usual departure home. She didn't get ten feet until he stepped into her view. He grabbed her hand and started forcing her to walk with him. She should've felt panic but for some reason she felt safe with this man. She knew warning bells should be ringing at his behavior but Elena couldn't bring herself to care.

He led her to the back of the bar and pushed her up against the old brick wall. She didn't feel discomfort because he moved his hands to cradle the back of her head as he pushed his forehead up against hers. The breath was mingling with one another as puffs of air escaped them.

"You don't get to leave me. Not one when you know how much you're affecting me right now." He forced out in a hoarse voice.

"B-but I have to go. I'm so tired." She said almost with a sigh.

The realization of her words finally hit her, she wanted to break down and cry. She was tired. So fucking tired of all of her responsibilities. She was tired of busting her ass off in school only to get a "good job" every once in awhile from her mother. She was tired of going to work to pay for her apartment, clothes, bills, student loans, and tuition. She was tired to have to pay all these things without having any means to support it. She was tired of coming home to an empty apartment and being greeted by a voice mail saying "maybe next time baby". She was so fucking tired of it all and this man may just be her cure.

"I know you are baby. Come home with me and I'll take care of you." He whispered in her ear as he started peppering kisses down her neck, leaving little love bites as he went. His hand had now traveled down to her lower back and were circled around her like a vise.

Her body was betraying her and responding to every one of his kisses by a soft sigh. There was nothing more she wanted to do than grab his perfectly sculpted jaw and force his angelic lips to hers. She wanted to feel those perfect lips pressed against her own and have them part with the surprise of his tongue caressing hers in syncrsy.

But these desires had to wait. She couldn't do this. She had to leave or else this man would consume her.

"I'm not yours." She gasped out as his lips made his way back up to her ear. He softly bit it and she moaned out loud.

"I'll make you mine. If I have to come back to this fucking bar each night. I will." He forced out with strangled breaths. He licked her ear and she gasped. This man was going to be undue her if she didn't find a way out.

"I have a boyfriend." She stated. She almost regretted it when she felt the loss of his lips on the base of her neck. Well I guess that showed him.

Suddenly he pulled her forehead back to his and grinded her hips against hers. He let out a groan and gave her a long, sensual kiss on her right cheek that left her gasping for more air. He made his way back to her ear and gave it a lick.

"He doesn't want you like I do." He forced with labored breath.

"How do you know what I want?" She couldn't help asking.

With that question he pulled himself away from her and forced her chin up to meet his gaze. He gave a sweet kiss on her nose which made her want to cry out. When he pulled back he must have found something amusing because his face turned up into a sideways smirk.

"You want everybody wants." He stated.

She stared up at him with a wide eyed gaze and parted lips.

"You want a love that consumes you." He whispered out seductively.

She parted her lips to say something but he silenced her with a quick kiss on the cheek before mumbling:

"A love with passion." He kissed her left cheek and moved on to her right.

"And adventure." He moved up to her right ear and gave it a quick kiss before saying:

"And even a little danger." And with that he took her face between his hands and forced his lips upon hers.

Her initial reaction was to fight it, but her attempt to futile. Why fight something you want? His lips slowly caressed hers and she moaned out loud at the realization that they were as smooth as she suspected. She latched on to his hair and forced his lips on hers harder. He groaned at the contact and splayed his hands upon the back of her thighs pushing her against his arousal. She shamelessly rubbed herself against his middle and his reaction was to part his lips and his tongue escaped.

At the first swipe of his tongue against hers, she moaned out loud. This man was consuming her as he had promised. He was taking the life out of her with just a simple kiss and the feeling of his tongue tangling with hers. His hands had started to move themselves up and cradle her bottom his hands. He squeezed and pushed her against him and grinded against her. She forced their mouths to part as she felt the need to breathe. It didn't take long for him to start kissing her neck and groaning at the feeling of their hips colliding.

"What are you doing to me?" He groaned out loud.

At this, she felt as if a gallon of water was thrown over her head. What was she doing? She was practically dry humping a complete stranger against a back alley way! This wasn't her!

"I-I can't do this." She forced out and pushed him off of her. He moaned at the loss of her body pressed up against his but she quickly started to speed walk before this man lured her into something she couldn't go back from. He grabbed on her to hand.

"Wait..please Elena. I'm sorry, let me just-"

But she cut him off by shaking off his hold on her and kept walking. She couldn't look back. If she did, it would make her surrender to him.

"Please leave me alone." She mumbled out.

He snorted and the sound was almost laughable.

"Oh if you want to forget this happened fine, but I can't. I'll wait for you Elena. You have completely possessed me. And you don't even know it do you?"

His confession almost made her stop in her tracks but she kept up her pace and refused to look back.

"Go back to your little boy Elena, but we both know that he won't be enough for you. And when you realize that, you come find me." He said

That was what made her stop. She slowly turned around and he flashed her a quick smirk.

"How can I find you if I don't know your name?" She questioned

He then started slowly approaching her with his signature swagger. He got right up close to her and she almost turned away when he pulled a length of her behind her ear and whispered:

"I'm Damon. Damon Salvatore."

And that was the moment when her whole life changed.