CHAPTER ONE | THE BIRTHDAY

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IT HAD BEEN TWO MONTHS SINCE STEFAN HAD LEFT MYSTIC FALLS WITH KLAUS IN ORDER TO SAVE DAMON'S LIFE. Riley and Damon had been tirelessly following every single lead that Sheriff Forbes threw their way, all while making sure Elena stayed as far away from stumbling across Klaus as possible. Klaus was under the impression that Elena died during the sacrifice— it needed to stay that way.

A small, soft groan escaped the strawberry-blonde witch's lips as her eyes fluttered open. But, as she glanced to her left, her eyes immediately locked with Damon's icy-blue ones. "Uh. Good morning to you, too?" The witch groggily spoke.

"Morning," He responded flirtatiously whilst he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively toward his girlfriend.

"How long have you been awake?" The little witch furrowed her eyebrows as she rubbed her eyes gently.

"A while." The Salvatore vaguely responded.

"Okay. How long have you been staring at me?"

"Not long enough." The Salvatore smirked. He then snaked his hands around Riley's waist once and seated herself upwards in their large bed. "No. Riley, just stay in bed a little longer." Damon protested the same way a young child would.

"I can't." Riley pouted. "I said I'd meet Elena this morning since it's her birthday. And, to be honest, it probably sucks that she hasn't got Stefan to spend it with, you know?"

"I know, I know." Damon finally let the female go as she climbed out of the bed and strutted toward the dresser. His eyes remained firmly on the witch as she grabbed a shirt and tossed it over her head.

"Listen, the sooner we find Stefan, the sooner things can get back to normal." Riley nodded reassuringly whilst she pulled a pair of jeans up her legs. "Caroline's planning a party for Elena, right? She wanted to know if she could do it here. Since, you know— the place is massive."

"Uh— one condition." Damon gave Riley a pointed look as the two wandered down the staircase. "I get to make out with my drunken girlfriend."

"As if you even needed to ask." Riley chuckled softly as she snaked her arms around Damon's neck. The two giggled quietly, their lips inches apart from each other but their moment was interrupted by Elena's arrival. "Oh— Elena, hey. I was actually just coming to yours."

"Figured it would be quicker for me to come here and speak to both of you. Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check." Elena began rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, which she handed to Damon. "Memphis."

"Another dead end, you mean?" Damon scoffed in disbelief.

"Damon." Riley quietly muttered. She knew that Damon wanted Elena to stop searching for Stefan in case she stumbled upon Klaus, but it didn't mean that he had to be rude.

"You don't know that." The doppelganger argued back whilst she folded her arms across her chest.

"You're right, Elena. This could be the one. Yep. After almost two months, this could be the clue that tells us Stefan's alive and well and living in Graceland." Damon stepped forward, but the Evans witch tugged him back away.

"Fine, I'll go by myself." She pushed past the vampire and towards the door.

"Elena, you can't do that. Klaus will spot you from a mile away and you're supposed to be dead, remember?" Riley told the doppelganger, who reluctantly nodded. "Damon will take care of it." Riley's eyes then turned toward her boyfriend. "Won't you, Damon?"

"Okay, fine. I'll check it out and if we find anything, I'll call you." Damon nodded in agreement with his girlfriend as she shot him a thankful nod.

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After what felt like hours of preparation for a party Elena was not even sure she wanted, Riley headed upstairs to get ready. Riley understood why Elena wasn't exactly thrilled to be having a party, since her boyfriend was God knows where doing God knows what for Klaus. The strawberry-blonde missed Stefan more than she could even explain— all she wanted was to find him.

"You look gorgeous." Damon's voice carried whilst he leaned against the doorframe, admiring the dress Riley had chosen to wear with a smirk on his face. "Really. You look stunning."

"Thank you," She plastered a fake smile on her face as she turned around to face her boyfriend, who wandered close to her and took her hand within his own as he intertwined their fingers. "None of this feels right, though. Stefan should be here. She shouldn't be with Klaus."

"Hey. Remember what you said this morning, hm?" Damon's left hand found its way up to Riley's cheek as he delicately cupped her face and ran his thumb against her skin. "Sooner we get him back, everything goes back to normal."

"I know. I just— I can't imagine how Elena feels." Riley breathed out once more with a loud sigh.

Whilst Damon nodded slowly, he carefully placed a delicate kiss on her forehead, then smiled down toward her. "Shall we?"

"I guess we'd better show our faces, right?"

Riley smiled as Damon gripped hold of her hand and led her down the staircase. With every step they took, the music grew louder and louder until they reached the downstairs and the music thumped through the walls. The witch's mouth hung open at the number of guests that were inside the Salvatore house. The party was bigger than anyone anticipated.

"Oh, my God." Riley's eyes widened as she looked at the guests all piled inside the house. "Caroline really has no idea of what keeping it small means, does she?"

"It's a party, Riley. Have some fun." Damon smirked as he headed over to the table of drinks. He grabbed a plastic red cup and poured a large amount of vodka into it before he added the cola. Then, he pushed the cup into her hand. "Drink."

Riley raised an eyebrow, almost as if she were anxious to drink it once she saw the amount of alcohol Damon had poured into the cup. After a small sip, a chuckle left her lips. "Actually, that's not half bad. Every considered a career in bartending?"

"Oh, honey, if I did, Matt Donovan would be out of a job." The Salvatore joked as his hand slowly moved from Riley's waist. "Hey. I'm gonna go make Ric feel less weird."

"Have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do." Riley grinned innocently toward her boyfriend, then wandered over to Caroline and Elena. Caroline, I gotta hand it to you, this party isn't half bad."

"Hey, guys," Matt smirked, clearly drunk, as he wandered over to the trio of females.

"Matt, hey." The doppelganger took a large sip of her drink and then smiled toward her childhood friend. "Oh." He awkwardly pulled her in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Happy birthday." He smirked, then disappeared off into the crowd.

"He hates me." Caroline pouted immediately once she noticed Matt was out of earshot. "His hatred of me has given him to drugs."

"Caroline, I really don't think Matt hates you. I mean, look at that display he just did with Elena— I think that was to get underneath your skin if I'm being honest." The strawberry-blonde witch shrugged, though Elena's attention was taken elsewhere.

"Is that my brother?" The doppelganger exhaled deeply as she noticed a joint within Jeremy's grasp. "I'll catch up with you guys in a second. I need to talk to Jeremy."

"Okay, well— That's no reason why we shouldn't be having fun, right, Riley?" The Forbes girl gripped Riley's hand and pulled her out into the middle of the room, amongst the party-goers.

For the first time in a very long time, the liquor had consumed Riley and she felt free. In two months, she had spent every waking moment desperate to try and find Stefan, that she almost felt guilty for enjoying herself in her best friend's absence.

Caroline continued to flip her hair back and forth to the beat of the music, whilst Riley shook her body in a few compromising positions that caused the pair to burst out laughing. That was until Caroline caught sight of Tyler grinding with a blonde girl just a short distance from them.

"Uh— what's with the eyes, Care?" Riley raised an eyebrow, nodding in head Tyler's direction. "Are you guys—"

"No. He's my friend." The Forbes girl snapped whilst she took a swig of the Whisky in her grip. "Nothing more."

"Those longing looks your giving him tell me different." Riley pointed spoke just as Tyler grabbed the blonde girl's hand and started to leave with her, but Caroline stepped in their way.

"Great party, Caroline!" The perky blonde female within Tyler's hold grinned toward the Forbes vampire.

"Thanks. Now, leave it." Caroline compelled her as Tyler and Riley's eyes widened in disbelief. Then, without question, the blonde hurried toward the exit.

"What the hell?" Tyler exclaimed in disbelief, though Caroline rolled her eyes and walked away. The Lockwood turned to Riley. "Why did she do that? What's up with her?"

"Uh— I'm not getting involved. I feel like that's gonna have to be a question you'll need to have with Caroline, not me, Ty." Riley patted Tyler on the shoulder, then wandered off.

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If Riley was being completely honest, she felt completely buzzed. She had started the evening off strong, but the moment Damon's liquor-filled drinks began to kick in, it was over for her. She stumbled up the staircase and kicked the bedroom door open just as she slipped her heels from her feet.

"Wow." Riley breathed out loud as she stumbled toward Damon's bed and dropped herself on it as a giggle left her lips. "I am drunk. Ugh. How am I so damn drunk."

"Perhaps you shouldn't let other people pour your drinks." A voice echoed from the darkness just as Riley sat upright as quick as anything.

She turned her head to the left and saw the silhouette of somebody in the shadows. Riley desperately squinted in an attempt to see who it was, but her vision was blurred. "Stefan? Is that you?"

"I need you to stop following me, Riley." The Salvatore stepped into view. His voice rang through her ears. There was a lack of emotion when he spoke that scared her to death. "It's causing some problems."

"Problems for who? You mean Klaus, your new bestie." The Evans witch chuckled to herself as she rolled her eyes. "You know, it's funny. I never thought I'd be jealous of a thousand-year-old psychopath. Yet, here I am."

"I never said you should be jealous. I'm just doing what needs to be done, Riley. To protect you, Damon and Elena." Stefan spat viciously once more. "You need to let me go, you all do."

Riley's breath hitched in her throat as she lifted herself from Damon's bed and slowly attempted to edge closer to her best friend. "We're just trying to help you, Stefan. We're trying to save you. Why can't you see that?"

"I don't, uh— I don't need saving. I just want you all to let me go." An emotionless chuckle that escaped Stefan's lips shook Riley to her core, but she knew it was just to try and scare her.

"I am never going to do that. You know me, when have I ever given up on you, huh?" Riley tried to edge forward once more, but before she knew it Stefan had rushed at her, grabbed her by the throat, and pinned her against the wall. "Stefan!"

"Did you not hear what I just said to you? I told you to let me go, dammit!" The veins underneath Stefan's eyes became prominent. He slammed his fists against the wall, just beside Riley's head.

Fearfully, Riley clamped her eyes shut as she listened to his outburst. But, then it went silent. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she realized she was alone in Damon's bedroom once again. The witch slowly lifted her hand up to her mouth, whilst her back slid down against the wall until she was slumped on the ground crying.

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