“This is a bad idea.”

You didn’t mean for your voice to come out so breathless, but with Elena standing this close, it was impossible to think straight. Her fingers curled around your wrist, holding you in place as she scanned the room, her expression sharp and calculating.

“It’s the only way to keep you safe,” she murmured, eyes flickering back to yours.

You swallowed hard. You knew the danger you were in—Mystic Falls had become a hunting ground, and you were the latest target. Whoever, whatever, was after you didn’t just want you dead. They wanted to break you first. And Elena? She wasn’t about to let that happen.

Her solution?

Pretend to be in a relationship.

The logic was simple: you were vulnerable alone, but with Elena—one of the most formidable vampires in town—by your side, no one would dare to touch you. If they thought you were hers, you wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

And so here you were, standing in the middle of the Salvatore house, trying to ignore the way your pulse hammered as she brushed a thumb over the back of your hand.

“You have to sell it,” she continued, lowering her voice as footsteps echoed down the hall. “Are you ready?”

You nodded. Or at least, you tried to. Because when Elena smiled at you—soft, familiar, like she had been doing this forever—you forgot how to breathe.

Then, without warning, she leaned in.

The warmth of her body pressed against yours, her hand resting lightly on your waist. You could feel her breath against your cheek, her lips mere inches from yours.

This was supposed to be fake.

So why did it feel so real?

The door creaked open, and just like that, Elena’s expression shifted. Playful. Possessive. She turned toward the intruder, still holding you close.

“Is there a problem?” she asked sweetly.

The stranger hesitated, eyes flickering between you and her. Then, after a tense moment, they scoffed and turned away.

The second they were gone, you exhaled, realizing just how tightly you had been holding onto her.