Landon Fell

It was true that Landon had spent most of his life being selfish, thinking of himself, his needs and wants, and obliviously disregarding the feelings of those around him. Finally, that egotistical personality trait was dissipating slowly, the older and wiser he became. It took him longer than it should have to realize the world doesn’t, in fact, revolve around him. Maybe that was why he had struggled with commitment issues. This was partly due to his upbringing and lack of parental supervision. Even regarding place of residence, he was indecisive and over the last five years, he had moved more than a handful of times. No amount of money satisfied him. He found that the more he made, the more he spent, and even after spending ungodly amounts on the most frivolous of things, he realized materialistic things do not matter. Every relationship after Liv never worked out or lasted, even women that were exceptional. They were no match for Olivia Emerson, the sweetest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, and so he knew he had to be very careful with her feelings now.

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here….he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I’m proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

Trying to lighten things up a bit, he started with, “So…” and smiled at her again. “Guess your room is the master now?” he asked as a question. It looked like she cleared things out throughout the house, it was much less cluttered than he remembered. 

A sad smile found its way on to her lips as Landon said it felt like it had been a million years ago that they were in this room together. She agreed with that as well, it felt like both; no time had passed yet it also felt like a million years. When they broke up, it hit Olivia hard. It had been such a long time since she had been on a date even now. She had dated few and far between. The longest relationship she had since Landon had only been a few short months. As horrible as it sounded, any other relationship was easily forgettable compared to Landon Fell. There was no other person she connected with like him. There was a part of her now hoping that he wouldn’t leave again but she pushed that away. Not daring her mind to go there and wonder what if. 

Her eyes watered a bit as he told her that he was proud of her and her mother would be too. “Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, too, for being the great man I always knew you could be,” she told him softly. Even if they hadn’t talked, Liv always tried to make sure he was okay through Sam. Though those updates had been slim the past year with her strange behavior. 

Pushing thoughts of grief aside, he stood from where he’d been sitting, their eyes locking. The way she looked at him was unlike anything else. Just in these last few hours catching up, it felt like she was back in his life like a moth to a flame. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve been waiting for the house tour,” he joked. “I haven’t been here in so long. Everything looks completely the same, but different somehow. It must have been strange for you taking over the whole place for yourself.”

At the mention of whiskey, he followed behind her back down to the living room. Landon made himself comfortable on the sofa, enjoying the heat radiating from the fireplace. He got lost in the flames, and his thoughts. “Something about tonight is different. It feels like home in a new way. The snow fall, fire, reminiscing….” he started. Liv had gone to collect glasses from the kitchen. He smiled as she returned, her beautiful self coming back into sight. He blinked at her question, swallowing a lump of guilt, and took the glass of whiskey she offered. As she took a sip of her drink, he took advantage of the opportunity and copied her. Needing it more than he’d thought, when he set it down, the glass was nearly empty. Landon licked his lips, enjoying the warm feeling spreading through him. 

“Liv,” he murmured. “A lot of it has to do with problems between me and my parents. I should’ve said ‘to hell with them’ and lived my life the way I wanted. Back then, I mean. We don’t talk much anymore.” His eyes dropped to the floor, then he looked back up at her. This wasn’t exactly the conversation he wanted to have, although he was sure she deserved much more than his bullshit excuses. For just a second, Landon wondered what it would be like to live a more “carpe diem” life, where he ceased every moment and didn’t waste moments and time. The fire between them was undeniable. “You know me better than anyone. I used to be exciting, huh? Not sure what happened… I became boring. I’m getting old. The excitement of life has disappeared. I’ve got a very small circle.”

The last thing Landon ever wanted was to hurt Liv, or to get her hopes up only to disappoint her. “How could I trust that you wouldn’t leave again?” she asked, causing knots to form in his stomach. 

“First of all, I’m an idiot. Second, I’m not so arrogant to think I deserve your instant trust, Olivia,” he spoke. Something about saying her full name. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to not overpromise, but instead show her with actions. “If you ever decided to be mine again….I want it to be when you are ready,” he murmured. “When I’ve proved my love to you.”

His lips parted, tongue entering her mouth. His fingers went up into her hair. He loved how soft it was. Her smell was more intoxicating than the liquor. He groaned into her mouth, kissing her for what felt like hours. He sucked on her plump bottom lip before pulling back, eyes slowly opening to look at her. “Your skin tastes so sweet,” he breathed into her ear. His lips moved carefully down her cheek, neck, and shoulder, then back up and kissed her lips again. He laid his back down onto the sofa, pulling her atop him. Landon wrapped his arms around her body, hand lingering on the small of her back. This was everything he needed.

“I hope you mean it this time,” she replied softly against his chest as he caressed her long blonde hair. Every part of her believed him, but there was still the voice in the back of her head that told her to be cautious. “I’ve never been to London before,” her head shot up to look at him with an ecstatic grin on her face. “I have two weeks of vacation saved up,” she informed him. “Just let me know the dates. I don’t go back to work for another two days,” she smiled sweetly, never wanting this time between them to end. 

In the middle of the night, he awoke with sweat dewing across his forehead. The fire was burning strong and it had gotten hot. Liv was laying with him, nestled into the sofa. Soundlessly standing up, he went to the fireplace, grabbing the poker and spreading out the embers to stop the fire. As he returned to her, smiling softly as he gazed at her beautiful face, he couldn’t help the admiration he felt. She was so kind, thoughtful, and caring. Her mother would be proud. He hoped that if Liv’s mom or Sam could see him now that they would be proud that they were back together. Thoughts of proposing were already filling his mind, but he was certain he needed to both give her some time and prove himself to her, as well as plan it perfectly - she deserved the best.

It was true that Landon had spent most of his life being selfish, thinking of himself, his needs and wants, and obliviously disregarding the feelings of those around him. Finally, that egotistical personality trait was dissipating slowly, the older and wiser he became. It took him longer than it should have to realize the world doesn’t, in fact, revolve around him. Maybe that was why he had struggled with commitment issues. This was partly due to his upbringing and lack of parental supervision. Even regarding place of residence, he was indecisive and over the last five years, he had moved more than a handful of times. No amount of money satisfied him. He found that the more he made, the more he spent, and even after spending ungodly amounts on the most frivolous of things, he realized materialistic things do not matter. Every relationship after Liv never worked out or lasted, even women that were exceptional. They were no match for Olivia Emerson, the sweetest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, and so he knew he had to be very careful with her feelings now.

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here….he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I’m proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

Trying to lighten things up a bit, he started with, “So…” and smiled at her again. “Guess your room is the master now?” he asked as a question. It looked like she cleared things out throughout the house, it was much less cluttered than he remembered. 

A sad smile found its way on to her lips as Landon said it felt like it had been a million years ago that they were in this room together. She agreed with that as well, it felt like both; no time had passed yet it also felt like a million years. When they broke up, it hit Olivia hard. It had been such a long time since she had been on a date even now. She had dated few and far between. The longest relationship she had since Landon had only been a few short months. As horrible as it sounded, any other relationship was easily forgettable compared to Landon Fell. There was no other person she connected with like him. There was a part of her now hoping that he wouldn’t leave again but she pushed that away. Not daring her mind to go there and wonder what if. 

Her eyes watered a bit as he told her that he was proud of her and her mother would be too. “Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, too, for being the great man I always knew you could be,” she told him softly. Even if they hadn’t talked, Liv always tried to make sure he was okay through Sam. Though those updates had been slim the past year with her strange behavior. 

Pushing thoughts of grief aside, he stood from where he’d been sitting, their eyes locking. The way she looked at him was unlike anything else. Just in these last few hours catching up, it felt like she was back in his life like a moth to a flame. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve been waiting for the house tour,” he joked. “I haven’t been here in so long. Everything looks completely the same, but different somehow. It must have been strange for you taking over the whole place for yourself.”

At the mention of whiskey, he followed behind her back down to the living room. Landon made himself comfortable on the sofa, enjoying the heat radiating from the fireplace. He got lost in the flames, and his thoughts. “Something about tonight is different. It feels like home in a new way. The snow fall, fire, reminiscing….” he started. Liv had gone to collect glasses from the kitchen. He smiled as she returned, her beautiful self coming back into sight. He blinked at her question, swallowing a lump of guilt, and took the glass of whiskey she offered. As she took a sip of her drink, he took advantage of the opportunity and copied her. Needing it more than he’d thought, when he set it down, the glass was nearly empty. Landon licked his lips, enjoying the warm feeling spreading through him. 

“Liv,” he murmured. “A lot of it has to do with problems between me and my parents. I should’ve said ‘to hell with them’ and lived my life the way I wanted. Back then, I mean. We don’t talk much anymore.” His eyes dropped to the floor, then he looked back up at her. This wasn’t exactly the conversation he wanted to have, although he was sure she deserved much more than his bullshit excuses. For just a second, Landon wondered what it would be like to live a more “carpe diem” life, where he ceased every moment and didn’t waste moments and time. The fire between them was undeniable. “You know me better than anyone. I used to be exciting, huh? Not sure what happened… I became boring. I’m getting old. The excitement of life has disappeared. I’ve got a very small circle.”

The last thing Landon ever wanted was to hurt Liv, or to get her hopes up only to disappoint her. “How could I trust that you wouldn’t leave again?” she asked, causing knots to form in his stomach. 

“First of all, I’m an idiot. Second, I’m not so arrogant to think I deserve your instant trust, Olivia,” he spoke. Something about saying her full name. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to not overpromise, but instead show her with actions. “If you ever decided to be mine again….I want it to be when you are ready,” he murmured. “When I’ve proved my love to you.”

His lips parted, tongue entering her mouth. His fingers went up into her hair. He loved how soft it was. Her smell was more intoxicating than the liquor. He groaned into her mouth, kissing her for what felt like hours. He sucked on her plump bottom lip before pulling back, eyes slowly opening to look at her. “Your skin tastes so sweet,” he breathed into her ear. His lips moved carefully down her cheek, neck, and shoulder, then back up and kissed her lips again. He laid his back down onto the sofa, pulling her atop him. Landon wrapped his arms around her body, hand lingering on the small of her back. This was everything he needed.

It was true that Landon had spent most of his life being selfish, thinking of himself, his needs and wants, and obliviously disregarding the feelings of those around him. Finally, that egotistical personality trait was dissipating slowly, the older and wiser he became. It took him longer than it should have to realize the world doesn’t, in fact, revolve around him. Maybe that was why he had struggled with commitment issues. This was partly due to his upbringing and lack of parental supervision. Even regarding place of residence, he was indecisive and over the last five years, he had moved more than a handful of times. No amount of money satisfied him. He found that the more he made, the more he spent, and even after spending ungodly amounts on the most frivolous of things, he realized materialistic things do not matter. Every relationship after Liv never worked out or lasted, even women that were exceptional. They were no match for Olivia Emerson, the sweetest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, and so he knew he had to be very careful with her feelings now.

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here….he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I’m proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

Trying to lighten things up a bit, he started with, “So…” and smiled at her again. “Guess your room is the master now?” he asked as a question. It looked like she cleared things out throughout the house, it was much less cluttered than he remembered. 

A sad smile found its way on to her lips as Landon said it felt like it had been a million years ago that they were in this room together. She agreed with that as well, it felt like both; no time had passed yet it also felt like a million years. When they broke up, it hit Olivia hard. It had been such a long time since she had been on a date even now. She had dated few and far between. The longest relationship she had since Landon had only been a few short months. As horrible as it sounded, any other relationship was easily forgettable compared to Landon Fell. There was no other person she connected with like him. There was a part of her now hoping that he wouldn’t leave again but she pushed that away. Not daring her mind to go there and wonder what if. 

Her eyes watered a bit as he told her that he was proud of her and her mother would be too. “Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, too, for being the great man I always knew you could be,” she told him softly. Even if they hadn’t talked, Liv always tried to make sure he was okay through Sam. Though those updates had been slim the past year with her strange behavior. 

Pushing thoughts of grief aside, he stood from where he’d been sitting, their eyes locking. The way she looked at him was unlike anything else. Just in these last few hours catching up, it felt like she was back in his life like a moth to a flame. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve been waiting for the house tour,” he joked. “I haven’t been here in so long. Everything looks completely the same, but different somehow. It must have been strange for you taking over the whole place for yourself.”

At the mention of whiskey, he followed behind her back down to the living room. Landon made himself comfortable on the sofa, enjoying the heat radiating from the fireplace. He got lost in the flames, and his thoughts. “Something about tonight is different. It feels like home in a new way. The snow fall, fire, reminiscing….” he started. Liv had gone to collect glasses from the kitchen. He smiled as she returned, her beautiful self coming back into sight. He blinked at her question, swallowing a lump of guilt, and took the glass of whiskey she offered. As she took a sip of her drink, he took advantage of the opportunity and copied her. Needing it more than he’d thought, when he set it down, the glass was nearly empty. Landon licked his lips, enjoying the warm feeling spreading through him. 

“Liv,” he murmured. “A lot of it has to do with problems between me and my parents. I should’ve said ‘to hell with them’ and lived my life the way I wanted. Back then, I mean. We don’t talk much anymore.” His eyes dropped to the floor, then he looked back up at her. This wasn’t exactly the conversation he wanted to have, although he was sure she deserved much more than his bullshit excuses. For just a second, Landon wondered what it would be like to live a more “carpe diem” life, where he ceased every moment and didn’t waste moments and time. The fire between them was undeniable. “You know me better than anyone. I used to be exciting, huh? Not sure what happened… I became boring. I’m getting old. The excitement of life has disappeared. I’ve got a very small circle.”

The last thing Landon ever wanted was to hurt Liv, or to get her hopes up only to disappoint her. “How could I trust that you wouldn’t leave again?” she asked, causing knots to form in his stomach. 

“First of all, I’m an idiot. Second, I’m not so arrogant to think I deserve your instant trust, Olivia,” he spoke. Something about saying her full name. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to not overpromise, but instead show her with actions. “If you ever decided to be mine again....I want it to be when you are ready,” he murmured. “When I’ve proved my love to you.”

It was true that Landon had spent most of his life being selfish, thinking of himself, his needs and wants, and obliviously disregarding the feelings of those around him. Finally, that egotistical personality trait was dissipating slowly, the older and wiser he became. It took him longer than it should have to realize the world doesn’t, in fact, revolve around him. Maybe that was why he had struggled with commitment issues. This was partly due to his upbringing and lack of parental supervision. Even regarding place of residence, he was indecisive and over the last five years, he had moved more than a handful of times. No amount of money satisfied him. He found that the more he made, the more he spent, and even after spending ungodly amounts on the most frivolous of things, he realized materialistic things do not matter. Every relationship after Liv never worked out or lasted, even women that were exceptional. They were no match for Olivia Emerson, the sweetest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, and so he knew he had to be very careful with her feelings now.

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here….he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I’m proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

Trying to lighten things up a bit, he started with, “So…” and smiled at her again. “Guess your room is the master now?” he asked as a question. It looked like she cleared things out throughout the house, it was much less cluttered than he remembered. 

A sad smile found its way on to her lips as Landon said it felt like it had been a million years ago that they were in this room together. She agreed with that as well, it felt like both; no time had passed yet it also felt like a million years. When they broke up, it hit Olivia hard. It had been such a long time since she had been on a date even now. She had dated few and far between. The longest relationship she had since Landon had only been a few short months. As horrible as it sounded, any other relationship was easily forgettable compared to Landon Fell. There was no other person she connected with like him. There was a part of her now hoping that he wouldn’t leave again but she pushed that away. Not daring her mind to go there and wonder what if. 

Her eyes watered a bit as he told her that he was proud of her and her mother would be too. “Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, too, for being the great man I always knew you could be,” she told him softly. Even if they hadn’t talked, Liv always tried to make sure he was okay through Sam. Though those updates had been slim the past year with her strange behavior. 

Pushing thoughts of grief aside, he stood from where he’d been sitting, their eyes locking. The way she looked at him was unlike anything else. Just in these last few hours catching up, it felt like she was back in his life like a moth to a flame. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve been waiting for the house tour,” he joked. “I haven’t been here in so long. Everything looks completely the same, but different somehow. It must have been strange for you taking over the whole place for yourself.”

At the mention of whiskey, he followed behind her back down to the living room. Landon made himself comfortable on the sofa, enjoying the heat radiating from the fireplace. He got lost in the flames, and his thoughts. “Something about tonight is different. It feels like home in a new way. The snow fall, fire, reminiscing....” he started. Liv had gone to collect glasses from the kitchen. He smiled as she returned, her beautiful self coming back into sight. He blinked at her question, swallowing a lump of guilt, and took the glass of whiskey she offered. As she took a sip of her drink, he took advantage of the opportunity and copied her. Needing it more than he’d thought, when he set it down, the glass was nearly empty. Landon licked his lips, enjoying the warm feeling spreading through him. 

“Liv,” he murmured. “A lot of it has to do with problems between me and my parents. I should’ve said ‘to hell with them’ and lived my life the way I wanted. Back then, I mean. We don’t talk much anymore.” His eyes dropped to the floor, then he looked back up at her. This wasn’t exactly the conversation he wanted to have, although he was sure she deserved much more than his bullshit excuses. For just a second, Landon wondered what it would be like to live a more “carpe diem” life, where he ceased every moment and didn’t waste moments and time. The fire between them was undeniable. “You know me better than anyone. I used to be exciting, huh? Not sure what happened... I became boring. I’m getting old. The excitement of life has disappeared. I’ve got a very small circle.”

It was true that Landon had spent most of his life being selfish, thinking of himself, his needs and wants, and obliviously disregarding the feelings of those around him. Finally, that egotistical personality trait was dissipating slowly, the older and wiser he became. It took him longer than it should have to realize the world doesn’t, in fact, revolve around him. Maybe that was why he had struggled with commitment issues. This was partly due to his upbringing and lack of parental supervision. Even regarding place of residence, he was indecisive and over the last five years, he had moved more than a handful of times. No amount of money satisfied him. He found that the more he made, the more he spent, and even after spending ungodly amounts on the most frivolous of things, he realized materialistic things do not matter. Every relationship after Liv never worked out or lasted, even women that were exceptional. They were no match for Olivia Emerson, the sweetest, most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again, and so he knew he had to be very careful with her feelings now.

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here….he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I’m proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

Trying to lighten things up a bit, he started with, “So…” and smiled at her again. “Guess your room is the master now?” he asked as a question. It looked like she cleared things out throughout the house, it was much less cluttered than he remembered. 

A sad smile found its way on to her lips as Landon said it felt like it had been a million years ago that they were in this room together. She agreed with that as well, it felt like both; no time had passed yet it also felt like a million years. When they broke up, it hit Olivia hard. It had been such a long time since she had been on a date even now. She had dated few and far between. The longest relationship she had since Landon had only been a few short months. As horrible as it sounded, any other relationship was easily forgettable compared to Landon Fell. There was no other person she connected with like him. There was a part of her now hoping that he wouldn’t leave again but she pushed that away. Not daring her mind to go there and wonder what if. 

Her eyes watered a bit as he told her that he was proud of her and her mother would be too. “Thank you,” she told him with a small smile. “You know, I’m proud of you, too, for being the great man I always knew you could be,” she told him softly. Even if they hadn’t talked, Liv always tried to make sure he was okay through Sam. Though those updates had been slim the past year with her strange behavior. 

Pushing thoughts of grief aside, he stood from where he’d been sitting, their eyes locking. The way she looked at him was unlike anything else. Just in these last few hours catching up, it felt like she was back in his life like a moth to a flame. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve been waiting for the house tour,” he joked. “I haven’t been here in so long. Everything looks completely the same, but different somehow. It must have been strange for you taking over the whole place for yourself.”

He turned to look at her, surprised at her words, and caught sight of a blushing Liv. He smiled warmly in response, happy to see she hadn’t changed much. An unfamiliar feeling washed over him. Being taken care of, in any regard, was not something Landon had ever known. Growing up, he’d been the one taking care of Samantha and making sure she had what she needed, stayed out of trouble, and felt safe and protected. Even as teenagers, he remembered taking such an interest in Olivia, wanting to protect her and be around her. Samantha had teased him about it time and time again, urging him to refrain from dating her best friend. When the time was right and his sister had finally given the okay, it’d been too late. A summer fling was all the time they had before he left for college. After finally giving in to all those feelings they built up over the years, it hurt him losing his best friend like that. She’d been more than just a lover. Now as an adult, while he’d achieved all his life goals, the feeling of emptiness was creeping up on him and he really wasn’t happy.

He was internally relieved to hear that it was “just her” here. “You’ve always been the perceptive one. I suppose you already knew I’d otherwise be staying at the Inn. Thank you, it means a lot. It’s easy to feel comfortable here,” he murmured. How could he tell her that this was the only real home he’d ever known? Right here with her. Landon couldn’t resist the desire to push the hair falling in her face back behind her ear, and gently rubbed his thumb against her cute pink cheek. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or push her boundaries, and worried his weak willpower was going to get him in trouble. It was in that moment he realized how much Olivia had meant to him. He ended their relationship and then practically cut her out of his life. His selfish ass thought it would be easier that way, not considering her feelings at the time.

“I’m planning on staying in Mystic Falls for a while. I’m not sure how long exactly. Just kick me out if I start to get in your way, okay?” he said with a light laugh. “It looks like the snow stopped. I should probably grab my bag.”

Landon grabbed his duffle from the car, following Olivia upstairs to the guest room. It was almost hard to believe that she had offered to let him stay. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said. Landon set his bag down on the footstool and took a seat on the mattress. It felt cozier than anywhere he’d been in a long time. Even his home in Crescent Hill didn’t have the same feel. “Did you decide to move back here after school? What else have you been up to?” he asked, curious about her, unable to stop the flow of questions. He wanted to know about her life.

Olivia knew all too well what Landon’s home life had been like and that where he grew up was the farthest thing from a ‘home’. She hadn’t been for certain that he would stay at the only Inn within Mystic Falls, but she had assumed he wouldn’t go to his parents. It was a big, beautiful house but it was also cold. Lonely. It felt like everything was happening so fast. Suddenly she wasn’t alone anymore. As much as this made her happy to have him here, it made her anxious too. It was impossible for her to keep a guard up with Landon. He had left her once and it would kill her if he disappeared again. 

Life without him hadn’t been the same. A big part of who she was and her heart was with Landon. Even though they were both in mourning of Sam, she felt more whole with him back here. “Of course, you can stay as long as you want,” she told him with a bright smile, the first time she had really smiled in a long time. 

His eyes lingered on her as she spoke about the memories of this room. It looked different now, but he knew from the moment he walked in, this was the room. They had so many nights here....he fought the urge to bite his lip just remembering some of those times. At her question, he raised his eyebrows. “Actually, the contrary - it feels like it’s been a million years for me,” he said. Landon smiled then and watched her turn away shyly to pull down blankets and pillows from the cupboard. “No, I’ve got everything I need here. Thank you.”

“I apologize if this is inappropriate to say; to be honest, I wanted to say it earlier. You have grown into the most gorgeous woman. I'm proud of you. I know that your mom would be, too,” he murmured. 

It’d been a rough week, to say the very least. Landon had this feeling of immense guilt for not speaking with his baby sister, Sam, for quite awhile. On Tuesday he received a call at his work from the Mystic Falls Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, requesting his presence for a visual identification of a deceased body they believed may be Samantha Fell. Apparently the cause of death was a presumed animal attack, a bad one. He couldn’t imagine Sam that way, fearing the sight of a malled and battered body. He hoped greatly that it wasn’t her. It was no surprise that his parents were AWOL, per usual. They had never exactly been good parents, or ones that were really ever present. After that call, he dropped absolutely everything, put everything on hold, and booked the first flight out of California. He packed his bags, not knowing how long he would be gone or what was to come, and took off. In just a few hours, he would be finding out whether or not his little sister was dead. Countless times he had tried to ring her cell phone, but there was never an answer. Had the last time he’d seen her really been Thanksgiving, last year? He had needed a fresh start, so a few years back he decided to leave the east coast altogether, trading it for a lifestyle in SoCal. He’d found success in opening a few bars. 

As he sat on the plane, contemplating life and death, he remembered some fond memories of Sam and Liv - the two were inseparable in high school, always causing shenanigans. Going home was bringing back a load of memories he’d suppressed. When Olivia and him had broken up, following the advice of his parents to go further in higher education and take the acceptance to Dartmouth. A hole had been left in his heart. After how little love his parents had shown them, notorious for prioritizing money alone, he had become just like them. In the following years, no amount of money earned or success he found ever surpassed the love he had for that woman. Leaving her behind and the grief that came with that choice changed Landon, making him jaded and bitter.

Surely by now she’d been claimed by some nice guy who would give her a nice life, and she would be happy. Part of him hoped this was true, but another part longed for it to not be. Did he even have the courage to speak to her again, after how he’d left? He had made no move to contact her over the years, mostly due to stubbornness and being a coward. Still, he wondered how she was doing. 

*A few hours later*

Landon’s hand caught the outside railing and he slumped down onto the concrete step, just outside the Coroner’s office. His whole body felt numb and broken. It was her. She was….gone. He had so many questions, so many worries and concerns surrounding her obviously traumatic death. This was no common animal attack. There were bite marks all over her, but most noticeably on her neck. What had happened to Sam? Landon feared this to be some kind of twisted homicide. 

He wasn’t sure how close Sam and Liv had still been. All he knew right now was that he needed to see her. It was all that made sense and automatically, he was driving to the only place he knew where to find her, her mother’s house. He’d been alone for so long and despite everything that happened between them, she needed to know about Sam. What was she up to these days? He wasn’t even sure if she had graduated and become a nurse like she dreamed of. 

She went inside, quickly showering and changing into something more comfortable. Making her way downstairs, she stopped as an old picture caught her eye. It was herself and her oldest friend, Samantha, the day they graduated from Mystic Falls High School. They looked so happy and carefree, smiling slightly at the memories that flooded back to her. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door that surprised her. Curious and confused, she headed for the door, even more shocked to find Sam’s older brother and her ex-boyfriend, Landon on her front porch.

“Hey,” he greeted her. Landon smiled warmly. “I know you must be wondering what the hell I’m doing back here,” he said, his voice cracking. The door opened wider for him to enter. Snow flurries were starting to fall and he appreciated the warm house. Landon scratched his head, following her into the kitchen, unable to help himself gazing at her silhouette from behind. As he collected his thoughts, he noticed a hospital badge laying on the countertop. “Olivia Emerson, Mystic Falls General,” he read, smirking and meeting her eyes. “Glad to see all your dreams came true. Your mom must be so proud,” he murmured. 

She choked out question after question. He sighed. Of course it was just like Liv to play twenty questions, always the inquisitive one, the investigator. Their eyes locked, he could see the tears starting to spill, and Landon removed the distance between them. He brought her into his arms and hugged her gently.

“I know. You can’t imagine how it broke me seeing her today,” he said weakly. When he pulled back, he took her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen table. They sat and his eyes bored into hers. It was hard to not be angry. The last time he spoke to Sam, she was single and finishing up college. What had happened to her? “What boyfriend?” he asked. “I know I’ve been a shitty brother, which is why I’m going to find out what happened to her. Whoever did this is going to pay. Sam deserves that.”

Landon understood that Liv needed more details about this. He hated remembering. Part of him wished that he hadn’t gone to do a visual examination. They had said they were fairly certain it was Samantha Fell. However, Landon couldn’t believe it and insisted on the proof with his own eyes. “I saw that she was bitten; I’m sure of it. Animal attack, my ass. My guess is they don’t want the townsfolk fearing the return of vampires in Mystic Falls. I know what I saw. It looked like all the blood was drained from her body and she’d been halfway torched.” It was hard to get the words out. His body shook slightly at the thought. 

“Living with just memories is the hardest part,” she told him softly, knowing that he would truly understand soon enough. It was a pain she didn’t wish on anyone, especially someone like Landon that she cared about after all this time. Her heart broke for him as he spoke about having to identify his own sister, a few tears falling down her cheeks. She squeezed his hand as he finished. “Honestly, it had been a while since I had talked to her,” she admitted, feeling slightly ashamed. “She had been with him for about six months or so,” she estimated, looking down. “Landon, I had the worst vibe from him…something was just off,” she looked back up at him with nothing but worry. “He was really controlling and that’s why we hadn’t spoken much.”

All he could think about was Samantha and how she had been harmed, he believed, at the hands of a vampire. “I can’t believe Sam got mixed up in all this. And hey, don’t feel bad, I hadn’t spoken to her since last Thanksgiving. I blew off family vacation. Our parents tried arranging this ski trip in Colorado. I heard she bailed, so I did too.” The more he spoke, the glummer he felt about all of this. Landon stood, the chair screeching back, and he walked over to the window, peering out at the falling snow. A distant memory of the three of them playing in the snow as children came to mind. “Remember your first snowfall here? You guys just became friends. You joined us sledding over on the big hill on Main Street.” Turning to look at her, a tiny smirk came across his face. “You would like Crescent Hill. I guess there’s something about home, though. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed this place, and the people in it.”

She smiled as Landon brought up a childhood memory of her first snowfall here in Mystic Falls. She remembered that day well, taking turns sledding down Main Street. As she thought back, she realized even back then that Landon had always been protective of her. She recalled almost falling off and him being in close vicinity to catch her. While things had changed so much between them over the years, she guessed that there were somethings that would never change. 

He was internally relieved to hear that it was “just her” here. “You’ve always been the perceptive one. I suppose you already knew I’d otherwise be staying at the Inn. Thank you, it means a lot. It’s easy to feel comfortable here,” he murmured. How could he tell her that this was the only real home he’d ever known? Right here with her. Landon couldn’t resist the desire to push the hair falling in her face back behind her ear, and gently rubbed his thumb against her cute pink cheek. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or push her boundaries, and worried his weak willpower was going to get him in trouble. It was in that moment he realized how much Olivia had meant to him. He ended their relationship and then practically cut her out of his life. His selfish ass thought it would be easier that way, not considering her feelings at the time.

“I’m planning on staying in Mystic Falls for a while. I’m not sure how long exactly. Just kick me out if I start to get in your way, okay?” he said with a light laugh. “It looks like the snow stopped. I should probably grab my bag.”

It’d been a rough week, to say the very least. Landon had this feeling of immense guilt for not speaking with his baby sister, Sam, for quite awhile. On Tuesday he received a call at his work from the Mystic Falls Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, requesting his presence for a visual identification of a deceased body they believed may be Samantha Fell. Apparently the cause of death was a presumed animal attack, a bad one. He couldn’t imagine Sam that way, fearing the sight of a malled and battered body. He hoped greatly that it wasn’t her. It was no surprise that his parents were AWOL, per usual. They had never exactly been good parents, or ones that were really ever present. After that call, he dropped absolutely everything, put everything on hold, and booked the first flight out of California. He packed his bags, not knowing how long he would be gone or what was to come, and took off. In just a few hours, he would be finding out whether or not his little sister was dead. Countless times he had tried to ring her cell phone, but there was never an answer. Had the last time he’d seen her really been Thanksgiving, last year? He had needed a fresh start, so a few years back he decided to leave the east coast altogether, trading it for a lifestyle in SoCal. He’d found success in opening a few bars. 

As he sat on the plane, contemplating life and death, he remembered some fond memories of Sam and Liv - the two were inseparable in high school, always causing shenanigans. Going home was bringing back a load of memories he’d suppressed. When Olivia and him had broken up, following the advice of his parents to go further in higher education and take the acceptance to Dartmouth. A hole had been left in his heart. After how little love his parents had shown them, notorious for prioritizing money alone, he had become just like them. In the following years, no amount of money earned or success he found ever surpassed the love he had for that woman. Leaving her behind and the grief that came with that choice changed Landon, making him jaded and bitter.

Surely by now she’d been claimed by some nice guy who would give her a nice life, and she would be happy. Part of him hoped this was true, but another part longed for it to not be. Did he even have the courage to speak to her again, after how he’d left? He had made no move to contact her over the years, mostly due to stubbornness and being a coward. Still, he wondered how she was doing. 

*A few hours later*

Landon’s hand caught the outside railing and he slumped down onto the concrete step, just outside the Coroner’s office. His whole body felt numb and broken. It was her. She was….gone. He had so many questions, so many worries and concerns surrounding her obviously traumatic death. This was no common animal attack. There were bite marks all over her, but most noticeably on her neck. What had happened to Sam? Landon feared this to be some kind of twisted homicide. 

He wasn’t sure how close Sam and Liv had still been. All he knew right now was that he needed to see her. It was all that made sense and automatically, he was driving to the only place he knew where to find her, her mother’s house. He’d been alone for so long and despite everything that happened between them, she needed to know about Sam. What was she up to these days? He wasn’t even sure if she had graduated and become a nurse like she dreamed of. 

She went inside, quickly showering and changing into something more comfortable. Making her way downstairs, she stopped as an old picture caught her eye. It was herself and her oldest friend, Samantha, the day they graduated from Mystic Falls High School. They looked so happy and carefree, smiling slightly at the memories that flooded back to her. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door that surprised her. Curious and confused, she headed for the door, even more shocked to find Sam’s older brother and her ex-boyfriend, Landon on her front porch.

“Hey,” he greeted her. Landon smiled warmly. “I know you must be wondering what the hell I’m doing back here,” he said, his voice cracking. The door opened wider for him to enter. Snow flurries were starting to fall and he appreciated the warm house. Landon scratched his head, following her into the kitchen, unable to help himself gazing at her silhouette from behind. As he collected his thoughts, he noticed a hospital badge laying on the countertop. “Olivia Emerson, Mystic Falls General,” he read, smirking and meeting her eyes. “Glad to see all your dreams came true. Your mom must be so proud,” he murmured. 

She choked out question after question. He sighed. Of course it was just like Liv to play twenty questions, always the inquisitive one, the investigator. Their eyes locked, he could see the tears starting to spill, and Landon removed the distance between them. He brought her into his arms and hugged her gently.

“I know. You can’t imagine how it broke me seeing her today,” he said weakly. When he pulled back, he took her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen table. They sat and his eyes bored into hers. It was hard to not be angry. The last time he spoke to Sam, she was single and finishing up college. What had happened to her? “What boyfriend?” he asked. “I know I’ve been a shitty brother, which is why I’m going to find out what happened to her. Whoever did this is going to pay. Sam deserves that.”

Landon understood that Liv needed more details about this. He hated remembering. Part of him wished that he hadn’t gone to do a visual examination. They had said they were fairly certain it was Samantha Fell. However, Landon couldn’t believe it and insisted on the proof with his own eyes. “I saw that she was bitten; I’m sure of it. Animal attack, my ass. My guess is they don’t want the townsfolk fearing the return of vampires in Mystic Falls. I know what I saw. It looked like all the blood was drained from her body and she’d been halfway torched.” It was hard to get the words out. His body shook slightly at the thought. 

“Living with just memories is the hardest part,” she told him softly, knowing that he would truly understand soon enough. It was a pain she didn’t wish on anyone, especially someone like Landon that she cared about after all this time. Her heart broke for him as he spoke about having to identify his own sister, a few tears falling down her cheeks. She squeezed his hand as he finished. “Honestly, it had been a while since I had talked to her,” she admitted, feeling slightly ashamed. “She had been with him for about six months or so,” she estimated, looking down. “Landon, I had the worst vibe from him…something was just off,” she looked back up at him with nothing but worry. “He was really controlling and that’s why we hadn’t spoken much.”

All he could think about was Samantha and how she had been harmed, he believed, at the hands of a vampire. “I can’t believe Sam got mixed up in all this. And hey, don’t feel bad, I hadn’t spoken to her since last Thanksgiving. I blew off family vacation. Our parents tried arranging this ski trip in Colorado. I heard she bailed, so I did too.” The more he spoke, the glummer he felt about all of this. Landon stood, the chair screeching back, and he walked over to the window, peering out at the falling snow. A distant memory of the three of them playing in the snow as children came to mind. “Remember your first snowfall here? You guys just became friends. You joined us sledding over on the big hill on Main Street.” Turning to look at her, a tiny smirk came across his face. “You would like Crescent Hill. I guess there’s something about home, though. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed this place, and the people in it.”

It’d been a rough week, to say the very least. Landon had this feeling of immense guilt for not speaking with his baby sister, Sam, for quite awhile. On Tuesday he received a call at his work from the Mystic Falls Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, requesting his presence for a visual identification of a deceased body they believed may be Samantha Fell. Apparently the cause of death was a presumed animal attack, a bad one. He couldn’t imagine Sam that way, fearing the sight of a malled and battered body. He hoped greatly that it wasn’t her. It was no surprise that his parents were AWOL, per usual. They had never exactly been good parents, or ones that were really ever present. After that call, he dropped absolutely everything, put everything on hold, and booked the first flight out of California. He packed his bags, not knowing how long he would be gone or what was to come, and took off. In just a few hours, he would be finding out whether or not his little sister was dead. Countless times he had tried to ring her cell phone, but there was never an answer. Had the last time he’d seen her really been Thanksgiving, last year? He had needed a fresh start, so a few years back he decided to leave the east coast altogether, trading it for a lifestyle in SoCal. He’d found success in opening a few bars. 

As he sat on the plane, contemplating life and death, he remembered some fond memories of Sam and Liv - the two were inseparable in high school, always causing shenanigans. Going home was bringing back a load of memories he’d suppressed. When Olivia and him had broken up, following the advice of his parents to go further in higher education and take the acceptance to Dartmouth. A hole had been left in his heart. After how little love his parents had shown them, notorious for prioritizing money alone, he had become just like them. In the following years, no amount of money earned or success he found ever surpassed the love he had for that woman. Leaving her behind and the grief that came with that choice changed Landon, making him jaded and bitter.

Surely by now she’d been claimed by some nice guy who would give her a nice life, and she would be happy. Part of him hoped this was true, but another part longed for it to not be. Did he even have the courage to speak to her again, after how he’d left? He had made no move to contact her over the years, mostly due to stubbornness and being a coward. Still, he wondered how she was doing. 

*A few hours later*

Landon’s hand caught the outside railing and he slumped down onto the concrete step, just outside the Coroner’s office. His whole body felt numb and broken. It was her. She was….gone. He had so many questions, so many worries and concerns surrounding her obviously traumatic death. This was no common animal attack. There were bite marks all over her, but most noticeably on her neck. What had happened to Sam? Landon feared this to be some kind of twisted homicide. 

He wasn’t sure how close Sam and Liv had still been. All he knew right now was that he needed to see her. It was all that made sense and automatically, he was driving to the only place he knew where to find her, her mother’s house. He’d been alone for so long and despite everything that happened between them, she needed to know about Sam. What was she up to these days? He wasn’t even sure if she had graduated and become a nurse like she dreamed of. 

She went inside, quickly showering and changing into something more comfortable. Making her way downstairs, she stopped as an old picture caught her eye. It was herself and her oldest friend, Samantha, the day they graduated from Mystic Falls High School. They looked so happy and carefree, smiling slightly at the memories that flooded back to her. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door that surprised her. Curious and confused, she headed for the door, even more shocked to find Sam’s older brother and her ex-boyfriend, Landon on her front porch.

“Hey,” he greeted her. Landon smiled warmly. “I know you must be wondering what the hell I’m doing back here,” he said, his voice cracking. The door opened wider for him to enter. Snow flurries were starting to fall and he appreciated the warm house. Landon scratched his head, following her into the kitchen, unable to help himself gazing at her silhouette from behind. As he collected his thoughts, he noticed a hospital badge laying on the countertop. “Olivia Emerson, Mystic Falls General,” he read, smirking and meeting her eyes. “Glad to see all your dreams came true. Your mom must be so proud,” he murmured. 

She choked out question after question. He sighed. Of course it was just like Liv to play twenty questions, always the inquisitive one, the investigator. Their eyes locked, he could see the tears starting to spill, and Landon removed the distance between them. He brought her into his arms and hugged her gently.

“I know. You can’t imagine how it broke me seeing her today,” he said weakly. When he pulled back, he took her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen table. They sat and his eyes bored into hers. It was hard to not be angry. The last time he spoke to Sam, she was single and finishing up college. What had happened to her? “What boyfriend?” he asked. “I know I’ve been a shitty brother, which is why I’m going to find out what happened to her. Whoever did this is going to pay. Sam deserves that.”

Landon understood that Liv needed more details about this. He hated remembering. Part of him wished that he hadn’t gone to do a visual examination. They had said they were fairly certain it was Samantha Fell. However, Landon couldn’t believe it and insisted on the proof with his own eyes. “I saw that she was bitten; I’m sure of it. Animal attack, my ass. My guess is they don’t want the townsfolk fearing the return of vampires in Mystic Falls. I know what I saw. It looked like all the blood was drained from her body and she’d been halfway torched.” It was hard to get the words out. His body shook slightly at the thought. 

It’d been a rough week, to say the very least. Landon had this feeling of immense guilt for not speaking with his baby sister, Sam, for quite awhile. On Tuesday he received a call at his work from the Mystic Falls Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, requesting his presence for a visual identification of a deceased body they believed may be Samantha Fell. Apparently the cause of death was a presumed animal attack, a bad one. He couldn’t imagine Sam that way, fearing the sight of a malled and battered body. He hoped greatly that it wasn’t her. It was no surprise that his parents were AWOL, per usual. They had never exactly been good parents, or ones that were really ever present. After that call, he dropped absolutely everything, put everything on hold, and booked the first flight out of California. He packed his bags, not knowing how long he would be gone or what was to come, and took off. In just a few hours, he would be finding out whether or not his little sister was dead. Countless times he had tried to ring her cell phone, but there was never an answer. Had the last time he’d seen her really been Thanksgiving, last year? He had needed a fresh start, so a few years back he decided to leave the east coast altogether, trading it for a lifestyle in SoCal. He’d found success in opening a few bars. 

As he sat on the plane, contemplating life and death, he remembered some fond memories of Sam and Liv - the two were inseparable in high school, always causing shenanigans. Going home was bringing back a load of memories he’d suppressed. When Olivia and him had broken up, following the advice of his parents to go further in higher education and take the acceptance to Dartmouth. A hole had been left in his heart. After how little love his parents had shown them, notorious for prioritizing money alone, he had become just like them. In the following years, no amount of money earned or success he found ever surpassed the love he had for that woman. Leaving her behind and the grief that came with that choice changed Landon, making him jaded and bitter.

Surely by now she’d been claimed by some nice guy who would give her a nice life, and she would be happy. Part of him hoped this was true, but another part longed for it to not be. Did he even have the courage to speak to her again, after how he’d left? He had made no move to contact her over the years, mostly due to stubbornness and being a coward. Still, he wondered how she was doing. 

*A few hours later*

Landon’s hand caught the outside railing and he slumped down onto the concrete step, just outside the Coroner’s office. His whole body felt numb and broken. It was her. She was….gone. He had so many questions, so many worries and concerns surrounding her obviously traumatic death. This was no common animal attack. There were bite marks all over her, but most noticeably on her neck. What had happened to Sam? Landon feared this to be some kind of twisted homicide. 

He wasn’t sure how close Sam and Liv had still been. All he knew right now was that he needed to see her. It was all that made sense and automatically, he was driving to the only place he knew where to find her, her mother’s house. He’d been alone for so long and despite everything that happened between them, she needed to know about Sam. What was she up to these days? He wasn’t even sure if she had graduated and become a nurse like she dreamed of. 

She went inside, quickly showering and changing into something more comfortable. Making her way downstairs, she stopped as an old picture caught her eye. It was herself and her oldest friend, Samantha, the day they graduated from Mystic Falls High School. They looked so happy and carefree, smiling slightly at the memories that flooded back to her. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door that surprised her. Curious and confused, she headed for the door, even more shocked to find Sam’s older brother and her ex-boyfriend, Landon on her front porch.

“Hey,” he greeted her. Landon smiled warmly. “I know you must be wondering what the hell I’m doing back here,” he said, his voice cracking. The door opened wider for him to enter. Snow flurries were starting to fall and he appreciated the warm house. Landon scratched his head, following her into the kitchen, unable to help himself gazing at her silhouette from behind. As he collected his thoughts, he noticed a hospital badge laying on the countertop. “Olivia Emerson, Mystic Falls General,” he read, smirking and meeting her eyes. “Glad to see all your dreams came true. Your mom must be so proud,” he murmured.