[Ding! Congratulations, Patron!]
You have activated the Ultimate VIP Cheat System! đ¨
While the mere mortals are stuck in the Noob Village, struggling to kill their 1,000th Slime, you are already 15 chapters ahead, soloing the Endgame Boss! đđ¨
System Notification: Host has detected an imbalance in the reading queue. It is recommended to immediately use the $6 USD "Jump the Queue" Skill Card.
Reward: 15 Chapters + VIP Treatment. đ
Don't be the noob that gets left behind! Come to Patreon and show these ants what true power looks like. Face-slapping starts now! đď¸đ
.....
After washing himself, Leo finally had a moment of peace. No doorbells rang. No unexpected visitors appeared. The hot water had washed away the last traces of the night's events, and by the time he stepped out of the shower, he felt almost normal again. He dried himself, dressed in clean clothes, and went downstairs to eat a simple breakfast. Toast,coffee. Nothing fancy. Just fuel for the day ahead.
When he finished eating, he left the house and began walking toward the Gilbert home. He needed to check on Elena, to see how she was doing after everything that had happened. The morning was slow and quiet, the kind of morning that made Mystic Falls feel like a real small town instead of a stage for supernatural drama. He walked at a normal pace, not using his super speed. The air was cool and fresh. Birds sang in the trees. Old Mr. Henderson was watering his lawn and waved as Leo passed. Leo waved back.
It was nice. Peaceful. He enjoyed it.
After about twenty minutes of walking, he reached Elena's street. The houses here were older, well-maintained, with large yards and mature trees. The Gilbert house stood near the end of the block, easily recognizable from the description Elena had given him.
It was a two-story house with a traditional white wooden exterior. Black shutters framed the windows, and a grey shingled roof sat on top, slightly weathered by years of sun and rain. The front porch was wide and inviting, supported by white columns that gave the house a classic, welcoming feel. A porch swing hung from chains on one side, still swaying gently as if someone had just gotten up from it. Hanging plants dotted the edges of the porch, their green leaves trailing down in soft cascades.
The yard was well-kept, the lawn green and neatly mowed. Dense hedges lined the property, separating it from the neighbors and adding to the private, suburban feel. It was the kind of house that looked like it belonged on a postcard, the kind of house where families grew up and memories were made.
Leo walked up the path to the front porch. His feet echoed softly on the wooden steps. He reached the door and raised his hand to the doorbell. For a moment, his finger hovered over the button. A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Nervousness.
He was nervous. Standing here, at Elena's door, about to meet her family members face to face for the first time. He had fought vampires and walked through fire and flown to the edge of heaven. But meeting the family of the girl he loved made his heart beat faster in a way that danger never could.
He pressed the doorbell.
Thirty seconds passed. Maybe forty. He heard footsteps inside, approaching the door. Then the door opened, and he found himself looking at Elena's aunt.
Jenna Sommers.
She was mature in age, but her looks told a different story. If Leo had to guess, he would have placed her as a college student, not an aunt raising two teenagers. She had blonde hair, lighter than Elena's, and green hazel eyes that studied him with open curiosity. She wore casual clothes, jeans and a simple top, and there was something about her posture that suggested she was used to dealing with unexpected situations.
Jenna looked at the handsome stranger on her porch. He was young, high school age, with dark hair and eyes that seemed deeper than they should be. His face was the kind of face that made people stop and stare, the kind of face that belonged on magazine covers.
"You are?" she asked. Her voice was polite but questioning.
Leo smiled. It was a warm smile, genuine, the kind of smile that put people at ease. The nervousness that had gripped him moments ago faded as soon as he started speaking.
"I'm Leo Whittemore," he said. He raised his eyebrows slightly, a small playful gesture. "We've actuallyâ"
Jenna cut him off as she said, "Oh, so you are Leo. That's why this voice is so familiar." After all, Leo and Aunt Jenna had a call in which Leo told Aunt Jenna that Elena was staying at his home. She remembered the call clearly, a young man's voice, polite and calm, explaining that her niece was at his place.She had worried that night, the way any guardian would worry, but his voice on the phone had been reassuring.
She continued with a welcoming gesture, "Thanks for caring well for Elena. Why don't you come inside, Leo?"
He stepped through the door into the Gilbert home. The inside was simple and comfortable, the kind of properly American house that filled magazines about suburban living. A living room opened to one side, with a couch and chairs arranged around a coffee table. A staircase led to the second floor. Photos hung on the walls, family pictures showing Elena and Jeremy at various ages, some with their parents, some without.
Leo walked a few steps inside, looking around. Jenna closed the door behind him.
"Where's Elena?" he asked, turning back to face her.
Jenna was already walking toward the kitchen area. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Oh, Elena? She already left for school."She paused, then turned fully to face him.She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossing loosely over her chest. She said, "What, Leo? Don't you like my company?"
Leo thought, he might be a little late. Elena was already at school, and he had walked here slowly, enjoying the morning, and now she was gone. But he looked at Jenna, at the way she stood there with a small smile on her face, teasing him, and he said while shaking his head a little, "I like it. After all, who doesn't like the company of a beautiful woman like you?"
Jenna's smile grew. The compliment landed well, as compliments from handsome high school teenagers often did. Her cheeks colored slightly, just a hint of pink.
"You're quite good with words," she said. "No wonder Elena always tells me good things about you." She tilted her head, studying him with fresh interest. "Anyway, what would you like to drink? We have coffee, tea, juice, water. Whatever you want."
Leo considered for a moment. "Coffee would be great. Thank you."
Jenna pushed off from the doorframe and gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. "Coffee it is. Have a seat."
The kitchen was bright and homey. Sunlight streamed through a window above the sink, casting warm light across granite countertops that gleamed with recent cleaning. Pots and pans hung from a rack near the stove. A small vase of fresh flowers sat on the windowsill, their yellow petals catching the light. Jenna moved around the space with easy familiarity, pulling a ceramic mug from the cabinet and reaching for the coffee maker. Her movements were practiced, comfortable, the movements of someone who had made coffee in this kitchen a thousand times.
Leo settled onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter. The stool was wooden, slightly worn from years of use, comfortable. He watched her work, noticing the way she hummed softly under her breath. It was a small habit, unconscious, the kind of thing she probably did without realizing it. The tune was something pop, something from the radio, barely recognizable but pleasant.
"So," Jenna said as she scooped coffee grounds into a filter. The smell of fresh coffee began to fill the kitchen, rich and inviting. "Elena mentioned you two went to the Grill last night. How was that?"
Leo leaned his elbows on the counter. The granite was cool against his skin. "It was good. Nice to get out, you know? Just a normal night. Food, music, bad pool playing on my part."
He knew he was lying. He had not played pool last night. He had done many things last night, but playing pool was not one of them. He could not tell her what had really happened at the Grill. He could not tell her about vampires and compulsion and the strange tension that had filled the air. So he lied, and he hoped his face did not show it.
Jenna laughed. It was a warm sound, genuine, the kind of laugh that made you want to hear it again. "Elena said you were actually pretty terrible. Something about scratching on the break and then sinking the eight ball by accident two turns later."
Leo smiled, though the smile was a little tighter than before. He had not expected Elena to lie to her aunt. She had obviously covered for him, created a story that explained their night without revealing the truth. What else could he do but go with the flow?
"I prefer to think of it as an unconventional approach to the game," he said. "Keeps my opponents guessing."
"Is that what we're calling it?" Jenna pressed start on the coffee maker. The machine hummed to life, water heating, coffee beginning to drip into the pot. She turned to face him fully, leaning back against the counter. Her arms crossed, but loosely this time, more comfortable than before. Her eyes traveled over him once, quick but not quick enough to miss.
God, she thought. Kids these days. When she was in high school, boys looked like boys. They were awkward and gangly and still growing into their features. This one looked like he had been carved by someone with very specific intentions. Those eyes especially. Dark and deep and like they had seen things. They made her feel like she needed to fix her hair, which was ridiculous because she was thirty-two years old and this was her niece's friend. Seventeen, probably. Maybe eighteen. Definitely too young for these thoughts.
"So, Leo Whittemore," she said, drawing his name out a little. Her voice was playful, teasing. "Elena talks about you a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I was starting to think she'd made you up, honestly. Some perfect boyfriend prototype she constructed in her imagination."
Leo's eyebrows rose slightly. Did Elena already tell her about their relationship? He had not been sure how much the aunt knew.
"Boyfriend?" he asked carefully.
Jenna waved a hand dismissively. "Friend. Boyfriend. Whatever the kids call it these days. You know what I mean." She tilted her head, a teasing glint in her green hazel eyes. "Though I have to say, if she did make you up, her imagination is remarkably detailed."
The coffee maker beeped. Jenna turned to fill his mug, grateful for the excuse to look away for a second. Get it together, Jenna. He's seventeen. Probably. She focused on the coffee, on the simple task of pouring, on anything except the way his eyes followed her.
She brought the mug over and set it in front of him. The ceramic was warm, steam rising from the dark liquid inside. "Cream? Sugar?"
"Black is fine."
She nodded approval. "Good choice. Jeremy loads his with so much sugar it's basically coffee-flavored syrup. I keep telling him his teeth are going to revolt, but does he listen? Of course not. He's sixteen. Listening is not in the job description."
Leo wrapped his hands around the warm mug. The ceramic was smooth, comforting against his palms. He took a small sip. The coffee was good, strong but not bitter. "How is Jeremy?" he asked. "Elena mentioned he's been having a rough time."
He already knew about Jeremy situation .And Jeremy was still stuck on Vicki Donovan, following her around like a puppy. Still taking drugs from her, probably. Some things had changed due to his recent actions, but some things remained the same. Jeremy's pain, his grief, his bad choicesâthose were harder to shift.
Jenna's expression softened. The flirtatious edge faded, replaced by something more real, more vulnerable. She sighed and pulled out the stool across from him, sitting down. Her hands rested on the counter, fingers intertwined.
"He's... managing," she said. Her voice was quieter now. "Some days are better than others. You know how it is. Losing both parents, it's not the kind of thing you just get over. It's not the kind of thing anyone gets over, really. You just learn to carry it differently." She paused, running a hand through her blonde hair. "He's seeing a counselor, which helps. I think. I hope. Some days I'm not sure if it's helping or just giving him a place to be sad where someone gets paid to listen."
She looked down at her hands, then back up at him.
"I'm doing my best," she continued. "But some days I feel like I'm just winging it, you know? There's no instruction manual for this. No book that tells you how to raise your dead sister's kids while also dealing with your own grief. I just... I show up every day and hope I'm not messing them up worse than they already are."
Leo nodded. He understood loss. He understood it in ways she could not imagine.
"You're doing more than most would," he said. His voice was gentle, sincere. "Being there for them, showing up every day, caring about whether you're doing it rightâthat counts for a lot. More than you think."
Jenna looked at him. Really looked at him. There was something in the way he spoke, a weight behind the words that seemed too heavy for someone his age. Like he had lost things too. Like he knew.
"Listen to you," she said softly. She tried to lighten the mood, but her voice was still touched by the conversation. "All wise and philosophical. You sure you're not secretly forty years old?"
He laughed. It was a real laugh, surprised out of him. "I get that a lot."
"I bet you do." She rested her chin on her hand, elbow on the counter. The morning light caught her eyes, making them look more green than hazel. "So what's your deal, Leo? You're new in town? Because I know pretty much everyone in Mystic Falls, and I've never seen you before." A small smile played at her lips. "And trust me, I would have remembered."
"Relatively new," he said. "Moved here not too long ago. Still finding my footing."
Jenna nodded slowly. "Well, you found Elena. That's something." She paused, considering him. "You're good for her, I think. She smiles more when she talks about you. Real smiles, not the polite ones she gives everyone else. The ones that actually reach her eyes."
Something warm settled in Leo's chest. A feeling he could not quite name. "She's good for me too."
They sat there for a moment, the quiet comfortable between them. Jenna found herself not wanting to break it, which was strange. She usually filled silences, chattered to cover the empty spaces. But with him, it felt natural. Easy. Like they had known each other longer than twenty minutes.
"So," she said eventually, pushing herself up from the stool. Energy returned to her voice. "You want a tour? Since you missed Elena and all. I can show you the embarrassing childhood photos. There's one of her with braces and a bowl cut that is pure gold. I keep it hidden for blackmail purposes."
Leo's smile widened. He genuinely wanted to see this. He wanted to know more about Elena, about her past, about the girl she had been before he knew her. "I would love that."
Jenna grinned and gestured for him to follow. As he stood, mug still in hand, she caught herself thinking that if she were twenty years youngerâhell, ten years youngerâshe might be in real trouble with this one. The thought came and went quickly, pushed aside by common sense and the knowledge of who she was and who he was.
She led him toward the living room, toward the photo-covered walls, and tried very hard not to notice the way he moved. Graceful and quiet, like he was not quite touching the ground. Like he was something more than just a high school boy.
.....
Leave power stones and reviews.