Chapter 3

Klaus, when he saw Caroline marching towards him, felt a wave of pleasure accompanied by a sudden desire, despite the fact that five years had passed.

"How could you?" her voice hit him.

He wanted to kiss her, she had been waiting for a long time ... but he straightened up and raised an eyebrow.

"How could I what?

"We had sex and you obviously failed to tell me you had a daughter!"

He pulled back because he didn't believe it made her feel so bad. It had been his intention to tell her everything, explain to her how things were and he should have done it: now, she had to explain everything to her in a situation that was not exactly calm.

"You did not have to…"

"Shouldn't I have found out? You were going to say this, weren't you? " Caroline asked angrily.

"No. You shouldn't have found out like that, "Klaus admitted.

"Oh yes? Compliments!"

She continued to glare at him.

"How do you think it felt to find out about everything from your daughter? Not to mention that she has done nothing else what you should have done! "

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd come," he replied dryly.

"Yes, I know, I had come to this by myself".

"It happened a long time ago when you were still with Tyler. Precisely, it happened after a really hard day and after being rejected once again by you, I…. "

Those words only increased her anger.

"So what? Did you have to console yourself because I rejected you and you didn't find anything better than taking her to bed? "

His silence made her even more angry.

"Is it possible that everything has to go to pieces with you? What happened to the emotions, the feelings? I no longer believe that you are the same man you were in Mysticall Falls. "

"And what makes you believe that you are the same person you were five years ago?" Continuing again "And then what's the problem, that I have been in bed with her or that she has brought me to bed first and then you? " Klaus asked in exasperation.

"What was I to you? A risk calculation or just the new toy? "

Klaus was convinced that he wouldn't care much for her, as Hayley is just her daughter's mother and nothing more and he still didn't understand why she was so angry. He had looked for the best time to tell her, without succeeding, so in the end, waiting, waiting ... she had found out.

"I've never said that. Caroline, I would have done anything for you and then, remember that it was you who rejected me ".

"Yes it's true, but you should have been honest with me."

"Why, have you ever been with me?" Klaus answered irritably.

Caroline put her hands on her hips "Don't forget that there was an agreement between us!"

"Exactly Caroline. I promised you that if you told me what you really wanted I would be gone "Klaus continued angrily" And that's what I did Caroline. I have never broken my promise. "

"But you still screwed it up," Caroline admitted hurtfully.

This time it was Klaus who got irritated. After all, he was just trying to explain himself as she once again erected a wall in front of him.

"I never promised you that you would be the only one, you did not have the right to exclusivity."

"So that's the way it is?"

"No, Caroline. With Hayley it was just sex; I was angry because you rejected me once again, she was there and it happened: that's all! There was nothing more after that. Believe me, she's just my daughter's mother, "Klaus finally said exasperatedly.

"Let's be honest though, why do you have all this resentment towards me? Is it just because I didn't tell you I had a daughter? "

Between the two fell a dead silence, so much so that they could hear the heartbeats of people in the distance. Klaus looked at Caroline and Caroline looked at Klaus. Between them everything had to be a challenge, they had to show who was the strongest: in this way, however, one of the two would get hurt.

"I have no resentment towards you!"

Klaus walked over to Caroline and that gesture made her nervous, alarming her.

"I see that I am not indifferent to you, even if years have passed. Is my dear old friend Tyler no longer satisfying you or is he just as deficient as his actions? " Klaus asked mischievously.

"He satisfies me, a lot. It's the best I've ever had, "Caroline replied quickly.

He looked at her with the eyes of someone who wanted to eat her, cover her with kisses and undress her quickly to make her of her. Caroline was not ready for this, she was not ready for that love that, in one way or another was consuming her: she needed time for her wounds to heal.

At those words Klaus moved away from her, tried not to break her neck and not to react in the worst way.

"Why did you come here?" He asked her trying to keep calm.

Caroline was blown away by the question

"I ... .. I'm wondering too"

"What do you want Caroline? What do you want from me?"

"Nothing, I don't want anything from you anymore!" Caroline answered with her lips.

"It's not true! You came here for a reason! " He approached her and lifted her chin with a finger. "Tell me why you're here, Caroline," Klaus added softly.

"There is no longer a valid reason."

"Once again you reject me, once again you raise a wall between us and then ..."

"And then what? Leave me alone Klaus, you've already done it once, you can do it again: in the end, there is always someone who comforts you."

Klaus impatiently blocked her forcefully, making her turn towards him trying to understand something.

"What are you referring to?"

"Do you think I'm so stupid?" Caroline asked, under Klaus' surprised gaze.

"I saw you with the blonde," Caroline barely managed to mutter, before disappearing, leaving him helpless.

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In truth, Caroline didn't care about what people said around. No one had ever seen them as a couple, but she had never been as sad as she was at that moment. She couldn't get out of her head the scene of Klaus dancing with another woman, another that wasn't her. They had never talked about being able to have other relationships also because they had never labeled theirs, but this could not help but hurt her. She loved him, she couldn't take it all and now she was faltering, she was no longer sure she had made the right choice in reaching him.

Klaus was with Hope in the dining room: her windows were wide open on the beautiful gardens, a panorama that only increased his sadness and, consequently, her restlessness. Caroline was gone like that, without giving him time to explain. A few hours had already passed and he hadn't stopped thinking about her for even a minute; he had only one fixed thought: that of having lost her. Her daughter's words brought him back to reality.

"Dad you have to move fast, you have to take her by surprise. Do you remember when you told me you saved her life for her birthday?

Her father was listening to her without speaking and so she continued.

"You told me she was surprised to see you there at her house. Dad, you only know what to do, "her daughter finally said with a mixture of sadness and joy.

This time it was he, however, who needed to be saved. He needed Caroline to save his heart from the tough, bossy and manipulative he had become over the centuries.

He needed her, because he loved her about her.

That new, then not so new, awareness hit him like a punch in the stomach. For a moment he was confused, before exploding with joy and concern. It was certainly not the time to have a relationship, considering that he had not defeated all of his enemies and in the air you could already smell the battle that perhaps, soon after, would begin. But if that wasn't the ideal time ... what would it be?

Hope looked at him with interest "Dad, what do you have in mind?"

"Don't worry honey."

The girl's eyes sparkled "Dad ...."

"Yes, baby. I promise you: I'll take her to her house, "Klaus said in a satisfied voice, stroking her daughter's cheek.