[ All he has to do is let himself believe that something good could come out of this. That she's not going to change her mind anytime within the next...oh -- week or so when she realizes she's picked the wrong brother. It's easy. (Except for where it's not.)
Ugh. It's all Katherine's fault, really. She's messed him up to the point where he can't just accept the possibility that Elena could be really -- for realsies -- in love with him.
So now the big question is: will he just take what he can get and screw the later of it all?
Tick tock, tick tock.
Looks like he's going to hate himself for what he's about to do. ]
We both know I'm good enough for you, Elena. [ Here we go. ] I do horrible things. I'm a dick.
You know the rest. [ He gets up and moves to the sink for clean up duty. He knows she's getting pretty close with that lamp post, Sam Winchester, and it seems like she's made a choice not to be with Stefan (he's assuming -- since his brother's moved on to date Caroline), it's really best for Elena to be with someone who's not a whole century and a half older than her. Someone living. Someone who's not -- him.
And with Klaus gone and Rebekah seeming to be interested in playing nice and doing her own thing, Elena might have a chance at living a better life here without the Salvatore brothers' constant involvement. ]
If you're not going to eat -- you should get some sleep.