Despite her best intentions, Damon had pulled her from the submerged car, leaving Matt behind to drown. She'd fought him the whole way, had pushed and tugged and kicked with all her might. It hadn't been enough. Damon held her tight and then had left her on the side of the bridge while he dove in for the quarterback. It was too late. Matt hadn't been wearing a Gilbert ring. Hadn't survived.
Damon laid him on the pavement, Elena's legs collapsing beneath her as she knelt by her oldest friend. The boy who had loved her so completely. He had been willing to sacrifice anything for her and he'd paid the ultimate price. And she shrugged away from any attempts to pull her away or comfort her. If Damon had done as she wanted, she would be the one laying there and all of her friends would be able to go on and have a normal life without having to worry about her or protecting her.
Eventually she'd cried herself out, shedding so many tears that she couldn't fight Damon any longer as he pulled her into his arms and tucked her into his own car, turning to collect Matt and deposit him in the trunk.
It was a quiet ride to her house but she wouldn't let Damon come in, silently pleading with him to ensure that Matt was taken care of as he hadn't been before. And once his car was out of sight she turned to her own car, driving to the other people who would be grieving as much as she would. Elena only found one of them, though, catching Tyler coming out of his front door. And before she could question her actions or second-guess them, the car stopped, Elena rushing around and up the steps.
"I'm sorry, Ty. I'm so sorry." Arms wound around him, trying to share whatever comfort she could with him. "Matt..." Her voice cracked at that, dark eyes looking up at the best friend Matt had ever had. Tyler had hated her after she and Matt had broken up sophomore year. No, that wasn't fair. She'd broken up with Matt...had broken his heart and Tyler had hated her for it. But they'd been closer friends since he'd turned werewolf and stopped being an ass. And since Matt had moved on and healed.
"Matt's dead," she finally managed to whisper, tears overflowing once more. And knowing how much that would hurt Tyler, her arms tightened around him, hugging him close. "Rebekah ran his truck off Wickery Bridge. She was trying to kill me and Matt..." Elena had to stop for a moment, trying to gather herself. As much as possible at any rate. "Matt got caught in the middle. I told Damon to save him but..." A shake of her head. OF course Damon hadn't listened to her.