Elena still couldn't process beyond the breakup news. She had heard the part about being a vampire in the future, but without getting her mind past not being with Stefan, grasping the idea of actually being a vampire herself was a little much. Maybe that was why her brain wasn't even ready to try. The thing was, she did know that Stefan wasn't telling her to be cruel. Knowing that she was from a time that she was with him and not telling her... letting her believe they were still together, that would have been more cruel. Knowing that didn't make it hurt any less. It felt like he was breaking up with her now.
She got allowed him to take her hand as she got out of the car. At least he was still a gentleman, though she didn't quite understand why he was even there if she was his ex-girlfriend. If she was dating Damon, why didn't he send Damon? Didn't it hurt him too? Or... had he moved on? She wasn't ready to think about that. She wasn't ready to think about any of this.
"I know," she said softly as he explained why he told her. "Thank you for telling me," she added so he would know she wasn't mad. If she could make it not hurt at all, she would, but it wasn't that simple. She might not have thought too far ahead in the future--what they would do when she started aging and he didn't... but that didn't happen for him because she was a vampire in his time. "Knowing why you told me doesn't make it any easier," she said, trying to keep the tears from escaping.