The answer was no. She wouldn’t be happy with the what ifs running constantly in her head. They would tear her apart, she was sure of it. And there, in Lawrence, it was different than home. There no one was plotting against one another. He wasn’t threatening everyone. She wasn’t being the distraction. They weren’t all at constant odds over one thing or another.
They could lead the lives they wanted to, without the weight of the latest scheme over all of their heads. And Matt had said he wouldn’t hate her. Lexi would still be her friend. But Elena. She didn’t know about Elena and she was so scared she’d lose her. Would this push her friend over that already precarious edge she was walking along? But then she remembered Tahiri’s words. It wasn’t up to her or Matt or any of them to pick up Elena. She had to want that for herself before any of them could be of any help. But did that mean Caroline was supposed to not try for some happiness of her own?
Selfish happiness, she reminded herself and rose from the chair. She needed to get her painting and get the hell out of this house. Far away from Klaus and his words and the aching in her body that wanted her to do the exact opposite.
Caroline headed for the painting, ignoring his words, not wanting to hear any more from him. Not wanting to give into the desperate need that was trying to take her over. But then he was standing and he uttered those damn words about letting her heart rule and something in her resolve just broke. That part of her she tried so hard to always keep under check pushed its way up and her perfect little shell cracked.
She flashed to him, lips crashing against his own as she knocked him back toward the wall with all of her strength. She pushed down the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her this was a very bad idea, and let herself get lost in her senses instead.