At the Mystic Grill, the reunion of the group that had grown up together—running through the streets, playing in the mud, and piling up years of memories—was in full swing.
The orders were almost finished when Tyler, who had gone to the bar to grab more drinks, returned with two glasses in hand. He set them down on the table, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Let's make a toast, everyone," he announced, as if he had just taken charge of the situation. "To the miraculous return of our international star."
Ryan let out a soft laugh, fully aware that Tyler was half-joking, half-serious.
Matt, sitting beside him, picked up his own glass with that same easygoing smile he always wore.
"Fair enough," he nodded before adding, "It's been so long since this guy disappeared that I'd almost forgotten what his voice sounded like."
On the outside, he seemed calm. Inside, however, he was struggling to contain the whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. Being there, so close to Elena after months of trying to accept that their relationship was over, was harder than he would ever admit out loud. He had spent weeks telling himself he was fine, that he had moved on, that it had all been inevitable… but seeing Elena smiling like that—especially tonight, in the exact same way she had smiled earlier at school, and for the exact same person—reignited an unease he hadn't expected to feel again.
Still, he tried not to dwell on it. Ryan had been his friend since they were kids racing bikes through the streets of Mystic Falls, since they shared lunches in the school cafeteria—long before there were any expectations of dating, futures, or who Elena should choose. He didn't want any of that to change. His friend's return felt like reclaiming a piece of his own childhood, something he had always missed without fully realizing it. He wanted to enjoy the moment. He wanted to truly be there. He wanted to keep being the friend Ryan remembered.
But at the same time, he couldn't ignore Elena's behavior. She wasn't reacting to Ryan the way she did with just anyone. There was something subtle there—a familiar spark in her eyes, an almost imperceptible gesture, that slight lean of her body toward Ryan whenever he spoke. Matt knew it well. It had once been directed at him.
And no matter how hard he tried to distract himself, the truth forced its way in. Over the past hour, he had noticed every little detail—it was impossible not to. And in that moment, he realized it might finally be time to move on for real… more seriously than his previous attempts, more honestly with himself.
Part of him wondered if he would ever truly get over Elena. He tried to convince himself it was normal, that the impact would fade with time. And in a way, he hoped it would. Ryan deserved this reunion. Elena deserved to move forward. And he… he deserved to stop hurting over something that was no longer his.
Despite the storm of emotions and thoughts swirling inside him, he couldn't let it show. He didn't want to ruin the reunion, didn't want to look like the guy who still hadn't moved on, and least of all did he want to be the kind of person who tried to mark territory after a breakup. So he chose the hardest path: swallow the jealousy, stifle the discomfort, and keep smiling. Be the friend. The nice guy everyone expected him to be.
"Liar," Ryan shot back casually, having heard Matt's words and more or less sensing his emotions and thoughts. "You cried when I left."
"I did not cry!" Matt threw his hands up, but he was laughing.
Caroline immediately raised her glass, posture flawless, smile even more flawless. She was clearly ready to break the night's enthusiasm record.
"I'm in for the toast!" she declared. "Finally, someone with style is back in this town."
"Caroline…" Elena gave her a look and sighed.
"What? He's stylish! Can anyone here deny it?" Caroline glanced around before continuing, "No one? Great. Let's toast!"
She extended her glass into the air. Matt, Tyler, and Ryan followed suit.
But when Ryan noticed that Elena and Bonnie still hadn't picked up theirs, he tilted his head with that smile—unfortunately or fortunately—that made all three girls lose focus for a second.
"And you two?" Ryan asked, lightly shaking his glass. "You're gonna leave me toasting alone, is that it?"
Elena pressed her lips together, a little shy.
"I'm not really in the mood to drink tonight…"
"Me neither," Bonnie added sincerely. "I'm driving later, so—"
Ryan leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand as if he were about to share a secret.
"Relax… you don't have to drink much," he said, his voice lowering just enough to become uncomfortably charming. "Just one sip. Just to be part of our reunion toast. I'm not accepting 'no' for an answer. Think of it as a belated birthday gift for all the years you didn't give me anything…"
Elena stared at him, fighting back a smile that threatened to break free.
"Are you trying to manipulate us, Ryan? Did you forget you didn't give us any gifts either while you were away?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Manipulate?" Ryan placed a hand over his heart as if deeply wounded. "Me? Never. I just think moments like this deserve a full-group toast. You're part of it too."
He glanced at the group with a faint smile.
"And about the gifts… who said I didn't prepare anything?"
Matt's eyes widened as if he'd just heard a forbidden word.
"Wait. Gifts?" He leaned forward, forearms on the table. "You never prepare anything. Even for birthdays, you forgot half the time…"
Tyler nodded exaggeratedly in agreement.
"Dude, you vanished from the country. If you actually brought gifts, I'm already suspicious."
Caroline, on the other hand, straightened up so fast it was like she'd been shocked. Her eyes sparkled as if someone had just announced Christmas was coming a week early.
"I knew it!" she said, pointing at Ryan. "I knew you wouldn't come back to this town without something to make up for your absence. Come on, spill! What is it?"
Bonnie finally seemed to waver, leaning slightly toward him. "You… actually brought us gifts?"
Elena discreetly widened her eyes, surprised and trying to act uninterested.
Ryan saw the three stares fixed on him and relaxed further into his chair, letting his smile grow in that infuriatingly calm way.
"Maybe I brought one or two things…" He spun his glass between his fingers, in no hurry. "But I'm only handing them out after the toast."
"No way!" Caroline slammed her hand on the table, making Matt jump in his seat. "You're not gonna leave us hanging like that! This is emotional torture!"
Tyler chuckled lightly before taking a sip and commenting, "Learned that in Japan? Like… 'I'm a model and I need to manipulate everyone to reach the top'—classic movie-villain mindset, you know?"
"It's a natural talent, actually," Ryan replied with a wink.
Matt shook his head, smiling.
"Man, if that's true, you've got a real gift for keeping people hooked."
Ryan shot Matt an amused smile—the kind that mixed teasing, charm, and a hint of "I know exactly what I'm doing."
"Hooked?" he repeated, voice low and drawn out. "Matt… when have I ever not?"
The line landed on the table with that effortless, casual arrogance of someone who didn't even have to try. Tyler burst out laughing. Caroline made a sound that was half-indignation, half-approval. Bonnie looked away with a tiny guilty smile. Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Ryan set his glass down, tapping the base lightly to draw the group's attention with a simple but firm gesture.
"Okay, okay…" he said, as if finally giving in—though he was still clearly in control. "Enough suspense. Let's do this properly."
He straightened in his chair, reached out, and raised his glass.
"No exceptions, no excuses, no creative outs. Everyone's here. So let's toast."
Surprisingly, Bonnie was the first to cave. She let out a defeated sigh and said, "Fine… okay. One sip. But only because you were gone for years and… because I want to see these gifts."
Elena took a deep breath, picked up her glass, and raised it slowly.
"You really know how to convince people, don't you?"
Caroline crossed her arms in a brief jealous pout that lasted half a second. "He always has. That's the problem."
She raised her own glass and gave Elena and Bonnie a meaningful look, as if daring them to look too excited.
Of course, both ignored her.
Ryan clinked their glasses together in the center of the table with a gentle, almost nostalgic smile.
"So… to the reunion," he said, his voice steady yet soft. "To the years that have passed, to the ones we still have… and to this group that, for some reason, is still the same."
"And to the lack of common sense that's always united us," Matt added
.
"To that too," Tyler raised his glass.
Caroline grinned widely.
"And to our international model returning to Mystic Falls!"
Bonnie rolled her eyes, but her smile was genuine.
"Just one sip, okay."
Elena nodded.
"One sip."
Ryan raised his glass last, looking at each of them and lingering a second longer on the three girls.
"To us."
The glasses clinked with a soft sound.
Elena and Bonnie took their promised sip almost simultaneously.
Caroline noticed—and for half a second, her smile cracked with a tiny jealous fracture.
Ryan set his glass down, satisfied.
"See?" he said lightly, as if he had known all along he'd win. "Didn't even hurt."
"Now talk," Caroline insisted, leaning over the table like she was about to pry the answer out of him by force. "Where are the gifts?"
Ryan let out a low, almost guilty laugh.
"So…" he began, raising his hands lightly. "Technically… yes, I did bring gifts. But…"He paused dramatically, just long enough for everyone to hold their breath:"…they're not with me right now. They're at my apartment."
Caroline's mouth formed a silent "oh," which quickly morphed into another expression—one of someone about to say something that could be interpreted in multiple ways and was perfectly fine with that.
"That's not a problem," she said with a smile that sat dangerously between playful and flirty. "I'm an impatient person, you know? I can go pick them up after the reunion… you just point the way."
Bonnie and Elena exchanged the same automatic glance—an instant, involuntary flicker of jealousy that both tried to hide in completely different ways.
Bonnie pressed her lips together.
Elena tucked her hair behind her ear.
Caroline pretended not to notice. Actually, she noticed perfectly.
Ryan, of course, caught everything. And his smile grew more amused, slower, more… provocative.
"Caroline…" he said, tilting his head. "Your impatience will have to wait for another day."
She blinked, surprised.
"What do you mean?"
"I've got plans later," he answered casually, as if it were the most unimportant thing in the world—and at the same time, clearly wasn't. "Nothing big. Just… plans."
Whatever that meant.
The looks around the table sharpened.
Elena glanced away, as if trying not to show interest—he was talking about the movie night the two of them had planned…! Her heart beat faster.
Bonnie frowned.
Matt raised an eyebrow.
Tyler grinned mischievously.
"Commitment?" Tyler asked. "The kind... professional? Or the kind... too personal to explain to us?"
Ryan just shrugged, laughing.
"The kind you'll have to find out another day."
Tyler slammed his hand on the table, excited.
"Alright, enough mystery! Since you're ditching us soon, come play pool with me. I bet you forgot how to play in Japan."
Ryan stood up, still laughing.
"We'll see."
Matt stood up immediately as well.
"I'm in. It's been a while, and… someone has to stop you two from cheating."
"Me? Cheat?" Tyler placed a hand on his chest, indignant. "Never."
Bonnie, who had been quietly watching everything, suddenly stood with surprising determination.
"I'm coming too," she said with a small, firm smile that carried clear intent. "And I want to team up with Ryan. I need someone skilled on my side."
Elena and Caroline froze for a full second.
The silence that followed was as subtle as it was deafening.
Elena's eyes widened—not much, but enough.
Caroline turned slowly, as if she had just been personally insulted.
Bonnie kept smiling.
Ryan simply raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by the whole thing.
"Team up with me, then?" he asked, still seated but already moving to stand.
"Mm-hmm," Bonnie replied with a quick nod. "If no one minds."
Caroline forced a very tight smile.
"I don't mind. Of course not."
Pause.
"Elena doesn't mind either, right, Elena?"
Elena smiled in that way only someone trying to hide something can.
"No, of course not… it's just a game."
Bonnie just shrugged.
"Great."
Tyler was already heading toward the pool table.
"Let's go, people!"
Ryan stood, but before walking away he gave one last glance to the three girls—a short, precise look that made all three react in completely different ways.
Then, with his usual calm smile, he followed the others.
____________________
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