If someone had told her, one day before, that she was a witch, she would have laughed. She would have laughed the same way she laughed and didn't take it seriously when her grandmother spoke about her descent linked to the witches of Salem and mentioned that she also possessed a kind of mediumship. To her, that had always sounded like ancient stories, family traditions mixed with superstition. Nothing that belonged to the real world.
That started to become less easy to ignore when, upon touching someone, she really saw something. A sudden sensation, diffuse images, emotions that weren't hers. At the time, she attributed it all to the drink, to tiredness, to any logical explanation that could push away the discomfort. Still, something inside her insisted that there was something wrong or perhaps, too right to be a coincidence.
Everything changed for good when she discovered that her childhood best friend and, if she was honest with herself, her first love, was a sorcerer. If it had been just talk, she would have dismissed it as a joke. Ryan had always had that provocative way. But he didn't just talk: he showed. More than once. And there were no tricks, no staging. It was real. Frighteningly real. And she was the only one who knew.....
Part of her felt strangely relieved. Another part remained in shock. The idea that there was an entire world beyond the one she knew made her mind spin. Still, when Ryan talked about "magic," nothing seemed... wrong. On the contrary. For the first time, she didn't feel broken, nor different in a negative way. Maybe she wasn't going crazy. Maybe there had never been anything wrong with her.
She was a witch.
Accepting that, however, brought feelings too confusing to be named.
And then everything crumbled.
Witches were already too much to process, but vampires? People who fed on blood, creatures that walked among humans? The idea that those she loved could be in danger made a chill settle in her chest. Curiously, she didn't doubt Ryan for a moment. If witches and sorcerers existed, why not vampires?
Besides... Ryan would never lie to her. Never.
And that, somehow, was the scariest part of it all.....
As Caroline would say, she was "freaking out" about this internally.
Bonnie blinked several times, her face pale under the moonlight, as she tried to process the avalanche of information. Vampires. In Mystic Falls. Killing people she knew, or at least heard about. Her thoughts immediately flew to the most important people in her life.
"Caroline... Elena..." She murmured, her voice trembling with worry. "They don't know anything about this. What if one of those vampires attacks them? They're so... normal. They don't have powers like us. My God, Ryan, what do we do?"
Ryan nodded, understanding her panic. He approached a little closer and placed his hand on her shoulder, a simple gesture, but firm enough to convey security and help her calm down. She was clearly "kind of freaking out" facing the truth about that world. After all, it was very different to discover that she possessed powers. Knowing that creatures like vampires, which until a few minutes ago were nothing more than myths, really existed, and that there was a concrete possibility of the people she loved being killed by them, brought a much deeper and overwhelming feeling. An almost inevitable despair.....
"I've already thought about that...." After thinking for a moment, he said calmly: "I'll give each of them a necklace or a bracelet. As a gift that I mentioned that night at the Grill, but with verbena embedded. It'll seem like just a pretty accessory, but it'll protect them from compulsion. It's the best way to keep them safe without revealing everything at once."
Bonnie frowned, an unexpected pang of jealousy rising in her chest. Gifts for Elena and Caroline? Necklaces and bracelets? The idea of him thinking about such personal gifts for the two of them bothered her more than she cared to admit. Her lips tightened into a thin line, and she crossed her arms, trying to disguise it.
"Gifts... for them?" She asked, her tone a bit sharper than intended: "Like, jewelry with verbena? That seems too romantic for a 'protection gift'."
Ryan arched an eyebrow, noticing the subtle change in her tone.
"Bonnie...," He began, amused. "Are you jealous?"
Bonnie huffed.
"It's not jealousy..." She replied too quickly.
Ryan rolled his eyes and decided to be a bit bold in his response: ".... You know you don't need to be jealous, after all. I've always been in love with you three...."
Bonnie went completely still.
His words echoed louder than the sound of the waterfall.
"What?" She asked slowly, turning her face to stare at him directly. The previous glow of excitement had been replaced by something more complex: "You... have always been in love with us three?"
Ryan didn't look away.
"Yes. I believe that was already obvious that night, even after years, I still consider that important and see you three as my women, although that sounded a bit asshole or possessive, it's just a way of saying what I feel for you..." The response came simple, direct: "For you, for Elena, and for Caroline."
The silence that followed was heavy, too dense to be comfortable. Bonnie felt her stomach churn, not from fear this time, but from confusion. One part of her wanted to laugh nervously knowing that her "first love" was still in love with her, another wanted to get angry because it wasn't just for her, and a third... a dangerously large third part felt her heart race.
Despite all the confusing feelings that awakened, all she wanted at that moment was to kiss him, close the distance between them and surrender to what she felt. Part of her believed that that instant should have been theirs, especially that night, even if he seemed involved with Caroline or Elena. Still, there was a hard-to-ignore discomfort. Accepting that he could harbor feelings for her and, at the same time, for her friends, sounded too strange to simply swallow without questioning. Sharing someone you love wasn't common, maybe it had been in other times, but today the culture was different. And, as much as her heart wanted to move forward, reason still hesitated...
Even if she didn't care so much about the idea of "exclusivity," as she had thought before, in the sense of knowing she would never have it while Elena and Caroline were also interested in Ryan, that didn't mean she was really prepared for a relationship where she would be part of a boy's "harem." Theory was one thing; practice, quite another. Still, in a strangely contradictory way, the idea didn't repel her completely. She didn't feel comfortable, but she also didn't feel capable of rejecting it outright. Thinking about it was easy. Facing reality would be much more complicated....
If he had said he loved her, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second to throw herself into his arms, kiss him, and confess everything she felt. But it wasn't just for her that he harbored feelings. Faced with that, what took over her chest wasn't certainty, but a tangle of contradictory emotions, too confusing to be organized.
"Ryan..." She took a deep breath, laughing nervously, and saying: "That's a lot to throw at me in one night. First I'm a witch, then vampires exist, and now you drop this like you're talking about the weather...."
"I know..." He said, without haste. "But I don't like lying, and even less pretending I don't feel what I feel.... So, let's take this step now..."
With his words, the air between them changed subtly....
The sound of the waterfall seemed to fade away, the wind became gentler, and the proximity of the two, sitting side by side on the rock, suddenly became electric.
Bonnie felt her heart race again, not from the fear of vampires, but from something much more intimate. His eyes, green and intense, locked onto hers. She blinked, surprised, when he approached slowly, his face filling almost her entire field of vision. A thousand thoughts collided in her mind like a whirlwind, a pure emotional conflict, chaotic, made of desire, guilt, excitement, and doubt. Part of her screamed to stop, to question all of that. How could he say he was in love with the three and still look at her that way, as if the world boiled down to the two of them? Was it selfishness? Was it wrong? Or just a raw honesty too much, for which she wasn't prepared?
The memory of that night came to mind, along with everything that changed after Ryan left for Japan. Years had passed, but her feelings never truly disappeared. Now, with vampires and magic involved, everything seemed even more complicated. Sharing him with Elena and Caroline wasn't what she wanted... but what if it was the only possible way....?
Then, a clearer thought imposed itself. Their secret. Only the two of them knew about the magic; she, a witch; he, a jujutsu sorcerer. No one else. Not Elena, not Caroline. That was just theirs, a unique connection that went beyond childhood friendship. If they got together, they could keep that secret too, at least for now. They didn't need to reveal everything at once.
The temptation to live that in silence, away from others' eyes, was too strong. It was risky, yes, but also strangely engaging. As if it made them accomplices in something forbidden, something no one else would be able to understand. And, in that suspended instant, before any doubt could turn into words, the world around seemed to hold its breath, before she could process, Ryan leaned forward, capturing her lips in an unexpected but inevitable kiss....
The kiss started soft, his lips finding hers with a gentleness that contrasted with the strength Bonnie knew he possessed. She froze for a fraction of a second, surprised, her heart racing from a whirlwind of emotions. Still, as it was something she had desired for a long time, she ended up responding. Her eyes closed slowly while her hands rose to his neck, the instinctive gesture, loaded with trust and surrender.
Ryan deepened the kiss, one hand sliding to the nape of her neck, tilting her head for better access, while the other gently guided her backward, laying her on the smooth, cold rock below them. He positioned himself on top, his body covering hers without crushing her, but with a dominant presence that made her feel protected and desired at the same time....
Her breasts pressed against his firm chest, the contact sending waves of heat through her body, the thin fabric of their clothes not being enough of a barrier to hide the sensation. Bonnie arched her back slightly, a low moan escaping her parted lips as his tongue explored hers, slow and possessive.
Ryan shifted position slightly, staying half on his side so as not to put all his weight on her, and his free hand descended along the curve of her waist to her butt, squeezing firmly, his fingers digging into the soft flesh through the jeans she wore, pulling her closer in a gesture that was both urgent and controlled.
The kiss intensified, the residual taste of alcohol mixed with his, the heat of their bodies contrasting with the cool night air. Bonnie felt every muscle of his tensed, his heart beating hard against hers, and for a moment, the supernatural world, vampires, witches, everything, disappeared, leaving just the two of them....
Ryan pulled away slowly, his lips still brushing hers, his breath hot against her skin.
"Bonnie... Elena and I have already been together and—"
Bonnie didn't let him finish. There was a fire in her gaze, a clear mix of jealousy and desire, when she interrupted him, whispering: "I don't care..."
Her voice came out hoarse, firm, loaded with decision. Before he could react, she pulled him back to her and kissed him again, this time with more intensity. Her lips sought his without hesitation, while her hands tangled in his hair, as if she wanted to claim that instant, that feeling, just for them....
Ryan responded with equal fervor, the kiss becoming a dance of tongues and ragged breaths, while his hands explored her body with a mix of reverence and urgency. He loved that, the sweet and slightly salty taste of her lips, soft and full, contrasting with the smooth brown skin of her face, illuminated by the moon. Bonnie was beautiful, with her dark curly hair falling in waves around her face, her deep brown eyes now half-closed in ecstasy. Her body was a sight: curvy and athletic that made her irresistible. He trailed kisses down to her neck, nibbling lightly at the sensitive skin there, feeling the accelerated pulse under his lips, the subtle scent of vanilla and flowers emanating from her mixing with the humid air of the waterfall.
His hands didn't stay still. One of them went up under her blouse, tracing the curve of her slim waist before reaching her breasts, firm and rounded, perfectly proportioned to her slender body. He squeezed them gently, feeling the softness of the flesh under the lace bra, the nipples hardening under his touch through the fabric, sending shivers through her entire body.
Bonnie moaned softly, arching against him, the contact making waves of pleasure radiate from her chest, hot and electric, as if every nerve was alive.
Meanwhile, Ryan's other hand remained on her butt; ah, that wonderful butt, round and perky, with curves that seemed sculpted, firm enough to fit perfectly in his palms, but soft to the touch, inviting a stronger squeeze. He massaged it slowly, his fingers sinking into the flesh through the tight jeans, feeling the perfect shape that molded to her body, a sensation that left him even more aroused, her heat spreading through his hands like fire.
Bonnie didn't lag behind. She loved exploring his body too, her hands descending along his broad back, tracing the defined muscles under his shirt, feeling the rigidity of his shoulders and chest, sculpted by years of training, probably from those Jujutsu powers he mentioned....
Her fingers dug into his biceps, strong and prominent, as if made of steel covered by hot skin, and she squeezed them with delight, marveling at the sensation of power and protection that emanated from him. Each touch made her feel safe, desired, the contrast between his strength and the gentleness of the kiss leaving her breathless.
She grazed her nails lightly on his nape, pulling him closer, their bodies intertwining in an instinctive rhythm, the heat growing between them like a flame.
But, unfortunately, the moment couldn't last forever. Ryan was the first to pull away, panting, his lips swollen and eyes full of desire. He looked at her, still on top, and murmured with a hoarse voice: "Bonnie... we can't go too far here. The party's down there, and... this deserves a better place..."
Bonnie blinked, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her cheeks flushed. She nodded slowly, still dazed by the whirlwind of sensations, but knowing he was right: "Yeah... yeah, you're right. But... this doesn't end here, right?"
She craved much more: that addictive kiss, those hands exploring her body... She wanted to go all the way with her "first love." Her mind was consumed by desire, to the point of not even considering that what she had done was wrong, after all, Ryan was with Elena...
He smiled, helping her sit up, his arm still around her waist.
"No. We'll finish this later, okay?"
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