She thinks she should feel guilty when the clothing starts to shed. She thinks she should stop and pull back; tell him this is something they can't do.

She knows she should do exactly that. But she doesn't, and she doesn't feel guilty either.

She doesn't feel guilty when he is kissing her throat, grazing his fangs along her veins. She doesn't feel guilty when she's straddling him, rocking against him. She doesn't feel guilty when his fingers are playing excellently to her needs and his lips are swallowing her moans.

She doesn't feel guilty when he bites her—although that might be because she bites him back, sucking the blood greedily into her mouth. She doesn't even feel guilty when she cries his name in ecstasy when he's smirking over her as he thrusts one last time—just to prove to her that he can.

She probably should feel guilty. She probably should hate him for many more reasons than she has fingers, but while she regains her senses, she doesn't feel one ounce of guilt.

-x-

They both fall asleep before the guilt can set in. His arm is lazily around her waist, and she's facing him.

When her eyes open in the early hours of the morning, she can't remember falling asleep facing him, so the realization that she turned toward him in her sleep scares her only slightly.

She suspects that little bit of fright is what starts the burnings of guilt within her as she tiptoes carefully around the room, gathering her articles of clothing and putting them on.

-x-

She walks out of his room quietly—a part of her feeling all sorts of déjà vu feelings, and none of them good—she doesn't want to wake him.

She makes it as far as the living room when she sees Stefan staring at the fireplace. "Hello, Caroline," he greets her, and she hears the disappointment in his voice.

"Don't," she says, her lower lip starting to tremble. "Please."

Stefan sighs then. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I shouldn't judge." He motions to the spot next to him, and Caroline accepts the offer, setting her head on his shoulder.

"I know it's wrong. I know that. It's just…there's this rush with him. It's not a high kinda thing, not really. It's like—I don't know—doing something dangerous but knowing you're not going to get hurt."

"But you did," Stefan whispers.

Caroline doesn't pretend to misunderstand. "Not really…well, not anymore now than before. It's just a newer kind of hurt. And he needed me and I needed him. What was I supposed to do?"

Stefan looks at her and Caroline sees the understanding in his eyes. She's not the only one who's done something they regret with the vampire that made them. "I don't know," he answers.