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Summary: Ok, this is kind of long, and completely AU. Rory and her twin brother, Ben, are the beloved children of Christopher & Lorelei Hayden. She is best friends with Louise, Madeline and Paris, and Tristan was her childhood sweetheart. Two years before, he was sent to military school in North Carolina, and broke her heart before he left, sending her into a downward spiral. Now he's back, and Rory's life will never be the same.
Rating: Starts out as a PG-13/R, but moves on to light NC-17 later on.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Gilmore Girls is the belongs to the shows writers and producers, who bring these amazing characters to life every week. I am simply having fun. I am a poor college student, who has no money, so please don't sue me.
Part 1
Rory Hayden smiled as she walked down the halls of Chilton Preperatory Academy. It was the first day of school, and she was excited to be back. She had missed her friends, the gossiping, the challenge she faced every year to remain at the top of the class, both academically and socially. She lived a charmed life, and she knew it. Unlike her friends, she was the beloved daughter of two parents who loved each other and adored their children. Most of the other Chilton parents treated their children as if they were trophies to show off at the Country Club. Lorelei and Christopher Hayden held only pride and admiration for their children. It was their love that pushed Rory and Ben to excel at everything they did.
Rory smiled as she saw her three best friends, Louise, Madeline, and Paris. The four of them had grown up together, and took pleasure in tormenting their classmates, as well, as in torturing the boys, well, at least Rory, Madeline and Louise did. Paris was shy when it came to guys, she was more focused on grades than make-up and clothes. Rory had tried for years to introduce Paris to the wonders of highlights and mascara, but so far, without any success. Madeline smiled, and waved Rory over. The girls were catching up on what had happened over the summer. She smiled as she sat down and took a seat, across from Louise and Paris.
"Rory! God, you look great!" Paris gushed, as she looked at her best friend.
Rory smiled, "Thanks."
"How was Europe?"
"Great. Although, Mom and Dad didn't see much, except the hotel room."
"Your parents are so bad!" Madeline laughed.
Rory nodded in agreement.
"Oh my God! I forgot to tell you!" Louise practically screamed.
"What?"
"Tristan's back."
"What??? When???"
"Last week. I wanted to call you, and give you warning, but you didn't get back until last night. So, anyway, his father felt that he had served his time, as it where, and now he's coming here."
All the blood drained from Rory's face. Tristan DuGrey was back. They had been childhood sweethearts. Tristan DuGrey was the only guy she had ever loved. He had been sent to military school in North Carolina two years ago, his punishment for pulling a stupid, illegal prank. He had left her, breaking her heart before he went. He had said he wanted her to be free, that she deserved better than waiting for him. She had cried for a month.
That was when Rory Hayden had changed. She went from being sweet, the girl that everyone loved, to the head of the most popular clique at school. She had started dating again, within a month of his departure, leaving broken hearts and egos in her wake. For two years, she had been the girl that everyone loved to hate. They feared her, and yearned to please her, and now the one person who could change all that, was back. Well, Tristan DuGrey was in for a surprise.
"I see the wheels, spinning, Lorelei Leigh Hayden. Are you going to make this painful for him?"
Rory just smiled. "Let's go, we'll be late for Lit."
The three girls stood, and followed Rory out into the halls, a knowing smile on all of their faces.
Rory walked into Mr. Medina's class, Paris, Madeline and Louise, following close behind her. She saw him as soon as she entered the classroom, but chose to ignore him. She sat on the other side of the room, where three empty seats were near her desk. She turned her back on him, and proceeded to talk with her friends until Mr. Medina started class a few minutes later.
Tristan had sat patiently for a half an hour, waiting to see her. She was all he had dreamed about in that hell hole. Thoughts of her had sustained him. His blue eyed angel, the girl who held his heart. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her. The girl he left behind had been replaced by a stunning woman. She still had the power to arouse him with a look. But it was her eyes that frightened him. There was a coldness in them that he didn't remember, that he had never seen. He had heard the stories of Rory Hayden, Queen Bee of Chilton, but until now he had never really believed it. What had happened to his Rory? Had he killed her when he had let her go?
Rory felt his eyes on her, pleading with her to look at him. She refused to give in. Two years ago, she would have, she would have turned to him, whispering at him with her eyes. But those days were long gone. They ended on a cold December night, when she had offered herself to him, and he had walked away. She forced the memories out of her mind, and tried to focus on Mr. Medina. She needed to get out of here. Why was the day dragging? She needed to talk to her mother, or Ben. She needed to get away from his warm eyes, and seductive smile. She looked over at Paris, and forced a smile, but Paris just shook her head in response. She knew Rory too well, she always had. As children they had been partners in crime, their relationship now, was only a modified version of that.
The bell rang, and Rory stormed out of the room. She had study hall now, thank God, and she walked hastily towards the library, oblivious to the stares of the other students, the fact that her friends were, hurrying to catch up with her, or the anguished look on Tristan's face as she raced from him, as if fleeing. She stormed into the bathroom, and it quickly emptied out, the younger girls anxious to get away, Rory Hayden in a temper was not something you wanted to be around for. Rory whipped out her cell phone, and quickly dialed her mother's number. She paced as she waited for her mother to answer.
"Hello?" Lorelei's voice sounded through the line.
"Mom? I need you to pick me up. I have to go home, now."
"What's wrong, hon? Are you sick?"
"No."
"Its not like you to want to skip out on school."
"Tristan's back."
"I'm on my way. I'll call the Headmaster from the car. Meet me out front. I'm sorry, baby."
"Just get here quick, Mom. Please."
"I'm lightening, babe."
Rory disconnected the phone and sighed. She leaned against the wall, and fell to her knees. She saw the door swing open, and Madeline, Louise and Paris came running towards her.
"Are you okay?" Louise asked Rory shook her head.
"Can we do anything?" Madeline asked, looking at the other girls.
"My mom's coming to get me." They all nodded, knowing no one could cheer Rory up like her lively mother. Rory got to her feet and resumed her earlier pacing.
"I just cant believe he's back. I mean, who the hell does he think he is?"
"Tristan has always thought he was above reproach," Paris put in, watching her best friend with wide eyes.
Rory laughed, nodding. "Did you notice him staring at me? What? Did he think that I'd say, 'oh, honey, you're back' and welcome him with open arms? I don't fucking think so!"
The girls laughed, and Rory sighed, having gotten through her outburst.
"What do you want to do?" Louise asked.
"I want to make him pay." Rory said, and the three girls felt a chill go down their spines at the smile on their friend's face.
Tristan looked around the lunch room, and saw his friend, Adam, wave him over. He and Adam had grown up together, and he was one of the few people Tristan had kept in contact with during his stint in military school. As he approached the table, Tristan noticed that Adam's girlfriend, Madeline, was sitting comfortably next to him, with Louise and Paris. Tristan suppressed a groan, this was not going to be pretty. He knew that Rory was avoiding him, she was angry, she had every right to be. But God, how he had missed her. He sat down, and got glares from the three girls. Adam seemed to be oblivious, and smiled at Tristan.
"So, how does freedom feel?"
"Riveting." Tristan said, as he took a sip of his coke.
"I'll bet. You remember Maddy, Louise and Paris, right?"
Tristan nodded. "How could I forget? You guys were also surrounding Rory."
"Someone had to look out for her," Paris said, her voice dripping.
"Speaking of Rory, where is she? I haven't seen her since Medina's this morning." Adam said.
"She left." Louise said. Tristan felt his heart sink; he had scared her away. "That's not like her." Adam out in, as he took a sip of Madeline's water.
"Lorelei picked her up." Maddy put in.
Adam sighed. He knew it had to be bad, if Lorelei was called in for reinforcements. "Do I see a return of the dark period?" Adam asked, looking at the girls, who were all avoiding his gaze. This was bad.
"Dark period?" Tristan asked. Louise and Paris glared at him, and stormed away from the table. Adam and Maddy sighed. Right now, Paris would like to rake her nails through Tristan's eyes. Louise and Maddy were not far behind her.
"Do you really even care, Tristan?" Maddy asked.
"Maddy."
"Don't 'Maddy' me. You're an ass. You were two years ago, and you are now."
"I didn't do anything."
"Now? Or then?"
"Either time."
"Oh! Of course! That's right! The girl who loved you, who you claimed to have loved more than life itself, offered herself to you, vulnerable, and you walked away. And now you're back. That's great, really great. But if you're thinking you can just pick up where you left off, you're sadly mistaken. The Rory you knew doesn't exist anymore. She hasn't for years. Ask anyone here. Ask them about Rory, about the complete 180 she did. Ask them about how after Christmas break, freshmen year, she turned into the school princess, a new boyfriend every week, dumping them, when they got too close, and breaking hearts in the process. Go ahead, ask. Ask anyone here about how Rory doesn't believe in love anymore. How she thinks that her parents are the rare exception, and its better to guard your heart and never love, like every one else's parents, because then the pain isn't so consuming. Or ask Adam, or Mark, or any of our friends, about how after you left, for a month Rory disappeared. How she could barely bring herself to see Louise, or Paris, or me, because everything about us reminded her of you! Or how about, the party at the end of our freshmen year?"
"Maddy." Adam said, his eyes pleading.
"No!" she screamed at him. "He should hear this. Did Adam tell you about the party? The party that led to her being hospitalized for most of the summer, and only her father keeping it out of the papers?"
"What happened?"
"Oh! She got drunk, really drunk. Had sex with a complete stranger, don't you know? But that wasn't what sent her over the edge. She hid that from everyone, even Paris. It was the memory of you walking away, while she lied on her bed, naked, and the face of the man, who stole her innocence, that drove her to slitting her wrists. Ben found her, and saved her life. She still has the scars, DuGrey. Physically and mentally. Scars like that, they don't heal easily."
Having said her piece, Madeline walked out of the cafeteria, and found Paris and Louise in the quad, staring into space, thinking of their best friend, and fearing what would happen now.
Part 2
The phone in Rory's room had been ringing non-stop. She knew it wasn't her friends. They had her cell number, and knew better than to try and call her while she was so upset. No, only one person would be calling this number so insistently, and she would rather die than talk to him. Rory laughed. 'She would rather die'.she almost had.and it all led back to him. She got up, and went downstairs, where Ben was on the phone with his newest girlfriend. Rory had stopped trying to keep track of them a long time ago. What was the use? None of them lasted very long anyway. She went out back by the pool, and saw her mom stretched out, talking on the phone. Her mom gave her 'the lord help me,' look, and rolled her eyes.
"That's wonderful, really, yes, I heard, a party? Really? No, I don't think that would be a good idea. Rory? Why, she's fine. No, I don't think she would like to do that, okay, I'll ask her, oh! Mitsy, I hear the doorbell. I have to go. Bye!" Lorelei hung up the phone in a huff, and turned to her daughter. "How are you feeling?"
Rory shrugged. "Better, I guess. But I know, I'll get upset again tomorrow, and I really cant miss school."
Lorelei laughed. "You definitely don't get your love of academics from me. Listen, Rory, Tristan's an ass. Don't let his return ruin everything you've worked so hard for. And I know this is bad timing, but my mother called, while you were upstairs. Your dad and I have to go with Mom and Dad to a wedding next week. It's in London, so we'll be gone for about a week. Why don't you have the girls come over and keep you company? Have a little get together.I emphasize the word little."
Rory smield at her mother, and hugged her. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, kiddo. Come on, lets go inside, and we'll prepare you for tomorrow."
Rory laughed, and followed her mother inside.
The next day seemed to fly by for Rory. She was back to her old self. She ignored Tristan, laughed with her friends, and paid attention in class. She knew that he kept staring at her, but she just shrugged it off ad ignored him. She had called the girls last night, and formulated her plan. She was going to have that party her Mom had suggested, but only invited the members of their elite circle. Less people, meant more of an opportunity for an interaction between her and Tristan. She knew that she could only put him off for so long, before he showed up at her house. That would not be good. She wanted to be in control.
She walked into the quad with Paris and Louise. Paris was complaining about her mother, yet again, and Rory had decided that this was the weekend for Operation Paris. She would take her shopping, and to the salon, and when everyone showed up for the party, Paris would blow them away, and effectively shut her mother up for years to come. She smiled at Louise knowingly, and the blonde nodded in agreement. Rory couldn't help but laugh as she joined Madeline and Adam at the table. She smiled at Tristan, then effectively ignored him.
"Ror, what time should I come over on Saturaday?" Madeline asked, while taking a sip of Adam's water bottle.
"Around noon, would work."
"Whats Saturday?" Adam asked
"Our monthly girl bonding day, to be immediately followed by a very exclusive party."
"How exclusive?"
"Well, you all are invited. And of course, Ben's flavor of the week will be there, but I doubt they'll be downstairs much." Rory giggled as she took a sip of her Snapple.
"That's the understatement of the century." Madeline said
Tristan looked around confused. Ben? A stud? Rory throwing a party at the Hayden mansion? Was he in the Twilight Zone?
"Oh! Damn!" Rory said as she looked at her watch. "I was supposed to interview Coach Rianello ten minutes ago."
Paris laughed at the look on Rory's face. "Adam, Mark, Tristan, be at my house around seven. Girls. It's noon. I gotta go." She ran into the building, praying that Coach Rianello wouldn't give her a hard time.
Tristan watched as she ran away, again. Wait. Did she just invite him to her party? Was this a good sign? He looked at Adam, who just shrugged at him, and proceeded to make out with his girlfriend. Something was going on here. Yesterday Rory's friends were ready to kill him, now they were acting like nothing was wrong, like he belonged there. And what was the deal with Rory? Saturday was going to be interesting. She couldn't put him off forever, and he knew that she was expecting a confrontation. Well, if she wanted a confrontation, he would give her one that she would never forget.
Paris stared at her reflection into Rory's floor length mirror. She didn't recognize the person staring back at her. Her once dull brown hair had been cut to her shoulders, framing her face with soft blonde highlights to soften her features. Rory had meticulously applied her makeup, hiding her flaws, and bringing her face to life. Louise and Madeline had picked out her clothes, finally agreeing on a black knee length skirt, with a light pink tank top and black strappy sandals that made her look taller, and more 'hip'. She turned around, and saw her friends smiling at her appearance.
"You look amazing," Louise said, proud with their handiwork. Paris smiled at them. They had all dressed the part tonight. Rory was wearing skin tight black pants, with a bright blue tank top that accentuated the blue brilliance in her eyes. Her hair was tied back, nothing taking away from the beauty of her face. She wore heeled sandals on her feet, slimming her legs, and making her look like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. Louise and Madeline decided to take a different look. Maddy was wearing a pair of blue jeans, with a white sleeveless shirt, scattered with blue flowers. Louise was wearing a flowing red skirt, with a black shirt, that emphasized and hid at the same time. They all looked at each other and smiled. They were going to have fun tonight. They heard the doorbell ring, and hid a smile.
They walked downstairs, as Ben opened the door. Rory led the way into the kitchen, and poured them each a glass of red wine. They held out their glasses in a toast. "To new memories, and good fun." They all smiled, as they clinked their glasses, and quickly drank the contents. Rory heard laughter from the living room, and walked into the living room, where she saw her brother laughing with Adam and Tristan.
Rory took a steadying breath, and approached them. Madeline had already run to Adam, who was twirling her around. Rory almost envied them. She had started to get tired of her own mindless relationships, and meaningless sex, but then, she reminded herself, what else was there for her? She had given up on love a long time ago. She walked over to the couch, and sat down, waiting for Paris and Louise to join her. She gave her brother a look, and he excused himself from Tristan, knowing what Rory needed right now.more alcohol. She saw the nervous look on Tristan's face, and ignored him, waiting for her brother to signal her from the kitchen. She didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, Ben reappeared, and Rory got up, leaving Louise and Paris on the couch. Tristan watched her go, and ran a frustrated hand through his blonde hair.
Ben watched as Rory downed her third shot in ten minutes. He shook his head at her. He hated seeing her like this, and he hated the fact that Tristan did this to her. They used to be friends, before he broke his sister's heart. Now that Tristan was back he didn't know what to do. It was hard not to fall into old patterns, but one look at Rory reminded him. By now the party was in full swing. But he was afraid to leave her. "Come on, Ror.let's go in the living room."
"But.dear brother.this is where the alcohol is." Rory smiled at him.
"Lorelei.."
"Don't take that tone with me, little brother."
"I'm only ten minutes younger than you."
"Yes.but a very mature ten minutes."
"Okay.one more, than we go in."
"Deal," Rory said, as she held out her shot glass grinning. Ben shook his head and refilled the glass. Rory quickly downed the glass, and took the hand that her brother extended to her.
She walked in, and found Paris talking to Henry Chou, and some girl she didn't know. She smiled and walked over to her best friend. "Rory! Where were you?"
"In the kitchen with Ben."
"Ahhh..Ror, this is Lane.she's Henry's new girlfriend."
"Hi," Lane said, addressing Rory. "Your parents house is amazing."
"We like it," Rory said, smiling at her. "You actually look kind of familiar. Are you from Hartford?"
"No.I live twenty minutes away, in a town called Stars Hollow."
"I've been there!"
"You lie!"
"No, seriously, my mom has this serious caffeine addiction. About once a month, we go to this little hole in the wall she discovered that serves the most amazing coffee."
"Luke's"
"Yeah! She's always making jokes about him.Mr. Brooding Baseball Cap."
"That's definitely Luke."
Rory turned to Henry. "You have to bring Lane around more often. We totally have to hang out."
Lane smiled at her, knowing she had just made a new friend.
Part 3
Rory absolutely loved Lane. She was so great. The two girls had spent the past hour talking, while Jason Marks, resident hunk, had asked Paris to dance. Paris face had glowed as she had taken his hand. Henry had gone to talk to some of his friends, knowing that he had left Lane in capable hands. Rory and Lane had dragged outside, onto the large deck, to escape the noise inside. Rory was having so much fun tonight. She had expected to but on a show for Tristan, and hurt him. That was still the plan, but the time had been backed up due to her new friend.
"We should go back in, I don't want Henry to worry." Lane said after a few minutes of random girl talk. She had told Rory all about her life in Stars Hollow, and Rory had told her about life in Hartford.
Rory looked at Lane, and nodded in agreement, the two girls went back into the house, where Rory immediately spotted Tristan, having an intimate conversation with Summer. Rory felt a tightening in her chest, and took a deep breath to suppress the ache. 'Fucking Ho', she thought with disdain, as she glanced at Summer. She shook herself, and smiled at Henry and Rick Simpson, as they walked up to them.
Rick had been expressed in an interest in Rory for some time now. He was the Captain of the football team, and gorgeous to boot. Rory had been giving him consideration, until Tristan had come back. His return had turned her world upside down. She sneaked another glance at him and Summer, and smiled at Rick. Maybe tonight, she would encourage him.
"Rory! Wanna dance?"
"Why, I'd love to."
Rick held out his hand, and she took it, smiling at him. A slow song came on, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Rory closed her eyes, and let the music take hold of her senses. She let Rick roam his hands up and down her back. She didn't feel the sensations that she felt with Tristan, but anything was better than the knowing ache she felt in her heart. She looked up at him, and smiled. "Lets go for a walk, Rick." He nodded, and followed her outside.
Tristan was ignoring Summer, and keeping a careful eye of Rory. Summer had been hanging all over him since she had shown up over an hour ago. He watched as that neanderthal pretty boy, Rick Simpson, dance with Rory, holding her the way that he had dreamed of holding her for two years. He watched in fury as Rick ran his hands down her back, and then Rory as led him outside.
"So, what do you say, Tristan?" Summer asked, smiling at him.
"I'm sorry, what?"
She laughed, and brushed back her hair. "Do you want to come over next Friday? My parents will be out of town."
"Umm.I'm sorry, Summer. I need to do something right now."
"Oh..okay, well let me know."
Tristan turned away from her, and went in the direction of Rory and Rick. He found them out on the deck, kissing. Rory was running her hands through his hair, as Rick caressed her back.
"Excuse me, Rory, can I talk to you?" He asked, willing to bear her wrath just to get her away from the jock.
Rory disengaged herself from Rick. "Cant it wait? I'm sort of busy."
"No, its really important."
She sighed. "Fine. We can talk in my room."
Rory walked past him, leaving him to follow her upstairs. They both knew that he would. She went into her bedroom, and sat on the window seat, waiting for him to say something. He shut the door, and looked at her. God, she was beautiful. And she hated him; he had done that.
"So, what did you want to say, DuGrey?"
"Rory."
"When I was little, I used to think that if you made a wish on one of those stars, that it would actually come true. Isn't that ridiculous? When I was little, I would wish for silly things, like a dress I really wanted, or a horse. All those dreams came true, so I thought it must work. Then, when I was older, when I was with you..."
"Rory." he interrupted
"I would wish for you to love me." she continued as though she hadn't heard him. "I'll never forget how happy I was the day that you told me you did. I thought my world was perfect. Then we found out you were going to be sent away, so I wished to give everything I had to you...and I did...and you turned away...then, I wished that you would call, or write...and find away back to me. You never did." She turned and looked at him. "I don't wish on stars anymore." She took a deep breath. "So what do you want?"
"Besides you, you mean?"
She laughed. "Not even you can be that stupid, DuGrey. Do you honestly think that I'd welcome you back with open arms, say 'that's okay, I forgive you for making me feel humiliated and breaking my heart'?"
"I thought we could start over."
Rory looked throughtful. "Okay...how would you suggest we start that?"
He went up to her, and took her head in his hands, closing his mouth over hers. It had been so long, he thought. He looked down at her, smiling, then picked her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed, and gently placed her on the soft mattress, lying down next to her. "I'm going to do what I should have done two years ago." He said, removing his shirt and pants, leaving him naked except for his boxers.
Rory sat up, removing her own shirt and pants, "I thought you loved me too much to do this to me," she said almost teasingly. Tristan looked down at her, and joined her on the bed. He kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Rory ran her hands, down his back, giving him chills. He pulled back, looking at her smiling up at him, he helped her remove her bra. Rory smiled at the expression on his face, kneeling on the bed and removed the remainder of her clothes. She wanted to give him this, she knew he needed it, to complete the fairy tale. She lied on the bed, and he climbed on top of her, kissing her as he went over every inch of his body. She groaned in anticipation. Only Tristan could ever make her feel like this. She gasped as she felt him enter her, and knew that neither of them would ever be the same.
Part 4
Rory was sitting at her window seat, looking at the panorama of stars above her. She glared at the night sky, and turned away from the window. Her cell phone had been ringing all night, her friends wanting to know what had happened after Rory and Tristan disappeared from the party. She couldn't bear the thought of reliving the experience yet, not even for her best friends. Her telephone had been ringing nonstop, too. Tristan calling to 'talk'. After he had 'made love' to her, he had vowed that they needed to talk through everything soon. The fact that he used the term 'make love', left her unnerved. She preferred to think of sex in a detached way, completely separate from love.
She grabbed her car keys and ran out of the house. She couldn't stay there any more. The memories were suffocating her. She ran past Ben, who was on the phone, and towards her car. She closed the door to the silver BMW her parents had bought her for her birthday last year, and sped out of the driveway, and down the quiet Hartford road. She didn't know where she was going, she didn't care, as long as it was away from here, away from the memories that were consuming her. She turned on the radio, and let the music surround her.
She turned onto the freeway, and felt her first taste of freedom in so long. She saw the sign for Stars Hollow, and turned off. She couldn't explain why shhe was going here, she just knew that it would make her feel better. She drove down the familiar streets, lined with trees. She made a turn and found herself driving down the center of town, past Doosey's Market, and towards Luke's Dinner, with that god awful hardware store sign still hanging above the building. She parked her car on the street, and walked into the diner. Openig the door, she noticed that there were only a few customers inside. She looked at her watch, and sighed. It was getting late, at least for a town like Stars Hollow. She walked up to the counter and sat down. She didn't see Luke anywhere, but a boy her age walked over to her.
"Hey," he said in way of greeting
"Hi."
"What can I get you?"
"Is Luke around?"
"Yeah, he's around here somewhere, you want to talk to him."
"No, I'm just not used to not seeing him out here."
"Ok.so what can I get you?"
"Umm.a coffee."
"Kinda late for coffee isn't it?"
"Bite your tongue, its never too late for coffee."
"Ok, one coffee coming up. How do you take it?"
"Black."
He nodded and walked away. Rory took a deep breath, and felt better. She moved away from the counter, and towards an empty table by the window. She sat down, and stared at the little town. She liked it here, although she would never want to live in someplace like this. She noticed the building across the street, with the sign "Kim Antiques". Lane, she thought. Lane lives here. Right across the street! She could talk to Lane. She wouldn't give her the sympathy she didn't want, or the pitying looks, afraid she would make another stupid mistake because of him. She could talk to Lane, because unlike her friends, Lane didn't have a past with Tristan, a past that complicated her feelings. She smiled at the young guy as he handed her her coffee, and quickly drained its contents. She suddenly felt refreshed. Her caffeine addiction for the day had been fulfilled. She gave him a ten-dollar bill, and walked out of the diner, and across the empty street.
She slowly walked up the steps to Lane's house. She rang the doorbell, and waited patiently for someone to answer the door. After several minutes, a middle aged woman glared down at her.
"How are you?" she demanded in her heavily accented English.
"Umm.I'm here to see Lane."
"Past nine o'clock.Lane study."
"Its really important that I talk to her."
"Mama? Is that for me?" Lane said from inside the house.
Rory smiled as she saw Lane walk towards the door. Lane's face lit up when she saw her. "Rory! What are you doing here?"
"Who is this girl!" Mrs. Kim yelled.
"Mama, this is Rory Hayden. She goes to school with Henry. We met last night."
"Can we talk, Lane?"
Lane looked pleadingly at her mother. "Mama?"
"She friends with Henry?"
"Yes, Mama. They grew up together."
"Fine. But outside, and not too late. You have to study."
"Thank you, Mama," she turned to Rory. "Come on, we can walk while we talk." She grabbed Rory's hand, and led her through the abandoned streets of Stars Hollow.
"So, whats up?"
"I needed to talk to someone."
"What about your friends, or that hunk I saw you disappear with last night."
"I need to talk to someone who hasn't known me my entire life, and I sure wouldn't talk to Tristan."
"Oh, Henry was kind of hoping that you guys had gotten back together. He told me on the way home last night that you guys had been childhood sweethearts, and how he had been sent away two years ago, and you hadn't been the same since."
Rory began to cry. "I don't know what to do!"
"What do you mean?"
"I guess I should start at the beginning. Tristan and I were childhood sweethearts. He was everything to me. I loved him more than anything in the world. He was my world. Anyway, our freshmen year of high school, he started hanging out with these jerks. I told him that they were trouble, but Tristan thought he was immune." She shook her head at the memory.
"Typical guy."
Rory nodded. "So, as a joke, they broke into this one guy's dad's safe. It had a silent alarm, and the police picked them up. Since they were all minors, they decided to let the parents hand out the punishments. Tristan's dad sent him to military school in North Carolina. I'll never forget the night he told me. It was our anniversary. I had decided that that night I would give myself to him. We had grown up together, and we had been dating for three years by this point. So he took me to dinner, wanting to wait to tell me. My parents were at a fundraiser, and Ben left us alone, being one of Tristan's best friends, so we went to my room. We started making out, typical teenage stuff. I told him I wanted to make love to him. He was hesitant. I laughed it off, telling him he was just nervous. He was lying on my bed, and I got up, and undressed, pretty soon I was naked, and laid down on the bed, waiting for him to join me. He never did. He just looked at me, and then turned away like he was disgusted with me. That's when he told me that he was leaving that weekend. He was going to military school in North Carolina. I told him that I didn't care, that I loved him, that I wanted this, I was sure. That nothing could come between us."
Rory laughed and it was hollow. "He looked at me, lying there, and said that he was setting me free. He loved me too much to do that to me. Then he walked out, and I didn't see him or hear from him again until last week, when he returned."
"And now he wants you back."
Rory nodded.
"But, you still love him."
"Its not that easy, Lane."
"Why not?"
"After Tristan left me, I went into a depression. I didn't talk to anyone for almost a month. Then I hid my pain, and went back to school. That was when I started the act."
"What act?"
"Henry can tell you. I changed. I pushed almost everyone away. To all the world, I was the princess of Chilton, to the people who knew me, I was walking a thin line. Then one night, I crossed that line. There was this party at the end of the year. I got really drunk. It was the first party I had been to since Tristan left, and I had just found out that he was still keeping in touch with Adam, in order to keep tabs on me, or some crap like that. So I got really drunk, and ended up sleeping with some guy at the party.
"The next day, I couldn't even look in myself at the mirror. I kept reliving what had happened at the party, and the last night with Tristan. I kept seeing it over and over again. I couldn't take it anymore."
"What did you do?"
"I tried to kill myself. Fortunately, my dad found me, and got me to the hospital before I bled to death. Anyway, after I was released, I made a promise to myself. I would never again let anyone have that kind of power over me. I never let anyone get close to me, any guy anyway. And now the one person who can destroy me is back, and I can't say no to him, and I don't know what to do. My friends are afraid my dark period will make a comeback. And they all used to be friends with Tristan, so they cant hate him, even though they want to. My life is falling apart."
"What do you want to do?" "I don't know."
"Do you want my advice?"
Rory nodded.
"Play it cool. Make him fight for you. He will. And then, you'll know if its what you want, or what you need. Don't make any decisions right now. Give it time, Rory. You need it."
Rory smiled. Lane was right. "Thank you."
"That's what friends are for."
Tristan was standing next to Rory's locker. He had been waiting to see her. She hadn't answered her phone all weekend. When he stopped by the house, Ben had just said that she wasn't home. She went out. He didn't know where. Tristan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was at a total loss. He didn't know what was happening, or what he was going to do about it. All he did know was that he needed her, she was like air to him. He looked up as he saw Rory approaching him, laughing with Paris.
"So, we're going out tonight. I can't believe it, Ror! I have a date, me!"
Rory just shook her head. "Paris, you are a great catch. Now, guys are realizing what we've known all alone. Just promise me that during dinner, you wont launch into a treatise of modern romance traditions."
"That would ruin the mood?"
"Most definitely."
"Deal."
Rory looked up, and saw Tristan standing by her locker. She sighed. She had managed to put him off for two days, apparently that was at an end. She had done a lot of thinking after her talk with Lane. Part of him wanted to just forget the past, to start over, like he wanted. But an even bigger part of her wanted to make him pay for how he had callously abandoned her. She took control of herself, and walked over to him.
"Tristan."
"Rory, I tried calling you."
"I know."
"Did Ben tell you that I came by the house?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
"So what do you want?"
His eyes widened. What did he want? "Rory, we need to talk." "About what?"
He pulled her aside, leaving a grinning Paris staring at them. "We made love, don't you think that that is something we should talk about."
She pulled away from him. "We didn't make love, Tristan. We had sex. That's all it was. Don't confuse sex and love, DuGrey."
"What is wrong with you?"
"There's nothing wrong with me. I told you that I wasn't the same person I was two years ago. Did you think one night in bed would change that? It doesn't. I was horny, and you were there, that's all."
"You don't mean that." "Don't tell me what I do and don't mean."
He shook his head at her. "Doesn't that fact that I love you mean anything? Count for anything?"
"Why should it? Did the fact that I loved you mean anything?"
"Yes."
Rory laughed. "Your memory is faulty, DuGrey." She turned away from him, and opened her locker, where Paris was still grinning. Tristan looked at them, and felt his throat tighten. He didn't cry. He never cried. But the one person who meant the world for him, had just ripped out his heart, and turned it to shreds. He walked away from her, and didn't see the sad look in her eyes as she watched him leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rory sat in her history class, lost in thought. It had been almost a month since her confrontation with Tristan, when she had shot him down, and he had walked away. He hadn't talked to her, barely even looked at her. She had reverted into her shell. And now everyone walked on egg shells around her, including her parents, afraid that one wrong move would send her back into the emergency room. She tried her to concentrate as Mr. Richards rambled on about Ancient Greece. She usually loved this class, but today, she couldn't seen to focus on anything, least of all Alexander the Great and Philip of Macedon. She looked up at the clock, and waited for the bell to ring. Two more minutes, she could make it for two more minutes.
"Okay, so for tomorrow I want you to read Chapter 8 and 9. And I want some topics for your research papers on my desk by Friday. Remember that you will need at least five sources, so keep that in my mind while choosing a topic. You can include some of the Herodotus selections you have been given in class, but no more than two of them, and if you do use Herodotus, I want four additional sources. And we're talking historians here, not pop history." Mr. Richards paused as the bell rang. "See you tomorrow, guys."
Rory rushed out of the class, and towards her locker. She had lunch now, and she was dreading every second of it. She looked around, and saw everyone heading towards the cafeteria. She couldn't bear the thought, so she went straight to the library. It was thankfully empty, and she sat at a table overlooking the quad, reaching into her bag for her newest novel, this week was Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier, the dark mood of the novel fit her mood perfectly.
She opened her book and began reading, but the words just blurred before her. She was misreble. She felt alone, and isolated. It was her own fault, she had the chance to get everything she wanted, and she had ruined it because of her own stupid pride. She looked at the window, and saw Paris sitting on Mark's lap. She smiled wistfully. She was happy for her friend. Paris finally had what she always wanted, to be loved. But Paris' newfound happiness had put a distance between them. Mark was friends with Tristan, and Paris was so wound up in her own happiness, that that left little time for Rory. She tried to tell herself that she didn't care, that it wasn't important, but even she didn't believe that. She heard mute whispering and looked up as she saw Maddy and Louise walk in, obviously looking for her.
They spotted her quickly and walked over to her. "Rory, there you are. What are you doing here?" Louise asked.
Rory shrugged in response, and put her book away. She knew that once they had found her, they would all but force her to join the others.
"Rory, what's going on?" Madeline asked, sitting next to her.
She tried to put on her happy face, but the tears in her throat choked her. Rory looked at Madeline, tears forming in her eyes. "He's with Summer now, isn't he?" Rory asked, knowing that Maddy wouldn't lie to her. Instead, Madeline looked into her lap, trying to avert Rory's gaze. "I screwed up."
"Rory."
"No, I did."
"So now what, a self inflicted exile?" Louise asked.
"Seemed the best way. The guys hate me, Ben's not even speaking to me right now, and I didn't want to put you guys in the middle."
Louise sat down on the other side of Rory. "Sweetie, we don't blame you. You were hurting, and scared. And they guys seem to have conveniently forgotten what Tristan did to you before. We don't."
Rory forced a smile, and stood. "Shall we?" Maddy and Louise, smiled and walked her outside.
The bright sun warmed the coldness inside Rory as she followed Madeline and Louise to where the others were sitting under the trees. She pasted a smile on her face as she approached the others, playing the part she had perfected two years ago. She sat next to Madeline and Louise on the bench under the tree. Paris smiled at her, while Mark talked to Adam. Rory smiled at them, they were so cute together, and Paris was so happy. Rory couldn't help but be happy for her friend. She looked over, and saw Tristan laughing with her brother, Summer perched on his lap. 'Well,' she thought wryly, 'it didn't take him long to find my replacement.'
"Ror?" Paris asked, breaking into Rory's silent revelrie. She saw Tristan turn and look at her, surprise evident in his eyes. She turned to face Paris.
"What?"
"I've been meaning to ask you something. My parents are going out of town next week, do you think it would be alright if I stayed with you?"
Mark turned cold eyes on Rory, and she returned the look to him, before smiling at Paris. "I'll have to check with Mom and Dad, but I don't think it will be a problem."
"Cool! It will be just like when we were kids. We can braid each others hair, and do each others nails, and stay up late talking about boys!" Paris laughed.
"Don't forget the Monty Python marathons."
Paris laughed. "We are the Knight of Nee!"
"We demand a shrubbery!" Rory laughed. She had missed this, she had missed Paris, and the girl time they had always shared with each other. Rory looked up as the bell rang, and everyone scurried into the building. She stole a glance at Tristan, who was helping Summer to her feet. She watched in pain as he kissed her, and grabbed her hand before leading her into the building. Rory took a deep breath, and went inside.
Part 6
Rory was cleaning her room, getting it ready for Paris. She had put clean sheets on the futon, where Paris always slept. She took a look around the spacious room and sighed in satisfaction. She looked at the clock by her bed, and saw that she still had a few hours before Paris' parents would drop her off on their way to the airport. She went into the closet, and pulled out a large brown box in the back corner. Her mother had insisted upon it when Tristan had left two years ago. Rory had wanted to destroy everything, every trace of him, but Lorelei had insisted. Now, Rory was grateful. This box held her most cherished memories. She picked up the box, and placed it on the bed. When she opened the lid, memories flooded her senses.
***Rory was at Maddy's house, her first real boy girl party since grade school. Rory had insisted on going, and her father had told her in no uncertain terms, that she was not going without Ben. Rory laughed. Ben had pretended to be outraged at the thought of going, but he was pretending. He had wanted to go as badly as she had. She looked over at her brother, who was standing in a circle with his friends, while Rory sat on the couch, surrounded by hers.
Maddy walked over to Andrew Markson, one of Ben's friends, and asked him to dance. He took her hand and led her to the center of the room, where he pulled her into his arms. Rory looked over at Louise and Paris and smiled. Maddy was such a tease.
"Rory."
She looked up and saw Tristan staring down at her. "Tristan, hey."
"Would you like to dance.with me, I mean?"
Rory laughed. "I'd love to." He held out a hand to her, and she took it. He pulled her into his arms and Rory smiled up at him. Time seemed to stand still for Rory as she looked up at Tristan. He was her prince, her knight. She looked at him, and smiled as he lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her. Her whole being suddenly came alive as his soft lips melded against hers. It was everything she always dreamed it would be.***
Rory sighed as she looked at the picture of their first kiss. Louise had taken the picture at the party, while Rory and Tristan had been lost in each other. To them at that moment, no one else in the world existed, they didn't even notice the flash of the camera as it went off. She placed the picture on the bed, and continued to look through the box. She saw the stuffed animals he had given her over the years, the pictures of them together, laughing, and smiling, everything was in there. Rory's heart stopped as she saw the one object she had been looking for. The one object that had always meant the world to her. It was the gold heart shaped locket he had given her a year before his departure on one of the happiest nights of her life.
***Rory smiled at Tristan as they waited for their dinner to arrive. Tonight they were celebrating their two year anniversary. Tristan had showed up at her house at 7, in the DuGrey limosine, complete with chauffeur. He had taken her to Chez Pierre's, one of the most elegant restaurants in all of Hartford. He told her that he had the entire night planned, a night she would never forget.
"What?" Rory asked, across the candelit table.
"You look like an angel, Lorelei Leigh."
Rory blushed at him. She had worn her new pink slip dress, with matching sandals. Her mother had purchased it for her last week, on their annual spring shopping spree. Her long brown hair flowed gently down her back. She smiled at him. "I love you, Tris."
"I love you, too. So much that it scares me sometimes."
Rory's eyes widened at him. "Why does it scare you?"
"Most people spend their whole lives looking for what we have, Rory. How many people meet their soulmate when their kids playing in the sandbox."
Rory laughed. "We are definitely the exception to the rule."
Rory looked up as the waiter came over with their food. Rory began eating her chicken, while Tristan ate his steak. The meal passed quickly, and Tristan ordered a Peach flambé for dessert. Rory's eyes widened as the purple flames rose from the large glass bowl. Tristan handed her a spoon, and they dug in, gorging themselves.
Rory laughed as they finished the delicacy, and pressed a hand to her stomach. She felt like she was going to explode. She smiled at Tristan as he waved the waiter over, and asked for the check. He turned and smiled at her, his smiles always made her feel like the most beautiful person in the world. "What?" she asked, as she began to blush.
"Nothing, I just.nothing."
Rory gave him a look, arching her eyebrow at him. "Oookay."
Tristan laughed as he took the check from the waiter, and placed the money on the table. He grabbed her hand, "Come on, our night has just begun."
The limo pulled to a stop at a park outside Hartford. Tristan opened the door, and helped Rory out after him. He smiled at the confused expression on her face.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Come on, you'll see." He took her hand, and led her up a secluded trail, that opened to a view of Hartford at night. The lights from the city shone like beacons to this little haven. "I found this place a couple of months ago, and I wanted to share it with you. That's our world, Rory. That's everything that I want to give you."
"Its so beautiful."
"So are you." He kissed her hand, causing her to blush. "I know we agreed not to exchange presents, but I wanted to give you something, something that you would always cherish, and make you remember tonight." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Rory looked at him with wide eyes, as she opened the velvet lined box. Inside, was nestled a gold heart, engraved with entwining hearts, and the words, "All my love, I give to you, now and forever.
Rory looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Tris.my God, its beautiful, thank you."
"It's a locket, it opens." He helped her open it, and found two pictures of them as children smiling up at them. Rory wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her, as tears ran down her face.
"I love you, so much Tristan, now and forever."***
Rory stared at the locket he had given her on that night years before, the night that had cemented her love for him. She had known that night that there was no going back, that her heart belonged to him. But then, everything had gone so wrong. He had left, not only Hartford, but her. She put the box back in the farthest corner of her closet not wanting to remember anymore. She took the locket, and stared at it, running her fingers over the inscription, one last time. It was time to let him go. He had already moved on, the love he once felt, replaced by contempt.
She opened her desk drawer, and took out her box of stationery. She quickly wrote a letter, placing it and the locket inside the envelope. She wrote his address, and sealed the envelope, as tears silently fell. She looked at the clock by her bed, and saw that she still had a few hours before Paris would arrive. She ran out of the house, and drove to the post office before she could change her mind.
She pulled her car to a stop outside the mail drop off, and dropped the letter inside. It was time to put the past to rest, all of the past.
Part 7
Tristan sat at a secluded table at the Hartford Manor Country Club, bored to tears. His father had asked him to play golf this morning, and Tristan had agreed in pure desperation. His half-relationship with Summer wasn't doing it for him anymore. Every time he thought of their relationship, he felt nothing but self disgust. But the truth was he didn't want to be alone, and Summer was better than the alternative. He didn't want to turn into the brooding person he had become after he had left Rory. He wanted to be the person he was when she was in his life. The only problem with that scenario was that she had cut him out of her life. He sighed and took a sip of his merlot. So, here he was, sitting in the country club he despised, while his father schmoozed an associate of his. They had been sitting here for close to an hour now. He had hoped that after the last hole, he could escape to his room. No such luck. He heard his cell phone ring, and reached into his pocket answering it. "DuGrey." He said into the phone, while he scanned the room for his father. He found him at the bar, flirting with the too young waitress in a too tight dress. 'Some things never change' Tristan thought to himself.
"Hey, man. Where are you?" Ben said.
"Hell, otherwise known as the Hartford Manor."
"My condolences. Last time I was there was for my birthday last year. My parents almost rebelled, but you know Rory, anything to please the elder of the clan."
"Well, Emily is a pretty formidable opponent."
"I know." Ben laughed. "Every day I thank God that she loves me."
Tristan laughed, and he noticed how good it felt, to really laugh. He shook himself back to reality. "So whats up?"
"Just wanted to know what you were doing tonight."
"Not sure, why?"
"I need to get out and do something. I'm getting stir crazy."
"What about the monthly dinner?"
"Postponed. Grandma and Grandpa are in Prague until the 15th."
"Okay, what are you up for?"
"Anything that doesn't include any of the girlfriends."
"Trouble with the woman?"
"Don't get me started."
Tristan laughed. "Okay, I'll pick you up around six, we'll figure something out then,"
"Sounds good."
An hour later, Tristan walked into his family's mansion. His father went straight into his office, and shut the door. Tristan shrugged and went into his room. He changed out of his 'country club' clothes, and pulled on a pair of jeans, and a dark blue sweater. Something itched at his senses. Something was different. He looked around the large room, and saw a letter perched on his dresser. He walked over to it, with narrowed eyes. As he got closer, he recognized the handwriting. His heart jumped in his chest, as he reached for it. He walked over to his bed, and sat down, staring at the letter, almost afraid to open it. Slowly, as if they had a will of their own, his fingers opened the envelope. Tristan jumped as the phone rang. Was it Rory? She had obviously had something to say to him, was she calling to make sure he got her letter? He reached for the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, you."
"Summer." Disappointment filled Tristan as he stared at the envelope.
"What are you doing tonight?"
"Going out with Ben. Why?" His hand reached in, and pulled out the letter. He felt his heart tighten in his chest as his fingers brushed against the cool metal. He took out the letter, and emptied the remaining contents into his hand. Tears filled his eyes as he stared at the locket he had given her. The locket he had saved to buy for her. He had wanted to give her something that was from him, and him alone. He had worked all summer at the country club, hoarding his money, to give this to her. Now, she had given it back.
"I was hoping that we could, you know, do something."
"Summer, I really can't talk right now." He hung up the phone, and threw it across the room. Both in anger at Rory and himself. He opened the letter, and began to read.
Dear Tristan,
There are so many things I want to say to you, but I don't know where to start. I guess the beginning is always a good place. When you left, I felt as if a part of me had died. You took part of me with you, and at the same time, you made it clear that you didn't want me. I know now that you were trying to do what was best for me, but at the time, and for the two years that followed, hurt was the only thing I felt. Actually, hurt doesn't even begin to describe what I felt. I held onto that anger, it was the only way I could hold onto you. It was almost as if I needed it, because if I gave up my anger, then I would give up the only part of you I had left, the only link to you that still remained.
Anyway, I was looking through my box earlier, the box where I kept every memory I have of you. You wouldn't believe some of the things I found in there. I'm rambling. Anyway, I found the locket you gave me in 8th grade, the locket I treasured, almost as much as I treasured you. So, I'm returning it to you. You always had my heart, Tristan, nothing changed that, ever. But, now, I'm setting you free, like you set me free, because I love you too much not to. I know this probably means less than nothing to you, I mean, no one could hold a grudge like you could. Remember how you refused to talk to Adam for over a month freshmen year because he made fun of your bad hair day? Well, that doesn't even begun to compare to the grudge you must now hold against me. But I wanted to explain things to you. Why I said all those horrible things, when I didn't mean a word of them. The truth is that I was scared, actually, terrified would be closer to the truth. You see, the truth is, that no one, not even Ben or my parents, has ever meant as much to me as you always have. When you left, it nearly killed me. Especially when I found out you were checking up on me through Adam, although I know he gave you the sugar coated version of my life, and left the worst parts out. And the thought of you leaving me again, of losing you again, I don't know if I'm strong enough to survive that. You were always my strength. I know that you're with Summer now, and I know that you are happy, at least you seem happy. And if you are, then I'm glad. I want you to be happy, even if its not with me. So, I'm giving you back the locket, the symbol of your love, so that you can give it to whomever..whomever you love, whenever that may be. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, and I want you to know, that I will always love you. Its like you always said, 'you're it for me.'
Lorelei Leigh Hayden
Tristan let the letter fall to the floor, as he held the locket close, and let the tears run unchecked down his face.
Part 8
Tristan glanced at his watch as he rang the doorbell to the Hayden mansion. Today had been torture. He must have stopped himself from racing over here about a hundred times. He sighed, and glanced at his watch again, impatiently tapping his foot against the stone step. He looked up, as Lorelei opened the large oak door, dressed in an evening gown and he expelled a soft sigh. He had been hoping Rory would open the door, he didn't realize how much until he saw her mother.
"Tristan, hi. Are you here to see Ben?"
He nodded in response. "Yeah, is he ready yet?"
Lorelei laughed. "You know Ben, he's still in the shower. You can wait in his room, though."
Tristan nodded, and smiled as Christoper Hayden walked in and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Hi, Mr. Hayden."
Christopher smiled at Tristan. "Hey, Tristan." He turned to Lorelei, "We should get going, honey. We'll be late."
Lorelei nodded, and turned to Tristan. "Would you tell Ben we probably won't be home until late?"
Tristan nodded. "Of course."
"Wonderful. There's food in the fridge, in case you guys get hungry. Melissa will be on duty until we get home, so she can heat it up for you. Have fun." She smiled as her husband wrapped her coat around her delicate shoulders.
Once they were gone, Tristan made his way up the staircase. As he walked past the bathroom by Ben's room, he heard singing from inside. He shook his head, and kept walking down the hallway. He knew that Ben would be a while yet. He looked inside the spacious bedroom, and walked inside. His eyes took in his surroundings, noting all the changes. The last time he had been here, he had been so intent on reaching her, that he hadn't taken note of her room. Gone were all the photos of them, that had once lined all the shelves and tabletops. Now they were empty, or replaced with photos of her with her parents and Ben, or Maddy, Louise and Paris. He felt that familiar tightness returning to his chest, and took a deep breath. He walked over to her window seat, and sat down. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the locket. He simply stared at it for several moments. He walked over to her bed, and hung it on her bedpost. The delicate chain sparkled as he looked at it. He already felt better. The die had been cast when they were children. Their fates were entwined. It was just a matter of time until they found their way back to each other. Tonight, he would take that first step. He owed her that much.
Several hours later, Tristan was lying on the futon in Ben's room, listening to the steady,even breathing coming from his best friend. He had been lying awake for the past two hours, waiting for Rory to come home. He heard the front door shut, and looked at the clock across the room, it was one o'clock in the morning. Was that her? He held his breath in anticipation. Several minutes later, he heard her gentle footsteps in the hallway outside Ben's room. He knew it was her. He got to his feet, and crept out of the room, not wanting to wake Ben. He gently closed the door, and walked down the hall, to where he saw the light shining from her open doorway.
He looked inside, and found her on the bed, clutching his locket. Tears ran down her face, as she stared at the golden heart. Tristan felt his breath lodge in his throat as he watched her. "Rory," he said in desperation.
Her head shot up at the sound of his voice. "Tristan? What are you...how did this? What is going on?"
He walked into the room, and sat next to her on the bed. "May I?" He said, as he motioned to the locket still clutched in her hand.
Rory nodded and held out her hand to him, slowly opening it. She watched through tear filled eyes as he took the locket, and gently fastened it around her neck. She looked up at him, "But I thought..."
He smiled down at her, wiping away her tears. "Its always been you, Ror. It always will be."
"But what about Summer?"
"I broke up with her tonight. I don't love her, I never did. She was just away for me to forget you. Because without you, Rory, life is unbearable."
Rory smiled up at him. "Kiss me, DuGrey. I need to remember."
He smiled, before lowering his head, and gently caressing her lips with his own. It was a gentle kiss, but in it held all the love and longing the two of them had suppressed for far too long. He ran his hand gently down her face, feeling her soft skin. He lifted his head, and looked down at her. "Rory, my God, I..."
Rory shook her head at him. "No regrets, Tristan. What happened, happened. We can't change that. But...we can move forward."
Tristan smiled down at her, and kissed her again. He wanted to kiss her forever. He forced himself to pull himself away. "I should go, I dont want Ben to wake up and wonder where I am."
She smiled at him. "Good point."
"We'll talk tomorrow?"
Rory nodded, as he began to walk towards the door.
"Oh, and Rory?"
"Yes?"
"Don't ever take that off again."
Rory laughed. "I promise."
TBC
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