I know that the ending is a little rough. Well, very rough. But it's almost 1 AM and I've been swimming five hours every day for the past nine days and I'm sore and tired so please just bear with me, and I hope you enjoy.
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"What do you want to see?" Logan asked me as we looked at the movie times.
I glanced at my watch, which read 4:07, before looking back at the times, "How about the 4:15 showing of The Bourne Ultimatum? I'm in the mood for some good car chases."
Logan sent me a look before nodding in agreement and stepping forward to purchase our tickets. As he told the woman which movie we wanted and how many tickets, his eyes were still on the movie times above our heads.
The woman asked, "Would you like a senior discount?"
Logan's head shot down, "Excuse me?" and then a huge smile spread across his face, "Stacey! Oh my god! Stacey! It's so great to see you again."
I took another look at the woman and rolled my eyes. Logan seemed to know every beautiful woman on the East Coast. They finished catching up and Logan called me over.
"Rory, this is Stacey. Stacey, this is my girlfriend, Rory. Stacey and I were good friends back in…" As Logan explained his relationship with Stacey, I took a good look at her, and she was looking at me too. Our eyes met and I saw something strange.
Jealousy.
Well, I always saw jealousy in women's eyes when they realized I was with Logan, but this kind of jealousy was different from all the others. This wasn't open, sinful jealousy because I was with the best looking man in the room. This was deep, private jealousy because I was with the man she loved. And as I watched Logan wave his hands around animatedly, describing an event that he and Stacey had crashed together, I realized he had loved her once too.
But not anymore. Now he loved me.
I glanced at my watch again. 4:12.
"Logan." I put my hand on his shoulder, "We really should get going. We don't want to miss the beginning."
Logan looked at his watch, then back at me, nodding. He turned to Stacey, "Well, it was really great seeing you again, Stace. Maybe we can get together sometime. Here's my number."
He handed her the napkin with his cell phone number on it, waved goodbye, and we walked to the theater together.
As we took our seats, I heard my name being called from behind me. I turned around to see a face that I knew so well, and my heart sunk. The man calling my name walked out of his aisle and down three to ours. He stepped up to me and looked at me with those deep brown eyes before wrapping me in a hug.
My breath caught in my throat and my heart stopped. His unforgettable scent filled my nose and I wanted to pull away so badly, but I forced myself to pick my arms up, too, clasping my hands behind his back.
I heard Logan from behind me, "Well, this is just the night for meeting up with old acquaintances. Rory, who's your friend?"
I broke away from the hug and turned to Logan, "Um, right." I gestured in Logan's direction, "This is my boyfriend, Logan. Logan, this is Jess."
Logan stuck his hand out and Jess took it, shaking it, "So how do you know Rory?"
Jess opened his mouth to answer, but I spoke before he could, "His uncle owns Luke's Diner. Y'know, the one my mom and I go to all the time?"
Logan nodded, looking between Jess and me, "Ah, yes. It was really nice meeting you, Jess, but I think we should take our seats. The movie's about to start."
Jess looked up at the screen and the Coming Attractions came to an end, "Of course. It was great meeting you." Then he turned to me and a chill ran down my back. He spoke in his low husky voice that I had fallen in love with all those years ago, "And it was great seeing you, Rory."
I barely managed to mumble, "You too," and it was hardly audible. Jess nodded, and walked back up to his seat.
As the movie began, I couldn't pay attention. So many thoughts were racing through my mind.
Why hadn't I just let Jess tell Logan the truth about our history? Why had I lied? Well, not lied, but not told the whole truth. My mother always used to tell me the only reason a woman hides her past with a man from a current romantic relation is if she still has feelings for the former partner. But I can't still have feelings for Jess. It's been years! But there was another thing my mother always used to say: If you don't have the right kind of closure at the end of a traumatic relationship, you will love the man forever.
Logan shifted beside me and I turned my head to see him standing.
He whispered, "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."
I nodded and turned my head back to the screen as Matt Damon ran somewhere looking like there was something important he had to do.
About a minute after Logan left for the bathroom, I felt someone's eyes burning into the back of my head, and I knew it had to be Jess. He always had a way of letting you know when he was staring at you. For ten minutes I concentrated on the seatback in front of me, promising myself I wouldn't look back. When I realized I was about to crack, I stood to go look for Logan out at the Concession Stand.
I walked out of the dark theater and let my eyes adjust before searching for Logan. When I found him, I suddenly wished I had stayed in the theater, and let myself look at Jess. Anything would have been better than seeing Logan in the position he was in.
"Geez, Logan!" I cried, "We've been back together for two weeks and you're already necking with another girl."
Him and Stacey jumped apart and I backed away. Stacey wiped her mouth and Logan started to move towards me.
I shook my head, "No, Logan. You don't get to do this to me again." With that I turned and walked back into the theater. I stopped three aisles short of where my popcorn and jacket were, and entered, taking the seat next to Jess.
He turned to me and I swear I saw him smile.
He knew he had one. He knew I was now his. He knew that eventually he would once again have my heart. And I knew that he already did.
As much as I hate being a prize, a felt that that night I would let myself be wanted, even by the man whom I had despised since he left me days before my high school graduation a mere two years ago.
Now, after seeing my boyfriend hooking up with an old flame, I realized hate was just a figure of speech, or a joke. The only person you could ever think to hate is the person who eternally owns your heart, despite your deepest denials. But once you recognize that in reality it is not hate, but love, you can eternally be happy.
I realized I had been staring at Jess throughout all of my thoughts and he realized it too, as he turned to look at me. We held each other's gaze and I found myself lost in his deep brown eyes for the second time that night, except this time, it resulted in a deep, time fulfilling kiss.
We had missed each other. That was obvious. But what was under the surface, what wasn't clear to the naked eye, was that we wanted each other, we need each other, and most importantly, we loved each other.
All I wanted was a night at the movies with my boyfriend, but what I got was so much better.