Wait
Her cell phone was buzzing annoyingly in a way that warned her of a text message. She squinted through the early morning light, flailing an arm out in search to find her cell where she usually put it on her bed side table. This only resulted in her being overbalanced falling onto the floor with an 'umph.'
She glared at the couch she had just rolled off as if it where its fault before remembering she usually didn't sleep on a couch. She glanced around the unfamiliar room as her tired mind slowly reminded her of the events of last night. She smiled at the thought and leaned against the couch, pulling her tangled blanket around her tighter.
Her phone buzzed again, reminding her of what had caused her unceremonious collapse onto the floor. She dug her cell out of her purse and flipped it open. She noted that it was much later in the morning then she usually slept before clicking to her messages.
"Where R U???" read one of many, many others, all from the same person, Logan. She rolled her eyes and threw her cell phone back into her open purse.
"I see you're up."
Rory located the source of the voice as Jess entered the room, carrying a mug of fresh, hot coffee.
"You could say that," answered Rory, with a small smile, staring up at him from her position on the floor.
He sat down next to here. "Here," he said handing her the coffee.
"My hero!" she joked before taking a slow sip.
They sat in silence as Rory drank her coffee, Jess watching her. After five minutes she set it down next to her and turned to him.
"What?" she asked him, referring to his staring.
"Nothing," he replied as he reached out and tucked tangled hair behind Rory's ear. He was so close to her she could feel his body heat through her blanket and clothes, she could smell the mixed scent of his cologne and hair gel, and she could see the flecks of gold in his dark brown eyes.
He was even closer, leaning in for what Rory presumed was a kiss. She wanted to too, but she couldn't… Almost subconsciously she lifted a hand and placed her fingertips just barely on his mouth, staying him.
"Wait," she whispered.
Doubt clouded his features as he wondered what he did wrong.
"It's not you," she quickly reassured, letting her fingers linger a moment longer then necessary on Jess' lips. "And I'm not going back on what I said last night either."
"Then what?" asked Jess, not accusatory, but curious, sitting, regretfully, back farther from her again.
"I just need you to wait," she said, eyes pleading.
"For what?" he asked.
She leaned her head, almost wearily, back against the couch cushion. "Because I still have a boyfriend," she said, almost whining, to the ceiling.
"Right," came his quick, almost cold, reply.
"Don't be mad," she said, turning to him. He didn't meet her eyes.
"I'm not," he answered her, his voice was a little rough. He still was avoiding eye contact. He was thinking things over. He was coming to terms with the reality that Logan hadn't magically disappeared after last night.
"Jess…" She reached out and touched his arm, causing him to look back at her. Her expression was concerned, and sincere.
"I'm not mad," he tried to reassure her.
"I just can't…" she trailed off. She didn't want to get involved in another 'affair.' She didn't want to do the thing she came here to do, cheat on Logan with Jess, because that had been with an vindictive motive, but this, them, now... it was all different.
"It's okay… I understand."
"Thanks," she whispered in reply, wrapping her arms around Jess in a hug. He buried his face in her hair and she let her check rest against his warm neck.
"How long?" he questioned in a husky whisper.
"Not long," she answered, pulling back from their embrace.
"Promise?"
"Promise," she repeated with a small smile.
He got to his feet and helped her to hers. She collected her personal items that had made a surprising spread about the room (purse by the coach, coat over by the door, hairbrush in the bathroom…).
"Hope I didn't disturb the guys," she said, half a question, half an apology.
"No, they were just a little surprised that I had a girl up here…"
"Right."
"So…" began Rory, trying to break the awkward silence.
"So…" repeated Jess.
"Well, um, I guess I should get going."
"Yeah."
"See ya'" she farewelled, planting a kiss on Jess' cheek before exiting the apartment.
"See you," he muttered at the closed door. He plopped down on the couch. He hated waiting.
…
"Ace, where have you been?"
She sighed. She was barely in the apartment door, and he was already standing, anticipating her answer with concerned and a touch of anger on his face. "I called you like a million times."
"I just spent the night out, that's all. And you, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Nicaragua or something?"
"Finn had a problem with his passport, the idiot. But because we were already in the city, we had a day and night on the town instead of going."
"Well thanks for informing me that you never left the country and was coming back early," she said with dark sarcasm in her tone.
"Why are you mad at me? You're the one not picking up my calls."
"I was out. I'm allowed to go out," Rory snapped back.
"I was worried about you, I mean you weren't at your mom's-"
"You called my mom's?" she repeated exasperatedly.
"And you weren't with Paris-"
"You called Paris?!" She sighed and collapsed onto the couch.
"Where were you?" he repeated.
"What's the big deal? It's not like you ever tell me were you are going to be…"
"Calm down. I just wanted to know."
Rory sighed again and ran her fingers unsuccessfully through her knotted hair. "I can't believe we are even fighting about this."
"Me too," agreed Logan.
"That's not what I'm mad about," she continued.
"What?" asked Logan confused, thinking their fight was over.
"And I'm not really mad at you, I'm mad at the," she paused in search for a word, "Situation."
"What are you talking about, Ace?" Logan asked, kneeling next to where she sat.
"I'm talking about the fact-," her voice cracked, she hadn't figured it would be this hard, she could barely hold back tears. "That I can't be Logan Huntzberger's girlfriend anymore."
"What?" He was stunned.
"I'm so sorry," she professed. "And I know this is sudden-"
"Think about this for a minute."
"I have thought about it," she protested. "I've done all the thinking I need."
"Then… at least tell me why," he asked. His face was so sad, Rory could hardly handle it. She was slightly surprised that he hadn't protested more to her sudden declaration of a break up. Maybe he knew he already got his second chance a lost it or maybe he knew her too well to fight her when she had that spark of determination in her eyes.
"It's the fact that… you never apologized for yelling at me the night we 'broke up.' That I hadn't known we had broken up. The fact that you didn't think it would matter how many of your sister's friends you slept with when we were apart and let me unknowingly swept into their fold…" She paused, considering, "And it's not just you. It's the fact that I'm staying with you for the completely wrong reasons and neither of us deserves that."
"Ace… please," he said in one last desperate attempt.
"I'm sorry," she repeated in a whisper. "I'm going to pack some of my stuff now and I'll get the rest of my stuff next week, if that's okay with you…"
"That's fine," he replied in a sad whisper.
She went about the room collecting several of her most important things ( her laptop, several changes of clothes, her best books…) and stuffed them into a overnight bag.
"Was it another guy?" he asked as she reentered the living room of the apartment they once shared.
'He'd ask that,' she thought to herself before answering, "Yes and no." It was the best explanation she could come up with Jess pointing out to her the things she knew all along.
"Just- Just make sure he treats you right, okay?"
Rory smiled. It was probably the sweetest possible thing he could have said at the moment.
"Logan," she said, taking a few steps toward him, making him look up and meet her eyes. He looked... tired. "I never stopped caring about you and if ever need a friend. I'll always be there…" He nodded in understanding, eyes now averted from her again.
She reached out and touched the side of his face lightly. His eyes flashed back at to meet hers. "One day, once you've grown up a little bit more, you are going to make some girl very lucky to be with you."
She turned from him and walked towards the door and reached toward the doorknob, but a voice interrupted her.
"I always thought that girl would be you…"
She stopped and looked over her shoulder and answered him, "For a while, so did I."
She left. That much she had expected and was prepared for, but she hadn't expected crying as she drove away.
…
It had been two days since she broke up with Logan and was sitting on the couch in Paris' apartment, wallowing. It was harder then she expected, but she couldn't help it. She had loved him and he had loved her, or the most he could with his understanding of love. He had been her boyfriend for a long time, they had lived together.
But wallowing wasn't worth it anymore…
She had concentrated so much on being sad she forgot about the one thing that started all this mess that made her happy.
She picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hello," said the voice on the other line.
"You don't have to wait any longer."
"Rory?"
"Who else?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" quipped the voice across the line.
"I'm ready," she professed, ignoring his comment.
"And he's…?" he trailed off, leaving the comment hanging.
"He's no longer in the picture romantically."
"Okay…"
Neither spoke, neither needed to. The silence was enough.
She stayed, he waited… now they were ready.
