4. The Scientist
"Hello, Tristan." God, his name still shocked her. She could smell his cologne. It was almost the same as when they were kids.
He ordered a beer. She couldn't look at him. She kept her eyes forward and awaited her coffee.
"Still addicted?"
She nodded once.
He smiled faintly. "I remember one time-"
"Why are you here?" she interrupted and shifted her eyes to him, tears threatening to escape.
He paused and looked forward. "We agreed to meet here."
She glared at him, a single tear running down her cheek. "Don't be a smartass. You knew what I meant."
He looked to his lap, and their drinks came. She took a sip. "You want to fuck with me some more? Is that it?" she whispered curtly. "It took me ten years to get over you. Over this," she motioned in between them, "and now you're back. Why the fuck are you here?"
He shrugged his shoulders and talked softly, "I want to see him."
"You have seen him. In fact, you were leaving to get food for him the last time I saw you, if I remember right."
He shuddered and looked up at her. She saw the sadness in his eyes, and let another few tears slip. "Don't look at me like that," she whispered.
"Like what?"
"Like I should feel sorry for you." She was crying now. He tried to put his arm around her. "Don't touch me," she retorted.
He hunched his shoulders and took a swing of his beer. "I didn't mean… I didn't think… I didn't want… to hurt you."
"Then why did you?" she asked tersely.
"I wasn't ready… to be a parent. I was a kid, Rory."
"So was I." She broke. "You know? I can't do this." She stood up from the stool, wiping her eyes. "We'll – reschedule… or something," she shouted as she left the diner.
Her hands were shaking as she walked down the road to get on the bus. She cursed not having her own car. She lived close to the school and Jess let her borrow his car whenever she needed to go out of town.
She let him do that. She let him get her again. She promised herself that she wasn't going to break. She was going to be strictly professional and then tell him to keep staying the hell out of her life. She wasn't supposed to get emotional. God, this was so hard.
"Rory!" she heard. Shit.
"Rory! Come on, stop." It was closer.
A force grabbed her arm and pulled her to back.
She sobbed, "I loved you. I loved you so much. I dropped all my dreams for you – because you asked me to. I had this kid because you assured me it would work out." She was crying so hard she could hardly even talk. She paused to catch her breath. She breathily said, "And it has worked out – without you. So just go, okay?! Just go. I'm finally okay; I've finally picked up all the pieces."
He walked up to her quickly and tried to embrace her. She pushed him away.
"Where the hell have you been all these years?!"
He put his hands in his pockets. "London. The business…"
She laughed sharply. "Right. Making the big bucks for Daddy, yeah?" she spat.
He whispered, "I'm not proud of it."
"Well guess what? You had fifteen years to quit, if it was so bad."
He paused. "I missed you."
She ducked down with anger and frustration and dug her hands into her hair. She came up crying hard. "Don't you say that!"
"Did you miss me?" He took a step closer.
She looked down to the ground and nodded once. He stepped once more. He took her face into his hands and made her face him.
"You look so beautiful."
She let another couple of tears go as he was pulling his face closer.
This was the moment she had been longing for. To feel his kiss again again. She dreamed of it, wondered about it, and yearned for it. She made a quick pro-con list in her head whether this was a good idea or not, but too soon, he placed his lips on hers. And before she knew it, she was returning it.
They let their emotions take over them.
A/N: Sorry this one took a little longer than I meant it to. I know what I'm doing and I am not rushing it. Look at their background. If you have, you'll understand. Review!
