AN: Yet another story updated! I'm on a roll. This chapter was intended to be longer, but I like where I ended it. It's coming along nicely. I hope you guys like it too. Tell me what you think. Are you enjoying the flashbacks? I'm trying to give you their back story; is it working or is it an unnescessary distraction? Let me know and please review. i love hearing what you think.
Again, thank you Megan for getting all of my stories beta'd for me. I really do appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I did borrow some dialogue and a line from Buffy, but don't sue me. I don't have any money, because I don't own the show.
Seeing the Light
Chapter Four: Being Around
Flashback
Freshman year was over. Rory couldn't believe how quickly time had flown by. It felt as though it was just yesterday that she had arrived; fresh faced and terrified. Now, here she was, packing up her stuff preparing to return home older and wiser than when she had arrived. Well, she was older at least. She wasn't sure about the 'wiser' part.
Certainly, she had learned a lot from her studies, that was to be expected. However; she wasn't sure how much she had learned about life. She had been away from her mother for the first time in her life and instead of relishing the chance to be her own person; she had found herself gravitating back to her life in Star's Hollow. She hadn't really made that many new friends, unless you count Logan and his band of merry men: Colin and Finn. There was Paris and Marty, but that was pretty much the extent of her social circle at Yale. She hadn't dated much at all. In fact, her love life was pretty much non-existent. She had gone on a couple of dates but she quickly realised that she wasn't the dating type. Then there was Logan.
Her relationship with Logan was a mystery to her, as was the man. He definitely wasn't her type and she wasn't his; however, they had become friends over the course of the year to a certain extent. In fact, she really wasn't sure if they were friends. They had enjoyed many a sparring match over the course of the year. Their relationship was full of teasing and playful insults, debating and disagreements, but with no real substance. They didn't hang out on a regular basis, mainly because Rory was always far too busy to spend her time getting drunk in the pub with 'The Three Stooges'.
He was attractive…in fact he was pretty much a major league hottie; not that she would ever admit that to him. Logan was the kind of guy who knew how good looking he was and used it to his benefit. He could charm the pants off anyone and everyone. Rory, although strong in her resolve to stave off any advances he would ever possibly make - not that he ever had or would, she was sure - found that she was not entirely immune to his mischievous smile or those dangerously deceptive hazel eyes of his, not to mention the rest of the package…
She suddenly felt herself growing a little warmer as the image of Logan in his birthday suit clouded her mind. She was very nearly tempted to throw the contents of her cup over her face in a bid to cool herself down. That image never ceased to have an effect on her.
But he was Logan Huntzberger, the biggest ladies man on campus and she so wasn't even going to consider going there. No way!
Rory continued to pack up her things, everyone else was already gone. Unfortunately for her, her last final was on Saturday and so having completed the last exam of the year, she had helped herself to the alcoholic mixture the girls had made and was currently enjoying it while 'Franz Ferdinand' played loudly in the background.
"Rory!" Emily said as she entered the room, surprising Rory.
"Grandma!" Rory immediately turned the volume down on the stereo and smiled slightly confused by her grandmother's presence.
"Busy?"
"No, I was just packing and having a little lemonade here," she replied happily, if not a little tipsy. That drink was pretty strong. She put down the cup and faced her grandmother.
"You're done with your finals right?"
"Yes. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I had lunch today at this little place not far from here, with Shira Huntzberger. She's an old friend." At the mention of the name 'Huntzberger', Rory froze wondering where this was leading. "She has a son here at Yale. Logan Huntzberger? Have you met him?"
"Um, I've seen him around," she tried to sound nonchalant.
"Well, would you like to see him again?"
"Um-" she frowned as Emily's smile widened.
"Is now okay?"
"I…" Emily didn't give her a chance to answer, before she knew what was happening, her grandmother was walking towards the door calling out his name. Oh My God!
As Logan appeared at the door with a smirk on his face, Rory felt her whole body temperature soar with embarrassment. She looked down at herself, noticing how plain she looked; in fact she was an absolute mess.
"Logan, this is Rory. Rory…Logan." Emily introduced them and somehow Rory managed to pull her head up and look him in the eye.
"Hi." Logan smiled at her while rolling his eyes.
"Hi," she said softly as she moved forward to shake his hand. Logan narrowed his eyes as he caught a whiff of the alcohol on her breath and tried to prevent the laughter which was threatening to overcome him. Rory was drunk. This is too good! He thought.
"Logan's family and ours go way back. I remember when this young man was in diapers. He's one of the unfortunate souls who had a Saturday final too."
"History."
"Philosophy."
"I meant to introduce the two of you ages ago. I hate that it's so last minute like this. I feel awful." Emily told them as she looked around picking up one of Rory's books.
"Oh, that's okay. Don't feel bad, grandma." Rory said kindly as Logan caught her eye.
"Alcohol. On your breath." He whispered with a smile. Rory quickly covered her mouth and smiled back, shyly.
"Logan, didn't you mention something about you and your friends going out tonight to celebrate?"
"I did, Emily."
"Well, I just had a wonderful idea. Why don't you take Rory with you?"
"Grandma!" Rory's eyes widened in mortification. This was all she needed, her grandmother trying to set her up with Logan Huntzberger. Or even worse; Logan thinking that she asked her grandmother to set them up for her.
"Sure, why not?" Logan agreed and stared back at Rory, with a knowing smile lingering over his features.
"Excellent. Rory would you like to go out with Logan tonight?" Emily asked eagerly, smiling from ear to ear. For Emily, a possible union between her granddaughter and Logan, a Huntzberger, was the stuff dreams were made of.
"Um…"
"Excellent! Well, that's settled." she said, cutting her off. Rory felt her cheeks redden as Logan's eyes burned through her. "Oh, you two will look so cute together."
Kill me now, Rory silently begged. Never before had she felt so utterly humiliated in her entire life. Emily hugged her and bid them farewell, leaving them alone in her dorm room. Rory kept her eyes on the ground, wishing that when she looked up he wouldn't be there. No such luck. He was still there. Standing in front of her looking as handsome as ever with that familiar air of cocky charm and self confidence that drove her insane; his eyes bore into her.
"You know, if you wanted to ask me out, you didn't have to get your grandmother to do it for you, Ace," he said amused at her embarrassment. "I would've said yes."
Rory looked up and frowned. He was being cocky and arrogant and he was teasing her; to be honest she was slightly grateful for that. The angrier he made her, the easier it was for her to forget the fact that her grandmother had just set her up with him and embarrassed her like that.
"Oh don't flatter yourself, Huntzberger," she scowled causing Logan to laugh.
"What are you even still doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be off sailing the seven seas?"
"Yeah, departure time had to be delayed twenty-four hours. I couldn't get out of my history final, so…" He explained as he began taping her boxes together.
"Oh. You don't have to do that," she informed him.
"I don't mind," he shrugged. "So, you should come tonight. We're gonna be at the pub probably all night. It'll be fun. That is unless Finn decides to go through one of his naked phase again," he finished, cringing. Rory smiled.
"Um, I don't know. Maybe."
"I'll take that as a yes. You better show, Gilmore. Otherwise I will tell Emily that you stood me up. She would be none to happy about that," he said haughtily and headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Ace."
With one last smirk, he was gone. Rory found herself smiling like an idiot before she realised what she was doing. She had to stop thinking about him. Resolutely, she turned up the volume on the stereo and continued where she left off, drowning out any and all thoughts of one Logan Huntzberger.
RLRLRLRLRLRL
"Paris, I needed that article like ten minutes ago." Rory called out, not removing her eyes from her computer screen as she continued typing maniacally, trying to finish her own piece.
"In a minute!" yelled Paris. Rory sighed and shook her head.
"You said that five minutes ago, Paris." She was starting to get annoyed.
"Well, stop bugging me and maybe I can get it finished."
"Ah, that's what I like to see. Plenty of loathing in the newsroom. It's just like the good old days." said a familiar voice from the door way. Rory looked up from her computer to see Logan standing, leaning casually against the door frame. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find the editor would you. I have a complaint to make," he said with a smirk on his face.
Rory couldn't help but smile as he moved towards her. She sat back in her chair as he perched himself on the edge of her desk.
"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly.
"Well, I had this sudden urge to take you out for some coffee," he told her while sitting on the edge of her desk.
"Coffee? Shouldn't you be in London?" Rory narrowed her eyes, concerned that he was going to get into trouble because of her.
"Well…"
"Logan!" she whined as he began leafing through the files on her desk.
"Relax Ace! It's fine." He calmly assured her. Rory shook her head in frustration and began typing on her computer again.
"So, you flew thousands of miles just to have coffee with me?" she asked, as she saved her document to disk. Logan shrugged and gave her a little half-smile.
"Well, I missed you, Ace!" he admitted. Rory rolled her eyes.
"You know, you could've just called me. If you missed me so much," she told him brightly as she noticed Paris head her way. Logan frowned as he began to speak, but thought better of it as Paris approached Rory's desk.
"Here! Happy? It's nowhere near good enough, but you insisted on me having it done. So it's done." Paris said in her usual angry tone. Logan straightened up and smiled warmly as he watched Paris in action. He had missed that crazy girl and her rants.
"What are you looking at, Huntzberger?" she glared at him. Then again, maybe he hadn't missed her much after all.
"Paris, stand down." Rory said soothingly, trying to prevent her from scratching Logan's eyes out. "And thank you for finishing your piece. I'm sure it's great."
"Great? Great is not going to win me that Pulitzer now is it?" She scowled and then spun on her heel and left.
"Isn't she pre-med?" Logan asked confused.
"Uh huh!"
"Then why…never mind," he stopped himself from asking the question he knew was going to be answered with an 'Its Paris!' Instead, he slid off of Rory's desk and grabbed her hand pulling her with him towards the door. Rory squealed slightly and quickly grabbed for her purse as she followed him out.
"Logan!" she protested. "I can't just take off. I have things to do."
Logan laughed as he continued to pull her through the corridor, out into the quad and towards the coffee cart.
"Those 'things' can wait," he told her. "I haven't seen you in what, three weeks? Don't you want to catch up? Find out what I've been up to? I bet the suspense is killing you, huh!"
"Logan!" Suddenly they stopped as they reached the line and patiently waited for their turn. Rory shut her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. She was exhausted after all of that walking quickly. It had really taken it out of her and she was now in desperate need for refreshment. Damn him! She thought.
"So?" Logan eyed her sceptically before taking a step forward as the line went down.
"So…what?" he asked, while grinning mischievously from ear to ear.
"What? Tell me? What have you been up to these last few weeks? Did you join the navy? Decide to climb Mount Everest? What?"
"Nothing that adventurous," he stated simply.
"So?"
"So…"
"Logan!" she whined childishly and hit him on the arm. "Quit being a jerk and just tell me already!"
"I can't," he smiled. Rory was really beginning to hate that smile of his. "It will ruin the surprise."
At the mention of the word 'surprise', Rory's eyes widened.
"What surprise?"
"What part of the word 'surprise' didn't you understand? It's a surprise, Ace. Meaning, I'm not telling you."
"You suck! " Rory stuck her tongue out at him causing Logan to laugh at her childish behaviour.
"Wow, real mature Ace," he teased sarcastically. "I can see why they made you editor. With leadership qualities like that, you'll be a shoe in for President someday!"
"Keep laughing, Huntzberger." They finally got to the front of the line and Logan ordered them their usual. Rory gratefully accepted her coffee and immediately raised the cup to her nose to breath in that old familiar smell. It made her mouth water as she moaned before taking a sip. Logan couldn't help but find her incredibly cute and - as weird as it may sound - he found himself a little turned on as she became so consumed with her beverage. There was something really sexy about a girl who could apply that much focus and attention to one specific thing. Watching her with her coffee made him think about what it would be like having that attention solely focused on him. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he followed after her as she made her way to an abandoned bench a few yards away and sat down.
"So, what have I missed?" he asked, while watching her from the corner of his eye. She raised her head and gazed off into the distance as if something were troubling her.
"Ace?" he asked tentatively and placed his free hand on her arm. Rory looked down at his hand on her arm and then sighed, before raising her head to meet his eyes with her own. Logan noted the sadness staring back at him and gently prodded.
"Ace…"
"My parents got married," she said unhappily. Logan frowned immediately surprised by her words.
"What?"
"Yep!" she nodded and took another sip of her coffee.
"Wow!" Logan was incredulous. He knew that her parents were dating again, but married…that was…wow!
"I know." Rory slouched back onto the back of the bench. Logan frowned as he stared at her.
"When?"
"When they went to Paris. They just decided. Just like that." Logan noted the slight hint of bitterness in her tone.
"Wow!" He finished his coffee and then turned to face her. "They didn't tell you? I mean, your mom must have…"
"Nope!" she cut him off. Logan sighed. He now completely understood why she was so upset. She wasn't there. For the four years that he had known Rory for, she and her mother had always had such a freakishly close bond which he could never fully comprehend, so something as big as this would be devastating for Rory. Not being there to watch her mom get married would be painful for the girl who wasn't just her daughter, but her best friend also.
"It's weird you know? I'm glad they got married, in a way. It's every kids dream to have their parents together…"
"I don't know about that!" Logan added sarcastically, referring to his own parents. He had never quite understood how Shira and Mitchum had come to be together.
"…But I should have been there. I should have been there to see my mom and my dad get married," she said softly, hurt and anger obvious in her voice. Logan frowned. His heart broke for her. He hated seeing his Ace upset or sad. The look in her eyes just made him melt and he wanted more than anything to take the pain away.
Logan slid closer to her and flung his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. He pulled her against him and she naturally laid her head on his shoulder. Rory sighed into his embrace and he turned and kissed the top of her head as he began rubbing her arm.
"I'm sure your mom didn't mean to hurt you, Ace. It was just one of those impulsive things, you know. You should talk to her. Work it out," He said softly, as Rory snuggled into his side and closed her eyes imaging that she was anywhere but here. Although, right then at that moment, she was glad she was with Logan.
Logan always had the ability to make her feel better, to make things which seemed bad to begin with become not so bad after all. The main thing was that he was always there for her; no matter if he was thousands of miles away in London or a few yards away. She knew she could always rely on him and that brought her comfort.
Flashback
She felt the tears sting her eyes as she watched him drive away. Her heart sank as she tried to hold them back. Had that really just happened? Did Dean really just break up with me again? A slight breeze whipped at her causing her to shiver as she heard footsteps behind her. Suddenly, Rory remembered that she had just been dumped in front of Logan and his friends. Hugging herself with her arms, she lowered her head, embarrassed as a single tear escaped.
"You'll be okay." Logan said after a few seconds of just watching her. Slowly, she raised her head up to stare him in the eye.
She shook her head.
"No, I won't." Logan smiled sympathetically as his heart broke for his Ace. How dare that jackass treat her like this? His anger grew until he looked back at Rory. She was trying to hold back; desperate not to break down in front of him. Her struggle was in vain though, as the tears began to flow freely. Logan raised his hand to cup her face and gently ran his thumb over her tear stained cheek. Rory gazed up at him, surprised by such an intimate gesture. Logan just smiled warmly back at her.
"You'll be okay. I promise." Rory couldn't help the small smile from covering her features as Logan turned around to address Finn, Colin, and the others. She laughed slightly as Finn mentioned something about doing his re-enactment of 'The Passion of the Christ'. Logan shook his head as he turned back to face her. He caught her gaze for a few moments and then smiled at her as she lowered her head.
"Come on Ace. Nothing ever seems quite as bad after Finn's 'Passion of the Christ', except Finn's 'Passion of the Christ'."
Rory laughed again before managing a smile back at him. "You don't have to do this, Logan."
Logan frowned, a little confused. "Do what?"
"Try to cheer me up. I'm sure you guys have better things to do than-"
"Stop right there, Ace." He raised a hand cutting her off. "You're sad, and as your friend it is my duty to make you happy." Especially considering it was kind of my fault that you and Dean got back together, he added silently to himself. Logan blamed himself a little for the mess she had found herself in regarding the incident of her cheating with her ex boyfriend on his new wife. He knew that she was an adult and could make her own choices, but he felt that if it hadn't been for him ditching her that night at the bar when her grandmother had set them up, she and Dean might not have gotten back together. He felt guilty for not being there for her during the aftermath when he was off sailing to Fiji and busy sinking yachts.
Rory smiled, genuinely touched by his concern. She had known Logan for little over a year and had never, until now, thought of him as someone who would be there for her in a crisis. But here he was; her knight in shining armour, ready to do 'some serious bucking up'.
"So how exactly are you going to go about making me happy?" She queried, her tears drying up. Logan smirked mischievously. He raised his eyebrows suggestively causing Rory to blush. "Logan," she smacked him lightly on the chest as he laughed. "You know what I mean!"
"Well, that's where Finn and copious amounts of alcohol come in." Rory narrowed her eyes. Logan laughed as he wrapped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her back in the direction of the house.
RLRLRLRLRLRL
"I can't believe that guy! My shirt is completely ruined. Not to mention, what a waste of coffee!" Rory complained as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Logan followed her inside, a smile on his face.
"I thought you were going to do some serious damage to that guy. I mean that look you gave him…" Rory spun around to face Logan as he closed the door behind him. She narrowed her eyes. Logan laughed "Yeah, it was kind of like that one." He pointed to her face as she gave him her best withering stare.
"Hey, no one comes between a Gilmore girl and her coffee." Logan widened his eyes and smirked playfully back at her.
"Oh, I am very much aware of that."
"You know, if you were any kind of gentleman, you would have kicked his butt in my defence." She pouted as she headed in to the kitchen in search of a damp cloth to wipe off the residue of her wasted coffee, which had been spilled all over her after some knucklehead had barged into her in his mad dash to read the lunch specials.
"After that particularly nasty ear bashing you gave him, I think he got the message. Being called a 'butt faced miscreant' can really hurt a guy's ego. Believe me, I know," he said sarcastically as she re-entered the living room. Logan was leaning on the back of the couch with his arms folded across his chest.
"Well, if he had any manners, he would have at least bought me a replacement," she argued snottily. Logan shook his head.
"What? To go with the two I bought you on the way over here?" Rory shrugged, while continuing to dab her coffee stained shirt with the wet cloth. It wasn't working though. There was no saving this shirt. It was a goner.
"That was the least you could do. I mean it was your fault, after all." Logan's eyes widened incredulously.
"What?" Rory smiled. "How exactly do you work that one out? If memory serves, I was the one who warned you to look out."
"Yes, and you warning me caused me to stop while directly in the path of that guy. Thus allowing him to bump into me and spill my coffee."
"I…that's…" he shook his head slightly speechless. "Your logic does not resemble our Earth logic."
"Yeah, mine is much more advanced." Logan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Will you just go get changed already? I would like to show you that surprise at some point this century." At the mention of his surprise, Rory brightened and beamed back at him. She bounced up and down and clapped her hands together just like an excited two year old.
"Ooh! Surprises! I love surprises. Give me a clue what it is?" she pleaded, completely forgetting about her shirt and her beloved coffee.
"Uh uh!" Logan wagged his finger and shook his head. "No clues. Now go get changed."
"Logan…" she whined. "Just a little clue?" she pouted and gazed at him pleadingly, giving him her puppy dog eyes. Logan laughed and then looked away instantly.
"Don't even try and hit me with the eyes, Ace. It's not going to work. I'm not going to fall for that." He raised his hand to shield himself from her sight as she moved closer. Her big blue eyes begging him to tell her something.
"Please?" she asked especially nicely. Logan turned his head away from her and secured his arms around himself protectively. He was determined not to give in to her. He would resist those eyes of hers. The eyes which could make you do just about anything for her, or force you to tell her all of your deepest, darkest secrets. "Pretty please."
He looked back at her as he felt her hands tugging on his shirt. He didn't realise just how close she was standing, and found himself intoxicated with the smell of her; a sweet mixture of lavender and…coffee. He stared down into her eyes, lost in their vastness, a small smile playing on his lips as she pouted back at him. He was using all of his strength not to grab her and kiss her, as he so desperately wanted to at that moment.
"Come on, Logan." Her voice pulled him back from his thoughts as did the sound of the front door opening to reveal a slightly pissed off looking, Jess. Logan straightened his stance as Rory smiled warmly in greeting him, before wandering over to him and kissing him soundly on the lips forgetting all about Logan's surprise. Logan sighed and ran an unsteady hand through his hair as he tried to regain his composure, while trying to suppress his jealousy.
"Hey Jess!" Rory hugged her boyfriend and placed a sweet kiss on his mouth. Jess shut the door behind him, his frame rigid as he took in the scene before him. As Rory wrapped her arms around him, he kept his eyes securely on Logan.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Um…" Rory started to explain but Logan cut her off.
"I was just in town to surprise Ace here." Logan informed him. His voice was cold and full of loathing as both guys eyeballed each other.
"Huh! That was nice of you." Jess replied, as he slid his arm around Rory's waist, his tone just as icy as Logan's. Rory looked at her boyfriend as he pulled her tight against his side like he was trying to make it painfully obvious that she belonged to him. "Maybe you should have called first. Rory is quite the busy girl these days."
Logan smiled as he considered Jess' statement. "Ace always has time for me. Plus, I wasn't sure whether she would get my calls." He addressed Rory." I think there's something wrong with your answering machine…"
Jess quickly cut him off and turned to Rory. "Aren't you supposed to be at the paper?" He kissed her on the head and Rory pulled away slightly to show him her shirt. Logan's smirk widened into a smile as Jess quickly changed the subject.
"Some jerk walked right into me. He made me spill my coffee." Jess shook his head. "I should go get changed."
"I second that motion." Logan agreed. Rory rolled her eyes at Logan and then frowned.
"You two…"she pointed at both of them. "…play nice."
"Always." Logan said sweetly as he glared back at Jess. Rory really didn't want to leave them alone. She had pretty much done everything in her power to make sure she never left the two of them alone for any large period of time during her relationship with Jess. She was certain if she did, it would end with blood shed. However, she really needed to go get changed out of her shirt and she was dying to know what Logan's surprise was.
"Okay, I won't be long," she said as she slowly and hesitantly moved toward her bedroom, never taking her eyes off the pair of them as they glared back at one another.
As Rory disappeared, Jess returned his vision to the cocky, blonde guy in front of him. "So what exactly are you doing here, Logan?"
Logan smiled arrogantly and then sat himself down on the couch while picking up a magazine to read. "Like I said, I'm just here to see Ace."
Jess dropped his heavy bag on to the table and rolled his eyes as Logan put his feet up making himself at home. He used every molecule of restraint in his body not to punch that cocky smile off his face. He truly despised Logan. He represented everything Jess hated; wealth, privilege, not to mention the fact that he was always sniffing around Rory. He hated guys like Logan. The kind who thought they could have everything they wanted or anyone they wanted. It made his blood boil.
"So does Rory know that your deleting her messages?" Logan asked casually, as he continued reading the magazine. Jess froze in front of him and Logan smiled smugly; happy to see him so uncomfortable. He closed over the magazine and crossed his arms over his chest. "Is she aware of your screening process? Is it just my calls she's not getting or are you trying to cut out all of her friends?"
Jess turned to face Logan as he stood up and walked towards him. "I don't know what you're…"
"Don't insult my intelligence, Jess." He narrowed his eyes. He hated when people underestimated him. "Look, I know you don't like me very much, and believe me, the feeling is mutual but I'm not going anywhere. In fact, you better get used to having me around, because I intend to be around a lot more in the future." Logan calmly informed him, his voice never rising above his normal tone.
Jess remained quiet and just stared back at him with enough hatred and venom to make any man shake with fear. But not Logan. Logan wasn't afraid of him, he pitied him. Logan knew that deep down Jess was fully aware of the fact that Rory was way too good for him and that she would eventually figure it out and leave him behind. Logan also knew that he would still be a part of her life, no matter what. All Jess would have were memories to keep him warm at night while Logan; he would have the real thing. He would have her…given time.
"And if you try and come between us or make things difficult for her, I'll tell her the truth. I'll tell her that her ever loving boyfriend has been lying to her and keeping things from her," he said seriously. "Do you really think she's going to want to be with someone she can't trust?"
Jess clenched his fists as Logan stood before him. He wanted nothing more than to hit him. He wanted to punch that arrogant smirk right off his face, but he knew he couldn't. Logan was right and he wasn't going to risk everything with Rory for some cheap shot. Logan Huntzberger wasn't worth it.
"Hey, I'm ready." Rory announced as she strolled into the living room looking incredible in her blue dress. Both Logan and Jess turned to see her enter. Both were completely floored by how amazing she looked. She was quite simply breathtaking. She stopped abruptly, a frown forming on her face as she noticed the tension between her best friend and her boyfriend. "Is everything alright?" she asked curiously while pulling on her jacket.
Logan smiled warmly back at her as he moved towards her. "Everything's great!" He assured her. "Jess and I were just talking about…basketball."
"Basketball?" She didn't believe him for a second. She looked at Jess and he smiled back at her.
"Yeah, we were just discussing last night's game." Rory narrowed her eyes, the frown on her face growing.
"But you hate basketball," she reminded him. Jess was silent and Logan took the opportunity to change the subject.
"So are you ready to go?" He asked brightly, while flinging an arm over her shoulders. Rory looked up at him suspiciously before remembering the surprise he had promised her. She looked back at Jess.
"Umm…" she hesitated as she looked at him, nervous for his reaction to her leaving with Logan. "Do you mind?" she asked Jess. Logan squeezed her tight against his side mirroring Jess' earlier actions and smiled widely back at Jess.
"Of course he doesn't mind, do you Jess?" Jess stared at Rory. He wanted to tell her not to go. He wanted to tell Logan to go to hell, but he couldn't. Instead he nodded and shrugged his shoulders.
"Not at all," he said through gritted teeth. He flashed Rory a brief smile and then hugged her tightly. "Have a good time. Give me a call."
Rory eyed him sceptically. She didn't believe for one minute that he was really okay with her leaving with Logan, but then again maybe he was trying, she thought. Perhaps he was trying to be okay with her friendship with Logan and this was his attempt at showing her that he really did trust her. She kissed him on the cheek as he sighed and then linked her arm through Logan's as he waited by the door.
"I'll see you tonight." She called back to Jess as Logan held the door open for her. Jess watched them go, his anger slowly building. It reached fever pitch as he caught sight of Logan smiling smugly back at him.
"Bye Jess. We should do this again sometime." Logan winked back at him and then closed the door, leaving Jess to stew in his rage.
