AN: A BIG thanks to Prada for her help with this chapter there was arguing during the editing process!!! So awesome having her input, and help, and the occasional Logan wouldn't say that! Thanks girl!!!!
And thank you to everyone for there reviews!!!! Keep it up!
Chapter 7 Logan's Visit
Logan watched the exchange between Rory and the soldier and he didn't like it. Finn said she hadn't been here long but there was something there. Had he waited too long? He wanted to be something she could be proud of. He finally had made a name for himself, even his father had acknowledged his success. Why did she want the soldier to stay close it's not like he would hurt her. Then he saw the soldier lean down and kiss her neck. He knows her spot! How does he know that. Finn said as far as he knew there was no one.
"Why are you here?" Rory asked with a sigh as she handed him coffee remembering how he always took it.
"I wanted to tell you about some things in person." Logan said with a sigh as he sat down taking in the things on the table. "Your hand?" He asked as he pointed to the flush with a smile. "Finn would be proud. He worked hard to teach you to play."
"I'm doubt Finn would be proud of anything I do." Rory answered coldly.
"What did he do? I'm supposed to apologize for him, why? He said wants the trips to Australia to continue and he'll never do it again. Should I hurt him for something." Logan was incredibly curious, but he couldn't get anything from Finn. Looking at the way Rory crossed her arms over her chest it looked like he wouldn't get an answer from her either.
"Really Logan are you trying to guard my virtue now. I think that ship sailed a long time ago actually you were the captain for a while." Rory said sarcastically.
Tristan really wished they wouldn't talk so loud, he wasn't sure he wanted to know these things it felt so intrusive to him. But Rory wanted him close. He rolled his eyes as he heard Logan asked her "Why would Finn have anything to do with your virtue?" He really didn't want to know the answer to Logan's question.
"Why are you here Logan?" she asked changing the subject. "I have plans for tonight, get to your point."
"I went to Stars Hollow. You sold the house. Why?" Logan asked ignoring her question just as she had ignored his.
"Because it was filled with memories of you. I sold it a YEAR after you left because Ellie would come home from school every day and sit on the porch waiting for you to come home. Every day for a year. She wasn't getting better she was getting worse. Because of you. So Finn helped me sell the house and we moved into one that had no memories of you. We started moving on. We need to move on."
"That was our home. So you just sold it and left?"
"Well that's why I left why did you leave. I know were weren't really together but you lived there too. You left on business and just never came back. No word, no warning. And I don't want some bull answer I want the truth I think you owe me, for cleaning up the mess you left!"
"You weren't happy." he said with defeat.
"So what! You move out you don't disappear!" Rory said getting close to yelling. "Why did you really leave."
"Your not going to understand. I'm not sure I fully understand anymore." Logan said starting to pace.
"Well try to explain it." Rory said arms crossed as she leaned against the table getting comfortable.
"It was the day of her dance show with Mrs. Patty the one I missed, and Ellie was looking up at me with her big blue eyes, your eyes and she was so sad. Her eyes weren't sparkling the way they always do, I had taken that sparkle away. It was like I was looking in your eyes all over again. How in the beginning you always had this sparkle, you used to look at me with such trust. Remember, you jump I jump, Jack? Over the years that love and trust... it disappeared, even the friendship was disappearing. I couldn't make you laugh anymore. I spent the last month before I left trying to get you to laugh and look at me with that sparkle again. It used to take my breath away. For a full month I tried and failed. The only time I saw it was when you looked at Ellie. You were tenacious, we fought, you would go toe to toe with me if I was wrong or completely out of touch. But one day you stopped fighting, it was like you had given up in a way. Like when you dropped out only worse. And this time I couldn't blame my father or your grandparents. You were slowly becoming a ghost of who you were and it was my fault. I was terrified I would do the same to Ellie. So instead of trying I left. I took the cowards way out."
"So why now?" Rory asked, his reason wasn't what she had expected but that really didn't matter she was still mad and hurt and angry at him for hurting her daughter. She could forgive him if it was just her but it's not. It made her think of her dad and how her mom was always willing to let Rory have all access to Christopher, but she finally thought she understood why mom never really trusted him. She couldn't she had to be ready to pick up the pieces when he bailed again.
"I sold the paper. I did it built the paper from the ground up made it a success. Then I realized it didn't matter because I was alone." He said looking at Rory silently begging her to understand.
"What they run out of blondes in California. You could always switch to red heads Finn swears by them." Rory said cleaning up the cards on the table, trying to distract herself to maintain distance. She wouldn't let him get to her not this time. Too much had happened and to many people had been hurt to go back now. I will NOT be my mother. She thought angrily.
"Ace, I want my family, not a warm body!" he said getting angry.
"Your family is in Hartford say hello to your mother for me. YOU and I are not family! Will never be family. You made your bed go deal with it, we had to. If you want to see Ellie that's her choice I wont stand in your way but so help you if you hurt her. Things between Finn and I may be tense but I will let him bury you if you hurt her again. I stopped him last time I wont be as gracious again." Rory said really yelling, and not caring who could hear.
"Ace, I love...."
"Don't call me that! I stopped being YOUR anything when you left and your best friend started raising your daughter! You think you want me but you don't, if you knew everything you would understand. We are over. We can't go back. I don't want to." she interrupted so angry she wanted to throw something. She thought she had put this all behind her, her anger was surprising.
"I understand so much now. I understand why mom never liked you, your like my dad! But I'm not her I wont let you come back after years and ruin my life. I made sure that's why.." she stopped yelling realizing what she had almost told him.
"Why what, Rory? What did you do?" Logan asked frustrated, nothing had turned out the way he had expected and he had a feeling this was going to be the worst part
She looked at him calculating how badly she wanted to be free once and for all, would this blow up in her face, or would she come to regret it even more than she already did. Was it worth the pain it was going to cause for her to have a chance at a future free of Logan other than child exchanges.
He could almost see the wheels in her head turning, she had that look, she had information he wasn't going to like, she actually looked calculating. It unnerved him to see such a hard look on her face, it didn't fit her, it didn't belong there. Then she let out a small laugh, but it was the sound of it that sent chills up his spine. Never having heard anything like that from her it filled him with dread. "What did you do?" he asked again almost afraid to know.
"The one thing I knew you would never forgive." Rory said looking him dead in the eyes. "Finn."
Outside Tristan, Mason, and Cooper looked at each other "What's a Finn?" Mason asked only to be answered with shrugs from the others. All three leaned closer to the door no longer hearing voices, then suddenly they hear Logan growl "How many times?"
When Rory didn't answer she just shrugged, he knocked over a chair and yelled at her. "Don't give me that crap. You mark it in your calender every time you have sex. How many times did you FUCK my best friend?"
Tristan looked at Cooper "Shit." he said turning to open the door. Once opened he saw Logan was across the room from Rory. She looked at Tristan and shook her head for him to stay out.
"You gave up the right to ask me that when you left! Who I screw or don't screw is my business. It's really that important? The amount of times helps you figure out just how betrayed you feel? Fine. How ever many times you can fit in a four year period. Some months it was more times than others." she said.
Moving back into his place outside the door Tristan let his head fall back against the wall, thinking his Mary defiantly wasn't a Mary anymore.
"What!?" Logan exclaimed hoping he was hearing wrong. She sounded so cold and heartless. Did he do this he wonders? Is he responsible for this stranger standing in front of him.
Rory's next words interrupted his thoughts, "We were friends with benefits for almost four years until six months ago and things go complicated. So we stopped and haven't really talked much since."
"Of course it got complicated Rory. You aren't the no strings type remember?" Logan said sitting down suddenly feeling defeated and tired. Looking up at her he moaned, "Why Finn?" dropping his head into his hands.
"Because I knew it would hurt you, and I wanted to hurt you as badly as you hurt me. I also knew you wouldn't forgive me for it. There is a part of me that wants to forget everything when your around and jump with you all over again, but I can't I had to find a way to safeguard myself from you. I know you don't mean to hurt me but you always do. I don't want to spend the rest of our lives hurting each other and never being able to move on. I want to have a chance at love, I want more children, and to know I don't have to be worried your going to just show up with one of your big gestures and ruin my happiness. I just wish I hadn't hurt Finn in the process. How the hell was I supposed to know he would get emotionally involved?" Rory said plopping down in the chair next to him.
"So your done with Finn, and now you've moved on to soldier boy?" he asked with a malicious tone.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. I need to get away from you before I say something I can not take back." She said getting up and grabbing her box from the table before storming out of the room.
"Now your worried about saying something you can't take back!" he yelled at her back.
