10. A Rush of Blood to the Head

They walked into the diner. Rhett didn't know what to expect. Fat and bushy eyebrows? Probably not. He didn't know his mother's taste, but he knew she didn't go for 'ugly'. He did figure that she didn't have a thing for brunettes, seeing how she never fell for Jess over the many years.

Rory led him across the room. He was looking around. Was it the forty-something, bearded, red-head by the bar reading the newspaper? Was it the pierced, tattooed, bald man sitting in the corner staring at them?

No.

And that's when his eyes came across a young, stylish man. Blonde, blue-eyed. Definitely who he could picture his mother with. But did he want to?

Tristan stood.

"Well, Rhett, this is Tristan." She paused, noticing Rhett sizing Tristan up. "And Tristan, this is Rhett."

A moment passed, Tristan anxiously awaiting Rhett's reaction.

After a few minutes, Rhett slowly offered his hand to Tristan.

Tristan accepted it.

"Well," Rory said, "I'm going to go shopping. Just call me when you're ready to be picked up, hun." She kissed Rhett on the forehead. "Bye Tristan."

She walked away. When she got to the door, she looked over her shoulder, seeing Rhett put his blazer on the back of the chair, and sitting down. This could not be so bad after all.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Tristan asked him, desperately trying to lose the awkward mood forming.

"I don't expect you to pay for me."

"I… want to."

"You don't owe me anything. I just want you to know that." Rhett looked down at the menu.

"It's not that I think that I owe you – but I do want to know you. I want to – "

"Just stop with the speech, okay? I know what you're trying to do. You don't need to tell me."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?"

Rhett paused, sizing Tristan up. "You want my mom again. You think that if I like you, it'll be better to get back into her life."

Tristan gaped. "I just want you to know that I didn't come back to win Rory back – "

"Then why'd you have sex with her?" Rhett crossed his arms in front of his body.

Tristan breathed in deep. "It just happened, Rhett. That's just the way we are, I guess. I don't know if you know how we met, but – "

"I'm aware."

"Well, then it shouldn't shock you that that's just what happens between us… Why am I talking to you about this?" Tristan ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Look, I came here to meet you. No ulterior motive."

"And that's why you made my mom fall in love with you again, right?"

"No, I just wanted to - ," Tristan paused. "Wait, did she say that?"

"It doesn't matter what she said, Tristan. I don't know if I even want to be here anymore. All you can talk about is her. And it's just not my fault that you left us."

"Rhett, stop it. Yes, I love Rory. I didn't want to spring that on you so soon, but since you already seem to know it, there it is. I am in love with her."

Rhett looked out the window.

"But I didn't even expect her to talk to me. You have to understand. I just wanted to meet you. That's all I wanted to do."

Rhett looked back at his father. "I have your nose. I always wondered, because both Mom and Grandma have such small noses. And your ears. Attached 'lobes."

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows. But then dropped his confusion. "So, how are you doing in school?" He cursed at himself for such a lame question.

Rhett sat up and sighed. "I have a 4.4 GPA. Honors English, and History. I also have an extra class."

"That's quite a load."

"Mom helps me with most of it."

An uncomfortable moment passed.

"I really did come here to see you. Rory and I, we… I didn't expect…"

"I know. Whatever. It's not that big of a deal anyway." He paused, thinking of a subject to change to. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Europe, for work."

"Is it nice there? Mom has promised me a trip."

"I didn't really do much sight seeing…"

"You were there for fourteen years."

"For work."

"But you must have had days off…"

"I spent them sleeping. Long days get you behind on resting."

"So you worked and slept. That's pretty boring."

Tristan laughed. "Yeah… Yeah, it was."

"I would have come back sooner, if I were you."

Tristan paused, looking out the window. "It took me the whole fourteen years to find the courage. I didn't know if she would forgive me… It's not like I didn't want to come back."

"You should have. She would have gotten over it."

Tristan nodded silently.

"I don't know if this is a personal question or not…"

"Ask away."

"Well, why would you be with her when she was with someone else? I mean, I know about Ron and stuff, but it always seems like whenever someone cheats on their boyfriend or girlfriend, they never leave them…"

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows, "It was different."

"Oh please, do not give me that answer. I'm almost fifteen. I can handle almost anything."

"Right," he laughed, embarrassed. "Well, I had always kept an eye out for Rory. She was… different than all the other girls I had dated, you know what I mean?"

Rhett nodded.

"Well, when I first noticed," he gritted through is teeth, "Ron beating up on her, I really just went into caring mode." His eyes went distant and he smiled faintly. "She was the only person that mattered to me at the time, and I just needed to help her. So, I did. I loved her."

"That's really cool, but it doesn't really answer my question."

"Okay. Well, why would I be okay with her having a boyfriend? I don't know. I knew positively that she didn't want to be with him. I did break up with her, though. When it got to be too much."

"When?"

"Before Ron raped her."

"What?" Rhett narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, she didn't tell you that?"

Rhett shook his head. "When did that happen?"

"I shouldn't have even said anything. I'm sorry."

"Just tell me, Tristan."

"Before she broke up with him. Actually, it's because I broke up with her that she broke up with him."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me that he raped her. Why didn't she tell me?" he asked himself aloud.

Tristan stayed quiet, silently cursing at himself for giving off information that Rory probably didn't want him to know.

"Wait, if she broke up with him when she was seventeen, and she had me when she was seventeen, and he raped her right before she broke up with him… then… I could be…"

"Oh, no. We had a DNA test. We wondered the same thing."

"That must have been horrible."

"I'm sure it was."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"Tristan?" Rhett asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad she had you. Has you."

Tristan smiled. "I'm glad I have her, too. And you."

Rhett half-smiled.

A long moment passed.

"I've missed having a dad. Although I didn't know what it was like. I've always wished that you'd come back, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Mom would get mad at me for mentioning you. She was really hurt." He paused. "I want you to stay," he said, bluntly.

"I really want to stay."

Rhett nodded. "So, it's settled."

Tristan smiled. "It's settled."

-

"So, you found things to talk about?"

"Yeah. He's a really good kid. He asked me to stick around, you know."

Rory could practically feel his beaming. "He told me that."

"Now. I have a request for you."

"Shoot."

"Open your front door."

"Tristan? What is this?"

"Just do it."

Rory walked to her door and opened it. "What are you doing here?"

He gave her a bouquet of tulips. "I came here to ask you on a date."

She blushed. "What?"

"Rhett told me it was okay. That's who you were worried about, wasn't it?"

"I know, but…"

"Come on, Rory. Unless…"

"No! I do want to go."

"Then say yes," he urged.

She smiled. "Yes."

He beamed. "Good. Tomorrow, at eight. Dress formally."

"Okay," she whispered.

He turned to leave.

"Do you want to come in? I mean, Jess, Rhett and I are going to mock Mean Girls again. You should join."

"I've… never seen it…"

Rory gasped. She shouted to the living room, "We have a virgin here!"

"Rory…" Tristan laughed.

"It's alright with them. Come in, sit down, have fun."

"If you insist."

A/N: I know that seems like an odd part to end it, but I've gotten really sick of writing it. So there it is. The end. I have another story that I am super psyched about, and the first chapter is going to be out soon. It's going to be called A Lack of Color. Here's the gist: It's in first person from Rory's point of view. She's dating an author, and Tristan engaged to a supermodel (kind of cliché, I know, but the story is way original, I can tell you that). Tristan moves into Rory's building, on her floor, and they soon become really good friends. What will happen when Rory starts to fall in love with him? Will Tristan feel the same? Nothing's that easy. Tristan will not just drop everything for Rory in this fic, just so you know. It's going to be really good. Just got it outlined, so I don't lose track on what I'm doing. It's going to be set to the CD of Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism. But it's not just going to be for the chapters' names. The chapters incorporate with what the songs say (I want to challenge myself, now, so this is what I'm going to do). So if you want to have a clue about what the chapters are going to be about, buy the CD. While you're at it, buy the Photo Album too, because that's the best one. I just didn't want to write my story to that album. They also made the album Plans, and those songs are great too. So, yeah. Get the CD Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie to have clues about what the next chapters in my next story is going to be. I'm sorry I'm just kind of letting this one go. I've forced myself the last couple of chapters to finish it, and here it is. Hope you like it. Maybe I'll do an epilogue sometime, but probably not soon. I'm really sick of it, to tell the truth. So, hope you guys have read this and get into my next story! I've already started to write the next chapter. Hope to see your reviews!