He found her sitting on a bench near the window, busy with her thoughts. He would bet a thousand dollars that none of those thoughts were in his favor. He stopped his tracks a few steps from her, having inner battle. One logical side of him telling him to walk away, protect himself from the only source of his weakness, the only women who holds power that can break him. But he was never a logical man, his closest friends would testify.

"Is this seat taken?"

She sighed.

"You'd sit anyway."

He chuckled and sat.

"Tired of your little fans club already?"

He scoffed.

"What happened? Not pretty enough? Not skanky enough? Not enough amount?"

He let out a hearty laugh.

"Not my type."

"Yeah? Surely ten years won't change you that much? They're gorgeous! They used to be your type! Wait, did you even had a type?"

"I do."

"So what?"

"What what?"

"What's your type?"

He looked at her intentionally.

"Oh no, you didn't!" She gave up a chuckle while shaking her head. "I can't believe I fell right into it,"

"What? It's true. I never had a type before you. And after you, well... no one felt right. So, my type is you."

"You're crazy."

"I'm just very specific."

She chuckled again. And they fell into a minute of silence, figuring out the next move, thinking what to say next. Well, he has something to say, and been thinking of things to do, but he figured it won't be appropriate and will scare her away.

"You look beautiful, Ace."

Her head snapped at the nickname. Suddenly she was looking at him with the iciest blue eyes, clouded by hurt and hatred.

"Don't call me that."

"What? Somebody else called dibs on that name? Because I had it patented and I have a pretty decent lawyer,"

"We both know what that name entails and we're not there anymore. Quit calling me that. You have no right." Her cold and strict words send shivers to his bones.

"Come on, Rory. I slipped. Seeing you tonight feels like no time had passed,"

"Maybe for you it didn't. For me it feels like a lifetime ago. A different Rory. I buried your Ace a decade ago, and she won't be resurrecting ever again,"

He inhaled deep. This is too intense, the air feels heavy and it was getting harder for him to breathe. She despises him. What did he ever do to earn such hatred?

"Are we not even friends anymore, Rory?"

"Why should we be friends? We went through ten years without talking to each other, it's not like we're missing anything, right? Besides, we weren't even friends before. We've got nothing to loose."

He felt his heart clenched.

"Look, Logan. I'm in a good place now. I am just fine without you. It took me years to get here, I'm not gonna risk it."

What is that supposed to mean?

"It wasn't easy for me too, Rory."

"See? So why ruin our hard works with one moment of relapse?"

"Did you just compare us with addiction?"

"Yes, I did. Because that was what it felt like. And it would be best if we avoid each other,"

No. That won't do. She was right comparing this with an addiction, because he couldn't get enough of her. The more he sees her, the more he wants to keep seeing her, the more he wants to talk to her, and the more he wants to do things more than just see and talk to each other. She was wrong. The relapse had began the first time he laid eyes on her.

He took a moment to study her face. She looked... tormented. Damn it. Now he really needed to know what happened.

"I don't agree, but if that is what you want, I'll respect that. We went ten years without contacting each other wasn't really my preference. I tried to contact you but you changed your number and you never replied my emails. You blocked my out of your social medias. Your friends and family kept their mouths shut about you and my friends and family avoided mentioning your name in front of me. I've been living in London for the last seven years and just recently got back. But I kept track of your works all these years, as much as I can found on the internet. This is my first official public appearance since I've been back and when I saw you I thought it was fate or it was a sign or something." He inhaled deep. Rory is fidgeting, she was nervous.

"Whatever it is that make you hate me, I'm sorry. And if you tell me what it is, I'll try my best to rectify the situation. But if you don't want to see me again, I'll try my best to avoid you, although it might be hard seeing that we're both in the same business. So here is my card, my private number is at the back. I really wish you would contact me, Rory..." he extended his hand to give her his card. She was reluctant but took the card anyway and put it in her purse. He prayed she won't dump it in the first trash can she found at the exit.

"I don't hate you, Logan. But yes, I would prefer if we keep our contact as minimum as possible. It's just too complicated, I don't expect you to understand. And thank you for respecting my wishes,"

His heart broke a little. What happened to her? It took all of his strength to not reach for her fidgeting hands and pull her into his arms.

"Hey, Rory. I was looking all over for you. The guys were betting on what lousy guy took that lingerie model here and left her all alone. She looks really out of place," a blonde guy came over them in a rush and annoyingly placed his hands on Rory's shoulder.

"Who won the bet?" Rory looked up to him with a grin.

"The guy hasn't shown his face yet,"

"That would be me." Logan chimed in.

Rory and the guy turned at him puzzled.

"I'm the guy who brought her here," he confirmed.

"Of course," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Have we met? I'm Tristan duGrey, Conde Nast." the guy extended his hand.

"Hi, Logan Huntzberger, nice to meet you..." Logan said politely, measuring the guy and most importantly his role in Rory's life. No ring in sight, it's probably a good sign.

"You're the Logan Huntzberger from that Huntzberger? Heard you back from London. For good?"

Logan nodded. "Daddy thinks my training slash exile had completed,"

"Nice. Guess we'll be seeing you around then. I saw you guys talking. Old friends from college?"

Unbelievable. This guy doesn't know about him and Rory. Are they dating? Is Rory ashamed of their relationship in college that she didn't even mention it to the guy she's dating?

"We dated for a while in college," she answered reluctantly.

"How while?"

Rory bit her under lip.

"Three years," Logan answered for her.

"Ah... you're that ex." It was a statement. And it bothers Logan to the bone. Surely she had told the story, she just left out his name. And the way this Tristan guy looking at him now, as if measuring him, bothers a lot.

"Well, good thing it was a what, a decade ago? Ancient history," he chuckled. Ancient his ass. It felt pretty recent to Logan.

"So we should let you go back to your date then, Rory and I should head home anyway, she has a thing tomorrow. Very important thing," he winked making Logan cringed.

What thing? Why do people say thing anyway? Why couldn't they just mention what that thing is? It's not like it would take them a lot of extra effort. Wait, did he say we have to head home? As in home together, as in living together? God he needed a drink.

He stood up with Rory, couldn't come up with any idea to stall her leave.

"Well, nice to meet you again, Logan." She said politely while tugging her hand on to Tristan's offered arm.

"See you around, Ace." He smirked at Rory's sudden alarmed face while Tristan dragged her out. He didn't slip this time, it was fully intentional.

He looked around for his date, time to go home and make plans. There are a lot of weird things that he couldn't understand about Rory and her reactions towards him, but there is one thing he knows: he could never stay away from her.