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Rory has never been so humiliated. She came to Honor's wedding planning to have fun, get a little work done and be there for Logan and she found out the bridesmaids were there for Logan instead. Really there for him. He had sex with an entire wedding party – that is, he had sex with two and fooled around with one. Rory isn't exactly sure what that entailed but has a pretty good idea. She stares blankly in front of her, the beautiful room a mocking contrast to her hurt. Rory feels that she should do something, anything, but is utterly numb. How could she be so stupid?
Her thoughts are broken by Logan strolling in, smiling warmly as he sees her.
"Here you are."
"Here I am," Rory says dully and, not noticing, Logan says cheerfully, "I was looking all over for you. I didn't see you when I was walking down the aisle. Looked for you during the ceremony. Where were you?"
"Here."
"Here?" Logan echoes, stopping in confusion. "You missed the wedding?"
"I'll apologise to Honor later."
"Forget Honor," Logan says, stepping towards her. "What's going on? Rory?"
Lifting her hand to halt him, Rory looks Logan in the eye. "You didn't say a word. You just let me walk into a room full of girls you'd had sex with. Oh, no, wait. I'm sorry. You only had sex with two of them. One you just fooled around with, whatever that means. She spared me the parameters of the fooling around. You want to fill me in?"
"Rory," Logan starts to say but Rory cuts him off.
"You know what? Never mind. I've got a good imagination. I can figure it out."
"Okay, look –"
"I can't believe it, you didn't just cheat on me, you really cheated on me," Rory finishes with disgust and her eyes widen as Logan replies, "I didn't cheat on you."
That makes Rory move. Getting up, she crosses her arms and asks, "Oh, so you didn't sleep with –"
"No, I did, but we were broken up," Logan retorts and angrily Rory replies, "No, you were broken up, not me. I thought we were just taking some time."
"Apart, not seeing each other."
"Yes, taking some time, not seeing each other for a while. That doesn't mean broken up."
"Oh, come on."
"No! When… To break up, you have to tell the other person. You can't just decide that you're broken off and then just go off and -," Rory stops, furious with herself as well as Logan as she says, "God, I can't believe I fell for all your stupid tricks, the coffee cart and going to my mother. You went to my mother. Why would you bother going through that? You had plenty of backup. What do you need me for?"
"Because I love you," Logan argues but Rory is not accepting that.
"No. Don't."
"Rory, I didn't cheat on you. I didn't lie to you," Logan protests and is calm as Rory retorts, "You didn't tell me."
"Of course not. Why would I want you to be hurt and upset and angry?"
"Blondie, dizzy, I love the cover, pretending all those girls were worthless idiots," Rory comments and Logan insists, "They are worthless idiots, shooting their mouths off in front of you like that."
"It's not their fault!"
"It is their fault," Logan declares. "They love doing crap like this, causing trouble."
"We were only apart for like two seconds, and you managed to sleep with every one of your sister's friends," Rory remarks in disgust. "How did you even do that? I mean, did you work them in shifts? Were there charts, signals, b-12 shots?"
"I was depressed," Logan says seriously. "I was lonely. I was upset. I've known these girls forever. It was just companionship, okay? It meant nothing."
Rory is unconvinced. Looking Logan in the eye she says fiercely, "Don't be at the apartment between ten and one tomorrow so I can get my stuff."
Walking away, she picks up her bag and coat. Ignoring Logan's attempt to keep talking, Rory walks smartly out of the room, refusing to look back and relieved that he doesn't follow her. He always wins her over. She isn't sure where to go – heading to the apartment they share isn't an option but Paris threw Rory out after she made editor. Rory had taken up Logan's offer of moving in and loved the new living arrangement, and was positive Logan did too. Only a few days before she'd got ready for the Yale journalism panel and Logan had said she'd looked incredible. That day he'd gone to Honor's wedding rehearsal, telling Rory how much he was dreading going, being surrounded by all of his sister's friends, and she was stupid enough to believe it. He probably had sex with them again too and, even if he didn't, the fact still remains that he couldn't cheat on her quick enough. Rory had been so happy that day, so confident and so sure that Logan loved her and now, if he does, she wishes he didn't. She wishes she didn't love him either.
The rest of the night is a bust. Rory uses her money on a cab ride to New Haven and blows the rest of it in a bar, joined by Doyle who somehow leaves wearing her coat. Apparently Paris kicked him out too and Rory meekly goes back to the apartment, remembering too well her last attempt to be let back in, but Paris is ready to make up. They order too much Chinese food and Rory is just starting to feel happy when there's a knock on the door. It's Logan. He doesn't leave, despite Paris's glorious tirade telling him he's a two-bit spoiled waste of a trust fund, that he offers nothing to women or the world in general. She adds that the only person to miss Logan if he disappeared off the face of the earth would be his Porsche dealer. Rory smartly tells Logan that Paris has it covered, after he asks if she wants to chime in, but then he comes in anyway. There's a chance of Logan being kicked out in pieces by Paris but as Doyle enters, still in Rory's coat, Paris is distracted and Rory gives in. Gracing Logan with two minutes, she lets him talk in the hallway. He's very convincing. Logan is earnest as he looks into Rory's eyes, pleading, and she can feel herself give in. She believes him when he says he didn't think he was cheating, that he loves her, and Rory finds herself agreeing to go back. Logan says he wants to go home with her, putting his arm around her shoulder. Everything is okay, Rory tells herself. It was just a misunderstanding, everything's fine, but she doesn't feel better. Ignoring it, she lets Logan take her back to the apartment. It'll be okay in the morning.
It isn't better in the morning, or the day after that or the day after that. Rory feels herself pulling away from Logan. She doesn't want to kiss him, touch him, and when she does all she can think about is his being with the bridesmaids. She picks fights with him and takes a trip to Stars Hollow without letting Logan know and ignores his calls. She doesn't want him to know – let him be the one in the dark for a change. They snipe at each other and at night, lying there in Logan's bed, Rory dislikes herself. She doesn't want to be petulant and mean. She intends to be more loving and fair-minded each morning and yet, when she sees Logan, it's like a reminder of how he hurt her.
It all comes to a head after Colin and Finn come over to plan the latest Life and Death Brigade stunt. Rory points out the various pitfalls of this adventure, including but not limited to no one qualified piloting the plane, and her advice is not well-received. After Colin and Finn leave Logan tells her she's embarrassing him and, when Rory says that the focus of the Life and Death brigade should be on avoiding the death part, Logan doesn't let up. They argue back and forth until finally Logan says, "Even when we're together, you're someplace else. You leave, and you don't kiss me goodbye. We're at dinner, you're on your cellphone the whole time. You never leave notes anymore about where you're going be. So I have no idea where you are. You haven't forgiven me."
"What are you talking about?"
"For the girls I was with when we were separated," Logan says. Heart beating, Rory counters, "I said I forgive you," and Logan says angrily, "Yeah, you said it, but you haven't though. You haven't."
He starts to walk away and Rory stands still. He's right. She knows he's right and, as Logan goes to the door she says, "I haven't."
Logan stops. Turning around he nods, agreeing, "You haven't."
"I wanted to forgive you," Rory says, looking up. "I can't."
"So what can I do to make you forgive me?" Logan asks. His voice is serious but unconcerned as he says, "I'll make it right."
"I don't know if you can."
"What?" Logan asks, letting out a shocked laugh. "Ace, come on. I was lonely, I was miserable and I messed up. I didn't want to hurt you. I love you."
"You didn't want to hurt me," Rory says, "but you did."
"I know I hurt you," Logan affirms quietly. "I'm sorry."
The moment between them stretches out solemnly until Logan tries for a joke. "So two coffee carts next time? Hell, make it three, make it four!"
"Logan –"
"And I won't only go to your mother next time. I'll go to your grandparents too, and your dad."
"My dad likes you."
"So that works in my favour," Logan teases but Rory doesn't smile. "Hey. Rory."
"I don't think this is working," Rory says slowly. It hurts to say aloud and hurts more to see Logan's expression.
"What?"
"I haven't forgiven you," Rory says, looking into Logan's eyes. "I wanted to forgive you, I really did, and I believe you when you said you didn't want to hurt me. But you did hurt me and it doesn't feel right, living here with you, being with you."
"What are you saying?" Logan asks and he closes his eyes as Rory says, "I think we should break up."
"Rory. No."
"Everything feels different now," Rory says, feeling herself begin to choke up. "Being with you feels wrong."
"So you don't love me anymore?"
"I don't love you the way I did," Rory says, forcing herself not to look away. "I was wrong to go back with you the night of the wedding. We should have taken time."
"We can take time now," Logan says earnestly, his own voice breaking a little. "That's the mistake I made before, remember? I freaked out and decided we were broken up, but I love you. Let's take time."
"This is different."
Logan looks at Rory and asks, "Is this because of Jess? Things being different?"
"What? Logan, no. How can you ask that?"
"I know it's my mistake," Logan says seriously. "I'm not saying it isn't. It's just that things got screwed up when he showed up, we had that fight…"
"It's not because of him," Rory says quietly. "And I don't think it's only because of what you did either."
They stop, looking at each other until finally Logan says, "I thought we were happy. I thought you were happy."
"I was happy. I really did love you."
"I'm sorry," Logan says, eyes bright. "Is there anything I can do to fix it? Name it, Rory."
"There's nothing you can do," Rory tells him. "But thanks, Logan. I'm going to do what I should have done before….I'm going to move back in with Paris and figure some stuff out."
"I don't like you living in that apartment."
"Logan, I can take care of myself. I lived that way before."
Logan looks away, taking a breath, before looking back and saying, "You don't have to go right away. I'm taking that trip with the guys, you can stay here until I get back."
"Thanks Logan, but that's okay."
"Okay," Logan says quietly. Rory nods and for a second both are silent.
"I think I'll go to the pub," Logan says eventually. "I need a drink."
Rory could use one too but instead she says, "I'm going to start on packing."
"You don't have to –"
"I know. I want to. Thanks for letting me live here, Logan."
"Wish I could convince you to stay."
They smile unsurely at each other until Logan leaves, closing the door firmly. Rory starts throwing things into boxes with abandon, letting the tears fall. He didn't scream or yell but it still hurts. Rory already knows she's going to miss him but, looking around the luxurious apartment, knows this is right. It's time to go. It's time to stop taking the safe way out, and Rory lets out a breath. It's going to be hard but she'll be okay. She's handled hard things before.
Rory moves out almost everything that night, stopping only for coffee, but has to return for the last two boxes. Waiting until she knows Logan's left for his trip, she unlocks the apartment and sees that he's placed her stuff near the door. Rory goes to pick it up and sees some of her mail beside it and, lifting it up, she stops at one envelope. It's an invitation to Jess's open house. There's her name and his on the paper and Rory smiles, running her hand across the ink. She's going to go and Rory feels a familiar rush of excitement.
It doesn't take long to drive to Philadelphia. Rory enters Truncheon quietly, feeling a little uncertain, but when she sees Jess she smiles. For a moment he looks startled and then his face breaks into a grin. He looked that way on that day in New York, Rory remembers, shocked for a second and then completely unsurprised, as if she was always expected to be there. Jess walks over to her, saying, "Well, isn't this a day of surprises?"
"I didn't RSVP," Rory says sheepishly. "Sorry."
"Ah, this isn't an RSVP type thing," Jess assures her. "Showing up's cool."
"Good thing," Rory grins. "So this is Truncheon Books?"
"Yeah. This is Truncheon."
"I like it," Rory tells him, looking around. "It makes me feel like I instantly want to create something. Give me a pen, give me a brush. Luke," she adds abruptly, surprised as she sees him in the corner, and Jess nods.
"Yeah, there's a definite Jess Mariano, this is your life kind of vibe here today," Jess remarks. Going over to Luke, Rory says hello and finally meets the mysterious April. She seems sweet, appropriately embarrassed by Luke being a clueless dad, and Rory enjoys chatting to her. It feels weird doing so without Lorelai and Luke seems flustered as he introduces her to April. He doesn't stay long after that, saying he and April have to get going, and all of Rory's musings over the strangeness of it are silenced by Jess's smile.
"So are you here alone?"
"I guess," Rory says honestly and Jess nods.
"Cool….come on."
Rory is proud of Jess as she walks around Truncheon. She always knew he could do something like this, create something amazing and, as she takes in the art and the books it makes her want to sit down and write too. As the place empties, Rory sits in the corner and reads The Subsect until Jess joins her, pulling over a chair.
"You know, you don't have to read it again."
"I know I don't."
"God, there's so many things I would change in it," Jess remarks and, disbelieving, Rory asks, "Like what?"
"I'd keep the back cover. Everything else goes."
"You know why I love your book?" Rory says seriously and Jess seems cautiously happy as he asks, "Why?"
"It doesn't remind me of anything," Rory tells him. "It's not a rip-off. It's just you."
"High praise, Miss Yale Editor," Jess says, but he sounds touched. They joke a little back and forth but Jess is serious as he says, "You seem happier than when I saw you last."
"I am," Rory says sincerely.
"So you fixed everything?" Jess asks and Rory nods, smiling.
"Yeah, everything's fixed."
"I'm glad you're here," Jess says, leaning closer, and Rory nods, his book tight in her hands. "Yeah. Me too."
Jess leans closer and suddenly he's kissing her and Rory is kissing him back. She's lost in the moment until Jess puts his hand on her arm and Rory breaks away, gasping.
"Oh my God."
"What's wrong?" Jess asks, his eyes filled with concern, and Rory takes a deep breath. Nothing is wrong. This is crazy but feels completely right and she smiles, putting her hand on his back and leaning closer.
"Nothing," she promises and starts to kiss him again. They kiss and kiss until the book falls from Rory's hands, making them jump and start laughing.
"Wow," Jess says, sounding dazed and Rory feels the same as she nods.
"Yeah. Wow."
They smile uncertainly and Jess asks, "Where'd you park?"
"I'm right outside," Rory tells him. "But I don't have to go."
Jess looks at her curiously and Rory's heart is beating hard, making her dizzy. The entire day has felt like a haze. All she knows is that she's happy she's here, being with Jess, and she smiles as Jess says, "I've got drinks upstairs. It's a mess up there, all these guys living together, but they've gone out…."
"Just you and me."
"Right."
"I'd like to see it, Jess."
Slowly, he takes her hand, leading Rory up the small staircase. She's lightheaded but Rory doesn't want a drink, and when Jess starts to offer she shakes her head. In one fluid motion they kiss again, holding their bodies tight and closing their eyes. Rory sighs as her back meets the wall and Jess presses against her, his heat matching hers. She wraps her legs around his waist and clumsily they move into Jess's bedroom and laugh as they trip, falling onto the bed.
"Hey," Jess says fondly, tucking Rory's hair behind her ear. "Is this okay? Do you want to slow down?"
"I don't if you don't," Rory says honestly. This was not her plan, coming here for this, but it feels good, right, and Jess smiles, sounding a little breathless.
"I definitely don't. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Rory says and she sits up, taking off her shirt and reaching for Jess's. He helps tug it off and then unclasps Rory's bra. She slips it off and, for a moment, they smile at each other.
"It's been a long time," Jess says and Rory nods.
"It has."
"You're good with it?" Jess asks and grins as Rory says, "More than good."
She pulls him onto her and moans as Jess kisses her mouth, neck and chest before pulling off her pants. They kiss and kiss impatiently and Rory gasps as Jess pushes into her. It's exactly how she remembered and entirely different, known and unknown, him and her and they find a new rhythm. Her body is with his, an answered memory, and Rory relaxes into the now.