*Oh my, look how addicted I've become to writing this story…I've been
sneaking chapters in between classes all week, and now I'm even doing it at
work! Goodness…I'm really getting caught up in it myself, wondering how Dom
and Reilly are doing…yeah, hi and I'm the one making it up! Anyway, I just
wanted to say thanks once again for all of your reviews, it's really nice
to know that people are reading my writing! And it's very interesting and
helpful to hear what you all have to say as well…I have to admit, being
brand-new to the fanfiction community, I was checking out you guys'
comments yesterday, and I was all "what the hell does Mary-Sue mean?" So I
did a little reading and researching of self-proclaimed-by-the-author Mary-
Sue type fics, and YIKES, guys, that is def. not what I was going for when
I tried to develop Reilly as a character. Oops, I guess. But really, what
I'm trying to show with her is that not everyone wears their heart on their
sleeve, and that even the people who seem like they most have it all
together may have problems of their own. I'm still not totally sure on what
distinguishes a "Mary-Sue" type fic from one that's not (if anyone has a
good definition, it would be much appreciated!), but if it has anything to
do with the fact that Reilly sounds "perfect", that has a lot to do with
the people who are viewing her. Generally when she is described it is by
someone who cares about her, and caring about someone a lot can often make
you pick up more on good qualities than bad. Just wanted to put it out
there that I wasn't trying to annoy anyone with my leading character! So
anyway, I'm having a fabulous time with this story! Please keep reading,
and reviewing (and criticism is always welcome, don't worry)! Love, D
p.s. still own nothin'… ;)
Chapter 13: A Protective Little Brother and Bye, Bye Love
Reilly wandered aimlessly around her bedroom. It was exactly how she had left it, and to her dismay she realized that she hadn't really missed it at all. Not that she hated being back…well, she wasn't exactly loving it either, but then again, what's Cape Cod in the winter? "Snowy beach, everything closes at 10 pm," she answered herself, and smiled as her eyes traveled over the pictures that sat atop her dresser. It was fun being back, anyway, if only because it meant she got to see Emma, Jules and Hannah again. The fabulous four they were, and they had been nearly inseparable since Reilly had arrived home on the 12th, 5 days ago, catching up and making eachother laugh as always, with Reilly and Hannah as the outrageous ones and Emma and Jules as the good girls. Almost like I never left, Reilly thought to herself. Except I did. Her eyes wandered over to where she had propped a picture of herself and Tricia with Dominic, Billy, Elijah and Orlando, against her mirror. You dork, she laughed at herself. Can't be gone 5 days without busting out the pictures? Still smiling, she glanced at the calendar. The 17th…and her 21st birthday. And tomorrow, New York, and her boys. But first…party. And Tristan. Reilly felt her smile fade. Tristan had finished his exams at BC the day after she arrived home, and she had been sure he would drive down to the Cape from Boston for a day or two before heading home to New York. He hadn't. They'd only even spoken twice since she'd been back. Something was off, she knew it. But, he'll be here soon enough, she comforted herself. Tonight…
"Yeah?" Reilly responded to a knock at her door. Her sister Kalle poked her head in. "You ready?" she asked, opening the door all the way and stepping inside. She was wearing her running clothes and had her black hair pulled into a ponytail. Just sixteen, Kalle stood 5'5", towering over Reilly. Between that and her black hair and green eyes and fair complexion, the two sisters couldn't have looked more different. Reilly nodded, quickly bending down to tie one running shoe. "Yup," she said, and the two girls bounded down the stairs where they were met by Drew, Reilly's cell phone in his hand.
"You left this down here and it's been ringing all morning," he announced rather accusingly. Reilly shrugged. Hey, if he didn't want to answer it he could have brought it up to her, or turned the ringer off and let the voicemail pick up. Drew began rattling off messages. "Emma…wants you to call after your run…ditto Hannah…Kyle, says happy bday and he'll see you tonight…Tristan, letting you know he'll probably be getting here around 8…Dominic…" Reilly caught her breath, then shook it off as she felt Kalle's eyes scan her face quizzically. She had missed Dom's call? "Wanted to wish you a happy birthday, won't be around today so he'll see you tomorrow…" Reilly grabbed her phone. "You should have told me Dominic was on the phone!" she reprimanded her younger brother irritably. Drew raised his hands in surrender and took a step back. "Hey, I wasn't about to risk the wrath of Reilly in the morning!" Reilly couldn't help but giggle at the alliteration in his sentence, it sounded so funny. Then she scowled again. "Well, that was long-distance!" Drew raised his eyebrows. "Uh, news flash, Ri, New York to Massachusetts is long distance too," he told her, referring to Tristan's call. Reilly paused, frowning. "Yeah, well London is REALLY LONG long distance! Over-a-large-body-of-water long distance!" Drew gave up, laughing. "Ok, Ok. Oh, and Mum and Dad called too, the house phone. They said to make sure the house is still standing, and they'll have your present when they get back, and don't forget to call Grandma and thank her for your card." Jace and Gracie Scott were in Philadelphia until the 21st (just in time for Gracie to throw her annual Christmas Eve-Eve cocktail party) for what Jace liked to call "holiday business functions." Reilly, on the other hand, enjoyed referring to them as "elitist ass-kissing parties at which your presence will undoubtedly result in fab publicity for your law firm". But it was nice having the house to themselves, especially for her birthday.
"Hey, Ri, can I talk to you real quick before your run?" Drew's expression was suddenly serious, and Reilly heard Kalle sigh beside her. "We should get going…" she started, smiling at her sister, but Drew's hand on her arm stopped her. "It'll just take a second." Reilly sighed and turned to Kalle, who frowned but went into the living room and clicked on the tv while Reilly followed Drew into the kitchen. "What's up?" she asked lightly, wanting to ignore the seriousness in her brother's usually bright eyes. Drew ran a hand through his brown hair, looking at the floor. "I was wondering how things were going…with Tristan?" Reilly looked at him questioningly. "Um, fine." She replied, confused. Drew and Tristan played hockey together at BC and were close friends. She knew that there was something she didn't know, if Drew was asking about this. "You sure?" Drew asked. "Well, yeah, pretty sure, no big crises at this end!" she replied, a little impatiently, wishing he would just spit out whatever he was trying to say. "Unless there's something I don't know," she added. Drew looked down again. "Well, it's just…I don't think…Trist wasn't exactly thrilled with you going away," he said lamely. Reilly stared at him. "Yeah, I noticed. I was kind of hoping he wouldn't be all excited for me to leave, you know," she retorted sarcastically. Drew sighed. Talking to Reilly was a pain in the ass sometimes. "Well, I mean, he had to go a whole semester without you and you hardly ever called him, and come on Ri, a blind person could tell you aren't half as invested in the relationship as he is…" he ignored Reilly's angry glare and went on, "he had to bring someone else – Kate Becker – to Homecoming and the hockey cocktail, and it sucks for him not having you there! Not that anyone's saying you shouldn't have gone, or that you shouldn't go back, it's just…what the hell were YOU planning to do to keep this relationship going Reilly? Tristan can't afford to come visit you all the time, you know." Drew finished and looked at his sister, awaiting a response.
Reilly looked back with flashing eyes. "We're fine Drew," she replied coldly. "I'd know if we weren't." Drew sighed again. She only heard what she wanted to. "Ri…" he started, but she interrupted. "Look, I'll talk to Tristan tonight, but seriously, what would you know about it? Our relationship has nothing to do with you, maybe you should stay out of it." She snapped. Drew looked a little taken aback. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, Ri," he said quietly. "Or Tristan." And it seems pretty inevitable that someone's going to, he thought to himself. Reilly rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, I can handle myself!" she glared, but her expression softened a little as she saw her younger brother wince at her tone. "I'm sorry, Drew…it's sweet of you to worry, but I promise, you don't have to." She hurried off to find Kalle, pushing her brother's concerned words out of her head.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What are you reading?" Sam asked Dom as she rested her head on his shoulder. He absently stroked her blonde hair. "The Red Tent," he replied. "It's Reilly's…well, sort of…I think she gave it to me, kinda," he trailed off and Sam looked up at him, confused, but he didn't offer anymore information. She tried again. "So, are you ready for New York?" she asked. The European premieres had been being received with wild success, but as always, America's reception could make or break a movie. Dom nodded without saying a word. Sam sighed. "I was wondering," she began, and paused, waiting until Dom looked at her. "Orlando is undoubtedly the breakthrough star of Lord of the Rings…he's the one the press is going to focus on, the one the audience wants the most…he's going to be heavily publicized, more so than everyone else most likely…do you think it's really a good idea for him to be seen with an average, non-industry college student on his arm?"
Dom finally laid down his book, frowning. "Yes," he replied flatly. "I think it's a brilliant idea. It's hard on Orli, you know, being the one everyone is looking at, having 6 million fansites dedicated to him, seeing his face on everything…" Sam laughed to herself, and Dom's eyes hardened. "It is! His whole life changed in the blink of an eye, and he's got no way to go back if he wanted to! He needs his friends to make him realize that he has people who really know him and care about him for who he is. I think having Reilly with him will make his night much more enjoyable and relaxed for him than if he had some press-accepted trophy on his arm!" Sam looked a bit stunned at his harsh tone, and Dom bit his lip, putting his arm around her. He hadn't meant to do that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that," he apologized. Sam shook her head and smiled at him. "No, no, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that. The publicist in me talking. Reilly's brilliant, Orlando will be lucky to have her with him." Dom smiled back at her, silently agreeing.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Whew!" Reilly breathed, turning to Tristan as she closed the door behind the last of her party guests. "That was fun!" She unclipped her hair, letting it spill over her sleeveless black cowlneck sweater. Tristan threw her a sexy look, his brown hair falling in his eyes, and she grinned and took his hand, leading him upstairs to her bedroom.
The party had been a lot of fun, though Reilly had initially been a bit overwhelmed at first as she tried to take in the shock of seeing pretty much everyone she had ever known, including a good majority of the BC hockey team, and many of her high school friends that she hadn't much spoken to since heading off to college. It was great, though, being in such a crowd. She just laughed and had fun and took her rum shots like a good girl, with no worries of anything clouding her thoughts.
A few slipped back into her frame of mind now, though, as Tristan pulled her over to him to give her a soft kiss. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart," he whispered, his hands straying down her back and over the waist of her dark red pants. He lifted her off her feet and laid her back on her bed, running his hands beneath her sweater and over her stomach til he cupped her breasts. She moaned quietly and her back arched at his touch as she glanced at her alarm clock and announced, "it's not my birthday anymore, babe." Tristan kissed her neck, his fingers working on the clasp of her bra. "So it's not," he agreed, sliding her sweater over her head. Reilly's hands moved over his belt, undoing it quickly as he continued kissing her collarbone. As her fingers played over the button of his khaki pants, Reilly's head spun. We hardly spoke all night, she thought to herself. What are we doing?
"Wait, Tristan," she said quietly, and he raised his eyes to meet hers. "What?" he asked. "I…I think we should talk," Reilly sat up and reached for her shirt. Tristan looked down at how hard he was, then back up at her incredulously. "Now?" Reilly nodded, and something in her eyes made his heart fall to his feet. He knew what she was thinking. It was like he could read her mind…one of the sometimes downfalls of dating one who was first your best friend. He didn't want to hear the questions he knew she was going to ask him…though he had known all along that this was coming. It was just…as long as Reilly hadn't seemed to notice, he could pretend. But not anymore.
"Tristan, what's going on?" she looked at him imploringly, and his heart couldn't take her eyes and he looked down. "Why is Drew asking questions and walking around on eggshells like I'm going to break, or be broken?" She cupped his chin in her hand, turning his face back up. "What about Kate Becker?" Tristan shook his head quickly. "We've been hanging out, and she was my date for homecoming and some cocktails, but we've done nothing, I promise," Reilly nodded, believing him. Tristan sighed. "It's just…its been hard without you, Ri…and I've tried not to be the obnoxious needy one, but…its knowing that I miss you so much more than you miss me…" Reilly opened her mouth to protest, but he held a finger to her lips. "And knowing that our relationship has meant more to me than to you all along…at first I thought that was ok, but it's not anymore." He finished quietly, and Reilly's eyes widened, but she couldn't argue, and felt like shit because of it. Tristan spoke again. "And now…you have a new life, with new people who mean so much to you…more than me…and I don't know if it's fair to either one of us anymore…we're holding eachother back."
Reilly looked shocked. What was going on? It had been her idea to talk, and she had barely gotten a word in edgewise…and now…Tristan was giving the speech she always, in the back of her mind, thought would be hers to deliver. She trembled at how cruel she realized that assumption was, and looked at Tristan a little desperately. "Tristan…our relationship is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the only thing that connects me to anything…I don't want to lose you. And no one means more to me than you…they're just friends! Orli…Orlando…christ, Trist, he's like the next Brad Pitt! I wouldn't have a chance even if I wanted to! Which I don't," she added, a bit too quickly. "And as for Dominic…well, I could never fall in love with my best friend!" Reilly caught her breath and her eyes widened as the words left her lips and she heard them out loud, realizing what she had just said. "Tristan…I didn't mean…" Tristan looked at her and shook his head. There it is, he thought. She said it. There were tears in his eyes, but he blinked against them. "Yeah you did, Ri," he whispered. "You could never fall in love with your best friend…that's exactly what you meant." Reilly felt her heart breaking as she saw the hurt in his eyes, hurt she had caused. "That's the difference between us, Ri. You never fell in love with your best friend. I did," he told her. "And I let you," she muttered bitterly. Tristan nodded. "And while I was falling in love, you were just along for the ride." Reilly felt a stab through her heart at the harshness of his words. But they were true. Tristan stroked her cheek. "I love you, Ri. And I know you love me. But it's not the same love, and that's not fair anymore." Reilly let out a breath shakily as Tristan got to his feet. "I'm going to go sleep in one of the guest rooms, ok? I'll come see you tomorrow before I leave."
Reilly watched the door close behind him. She felt like she was drowning, she didn't know what to do. Your own fault, Ri, your own fault. Entirely. She felt hot tears burning her eyes, but she blinked them back forcefully. No, she told herself. You don't get to cry…you don't deserve to cry over this one. Making her way to the bathroom she bumped into Drew. "I helped Tristan find everything in the guest room," he told her quietly. She nodded mutely, and he tried to search her eyes but she wouldn't look at him. "Reilly," he started, and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away from him like he had burnt her. "Goodnight, Drew," she said, brushing past him into the bathroom. Listening to the sound of the shower, Drew leaned against the hallway wall and sighed worriedly. Don't be like that, Ri. Don't shut everyone out, he begged her silently as he headed towards his room.
A/N: OK, so raise your hand if you saw that one coming (*laughs as EVERYONE raises hand*)…next chapter should be back on the lighter side!
p.s. still own nothin'… ;)
Chapter 13: A Protective Little Brother and Bye, Bye Love
Reilly wandered aimlessly around her bedroom. It was exactly how she had left it, and to her dismay she realized that she hadn't really missed it at all. Not that she hated being back…well, she wasn't exactly loving it either, but then again, what's Cape Cod in the winter? "Snowy beach, everything closes at 10 pm," she answered herself, and smiled as her eyes traveled over the pictures that sat atop her dresser. It was fun being back, anyway, if only because it meant she got to see Emma, Jules and Hannah again. The fabulous four they were, and they had been nearly inseparable since Reilly had arrived home on the 12th, 5 days ago, catching up and making eachother laugh as always, with Reilly and Hannah as the outrageous ones and Emma and Jules as the good girls. Almost like I never left, Reilly thought to herself. Except I did. Her eyes wandered over to where she had propped a picture of herself and Tricia with Dominic, Billy, Elijah and Orlando, against her mirror. You dork, she laughed at herself. Can't be gone 5 days without busting out the pictures? Still smiling, she glanced at the calendar. The 17th…and her 21st birthday. And tomorrow, New York, and her boys. But first…party. And Tristan. Reilly felt her smile fade. Tristan had finished his exams at BC the day after she arrived home, and she had been sure he would drive down to the Cape from Boston for a day or two before heading home to New York. He hadn't. They'd only even spoken twice since she'd been back. Something was off, she knew it. But, he'll be here soon enough, she comforted herself. Tonight…
"Yeah?" Reilly responded to a knock at her door. Her sister Kalle poked her head in. "You ready?" she asked, opening the door all the way and stepping inside. She was wearing her running clothes and had her black hair pulled into a ponytail. Just sixteen, Kalle stood 5'5", towering over Reilly. Between that and her black hair and green eyes and fair complexion, the two sisters couldn't have looked more different. Reilly nodded, quickly bending down to tie one running shoe. "Yup," she said, and the two girls bounded down the stairs where they were met by Drew, Reilly's cell phone in his hand.
"You left this down here and it's been ringing all morning," he announced rather accusingly. Reilly shrugged. Hey, if he didn't want to answer it he could have brought it up to her, or turned the ringer off and let the voicemail pick up. Drew began rattling off messages. "Emma…wants you to call after your run…ditto Hannah…Kyle, says happy bday and he'll see you tonight…Tristan, letting you know he'll probably be getting here around 8…Dominic…" Reilly caught her breath, then shook it off as she felt Kalle's eyes scan her face quizzically. She had missed Dom's call? "Wanted to wish you a happy birthday, won't be around today so he'll see you tomorrow…" Reilly grabbed her phone. "You should have told me Dominic was on the phone!" she reprimanded her younger brother irritably. Drew raised his hands in surrender and took a step back. "Hey, I wasn't about to risk the wrath of Reilly in the morning!" Reilly couldn't help but giggle at the alliteration in his sentence, it sounded so funny. Then she scowled again. "Well, that was long-distance!" Drew raised his eyebrows. "Uh, news flash, Ri, New York to Massachusetts is long distance too," he told her, referring to Tristan's call. Reilly paused, frowning. "Yeah, well London is REALLY LONG long distance! Over-a-large-body-of-water long distance!" Drew gave up, laughing. "Ok, Ok. Oh, and Mum and Dad called too, the house phone. They said to make sure the house is still standing, and they'll have your present when they get back, and don't forget to call Grandma and thank her for your card." Jace and Gracie Scott were in Philadelphia until the 21st (just in time for Gracie to throw her annual Christmas Eve-Eve cocktail party) for what Jace liked to call "holiday business functions." Reilly, on the other hand, enjoyed referring to them as "elitist ass-kissing parties at which your presence will undoubtedly result in fab publicity for your law firm". But it was nice having the house to themselves, especially for her birthday.
"Hey, Ri, can I talk to you real quick before your run?" Drew's expression was suddenly serious, and Reilly heard Kalle sigh beside her. "We should get going…" she started, smiling at her sister, but Drew's hand on her arm stopped her. "It'll just take a second." Reilly sighed and turned to Kalle, who frowned but went into the living room and clicked on the tv while Reilly followed Drew into the kitchen. "What's up?" she asked lightly, wanting to ignore the seriousness in her brother's usually bright eyes. Drew ran a hand through his brown hair, looking at the floor. "I was wondering how things were going…with Tristan?" Reilly looked at him questioningly. "Um, fine." She replied, confused. Drew and Tristan played hockey together at BC and were close friends. She knew that there was something she didn't know, if Drew was asking about this. "You sure?" Drew asked. "Well, yeah, pretty sure, no big crises at this end!" she replied, a little impatiently, wishing he would just spit out whatever he was trying to say. "Unless there's something I don't know," she added. Drew looked down again. "Well, it's just…I don't think…Trist wasn't exactly thrilled with you going away," he said lamely. Reilly stared at him. "Yeah, I noticed. I was kind of hoping he wouldn't be all excited for me to leave, you know," she retorted sarcastically. Drew sighed. Talking to Reilly was a pain in the ass sometimes. "Well, I mean, he had to go a whole semester without you and you hardly ever called him, and come on Ri, a blind person could tell you aren't half as invested in the relationship as he is…" he ignored Reilly's angry glare and went on, "he had to bring someone else – Kate Becker – to Homecoming and the hockey cocktail, and it sucks for him not having you there! Not that anyone's saying you shouldn't have gone, or that you shouldn't go back, it's just…what the hell were YOU planning to do to keep this relationship going Reilly? Tristan can't afford to come visit you all the time, you know." Drew finished and looked at his sister, awaiting a response.
Reilly looked back with flashing eyes. "We're fine Drew," she replied coldly. "I'd know if we weren't." Drew sighed again. She only heard what she wanted to. "Ri…" he started, but she interrupted. "Look, I'll talk to Tristan tonight, but seriously, what would you know about it? Our relationship has nothing to do with you, maybe you should stay out of it." She snapped. Drew looked a little taken aback. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, Ri," he said quietly. "Or Tristan." And it seems pretty inevitable that someone's going to, he thought to himself. Reilly rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, I can handle myself!" she glared, but her expression softened a little as she saw her younger brother wince at her tone. "I'm sorry, Drew…it's sweet of you to worry, but I promise, you don't have to." She hurried off to find Kalle, pushing her brother's concerned words out of her head.
* * * * * * * * * *
"What are you reading?" Sam asked Dom as she rested her head on his shoulder. He absently stroked her blonde hair. "The Red Tent," he replied. "It's Reilly's…well, sort of…I think she gave it to me, kinda," he trailed off and Sam looked up at him, confused, but he didn't offer anymore information. She tried again. "So, are you ready for New York?" she asked. The European premieres had been being received with wild success, but as always, America's reception could make or break a movie. Dom nodded without saying a word. Sam sighed. "I was wondering," she began, and paused, waiting until Dom looked at her. "Orlando is undoubtedly the breakthrough star of Lord of the Rings…he's the one the press is going to focus on, the one the audience wants the most…he's going to be heavily publicized, more so than everyone else most likely…do you think it's really a good idea for him to be seen with an average, non-industry college student on his arm?"
Dom finally laid down his book, frowning. "Yes," he replied flatly. "I think it's a brilliant idea. It's hard on Orli, you know, being the one everyone is looking at, having 6 million fansites dedicated to him, seeing his face on everything…" Sam laughed to herself, and Dom's eyes hardened. "It is! His whole life changed in the blink of an eye, and he's got no way to go back if he wanted to! He needs his friends to make him realize that he has people who really know him and care about him for who he is. I think having Reilly with him will make his night much more enjoyable and relaxed for him than if he had some press-accepted trophy on his arm!" Sam looked a bit stunned at his harsh tone, and Dom bit his lip, putting his arm around her. He hadn't meant to do that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that," he apologized. Sam shook her head and smiled at him. "No, no, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that. The publicist in me talking. Reilly's brilliant, Orlando will be lucky to have her with him." Dom smiled back at her, silently agreeing.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Whew!" Reilly breathed, turning to Tristan as she closed the door behind the last of her party guests. "That was fun!" She unclipped her hair, letting it spill over her sleeveless black cowlneck sweater. Tristan threw her a sexy look, his brown hair falling in his eyes, and she grinned and took his hand, leading him upstairs to her bedroom.
The party had been a lot of fun, though Reilly had initially been a bit overwhelmed at first as she tried to take in the shock of seeing pretty much everyone she had ever known, including a good majority of the BC hockey team, and many of her high school friends that she hadn't much spoken to since heading off to college. It was great, though, being in such a crowd. She just laughed and had fun and took her rum shots like a good girl, with no worries of anything clouding her thoughts.
A few slipped back into her frame of mind now, though, as Tristan pulled her over to him to give her a soft kiss. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart," he whispered, his hands straying down her back and over the waist of her dark red pants. He lifted her off her feet and laid her back on her bed, running his hands beneath her sweater and over her stomach til he cupped her breasts. She moaned quietly and her back arched at his touch as she glanced at her alarm clock and announced, "it's not my birthday anymore, babe." Tristan kissed her neck, his fingers working on the clasp of her bra. "So it's not," he agreed, sliding her sweater over her head. Reilly's hands moved over his belt, undoing it quickly as he continued kissing her collarbone. As her fingers played over the button of his khaki pants, Reilly's head spun. We hardly spoke all night, she thought to herself. What are we doing?
"Wait, Tristan," she said quietly, and he raised his eyes to meet hers. "What?" he asked. "I…I think we should talk," Reilly sat up and reached for her shirt. Tristan looked down at how hard he was, then back up at her incredulously. "Now?" Reilly nodded, and something in her eyes made his heart fall to his feet. He knew what she was thinking. It was like he could read her mind…one of the sometimes downfalls of dating one who was first your best friend. He didn't want to hear the questions he knew she was going to ask him…though he had known all along that this was coming. It was just…as long as Reilly hadn't seemed to notice, he could pretend. But not anymore.
"Tristan, what's going on?" she looked at him imploringly, and his heart couldn't take her eyes and he looked down. "Why is Drew asking questions and walking around on eggshells like I'm going to break, or be broken?" She cupped his chin in her hand, turning his face back up. "What about Kate Becker?" Tristan shook his head quickly. "We've been hanging out, and she was my date for homecoming and some cocktails, but we've done nothing, I promise," Reilly nodded, believing him. Tristan sighed. "It's just…its been hard without you, Ri…and I've tried not to be the obnoxious needy one, but…its knowing that I miss you so much more than you miss me…" Reilly opened her mouth to protest, but he held a finger to her lips. "And knowing that our relationship has meant more to me than to you all along…at first I thought that was ok, but it's not anymore." He finished quietly, and Reilly's eyes widened, but she couldn't argue, and felt like shit because of it. Tristan spoke again. "And now…you have a new life, with new people who mean so much to you…more than me…and I don't know if it's fair to either one of us anymore…we're holding eachother back."
Reilly looked shocked. What was going on? It had been her idea to talk, and she had barely gotten a word in edgewise…and now…Tristan was giving the speech she always, in the back of her mind, thought would be hers to deliver. She trembled at how cruel she realized that assumption was, and looked at Tristan a little desperately. "Tristan…our relationship is the most important thing in the world to me. It's the only thing that connects me to anything…I don't want to lose you. And no one means more to me than you…they're just friends! Orli…Orlando…christ, Trist, he's like the next Brad Pitt! I wouldn't have a chance even if I wanted to! Which I don't," she added, a bit too quickly. "And as for Dominic…well, I could never fall in love with my best friend!" Reilly caught her breath and her eyes widened as the words left her lips and she heard them out loud, realizing what she had just said. "Tristan…I didn't mean…" Tristan looked at her and shook his head. There it is, he thought. She said it. There were tears in his eyes, but he blinked against them. "Yeah you did, Ri," he whispered. "You could never fall in love with your best friend…that's exactly what you meant." Reilly felt her heart breaking as she saw the hurt in his eyes, hurt she had caused. "That's the difference between us, Ri. You never fell in love with your best friend. I did," he told her. "And I let you," she muttered bitterly. Tristan nodded. "And while I was falling in love, you were just along for the ride." Reilly felt a stab through her heart at the harshness of his words. But they were true. Tristan stroked her cheek. "I love you, Ri. And I know you love me. But it's not the same love, and that's not fair anymore." Reilly let out a breath shakily as Tristan got to his feet. "I'm going to go sleep in one of the guest rooms, ok? I'll come see you tomorrow before I leave."
Reilly watched the door close behind him. She felt like she was drowning, she didn't know what to do. Your own fault, Ri, your own fault. Entirely. She felt hot tears burning her eyes, but she blinked them back forcefully. No, she told herself. You don't get to cry…you don't deserve to cry over this one. Making her way to the bathroom she bumped into Drew. "I helped Tristan find everything in the guest room," he told her quietly. She nodded mutely, and he tried to search her eyes but she wouldn't look at him. "Reilly," he started, and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away from him like he had burnt her. "Goodnight, Drew," she said, brushing past him into the bathroom. Listening to the sound of the shower, Drew leaned against the hallway wall and sighed worriedly. Don't be like that, Ri. Don't shut everyone out, he begged her silently as he headed towards his room.
A/N: OK, so raise your hand if you saw that one coming (*laughs as EVERYONE raises hand*)…next chapter should be back on the lighter side!