At last, a chapter 2! Some of you will recognize parts of this as stolen from my story Nervous Energy. The first chapter of that story will probably get incorporated somewhere else, maybe later in this one but no promises! :)
Thanks again to EVERYONE who's sent me such amazingly wonderful comments! You guys are the BEST encouragement a writer could ever have!
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Rory stood in front of the Foresters' door. She knew Dean and his family were inside packing for their trip; they were leaving for a summer vacation at his grandparents in Illinois. She hesitated. 'Maybe I should wait until he gets back to do this,' she thought. She inhaled deeply, steeling her resolve. She didn't want to spend the summer feeling guilty for cheating on Dean, and it probably would be better if they had the time apart to get over the breakup.
Rory raised her hand to knock just as it opened and Mr. Forester stepped out with two large suitcases.
"Hi Mr. Forester. Looks like you're all packed." Rory held the door open for him, hoping that her voice wouldn't betray how agitated she was.
"Thanks Rory. Unfortunately this is just a fraction of all the stuff they're bringing! Dean's in the kitchen; just head on back there and make yourself at home." Mr. Forester turned to walk down the steps and Rory headed into the house.
Dean was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing out a glass.
"Hey you." Rory walked over to stand next to him.
"Rory!" Dean set the glass on the counter and hugged her. "I was wondering what happened to you. I thought you were going to be here a half-hour ago."
Rory hugged him back half-heartedly. "Sorry. I got distracted." She looked nervously around the kitchen. "Do you have time to go for a walk?"
Dean smiled. "Sure. Not too long, but I can manage a little time for my best girl." Rory winced, but he had turned to put the glass in the cabinet. They walked out the back door and headed for the gazebo.
They walked for awhile in silence. Dean reached for Rory's hand, and she stopped, crossing her arms in front of her. She looked away from him, tilting her head down. "Dean, we need to talk."
Dean looked at her, his expression blank. From the corner of her eye she saw his fists clench. He nervously ran his palms against his jeans and breathed deeply. "Okay." He hid the quaver in his voice, but Rory heard it and sighed. "What do we need to talk about?"
"Dean, you're a wonderful boyfriend, and I love you. But I can't be your girlfriend anymore." Dean clenched his fists and turned away from her. "You were right to think you couldn't trust me with Jess. I...I kissed him at the wedding."
Dean let out a bitter, short laugh. "And now you want to be his girlfriend instead of mine."
Rory leaned toward him, her expression pleading. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh really?"
"Really." Rory cupped his elbow in her hand. "Dean, I didn't do it on purpose to hurt you, I swear."
Dean sighed, turning and stepping closer to her. "Okay, then. It was just a kiss." He took her hand in his, stroking her palm gently. "Maybe we can get beyond it..."
Rory pulled her hand away, shaking her head. "No, Dean. There's more than just the kiss."
Rory hugged her elbows, massaging her arms. She couldn't look at him and say this. "This morning, I went to apologize, and we were sitting on the bed in his room..."
"In his bed?" Dean's face contorted. "That's why you were late?"
Rory realized she'd misled him, and reached out. "Dean, no..."
"Don't say anything else." He pushed her hand away angrily. "I can read it in your face. More than a year, Rory. And I never even tried to touch you like that. I tried to respect you; I knew it was an issue for your mom...I can't believe you let him make love to you!"
All the pent-up frustration about Rory's relationship with Jess boiled over into anger. Dean grabbed a flower pot from a nearby display and hurled it against the brick wall of the building behind them,
sending terra cotta and dirt and geraniums flying everywhere.
Rory cringed as Dean turned to her, the betrayal and anger palpable on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say more, then shook his head, turned around, and walked away from her. He continued walking toward the gazebo, not wanting to head home until he'd cooled off. As he passed the diner, he spotted Jess through the window and saw red. He wanted to kill the little punk...
Dean threw open the door to the diner, stormed over to Jess and grabbed him by the shoulder, catching Jess off guard. Dean planted his fist in the smaller man's solar plexus, then slammed him against the wall of the diner, pinning his arms. He heard someone screaming for Luke as he got in Jess's face. "You fucking asshole. You got what you wanted, didn't you? I can't believe she let you touch her. You'd better have used protection. If you get her pregnant, or hurt her at all...hell, if I ever see her even FROWNING in your presence, I won't need an incentive to kill you with my bare hands."
He pushed Jess away from him and stormed out of the diner, brushing past Luke and ignoring Rory who was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks. She ran over to Jess, who was sitting against the wall, trying to regain his breath.
Jess looked up at Rory incredulously. "What the hell did you tell him?"
"He misunderstood."
Jess breathed deeply, wincing. "Obviously."
"Are you okay?"
Jess nodded. "He just knocked the wind out of me. Wish I'd seen him coming."
He sat back and smiled at her. "I guess I was walking around in a bit of a daze." Rory relaxed, smiling back. She sat down next to him against the wall and he wrapped an arm around her.
"That could have gone better," Rory commented. Jess snorted.
"Guess you're broken up, huh?"
"Yeah. Definitely broken up."
Jess turned his head to look in her eyes and smiled. "Good."
Luke watched them, trying to figure out exactly what had happened between them. Rory had her head on Jess's shoulder and he was smiling down at her. Her knees were hugged against her chest, and Jess slid an arm beneath them, turning her so she was cradled in his arms. He rested a hand on her knee and stroked it gently, leaning his head down over hers and lightly caressing the top of her head with his lips. Luke sighed. They looked intimate. Dean had implied that they were lovers; they weren't going to quell the rumors sitting like that.
"Jess, you okay?" Luke asked, breaking their reverie.
Jess nodded. "Yeah, I'll live." He untangled himself from Rory, standing and giving her his hand to pull her up. He slid an arm around her waist.
Luke watched them, his expression somber. "Rory, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee. I want to talk to Jess for a minute."
Rory nodded, looking back and forth between the two men. Jess had shuttered his expression and looked defensive. She squeezed his hand, smiling encouragingly when he looked down at her, and his face softened.
She turned to Luke. "Jess didn't do anything wrong, Luke. Dean wouldn't let me talk. He jumped to conclusions." Rory looked down, her face flaming. "Jess and I didn't..."
Luke noticed her discomfort and interrupted her. "It's okay. I'm not going to yell at him."
Rory could sense Jess relax, and she moved toward the coffeepot as they headed for the apartment.
Thanks again to EVERYONE who's sent me such amazingly wonderful comments! You guys are the BEST encouragement a writer could ever have!
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Rory stood in front of the Foresters' door. She knew Dean and his family were inside packing for their trip; they were leaving for a summer vacation at his grandparents in Illinois. She hesitated. 'Maybe I should wait until he gets back to do this,' she thought. She inhaled deeply, steeling her resolve. She didn't want to spend the summer feeling guilty for cheating on Dean, and it probably would be better if they had the time apart to get over the breakup.
Rory raised her hand to knock just as it opened and Mr. Forester stepped out with two large suitcases.
"Hi Mr. Forester. Looks like you're all packed." Rory held the door open for him, hoping that her voice wouldn't betray how agitated she was.
"Thanks Rory. Unfortunately this is just a fraction of all the stuff they're bringing! Dean's in the kitchen; just head on back there and make yourself at home." Mr. Forester turned to walk down the steps and Rory headed into the house.
Dean was standing at the kitchen sink rinsing out a glass.
"Hey you." Rory walked over to stand next to him.
"Rory!" Dean set the glass on the counter and hugged her. "I was wondering what happened to you. I thought you were going to be here a half-hour ago."
Rory hugged him back half-heartedly. "Sorry. I got distracted." She looked nervously around the kitchen. "Do you have time to go for a walk?"
Dean smiled. "Sure. Not too long, but I can manage a little time for my best girl." Rory winced, but he had turned to put the glass in the cabinet. They walked out the back door and headed for the gazebo.
They walked for awhile in silence. Dean reached for Rory's hand, and she stopped, crossing her arms in front of her. She looked away from him, tilting her head down. "Dean, we need to talk."
Dean looked at her, his expression blank. From the corner of her eye she saw his fists clench. He nervously ran his palms against his jeans and breathed deeply. "Okay." He hid the quaver in his voice, but Rory heard it and sighed. "What do we need to talk about?"
"Dean, you're a wonderful boyfriend, and I love you. But I can't be your girlfriend anymore." Dean clenched his fists and turned away from her. "You were right to think you couldn't trust me with Jess. I...I kissed him at the wedding."
Dean let out a bitter, short laugh. "And now you want to be his girlfriend instead of mine."
Rory leaned toward him, her expression pleading. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Oh really?"
"Really." Rory cupped his elbow in her hand. "Dean, I didn't do it on purpose to hurt you, I swear."
Dean sighed, turning and stepping closer to her. "Okay, then. It was just a kiss." He took her hand in his, stroking her palm gently. "Maybe we can get beyond it..."
Rory pulled her hand away, shaking her head. "No, Dean. There's more than just the kiss."
Rory hugged her elbows, massaging her arms. She couldn't look at him and say this. "This morning, I went to apologize, and we were sitting on the bed in his room..."
"In his bed?" Dean's face contorted. "That's why you were late?"
Rory realized she'd misled him, and reached out. "Dean, no..."
"Don't say anything else." He pushed her hand away angrily. "I can read it in your face. More than a year, Rory. And I never even tried to touch you like that. I tried to respect you; I knew it was an issue for your mom...I can't believe you let him make love to you!"
All the pent-up frustration about Rory's relationship with Jess boiled over into anger. Dean grabbed a flower pot from a nearby display and hurled it against the brick wall of the building behind them,
sending terra cotta and dirt and geraniums flying everywhere.
Rory cringed as Dean turned to her, the betrayal and anger palpable on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say more, then shook his head, turned around, and walked away from her. He continued walking toward the gazebo, not wanting to head home until he'd cooled off. As he passed the diner, he spotted Jess through the window and saw red. He wanted to kill the little punk...
Dean threw open the door to the diner, stormed over to Jess and grabbed him by the shoulder, catching Jess off guard. Dean planted his fist in the smaller man's solar plexus, then slammed him against the wall of the diner, pinning his arms. He heard someone screaming for Luke as he got in Jess's face. "You fucking asshole. You got what you wanted, didn't you? I can't believe she let you touch her. You'd better have used protection. If you get her pregnant, or hurt her at all...hell, if I ever see her even FROWNING in your presence, I won't need an incentive to kill you with my bare hands."
He pushed Jess away from him and stormed out of the diner, brushing past Luke and ignoring Rory who was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks. She ran over to Jess, who was sitting against the wall, trying to regain his breath.
Jess looked up at Rory incredulously. "What the hell did you tell him?"
"He misunderstood."
Jess breathed deeply, wincing. "Obviously."
"Are you okay?"
Jess nodded. "He just knocked the wind out of me. Wish I'd seen him coming."
He sat back and smiled at her. "I guess I was walking around in a bit of a daze." Rory relaxed, smiling back. She sat down next to him against the wall and he wrapped an arm around her.
"That could have gone better," Rory commented. Jess snorted.
"Guess you're broken up, huh?"
"Yeah. Definitely broken up."
Jess turned his head to look in her eyes and smiled. "Good."
Luke watched them, trying to figure out exactly what had happened between them. Rory had her head on Jess's shoulder and he was smiling down at her. Her knees were hugged against her chest, and Jess slid an arm beneath them, turning her so she was cradled in his arms. He rested a hand on her knee and stroked it gently, leaning his head down over hers and lightly caressing the top of her head with his lips. Luke sighed. They looked intimate. Dean had implied that they were lovers; they weren't going to quell the rumors sitting like that.
"Jess, you okay?" Luke asked, breaking their reverie.
Jess nodded. "Yeah, I'll live." He untangled himself from Rory, standing and giving her his hand to pull her up. He slid an arm around her waist.
Luke watched them, his expression somber. "Rory, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee. I want to talk to Jess for a minute."
Rory nodded, looking back and forth between the two men. Jess had shuttered his expression and looked defensive. She squeezed his hand, smiling encouragingly when he looked down at her, and his face softened.
She turned to Luke. "Jess didn't do anything wrong, Luke. Dean wouldn't let me talk. He jumped to conclusions." Rory looked down, her face flaming. "Jess and I didn't..."
Luke noticed her discomfort and interrupted her. "It's okay. I'm not going to yell at him."
Rory could sense Jess relax, and she moved toward the coffeepot as they headed for the apartment.
