Two months had gone by, and her and Brad had been getting along better than ever. She called Lane a littler later on that day Brad had hit her, and told her she didn't feel good and that she was doing to stay home with her Mom. She hadn't thought about what Brad had done for over a month now. It was a fluke, a once in a lifetime thing and It would never happen again. She didn't even worry about it anymore. In fact, she was going to meet up with him now for there 1 year, 2 month anniversary. She was excited and couldn't wait to see him. They were meeting up at her house when she was done with school and Lorelai agreed (reluctantly) to go to Sookie's for the evening.
"Ok, I'm coming home at 10:30 and no later! So any kissing on the couch better be done by 10:29 or there will be hell to pay I tell you!"
"Got it. No kissing past 10:29, or I must pay hell."
"Aw that's my sweet precious daughter." She kissed Rory on the forehead.
"Ill see you then"
"Bye Mom!"
"Bye Rory!"
Lorelai left and Rory plopped down on the couch. Brad wasn't due to come over for another hour, he was working. She called Lane but she wasn't home, she called Paris but she wasn't home either. Fifteen minutes had gone by and she was getting really bored. So, she called Dean. After all, they were friends and friends do talk on the phone.
"Hi, is Dean home?" ….
"This is Rory" …
"Ok thanks."
She waited for Dean to get on the phone and began to worry. What am I gonna say? Was this a mistake calling him on me and Brad's anniversary?
"Hello?" There he was.
"Dean?"
"Rory?"
"Yea. Um, hey."
"Hi."
"How are you?"
"Good…"
There conversation eventually got less awkward and they were actually enjoying themselves. Before Rory knew it, an hour had gone by.
"Hey Dean, listen, it was so great talking to you. I really miss this."
"Me to."
"But I gotta go, Brad is coming over. Actually, he shoulda been here fifteen minutes ago…"
"Ok I gotcha, just, you know, call me later or something."
"I will definatly do that."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye."
She hung up. She felt great, they had just had a great conversation as friends, her boyfriend was coming over on there anniversary and tonight was going to be great.
"That's nice that you two are talking…"
She jumped.
"Brad! Geez how'd you get in here? You scared me!"
"Yea well, I got in here about 15 minutes ago. I was on time but you seemed a little occupied talking to Dean…"
"Brad were just friends you know that. Plus I only called him because I was REALLY bored and Lane and Paris weren't answering there phones."
"Coming up with excuses already?"
"I thought you'd be mad, I was just telling you the truth."
"Yea. I bet."
"Brad what's your problem? You know that I love you so don't do this, not on our anniversary…"
She went over to give him a hug and he pushed her away.
"Ok. Or not."
"Listen Rory, I cant do this. You cant keep talking to Dean If we are going to keep going out. I mean, why after 14 months did you suddenly feel the need to call him?"
"After 14 months? I've been talking to him since we started going out…"
"What??! And you just, failed to mention this to me?!"
"Its not a big deal!"
"Yea well, to me - talking to your ex-boyfriend on OUR anniversary is!"
Why was he getting so angry? She didn't do anything wrong, she didn't know it would upset him so much by just talking to Dean.
"Why are you getting so jealous? We've been doing so great these past 2 months, don't ruin it by a pointless argument."
"Oh, pointless? So now a discussion about our relationship is just, a pointless argument? I see how much I mean to you now."
He began to walk towards the door and she ran in front of him.
"No, Brad, stay. I'm sorry Ok? I didn't know it would make you so mad!"
"Move Rory."
"No Brad - stay with me. Don't do this, not on our anniversary…"
"You did this. Now move Rory, I'm warning you."
"Warning me? What the hell does that mean?"
She knew what it meant but it was to late, he grabbed her and pushed her out of his way. This time there was no apology.
"You jerk! You cant treat me like this I hate you!"
He was halfway out the door, but stopped and turned around.
"You HATE me now?!"
He walked back in the house.
"How is it that you have room to hate me? You're the one talking to your ex-boyfriend behind my back!"
Rory stepped back and he stepped forward.
"He's my friend Brad, my f-r-i-e-n-d! Why cant you understand and accept that?"
"Because I love you Rory, I don't want anything to jeopardize our relationship, especially not Dean."
"That's never going to happen."
"Sure it isn't."
"You know what? Maybe you should leave, you obviously don't believe a word I say anyway."
"Leave? Now? No way. Now I'm staying."
"Get out"
She grabbed his jacket and lead him towards the door, she got about two steps before he stopped.
"I said I was stayin."
He grabbed her wrist and flew it off him. She grabbed his jacket again, this time he pushed her away and she fell to the ground.
"Rory don't touch me again."
"Same for you asshole."
"What?"
Mistake. She saw the anger in his eyes this time, he never looked more pissed off before.
"You heard me…" her voice was shaky.
"Yea I did…" She was still on the ground and he hovered over her. He picked her up and looked her in the eyes.
"Don't ever call me that again, you understand?"
"Get away from me Brad, your scaring me…"
Suddenly she felt a shock of pain shoot through her face, and she was on the ground again.
Oh my god, he punched me… Rory thought. She couldn't believe it. She looked up and this time, he was gone. He didn't want to talk or apologize or anything, He just - left. What was she going to do now? She had no idea. She got up and walked into the bathroom. Memories came back of last time she was in here for the same thing. This time, it would be a little harder to hide. It already had swelled and began to turn colors. She cried. She couldn't help it - the love of her life had hurt her again and it wasn't a fluke. She blamed herself, she should have known not to talk to Dean or get an attitude with Brad when he was just trying to be protective. But hit her? That wasn't right, that wasn't the way to deal with things. But she couldn't break up with him, what if he flipped out again. She cried harder, and before she knew it, her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller Id, it was Brad. Should she answer it? No, she thought, he would just apologize and try to make things better when they couldn't be fixed. Not this time, not ever. She turned off the ringer and looked at the clock, it was 9:00. She was tired, the crying wore her out. She went into her room and crawled into bed. Some anniversary… she though.
"Ok, I'm coming home at 10:30 and no later! So any kissing on the couch better be done by 10:29 or there will be hell to pay I tell you!"
"Got it. No kissing past 10:29, or I must pay hell."
"Aw that's my sweet precious daughter." She kissed Rory on the forehead.
"Ill see you then"
"Bye Mom!"
"Bye Rory!"
Lorelai left and Rory plopped down on the couch. Brad wasn't due to come over for another hour, he was working. She called Lane but she wasn't home, she called Paris but she wasn't home either. Fifteen minutes had gone by and she was getting really bored. So, she called Dean. After all, they were friends and friends do talk on the phone.
"Hi, is Dean home?" ….
"This is Rory" …
"Ok thanks."
She waited for Dean to get on the phone and began to worry. What am I gonna say? Was this a mistake calling him on me and Brad's anniversary?
"Hello?" There he was.
"Dean?"
"Rory?"
"Yea. Um, hey."
"Hi."
"How are you?"
"Good…"
There conversation eventually got less awkward and they were actually enjoying themselves. Before Rory knew it, an hour had gone by.
"Hey Dean, listen, it was so great talking to you. I really miss this."
"Me to."
"But I gotta go, Brad is coming over. Actually, he shoulda been here fifteen minutes ago…"
"Ok I gotcha, just, you know, call me later or something."
"I will definatly do that."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye."
She hung up. She felt great, they had just had a great conversation as friends, her boyfriend was coming over on there anniversary and tonight was going to be great.
"That's nice that you two are talking…"
She jumped.
"Brad! Geez how'd you get in here? You scared me!"
"Yea well, I got in here about 15 minutes ago. I was on time but you seemed a little occupied talking to Dean…"
"Brad were just friends you know that. Plus I only called him because I was REALLY bored and Lane and Paris weren't answering there phones."
"Coming up with excuses already?"
"I thought you'd be mad, I was just telling you the truth."
"Yea. I bet."
"Brad what's your problem? You know that I love you so don't do this, not on our anniversary…"
She went over to give him a hug and he pushed her away.
"Ok. Or not."
"Listen Rory, I cant do this. You cant keep talking to Dean If we are going to keep going out. I mean, why after 14 months did you suddenly feel the need to call him?"
"After 14 months? I've been talking to him since we started going out…"
"What??! And you just, failed to mention this to me?!"
"Its not a big deal!"
"Yea well, to me - talking to your ex-boyfriend on OUR anniversary is!"
Why was he getting so angry? She didn't do anything wrong, she didn't know it would upset him so much by just talking to Dean.
"Why are you getting so jealous? We've been doing so great these past 2 months, don't ruin it by a pointless argument."
"Oh, pointless? So now a discussion about our relationship is just, a pointless argument? I see how much I mean to you now."
He began to walk towards the door and she ran in front of him.
"No, Brad, stay. I'm sorry Ok? I didn't know it would make you so mad!"
"Move Rory."
"No Brad - stay with me. Don't do this, not on our anniversary…"
"You did this. Now move Rory, I'm warning you."
"Warning me? What the hell does that mean?"
She knew what it meant but it was to late, he grabbed her and pushed her out of his way. This time there was no apology.
"You jerk! You cant treat me like this I hate you!"
He was halfway out the door, but stopped and turned around.
"You HATE me now?!"
He walked back in the house.
"How is it that you have room to hate me? You're the one talking to your ex-boyfriend behind my back!"
Rory stepped back and he stepped forward.
"He's my friend Brad, my f-r-i-e-n-d! Why cant you understand and accept that?"
"Because I love you Rory, I don't want anything to jeopardize our relationship, especially not Dean."
"That's never going to happen."
"Sure it isn't."
"You know what? Maybe you should leave, you obviously don't believe a word I say anyway."
"Leave? Now? No way. Now I'm staying."
"Get out"
She grabbed his jacket and lead him towards the door, she got about two steps before he stopped.
"I said I was stayin."
He grabbed her wrist and flew it off him. She grabbed his jacket again, this time he pushed her away and she fell to the ground.
"Rory don't touch me again."
"Same for you asshole."
"What?"
Mistake. She saw the anger in his eyes this time, he never looked more pissed off before.
"You heard me…" her voice was shaky.
"Yea I did…" She was still on the ground and he hovered over her. He picked her up and looked her in the eyes.
"Don't ever call me that again, you understand?"
"Get away from me Brad, your scaring me…"
Suddenly she felt a shock of pain shoot through her face, and she was on the ground again.
Oh my god, he punched me… Rory thought. She couldn't believe it. She looked up and this time, he was gone. He didn't want to talk or apologize or anything, He just - left. What was she going to do now? She had no idea. She got up and walked into the bathroom. Memories came back of last time she was in here for the same thing. This time, it would be a little harder to hide. It already had swelled and began to turn colors. She cried. She couldn't help it - the love of her life had hurt her again and it wasn't a fluke. She blamed herself, she should have known not to talk to Dean or get an attitude with Brad when he was just trying to be protective. But hit her? That wasn't right, that wasn't the way to deal with things. But she couldn't break up with him, what if he flipped out again. She cried harder, and before she knew it, her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller Id, it was Brad. Should she answer it? No, she thought, he would just apologize and try to make things better when they couldn't be fixed. Not this time, not ever. She turned off the ringer and looked at the clock, it was 9:00. She was tired, the crying wore her out. She went into her room and crawled into bed. Some anniversary… she though.