A.N: Eeep! Another long wait between chapters, I'm sorry. I'm not abandoning this story though so I hope you can be patient with my lack of updates. This story will be finished, slowly but surely. Heehee. I quite like this chapter, so I hope you do too. Happy reading!
* * * * *
It Had To Be You
by inmyeyes
12: More Than You Think You Are
"Que sólo amor es el que da valor a todas las cosas."
Lat., "It is love alone that gives worth to all things." - Santa Teresa de Jesús
The moment she hung up the phone, she sat down shakily on her chair, wondering where the words had come from. She hadn't meant to invite him over. Oh no, not at all. All she had wanted to do was to thank him for the flowers –which she did- and to make some vague reference to a possible meeting –maybe, lunch or coffee or something- in future. She would be cordial… but detached. Damnit, she had been aiming to be cool and collected; instead, she knew that she had sounded flustered.
Damn him.
Damn him for sending those beautiful flowers that were sitting prettily in a vase on her desk. He was probably only the second man in her life to send her flowers; The last time she had received flowers was years ago; Dean had given her red roses after a particularly vicious fight they had not long after Jess had gone back to New York. She reached for the card that had come with the flowers and her eyes took in the words 'Thinking of you.' Those three words made her extend the invitation, which was an admission that she had been thinking of him too.
Damn him for sounding happy to hear from her. Damn him for being a wonderful kisser because all she could think about when she was talking was how lush his lips had felt on hers… and damn him for being everything that she didn't think he'd be.
As she reclined against her plush sofa, her mind wandered back to her teenage years, to her sophomore year at Chilton when she first met Tristan DuGrey. He had been charming in his own way, confident- almost overly so- ... and very very persistent. Comparing that Tristan to the man she now knew, there were little similarities. Or rather, she said to herself, she now saw more of him than she ever had before.
What scared her was how much she liked what she saw.
* * * * *
"I can't believe that you got While You Were Sleeping!" Rory exclaimed gleefully.
Tristan merely shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a Sandra Bullock kind of guy."
As she hit the 'play' button on the remote for her DVD player, she said, "I just figured that you'd pick some mindless action flick… something like The Art of War." Rory shuddered at the thought.
"I'm all for action flicks, but that was one bad movie. I'd rather watch a Hugh Grant movie."
"Oh my God, a guy who's willing to watch Hugh Grant?" Rory's eyes widened dramatically. "This I have to tell my mom."
"Hey, don't misquote me! The word 'willing' never left my mouth," he protested.
Rory grinned. "I bet you have a favourite Hugh movie. C'mon, tell me. Which one is it? Four Weddings and A Funeral? Two Weeks Notice? Bridget Jones' Diary?"
He sighed, knowing that Rory wouldn't give up until he answered. "Notting Hill, actually."
Her sigh was dreamy. "That was a great one," she agreed, clutching a cushion to her chest. "Definitely one of my favourites."
"So tell me, since we're talking movies, what's your favourite movie ever?"
"Ever? I can't answer that! I can't just choose one. It would be-" The sound of the doorbell cut off whatever it was she was going to say. "That must be the pizza. I'll get that."
As Rory grabbed her purse from the side table and got up to answer the door, Tristan leaned back and breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. God, he had been so nervous! Earlier, while he had been waiting outside her door, he was almost tempted to just walk away and call Rory to make his excuses. Luckily, before he could take the easy way out, the door swung open and Rory was there, smiling at him. And though his nervousness tripled at the sight of her, his courage didn't fail him. He had returned her smile, holding up the bag of movies that he brought with him. Everything had been smooth-sailing ever since.
"Please tell me that you like mushrooms," Rory called out from her kitchen as she pulled out plates.
"I'm fine with mushrooms… as long as there are no pineapples," he replied, grabbing the pizza box from her as she made her way back to the living room.
"I never did understand why anyone would want to have fruit on their pizza," Rory commented. "It's-"
"-unnatural," they both chorused.
Rory couldn't help but grin. "Exactly."
Tristan nodded. "So, this is a pineapple-free pizza?" he asked as he pulled open the top.
Her grin was still in place as she answered, "I'd have it no other way."
* * * * *
"Your mom brought you to a strip club?" Tristan said incredulously. The movie was long forgotten; in fact, they had barely sat through ten minutes of it before ignoring it completely and talking instead. He wasn't sure how long they had been talking, but he didn't want to stop. After shutting off the movie, Rory had switched on her stereo instead, letting low music fill the room. It felt cozy… and very intimate, as though they were cocooned from the world.
Rory shook her head, laughing lightly as she did so. "Why do I always get that reaction when I say that?"
"It's just that you're- you're…" Tristan sputtered, waving his hand as he tried to make his point. "You're Mary."
She rolled her eyes and threw her uneaten pizza crust at him. "Gee, it's nice to know that after ten years, I still have 'Mary' tattooed on my forehead." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "It's no big deal; it was my 21st birthday after all. Everyone does something outrageous or stupid on their 21st. It's mandatory. It's in the 'How To Live Your Life' handbook."
"Tell me," Tristan urged, "did you have fun?"
Rory broke down laughing as he teasingly wriggled his brows and leered at her. When she was finally composed enough to speak, she answered, "Well, I have to say… it was an interesting experience."
He smirked at her words. "I'm sure it was."
"Honestly," Rory lowered her voice, as though she was sharing a secret, "hearing my mom yell 'Take it off!' while waving a dollar bill in the air was just slightly scary."
"I imagine that it scarred you for life."
"No, actually, scarred for life happened when I was nine."
Tristan laughed. "Do I want to hear this?"
Rory's laugh matched his. "Probably not."
* * * * *
"I've always wondered about that, you know," Rory said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
Tristan moved his gaze from the raindrops misting up the windows to Rory's inquisitive look. His forehead creased in confusion as he asked, "About what?"
She gestured to his hand that was still lying against window pane. "That ring. You've always worn it; I remember seeing it on you when we were in Chilton."
He smiled as he twisted the silver band around his finger. He had been wearing it for so long that the feel of it against his skin hardly registered any more. "Well, it's special."
Rory tilted her head, studying his semi-closed off look in the dim light. Her voice was soft and tentative when she asked, "Girlfriend?"
"No," he shook his head, "it's from my grandfather."
Rory leaned back against the windows and waited patiently, somehow knowing that Tristan would talk eventually. She saw the way his lips curled up slightly as he looked at the ring and then how his eyes clouded up and that hint of a smile flittered away. In the semi-darkness, his angular features seemed more pronounced and with this aura of sadness around him, he seemed like some kind of fallen angel. She had to smile at that thought.
"He died when I was 16," Tristan said, his voice soft as memories washed over him. "He was…" he paused, taking a deep breath, "a big part of my life and a big part of who I was, and who I could be. And when he died, it was really hard on me." He took off the ring and seemed to be examining it for a while before he slipped it back on. "The ring just reminds me of him. He gave it to me when I was 11."
Instinctively, Rory reached out and covered his hand with hers, giving a comforting squeeze. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to react to the maelstrom of emotion she saw swimming his eyes. So, she said the only thing that came to mind: "You must have loved him very much."
The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile and he turned his hand to link his fingers with hers. "Yeah, I did. I do."
Rory felt the cold band of metal against her hand and smiled. They stood there together, looking out into the darkened sky for a long time.
* * * * *
She wasn't sure what time it was, and honestly, she didn't care. She was learning so much about him and with every bit of him that was revealed, she found herself wanting to know more. Scarily enough – at least for her-, she was equally open with him. There was something about his open and sincere expression that made it so easy for her to share things about herself that few others knew.
It had been raining for a while now. She had always loved the rain, loving that feeling of wiping the slate clean and starting over that permeated her body once the sky had dried itself of its tears. With Norah Jones playing, a blanket wrapped around her legs, a cup of coffee in her hand and Tristan sitting close to her, she felt so relaxed that she could just fall asleep there and then.
Letting out what sounded like a purr, she unconsciously leaned further into Tristan. Moments later, she sighed contentedly again as she felt his hand stroking through her curtain of dark brown hair.
"It's late and you're getting sleepy. I should go," he whispered against her hair.
"Mmm, no. Not yet. Stay for a while more," Rory mumbled, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Tristan didn't put up a fight. "Okay."
Rory suddenly sat up straight, almost bumping into Tristan's chin as she did so. "Oh yeah, before I forget, I need to ask you something."
His brow raised in curiosity, he said, "Okay, ask away."
"Well," she bit her lip, feeling a little unsure. "I have this office Christmas party to go to… and I was wondering if you'd want to go with me."
Tristan smiled at the offer, his eyes lighting up. "Sure, I'd love to."
"Really?"
Leaning forward, he brushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, hoping to ease the uncertain look in her eyes. "Yes, really."
Rory pretty much held his breath, her heart pounding at his nearness. All she had to do was lean forward… and their lips would touch. His eyes were still trained on hers, and even though she looked, she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. She could never tell what went through his mind half the time; while he was open and candid with her, she still sensed an invisible wall between them… a wall that she knew was also standing on her side.
God, this thing –whatever it was- between them was infinitely complicated. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to kiss him. Really wanted to. She also knew that if he didn't end this agonizing anticipation, she could go crazy… and that she'd eventually give in to the crackling electricity between them.
"Tristan?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Hmmm?"
The moment was irrevocably shattered by the loud, shrill sound of a ringing telephone. Rory very nearly groaned in frustration but merely gave a shaky smile when Tristan held up his cell phone, muttering an apology to her before he answered.
She tuned out the sound of his voice and let her mind wander instead, thinking of what might have happened if it weren't for the untimely interruption. But she was pulled out of her thoughts when Tristan's voice grew louder, and more frantic.
"Will, tell me that she's all right!" Tristan demanded, running a hand through his hair. Initially, when he picked up the call, he was ready to kill whoever it was for their bad timing. But when he realized that it was William who was calling- and Will rarely called his cell phone unless it was an emergency-, his stomach dropped. The uneasy feeling in him grew with every word that was said.
"Tristan, I found her unconscious in her room," William said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I brought her to the hospital immediately."
"Is she all right?" Tristan repeated. He didn't realize that his fists were tightly clenched until he felt Rory gently pry his fingers apart. He looked up into her concerned gaze, thankful for her support.
His tone was resigned. "I don't know, Tristan. The doctor's still with her"
"I'm coming down there." He paused before asking, "They're not there, are they?"
William sighed. "No, they're not."
He let out a bitter laugh. "Why am I not surprised? I'm leaving now, Will… I'll see you in a few hours."
"Drive safely, Tristan," came William's advice.
Tristan closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "If Nat wakes up, tell her I love her and that I'll be there."
* * * * *
The long drive to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford was mostly made in silence, except for the low hum of the radio in the background. Tristan was caught up in his worries and hell bent on getting to Hartford as fast as possible, without completely disregarding all traffic laws. Natalie needed him, and he wasn't about to let her down.
He had been surprised when Rory insisted on coming along with him. He had tried to change her mind, but as he found out, once Rory's mind was made up, she was the most stubborn, unyielding creature ever. Although he didn't want to admit it, he welcomed her company, knowing that he needed someone to keep him sane and –most importantly- someone to hold his hand.
And she was doing just that- his fingers were meshed with hers and she was slowly whispering comforting words in his ear. He raised his head to meet her gaze and when she gripped his hand tighter, he smiled and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Thanks for being here, Ror," was his mumbled whisper.
When they arrived at the hospital, William filled them into on what had transpired. According to the doctor, Natalie had collapsed because of the extremely low levels of glucose in her blood. She had been dehydrated and was very weak. But- and Tristan finally managed to breathe easy after hearing this- it was nothing that a few days of rest and care couldn't cure. She was sleeping peacefully now, but since the doctor was still running tests and checking for other complications, they could not see her yet.
Tristan had only been sitting in the waiting room for 15 minutes but to him, it felt like hours. He needed to see her, to ascertain for himself that she really was going to be fine. He was also fighting to keep his anger down, knowing that anger wouldn't help the situation at all. Still, he couldn't help but berate himself; he had noticed during his last few days at home that Natalie wasn't feeling too well, but his worry had been assuaged when she assured him that she was feeling okay. However, the main source of his anger was his parents' absence.
The heavy sound of footsteps made him stand up and he breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the man as the doctor who had been treating Natalie ever since she was young. "Dr. Locke, how's she doing?"
"She's going to be fine, Tristan. Her blood sugar level was really low initially but we've managed to stabilize it. I don't know exactly what brought it on, but I have a feeling that it was a combination of stress and not watching her diet. We might need to change her medication too."
"She wasn't feeling too well a few days ago and I noticed that she hadn't been eating well," Tristan told the doctor.
"And," Will added, "she didn't eat much today either. She cooped herself up in her room and didn't take dinner."
Dr. Locke sighed. "Natalie should know better than that. She knows that she needs to have regular meals. I'll have a talk with her later about that, if you don't mind Tristan."
Tristan nodded. "Can I see her?"
* * * * *
Her blue eyes slowly opened at the sound of approaching footsteps and when her brother came into her line of vision, she smiled weakly. "Hi Tristan."
"Don't you 'hi Tristan' me," he said, sounding stern. But the touch of his hand against her forehead as he smoothed back her hair was gentle and belied the worry that had been eating at him. Then he grabbed her hand. "You gave me quite a scare," he admitted.
"I think I gave Will a scare."
Tristan perched himself on the edge of her bed and chuckled. "Yes, you did." His laughter melted away when he asked, "What happened, Nat?"
Her eyes clouded over as she remembered what had happened earlier that evening. "Can we not talk about this now?" she pleaded.
He bit his lip, holding back a sigh. "Okay, Nat," he gave in.
"I'm sorry, Tee," she mumbled, reverting back to the childhood name she had given her brother.
"There's nothing to be sorry about." He leaned forward and gently enfolded her in his arms, mindful of the tubes around her. "I'm glad you're all right."
Natalie welcomed the protective and comforting feel of her brother's hug. Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered, "I love you, Tee."
Her words brought a smile to his lips, his first since that frantic phone call from William. "I love you too, Nat."
* * * * *
Tristan concentrated on not getting himself worked up as Will and Rory each took their turns to see Natalie. Judging from what Natalie hadn't said, he had the feeling that his parents did something that evening that upset her. All he needed now was confirmation from Will.
Half an hour later, they arrived safely at the DuGrey home. It was almost four in the morning and Tristan knew that Will had had a trying night and needed sleep… but he needed answers and he wasn't patient enough to wait.
"Will, can I talk to you for a while?"
The middle-aged man glimpsed the banked anger in Tristan's eyes and knew better than to refuse. He also knew exactly what Tristan was going to talk to him about. "Can we at least go to the kitchen? I really need a cup of coffee."
Rory shifted uncomfortably, wondering what to do with herself. "Well, I'll-"
Tristan held out his hand to her. "If you're not too tired, I'd like to stay too."
She hesitated only a moment before slipping her hand into his. "Okay." She grinned, hoping to dispel some of the tension in the air. "Besides, I'm not one to turn down coffee."
Once they each had a cup of steaming coffee in their hands and there was a plate of cookies on the table, William spoke up. "Your parents left for Hawaii late yesterday afternoon. The reason Nat knew that they were leaving was because of the noise of the luggage being brought down. She came downstairs and stood at the foot of the staircase, waiting for either your mom or dad to say anything but neither did. When they were about to leave, Nat started yelling at them. Mrs. DuGrey was about to say something to her, but your dad just told her to go up to her room. And then…they left. Nat stayed in her room… and when I checked up on her before going to bed, I found her passed out on the floor. The rest, you already know."
"What the hell are they doing in Hawaii?" Tristan said through gritted teeth.
"I recall your mother saying something about wanting to get away from this horrible cold weather," William said sardonically.
Without saying another word, Tristan pushed his chair back and strode out of the kitchen.
William sighed, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. "I should be getting to sleep. Would you like me to show you to your room, Miss Gilmore?"
"Like I've said, please call me Rory. And if it's okay, I'll like to stay down here for a while," Rory said, smiling appreciatively.
William gave her a knowing look. "All right then, Rory. Good night."
* * * * *
She knew that he needed time alone to blow off his steam. So, she took her time finishing her large mug of coffee and ate a few cookies before getting up to find him. Pausing only to put on her jacket and grab a blanket that had been lying on the living room sofa, she made her way out through the kitchen door and into the large, well-tended garden. Moments later, she reached the large clearing where they had met before. Underneath the gazebo was Tristan's huddled figure.
She had been shocked earlier at William's account of what happened. She knew from what Tristan had told her that his parents didn't care but to hear about it firsthand was different. It made it more real. It also made her appreciate her own family and all the love and support that she got from them. She made a mental note to call her mom.
When she reached Tristan, she flung the blanket around his shoulders before sitting next to him and wrapping an arm around him. "You're freezing," she said.
She thought that he might still be angry but when he looked at her, she saw his bleak expression and knew that the anger had passed and was replaced by something else. Something akin to pain and desperation.
"I- I don't-" his voice broke and he paused before going on. "I don't want to be like them." He swallowed the lump in his throat. His voice could be barely heard as he expressed his fear, "I'm so afraid that I'm going to end up like them, Rory."
Her heart broke for him. "Oh, Tristan." She turned and fully embraced him. "That's not gonna happen."
"I don't how to be any other way. I don't know how to care about anyone else but myself."
Rory pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes and resting her hand against his cold cheek. "Yes, you do," she insisted. "I see the way you are with Natalie. You are so wonderful with her, do you know that Tristan?"
Tristan acted as though he didn't hear her. "They didn't want Natalie. Once she was born, they pretended that she didn't exist. The only time I ever saw them give a damn about her was when she was nine. It was similar to what happened tonight; Nat passed out and my mom found her. She didn't stop crying for an entire day. When we found out that it was because she's diabetic and had low blood sugar, her tears finally stopped. And things went back to normal again- she went back to not caring."
"Tristan," Rory said, cupping his face so that he would look right at her. "You are nothing like them."
He didn't say anything; he just closed his eyes. When she saw a stray tear rolling down his cheek, she pulled him into a hug again. They stayed that way until colour slowly brightened the sky, bringing the dawn of a new day.
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A.N: There ya go, hope you enjoyed it. All I know about diabetes I learnt from here (http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZHMO0EQ8C&sub_cat=57) so I hope I didn't get anything wrong! :) Thanks for reading.
