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Chapter 9: She's not worth it

Rory gasped, feeling the water cascade over her head like a tidal wave. She touched the bottom floor of the lake, kicked off and surfaced. "Tristan! I'm going to kill you." was all she could say. She wanted to hit him, really badly, and she didn't care that it contradicted with her no-violence personality.

Tristan smiled at her infuriatingly. "Look, Mary. You could try, but please excuse me if I laugh occasionally, as the idea of being killed by a *lady whose shirt is see-through is ludicrous."

Rory glanced down at herself, saw that it was indeed transparent, and wanted to die right there. "Oh hell."

Tristan couldn't help but burst out laughing. If he kept it in any longer, his face would have turned purple.

Rory frowned at him as she tried to cover herself up unsuccessfully. She sank down, just the right amount so that the water covered her breasts but let her breathe. "You're enjoying this aren't you, Bible Boy?"

Tristan laughed harder. "You know the answer to that."

Rory swatted at him, but realized too late that it uncovered her breasts. Finally, after a few seconds of avoiding her hits, Tristan got out of the water.

"Tristan!" Rory yelled. "You can't just leave me here like this!"

There was no reply. Rory's face sank into her hands, as she bemoaned at her position and wondered if she could ever outlive this experience. Finally, after about 30 seconds of mourning, Tristan reappeared, holding a fluffy white towel in his hand and the most aggravating smirk on his face. He walked near the edge of the lake, squatted, and told her to come out of the lake so that he could place the towel over her.

Rory frowned, thinking the situation over. "You'll have to close your eyes, Tristan."

"Don't you trust me?"

Rory laughed sarcastically. "You know the answer to that," said she, repeating the words he had said earlier.

Tristan sighed. "Okay, fine. I'm closing my eyes."

Rory started to get up, but then saw the flicker of his eyelids. "No peeking, Tristan."

Tristan let out a sigh worthy of hurricane standard, but he complied to her wishes. "You are such a killjoy, Mary."

Rory wrapped herself around the towel, and ran off to her cabin to change.

She couldn't find her black swimming suit. Seriously, it was nowhere to be found. She started to panic, wondering how she was going to get through the summer without a dip in the lake. Then, right at the bottom of her canvas bag, she discovered a plastic bag with a yellow post-it that read: Hey sweetheart, I hid your black suit, and replaced it with these two fabulous body hugging suits that will have all the boys sweatin' after you! Have fun! - Mum.

Rory tentatively looked at the contents of the plastic bag. She was flabbergasted. She didn't even think that they were legal! One was a matching baby blue whilst the other was a sparkly pink. They were both designed to display the most flesh as possible. She groaned to herself as she vowed never again to let her mum near her luggage, even if she did entice her away with the offer of coffee.

Rory frowned, as she tentatively took out the baby blue one. She had no choice but to wear one of them, and she chose this one.

Tristan was happily floating on his back, letting the rays warm his skin when he heard Rory call out his name. He stood up, glanced towards the direction of the call and practically had a coronary when he saw what she was wearing. She had on a bikini - baby blue nonetheless, to bring out the color of her eyes, and he could swear that she didn't know the power of that little thing on him. It was lethal and could virtually bring guys to their knees.

It was a few seconds before he could bring himself to talk. "Wow, Mary. I didn't know you had it in you to wear something like that."

Rory flushed. "I don't think I would have if my mum didn't replace my old but comfortable black Speedos® with this."

Tristan laughed really loudly. "I know I haven't met your mum and all, but I'm starting to like her a lot!"

"I'll introduce her to you... maybe," shot back Rory.

Tristan smiled widely as he realized that Rory envisioned a future with the both of them together. Well not together together, but together as friends. That was enough for him, maybe he could work on it, make her realize that they would be unstoppable together.

Rory cannon-balled into the lake, splashing water all over him. Tristan faked outrage and started chasing after her. Rory started to run away but wasn't fast enough as his hands snaked around her waist and clasped her tightly to him. She couldn't breathe as her senses went into overload. She could feel his sculpted muscles at her back.

"I can't believe you did that," whispered Tristan into her ear, tickling her senseless. She wanted to giggle but realized that it wasn't appropriate in this scene.

"Payback's a cow," she whispered back. She whirled around as he loosened his grip on her, but couldn't escape. She was in an even more compromising position than before, as she was now staring straight into his chest. It was a nice chest, but... she didn't feel comfortable being this close with only small pieces of clothing between the two of them. It made her feel like she had just gone through an electric shock.

She looked up at him, and discovered that his blue eyes were staring deeply into hers. He bent down slowly, leaving her enough space so that she could turn away if she wanted to. She didn't, instead she stood up on her tip toes, closed her eyes... and then...

"RRRRIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

She jumped back hurriedly as she heard the bell that signalled the end of that session. It was time for lunch. Rory bit her lip, staring at Tristan who was breathing slowly but deeply, trying to control himself. She didn't know what just happened, but she did know that if the bell didn't ring when it did, she would have kissed Tristan. And that thought scared her to pieces as it only confirmed that she liked him as more than a friend.

"We have to go now, Tristan."

Tristan sighed. He hated that stupid bell.

Over the next few days, they grew rapidly closer; their relationship blossoming like a flower would if it had been previously deprived of sunlight. Their previous non-kiss was a taboo subject which neither of them wanted to talk about just yet. Instead, they had fun, playing in the sun and bantering back and forth like nobody's business. They were friends in the real sense of the word.

Unfortunately for them, this newly developed friendship seemed like an open taunt to Eve, and she was one of those people who didn't take challenges too well. She felt as if Rory had taken her 'man' away from her, and she would endeavor to get him back.

Tristan was putting away the kayaks he had taken out in the morning as the sun was almost setting and the lake was off-limits. He was lovingly washing it out, when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

He turned around quickly, his military school training quickly coming into use; his body poised in the defensive stance that all militants were taught. He glanced in the direction of the noise and came face-to-face with Eve.

He greeted her politely, and slowly uncurled his body from the protective position. "Hello Eve."

Eve smiled seductively at him. "Hey Tristan," said she in a low husky voice designed merely for enticement.

He didn't like the way she was smiling at him, it reminded him of those mindless bimbos back in Hartford who only knew how to screw your brains out. "What are you doing here, Eve? I thought you're supposed to be helping Rory tidy up the workstation." He kept his voice tirelessly neutral.

Eve rolled her eyes. "Oh, we finished early. You know how Rory is, she works fast."

Tristan wondered if Eve had just blithely insulted Rory, but ignored it, as he didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to belittle Rory to his face. Then, he wondered if this conversation was leading someplace. He didn't realise that he had spoken out loud the last part.

Eve cocked her eyebrow at him. "Of course, I want to show you what you're missing."

Tristan laughed, that was a come-on he had used back when he was an inexperience 12 year old, and discovered to his chagrin, that it only made women sniggle. After he calmed down, he said snidely, "It's okay, Eve. I don't mind missing it some more."

Eve wanted to scream at this guy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of signature brown hair that could only belong to Rory. Her original plan was to make out with Tristan and then relay her experiences to crush Rory, but now that the little bitch was here to witness it, all the better. She took a step forward, swung her arms around Tristan's neck and kissed him, all in one smooth move.

Tristan was speechless. He sluggishly tried to untangle Eve's hands from around his neck, but discovered that the grip she had there was as strong as a vice. He put more of his strength to untangle it, and just before he could succeed, he heard an outraged gasp. He wrung Eve's arms, swung her around and stared into the very shell-shocked eyes of Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. Before he could say anything, she rotated and ran off into the direction of the forest.

His limbs came to life as he prepared to run after her. Just before he took a step though, his hand was roughly snatched back.

Eve stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes still heavily lidded. "Where are you going, Tristan?"

Tristan motioned somewhat in the direction that Rory took off in. He was severely agitated and wanted to give this little slut a slap, but then again, he was a gentleman, and gentlemen don't hit women. No matter how much they sorely deserved it.

Eve frowned as she realized her plan was not working. She had envisioned Rory seeing her and Tristan making out heavily, but not that Tristan would care that much about Rory. "She's not worth it."

Tristan's face became concrete, his features taut and stressed. When he spoke, his voice was low and gravelly. "Au contraire, Eve, she's worth everything."

Before she could reply, Tristan had already shaken out of her grip, and was already running after the girl that held his heart in her hand.

TO BE CONTINUED

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