Authors Note: Thanks for all the great reviews and suggestions. I'll take
them all into consideration, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Chapter 4 | Maybe you still do
Rory looked up from her copy of Romeo and Juliet when there came a knock at the door of her English class.
Mr. Medina, he teacher and her mother's ex-fiancé walked over the door and opened it to a student who handed him a note then walked away.
Rory looked down when he caught her eye, "Rory? Your wanted at the guidance counselors office, take your books with you"
"Okay" Rory groaned as she closed her book. Everyone turned to stare at her as she picked up her books and walked out of the room.
'Guidance counselor?" Rory thought to herself . . . "why?"
Rory headed to her locker to put away her books before she went to see Mr Wilson. 'Maybe there's something wrong with my scholarship?" Rory tried to search her mind for any possible reason to be called to his office. Her grades were fine, straight A's and the occasional A minus.
'Maybe it's the scholarship' she thought worriedly. Although Rory's grandparents had given Lorelei the money for Rory's tuition the year before, Rory along with 2 other students were awarded full scholarships for her second year at Chilton.
Rory slammed the door to her locker shut, her browed furrowed with worry she turned around to see Tristan standing right behind her.
"Tristan, what are your doing there?" Rory asked a confused look oh her face.
"Watching you," he replied smartly with a slow smile.
"Oh so what? You just saw me and thought it would be fun to watch me?" Rory asked sarcastically.
"No actually I was waiting for you?" Tristan answered taking a step towards her.
Rory groaned and turned back to her locker, "I should have known".
"Should have known what?" Tristan asked, unsure of what she meant.
"Should have known better," Rory said grabbing her books back out of her locker.
"Whoa . . .where are you going with those?" Tristan put his hand out to stop Rory from closing her locker.
"Back to class" Rory muttered, 'Just take your books and go back to class' Rory thought to herself. "Now can I please shut my locker" Rory turned around to face Tristan but avoided his eyes.
"No you're not" Tristan said, standing in front of her and flashing a knowing smile/
"I told you I'm not interested Tristan" Rory forced herself to look into his eyes. 'No, , , I'm not interested at all . . . now if I could only look away"
"Umm actually Rory, Mr. Wilson asked for us to see him at his office"
Rory blushed at looked down at the floor. 'I told you I'm not interested . . .how embarrassing, did I actually say that?'
"Your joking right?"
"No I'm not, I'm totally serious" Rory looked back at Tristan and from the serious look on his face she believed him.
With a sigh she put her books back in her locker and then followed Tristan to the guidance counselors office.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I don't think that's a good idea," Rory said hurriedly,
"Why not?" Mr Wilson asked curiously, "Tristan said you both worked well together last time, as did your teacher, in fact not only was there a huge improvement in your grades Tristan but Rory, yours improved also"
Rory turned and glared at Tristan, who was sitting beside her smiling, 'you know this is not a good idea?"
"I can't see why it isn't?" Tristan answered avoiding her eyes.
"Tristan, this is what started this whole . . ."Rory trailed off looking down at her hands. 'This is what lead me to cheat on Dean in the first place' Rory finished off silently in her head.
"Whole what?" Mr Wilson cut in.
Rory shook her head then tucked a stray piece of hair behind her left ear, 'if I hadn't agreed to helping Tristan out in the first place, nothing would have happened. How could he even think to ask me to again?'
"Come on Rory", Tristan said with a smile, Rory had to force herself not to look at him, "I promise I'll behave this time okay" but she found herself being drawn to him anyway, felt herself beginning to give in.
Mr Wilson gestured towards the two of them, "How about we try this. Rory, you can tutor Tristan for a month and see how things go and then we will review it from there okay"
'I know I should say no, my mind is saying no but my heart is saying yes'
Rory looked back over at Tristan, "Make it two weeks" she said, "and you better not try anything" Rory said, her last comment aimed directly at Tristan.
"Whatever you say, Mary"
* * * * * * * * * *
"I can't believe you did that," Rory said accusingly once Mr Wilson had shut the door behind them.
"It wasn't my idea" Tristan said shrugging shoulders, "but I wasn't about to complain"
"I can't believe I agreed to this" Rory muttered, biting her index finger.
"Why did you?" Tristan who was walking a few steps behind Rory laughed, "I better not try anything?" he said arrogantly, "what do you think, I'm going to jump you or something?"
Rory turned around swiftly and gave him one of those 'if looks could kill' stares she was getting so good at.
"I never said that" she snapped defensively.
"No?" Well you sure as hell implied that" Tristan snapped back angrily.
"Well I'm sorry but what am I supposed to think. Last time I tutored you look what happened. And you- you " Rory stuttered, "You come back here acting all- all"
"What Rory, how am I acting?" he asked, stopping still as they walked outside.
Rory looked down at the ground. 'I can't help the way I feel, I try not to like him, not to let him get to me but I can't help it'
"I don't know okay," she yelled at him, dragging her left hand through her hair. "I wish I knew?"
"Knew what?" Tristan asked, serious now.
"What you want. You come back here, talking of us having unfinished business. What am I supposed to do Tristan? You. . .we" Rory struggled to get the words out,
"We kissed" Tristan said softly.
"Yes, and Dean saw, and then you left a few days later. Do you know how long it took me to work things out with Dean? How long it took me to convince him I didn't care about you. That I loved him"
"Didn't you ever stop and wonder why it took you so long?"
"What?" Rory asked, confused.
"Well, you said it took a long time to convince Dean that you didn't care about me, but maybe, just maybe you still do?" Tristan spoke softly, stepping closer to Rory until he stood right in front of her.
"Maybe it's time to admit the truth Rory, I know I hurt you. I get that, but you can't say you never cared about me. And you can't say that you still don't because I can tell. I can tell by the way you look at me, that, 'I want you but I know I can't look'. I can tell by the way you talk, the way you always allow me to get you worked up" Tristan stepped even closer now and Rory could feel his breath on her check, could see his deep blue mesmerizing eyes as they stared into hers, "I can tell by the way your standing there right now in front of me, holding your breath as if you scared that if you let go you might do something you regret. So all I'm asking is for you to think about it okay. Maybe still do care about me?"
Rory tore her eyes away from his, "and maybe, just maybe it's about time to admit it"
Chapter 4 | Maybe you still do
Rory looked up from her copy of Romeo and Juliet when there came a knock at the door of her English class.
Mr. Medina, he teacher and her mother's ex-fiancé walked over the door and opened it to a student who handed him a note then walked away.
Rory looked down when he caught her eye, "Rory? Your wanted at the guidance counselors office, take your books with you"
"Okay" Rory groaned as she closed her book. Everyone turned to stare at her as she picked up her books and walked out of the room.
'Guidance counselor?" Rory thought to herself . . . "why?"
Rory headed to her locker to put away her books before she went to see Mr Wilson. 'Maybe there's something wrong with my scholarship?" Rory tried to search her mind for any possible reason to be called to his office. Her grades were fine, straight A's and the occasional A minus.
'Maybe it's the scholarship' she thought worriedly. Although Rory's grandparents had given Lorelei the money for Rory's tuition the year before, Rory along with 2 other students were awarded full scholarships for her second year at Chilton.
Rory slammed the door to her locker shut, her browed furrowed with worry she turned around to see Tristan standing right behind her.
"Tristan, what are your doing there?" Rory asked a confused look oh her face.
"Watching you," he replied smartly with a slow smile.
"Oh so what? You just saw me and thought it would be fun to watch me?" Rory asked sarcastically.
"No actually I was waiting for you?" Tristan answered taking a step towards her.
Rory groaned and turned back to her locker, "I should have known".
"Should have known what?" Tristan asked, unsure of what she meant.
"Should have known better," Rory said grabbing her books back out of her locker.
"Whoa . . .where are you going with those?" Tristan put his hand out to stop Rory from closing her locker.
"Back to class" Rory muttered, 'Just take your books and go back to class' Rory thought to herself. "Now can I please shut my locker" Rory turned around to face Tristan but avoided his eyes.
"No you're not" Tristan said, standing in front of her and flashing a knowing smile/
"I told you I'm not interested Tristan" Rory forced herself to look into his eyes. 'No, , , I'm not interested at all . . . now if I could only look away"
"Umm actually Rory, Mr. Wilson asked for us to see him at his office"
Rory blushed at looked down at the floor. 'I told you I'm not interested . . .how embarrassing, did I actually say that?'
"Your joking right?"
"No I'm not, I'm totally serious" Rory looked back at Tristan and from the serious look on his face she believed him.
With a sigh she put her books back in her locker and then followed Tristan to the guidance counselors office.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I don't think that's a good idea," Rory said hurriedly,
"Why not?" Mr Wilson asked curiously, "Tristan said you both worked well together last time, as did your teacher, in fact not only was there a huge improvement in your grades Tristan but Rory, yours improved also"
Rory turned and glared at Tristan, who was sitting beside her smiling, 'you know this is not a good idea?"
"I can't see why it isn't?" Tristan answered avoiding her eyes.
"Tristan, this is what started this whole . . ."Rory trailed off looking down at her hands. 'This is what lead me to cheat on Dean in the first place' Rory finished off silently in her head.
"Whole what?" Mr Wilson cut in.
Rory shook her head then tucked a stray piece of hair behind her left ear, 'if I hadn't agreed to helping Tristan out in the first place, nothing would have happened. How could he even think to ask me to again?'
"Come on Rory", Tristan said with a smile, Rory had to force herself not to look at him, "I promise I'll behave this time okay" but she found herself being drawn to him anyway, felt herself beginning to give in.
Mr Wilson gestured towards the two of them, "How about we try this. Rory, you can tutor Tristan for a month and see how things go and then we will review it from there okay"
'I know I should say no, my mind is saying no but my heart is saying yes'
Rory looked back over at Tristan, "Make it two weeks" she said, "and you better not try anything" Rory said, her last comment aimed directly at Tristan.
"Whatever you say, Mary"
* * * * * * * * * *
"I can't believe you did that," Rory said accusingly once Mr Wilson had shut the door behind them.
"It wasn't my idea" Tristan said shrugging shoulders, "but I wasn't about to complain"
"I can't believe I agreed to this" Rory muttered, biting her index finger.
"Why did you?" Tristan who was walking a few steps behind Rory laughed, "I better not try anything?" he said arrogantly, "what do you think, I'm going to jump you or something?"
Rory turned around swiftly and gave him one of those 'if looks could kill' stares she was getting so good at.
"I never said that" she snapped defensively.
"No?" Well you sure as hell implied that" Tristan snapped back angrily.
"Well I'm sorry but what am I supposed to think. Last time I tutored you look what happened. And you- you " Rory stuttered, "You come back here acting all- all"
"What Rory, how am I acting?" he asked, stopping still as they walked outside.
Rory looked down at the ground. 'I can't help the way I feel, I try not to like him, not to let him get to me but I can't help it'
"I don't know okay," she yelled at him, dragging her left hand through her hair. "I wish I knew?"
"Knew what?" Tristan asked, serious now.
"What you want. You come back here, talking of us having unfinished business. What am I supposed to do Tristan? You. . .we" Rory struggled to get the words out,
"We kissed" Tristan said softly.
"Yes, and Dean saw, and then you left a few days later. Do you know how long it took me to work things out with Dean? How long it took me to convince him I didn't care about you. That I loved him"
"Didn't you ever stop and wonder why it took you so long?"
"What?" Rory asked, confused.
"Well, you said it took a long time to convince Dean that you didn't care about me, but maybe, just maybe you still do?" Tristan spoke softly, stepping closer to Rory until he stood right in front of her.
"Maybe it's time to admit the truth Rory, I know I hurt you. I get that, but you can't say you never cared about me. And you can't say that you still don't because I can tell. I can tell by the way you look at me, that, 'I want you but I know I can't look'. I can tell by the way you talk, the way you always allow me to get you worked up" Tristan stepped even closer now and Rory could feel his breath on her check, could see his deep blue mesmerizing eyes as they stared into hers, "I can tell by the way your standing there right now in front of me, holding your breath as if you scared that if you let go you might do something you regret. So all I'm asking is for you to think about it okay. Maybe still do care about me?"
Rory tore her eyes away from his, "and maybe, just maybe it's about time to admit it"