WOW! What can I say that hasn't already been said? Thank you so much for
all of the reviews, never in my wildest dreams did I expect a response like
this! Just a quick few notes:
The song in chapter 16 is Lullaby by Sean Mullen.
I never meant to imply that Nate and Rory had been having an affair, I
wanted to give hints as to what happened without saying it in 16 and I'm
sorry if anyone was confused by his actions in the last chapter.
When they reached the Hayden mansion, they got out of the limo and wordlessly walked back into the house. Rory didn't say anything but instead went straight to her room and locked the door behind her. Her friends didn't know what to say, they didn't know how to react to what Rory had said to Dean about Nate. They turned to Tristan who had known about the whole thing but he wasn't much help.
'Guys, she only told me today.'
'But you must know something.' Paris said earnestly, trying to do something that would make her fell less helpless.
'I don't.'
Tristan went to make his way upstairs but Lane put her hand on his arm to stop him.
'Give her space.'
Tristan nodded silently before continuing on towards his own room. He changed out of the suit he had worn for the funeral and into a jeans and t- shirt. He was inspecting his swollen, split lip in the mirror when he heard a noise. He went to the window and looked out. Despite the pain it caused him, he smiled. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it out the window before running back down the stairs and out the back door before anyone saw him. For his plan to work, he had to stay hidden.
He moved as silently as he could while carrying the bulky blanket and trying to navigate his way down the uneven path Rory had practically raced down. He knew she need her space and some time to deal with what had happened. His head told him to turn back but he knew Rory was planning on not going back tonight and he also knew she hadn't brought anything with her.
When he reached the deck, it didn't shock him to see her sitting at the edge, staring out at the sky that was starting to show streaks of pink and purple. It didn't surprise him to see the tears running silently down her cheeks. What did surprise him was that despite the tears, there was a watery half smile on her face. He was taken aback by this but he was forced to recover quickly as she spoke to him.
'Are you going to join me or stand and stare?' she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.
'I don't know, I mean I quite like the view from here.' He smirked.
He didn't have to see her eyes to tell she rolled them at his last comment.
'You just never give up do you?'
'I can't help it, it's like the second I see you I have to come on to you.' He grinned; he walked to her slowly and sat beside her. Still, she didn't look at him.
'So that was quite the show today huh?'
'Yeah, nice performance by the way, how long did it take for you to perfect the 'I don't care' face?'
'Sixteen and a half years, how about you?'
'Roughly the same I guess.'
'You weren't wearing it today.'
'No I wasn't.' he agreed, embarrassed by the emotion he had shown earlier.
'Why?'
'I cared too much.'
'Nice use of the past tense there.'
'What?' Tristan asked confused.
'You're speaking in the past tense, as in you did care but I guess you've come to your senses, now you've seen just how screwed up I am you don't anymore.'
'You really don't think too highly of me do you? Tristan asked not hiding the hurt in his voice.
'Not you, just guys in general.'
'Okay let me rephrase, I care too much, if it's possible I care more.'
'Why? Why do you care about me?'
'You really don't understand do you?'
'No I don't.'
'That is why I care because you can't see why I do, you are so amazing and smart and funny. You're different. You're real despite having grown up in society, I love how you come on to me just to get your own way but are still amazed when I give in, I love how you are so stubborn, I love that you and your mom are best friends . I could say more but it will slowly and surely get even cheesier.'
'What? The infamous Tristan DuGrey player extraordinaire get cheesy over a girl? Never!'
'Don't be so sure about that Mary, you have no idea of the kind of power you can exert over me, for you I could go from naught to sappy in point five seconds.'
He looked at Rory who still refused to look at him, that didn't stop her turning a lovely shade of pink however. He looked hard at her and he studied the lines of her face, she was tired, and not just from lack f sleep, this was a different kind of tired, like she had been to hell and back. Tristan realised just how true his analogy was, she had been to heel and back today, never mind any other time.
'I can't believe he thought I was lying.' Rory finally said, he voice small.
'He's an ass if he can't see how good you are, how pure.'
'The others, I don't even have words to say to describe them, heartless would be a good place to start I guess.'
'Heartless is good, they all are.'
'And Nate! God! He was my rock, whenever I had anything going n, he was there, my parents practically saw him as their son, he didn't knock, he just came into the house, he was allowed into my room, he was better than my brother and for him to try and do that, and then to deny it? What kind of person does that?'
'I don't know.' Tristan answered honestly.
'I just wish - I wish they didn't have so much power over me, I wish I could let it go, I mean I am so over Dean, don't even get me started I was over him the second he even had the tiniest bit of doubt in me. It's Nate why do I have to feel like this, why does it still hurt?'
'I wish I could answer that for you, I wish I could make the pain go away but I can't, nothing can fix that kind of betrayal, it will stop hurting, especially now that you've told people.'
'You are too good to me,' Rory said as she finally turned to face Tristan.
'It's about time you realised that.' He joked
Rory was about to say something but then she saw his lip, he hand immediately moved to touch his face, to see if he was okay.
'Your lip-'
'Its fine, my bruised ego is worse.' He grinned to hide the truth of his words.
Still, Rory's hand didn't move from his face, Tristan turned his face in, allowing her to cup his cheek in her tiny hand. He felt like it was the first time a girl had touched him, his heart was beating faster, his skin tingled, his breath ragged. He looked to Rory who, despite her blush, didn't move her hand. She ran a finger lightly over his lips and he kissed her fingertip gently, not wanting to scare her. The simple gesture sent shivers down Rory's spine and made her stomach do back flips. Almost subconsciously, they moved closer to each other.
Then Rory did something that surprised them both, she leaned forward and touched her lips gently against his. What started out as a tentative kiss soon grew in heat and passion, Tristan licked her lower lip, demanding entrance to her mouth which she readily granted. Their tongues did battle for a moment before Rory gave in and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth. As an automatic reaction, his hand found his way to her face, caressing her cheek softly before he pulled away.
Tristan looked at Rory in amazement, he could still taste her in his mouth, feel her touch on his lips. Roy blushed but didn't make any attempt to pull away; instead she rested her forehead against his and let out a contented sigh.
'Thank you, for being here through all this.'
'Thank you, for the kiss, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.'
Rory smiled and blushed again; Tristan captured her lips in his and kissed her again, briefly before standing up. Rory looked at him curiously as he walked back towards the path but stopped at the edge and grabbed something before walking back to her. It was a blanket. She smiled as he sat back down and wrapped her in his arms, covering them both in the blanket. Neither said anything as they looked out over the water and watched the sun sink, painting the sky in a red glow.
A/N: I hope this is as sweet as it sounded in my head when I was planning it, pure Troryness in this chapter, I thought it was about time to move it past the hand holding for support, if you have anything to say at all, you know what to do! Katie xxx
When they reached the Hayden mansion, they got out of the limo and wordlessly walked back into the house. Rory didn't say anything but instead went straight to her room and locked the door behind her. Her friends didn't know what to say, they didn't know how to react to what Rory had said to Dean about Nate. They turned to Tristan who had known about the whole thing but he wasn't much help.
'Guys, she only told me today.'
'But you must know something.' Paris said earnestly, trying to do something that would make her fell less helpless.
'I don't.'
Tristan went to make his way upstairs but Lane put her hand on his arm to stop him.
'Give her space.'
Tristan nodded silently before continuing on towards his own room. He changed out of the suit he had worn for the funeral and into a jeans and t- shirt. He was inspecting his swollen, split lip in the mirror when he heard a noise. He went to the window and looked out. Despite the pain it caused him, he smiled. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it out the window before running back down the stairs and out the back door before anyone saw him. For his plan to work, he had to stay hidden.
He moved as silently as he could while carrying the bulky blanket and trying to navigate his way down the uneven path Rory had practically raced down. He knew she need her space and some time to deal with what had happened. His head told him to turn back but he knew Rory was planning on not going back tonight and he also knew she hadn't brought anything with her.
When he reached the deck, it didn't shock him to see her sitting at the edge, staring out at the sky that was starting to show streaks of pink and purple. It didn't surprise him to see the tears running silently down her cheeks. What did surprise him was that despite the tears, there was a watery half smile on her face. He was taken aback by this but he was forced to recover quickly as she spoke to him.
'Are you going to join me or stand and stare?' she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.
'I don't know, I mean I quite like the view from here.' He smirked.
He didn't have to see her eyes to tell she rolled them at his last comment.
'You just never give up do you?'
'I can't help it, it's like the second I see you I have to come on to you.' He grinned; he walked to her slowly and sat beside her. Still, she didn't look at him.
'So that was quite the show today huh?'
'Yeah, nice performance by the way, how long did it take for you to perfect the 'I don't care' face?'
'Sixteen and a half years, how about you?'
'Roughly the same I guess.'
'You weren't wearing it today.'
'No I wasn't.' he agreed, embarrassed by the emotion he had shown earlier.
'Why?'
'I cared too much.'
'Nice use of the past tense there.'
'What?' Tristan asked confused.
'You're speaking in the past tense, as in you did care but I guess you've come to your senses, now you've seen just how screwed up I am you don't anymore.'
'You really don't think too highly of me do you? Tristan asked not hiding the hurt in his voice.
'Not you, just guys in general.'
'Okay let me rephrase, I care too much, if it's possible I care more.'
'Why? Why do you care about me?'
'You really don't understand do you?'
'No I don't.'
'That is why I care because you can't see why I do, you are so amazing and smart and funny. You're different. You're real despite having grown up in society, I love how you come on to me just to get your own way but are still amazed when I give in, I love how you are so stubborn, I love that you and your mom are best friends . I could say more but it will slowly and surely get even cheesier.'
'What? The infamous Tristan DuGrey player extraordinaire get cheesy over a girl? Never!'
'Don't be so sure about that Mary, you have no idea of the kind of power you can exert over me, for you I could go from naught to sappy in point five seconds.'
He looked at Rory who still refused to look at him, that didn't stop her turning a lovely shade of pink however. He looked hard at her and he studied the lines of her face, she was tired, and not just from lack f sleep, this was a different kind of tired, like she had been to hell and back. Tristan realised just how true his analogy was, she had been to heel and back today, never mind any other time.
'I can't believe he thought I was lying.' Rory finally said, he voice small.
'He's an ass if he can't see how good you are, how pure.'
'The others, I don't even have words to say to describe them, heartless would be a good place to start I guess.'
'Heartless is good, they all are.'
'And Nate! God! He was my rock, whenever I had anything going n, he was there, my parents practically saw him as their son, he didn't knock, he just came into the house, he was allowed into my room, he was better than my brother and for him to try and do that, and then to deny it? What kind of person does that?'
'I don't know.' Tristan answered honestly.
'I just wish - I wish they didn't have so much power over me, I wish I could let it go, I mean I am so over Dean, don't even get me started I was over him the second he even had the tiniest bit of doubt in me. It's Nate why do I have to feel like this, why does it still hurt?'
'I wish I could answer that for you, I wish I could make the pain go away but I can't, nothing can fix that kind of betrayal, it will stop hurting, especially now that you've told people.'
'You are too good to me,' Rory said as she finally turned to face Tristan.
'It's about time you realised that.' He joked
Rory was about to say something but then she saw his lip, he hand immediately moved to touch his face, to see if he was okay.
'Your lip-'
'Its fine, my bruised ego is worse.' He grinned to hide the truth of his words.
Still, Rory's hand didn't move from his face, Tristan turned his face in, allowing her to cup his cheek in her tiny hand. He felt like it was the first time a girl had touched him, his heart was beating faster, his skin tingled, his breath ragged. He looked to Rory who, despite her blush, didn't move her hand. She ran a finger lightly over his lips and he kissed her fingertip gently, not wanting to scare her. The simple gesture sent shivers down Rory's spine and made her stomach do back flips. Almost subconsciously, they moved closer to each other.
Then Rory did something that surprised them both, she leaned forward and touched her lips gently against his. What started out as a tentative kiss soon grew in heat and passion, Tristan licked her lower lip, demanding entrance to her mouth which she readily granted. Their tongues did battle for a moment before Rory gave in and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth. As an automatic reaction, his hand found his way to her face, caressing her cheek softly before he pulled away.
Tristan looked at Rory in amazement, he could still taste her in his mouth, feel her touch on his lips. Roy blushed but didn't make any attempt to pull away; instead she rested her forehead against his and let out a contented sigh.
'Thank you, for being here through all this.'
'Thank you, for the kiss, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.'
Rory smiled and blushed again; Tristan captured her lips in his and kissed her again, briefly before standing up. Rory looked at him curiously as he walked back towards the path but stopped at the edge and grabbed something before walking back to her. It was a blanket. She smiled as he sat back down and wrapped her in his arms, covering them both in the blanket. Neither said anything as they looked out over the water and watched the sun sink, painting the sky in a red glow.
A/N: I hope this is as sweet as it sounded in my head when I was planning it, pure Troryness in this chapter, I thought it was about time to move it past the hand holding for support, if you have anything to say at all, you know what to do! Katie xxx
