Hardened Heart

Ch. 3: What are the chances?

by StoppedaLight

Rating: PG (right now, may change, doubtful, but it might)

Disclaimer: If I owned anything I wouldn't be here no would I?

NOTE: Sorry about the last chapter guys. I forgot to double space and didn't realize the chapter turned out like this until I started writing this one and glanced back at it. Hope this one's better. Please review!!

Rory slowly made her way around the room, champagne glass in hand. She hated these kind of functions, and in the past year it seemed like she was always at one. Ever since sophmore year when she ended her last serious relationship with Dean, her grandmother had deemed her fair game for set ups.

Rory and Lorelai assumed that since Lorelai's life didn't turn out like Emily wanted, she was trying to make sure Rory's did. This meant guilting her into coming to countless boring functions that she hated. No matter how many times she told her grandmother that she didn't want to be fixed up, she always was. Emily would casually leave that part out, and just claim she needed a seat filler, but Rory had come to expect a young well bred guy in the seat next to her.

This night had been no different. As Rory made her way to her assigned table, she could spot a blonde man in the seat next to hers. His back was turned to her, and Rory thought about running and just telling her grandmother she had gotten sick, but decided it was best to just get it over with. When she had greeted Emily a few minutes before, she had tried to casually mention that one of her DAR friends had a nice son her age, who was there and wouldn't it be swell if they hit it off? No. It would not be swell. In fact it would be one of the most horribly boring experiences in her life as she sat there and listened to some rich boy talk about his nice car while he tried to hit on her. That's what she wanted to say to Emily, but instead she opted to just manage a smile and nod.

She had reached the table and was about to sit down when the man turned around.

Oh. My. God.

Tristan.

This was not happening. This was sooo not real. This is a dream, a nightmare. It was not real.

"Rory!?"

"Oh my god." She stood in awe, wondering what the odds were. 'Tristan."

Just then her grandmother walked up to them.

"Oh, do you two know each other?" She looked at Rory, and then at Tristan, who was now standing across from Rory with the same deer caught in the headlights look. "How lovely! Why don't you too dance for a while?"

Before either one of them could protest, Emily guided them to the dance floor, and Tristan had no choice but take her hand and dance. Of course a new song started and it had to be some sappy romantic slow song. Of course.

She felt like she was in some cheesy WB teen drama where she was the main character getting reunited with a past love interest. This was just the kind of thing that would happen on one of those.

"I'm sorry." Tristan was the first to break the awkward silence.

"For what?"

"Running out on you. I shouldn't have acted the way I did."

They swayed uncomfortably to the music.

"Why did you?" He gave her a questioning look. "Act that way." He paused beofre answering.

"I... I was afraid I'd get hurt again." He answered truthfully.

"What are you talking about Tristan? How did I break your heart? We never even dated! You hated me!" She was confused and he could tell.

"No." He stated gently. "You hated me."

"Fine. We hated each other. What's the difference?"

"No. You hated me." She still had a sarcastic duh look on her face, like he had just repeated what she said. "I didn't hate you... I loved you."

"What?!" She broke apart from him. "You made my life a living hell for a year and a half!" She tried to yell in a whisper, so as not to draw attention to them.

"I loved you Rory. You're the only girl I ever loved! I just didn't know how to tell you, so I teased you. Then you hated me. I was gonna try to tell you. I bought you PJ Harvery tickets but you wouldn't go! Instead I had to watch you run back to bag boy and tell him you hated me!" He paused. "The moment he stuck his tounge down your throat... you broke my heart."

Then he did something they both knew all too well. He left. This time he was running. They had perfected the action. Every time anything happened between them, they ran. Always had. Always would.

He reached the door but couldn't make himself go through it. He turned around, and there she was. Waiting. She stood watching him. Her face was confused and hurt. Her eyes threatened tears.

She would always be there. Like she had the night of Romeo and Juliet, and after the coffee spill. He would run. She would watch. But eventually she wouldn't, she could only wait for him to turn around so many times.

Sorry it short guys. Hope you like the story. I knew it took me a little while to add this chapter, I had some writers block, which I still have. So please review and send me your ideas for what you want to happen. It really does help. If I get some good feedback I'll try to add another chapter by middle of this week.