Chapter 40
Rory's mouth felt like cotton, and that imaginary monkey inside her head was clinking together some very large cymblas - but thankfully no longer at full volume as she'd remember from an hour ago when she'd tried to open her eyes the first time. The smell lingering around her made her worry, already expecting the worst, and she was beginning to wonder whether she'd have to spend the rest of her day cleaning up. She didn't remember when she'd last felt this horrible. So not her proudest moment - she could be sure of it.
"Oh, god...," Rory mumbled under her breath, leaning herself up to her elbow to start. She realized she was still wearing the better part of her Chilton uniform too, except the skirt button had been unbuttoned and her jacket resting on the back of her desk chair. One of her stockings had come down her calf, the other still on.
Little by little bits of last night were coming back to her - the golf club, Finn's costume party, that little escape in that club bathroom... the rest, however, was a blur.
She wiped the corner of her eye, returning with a smudge of eyeliner on her finger. Great! She could already picture how delightful she looked.
It was only the next second that she head Logan's voice from the living room, the door between her room and the living room being left ajar.
"Thank you," Rory heard him say, followed by his returning footsteps.
By the side of the bed she could find her trash can, emptied ou, its former contents replaced with an empty trash bag. This couldn't mean anything good. She was beginning to remember some less than pretty aspects of the night before too - glimpses of Logan helping her take her shoes off, and definitely a few moments of hugging that same trash can.
With a groan she pushed herself upright just as Logan returned to her bedroom.
"Morning, sunshine," Logan said in a preppy tone. He was carrying a paper bag, that certainly smelled like… Wait…. Definitely tacos. Logan was dressed still in the undershirt from last night, one of Rory's one-size-fits-all robes round his body. Clearly he'd spent the night. And possibly cleaned up? That sounded almost too good to be true. God, he'd seen her at her worst - Rory groaned internally. Sure, he'd seen her sleepy, a little hungover even, as sweaty and unwashed and even with a sinus infection with her nose all red - but this was more embarrasing than that certainly.
The sound of the coffee machine slurping in the living room was another a promising sound, however. Things could only get better from here, right? - she tried to think positive.
"Morning," Rory muttered, her voice a little off. "God, I must look awful…," she added with a groan, just wanting to hide from him in that moment.
"Well you've I've seen you looking better, but we've all had our moments," Logan replied forgivingly, taking a seat just as Rory pushed herself fully upright, needing a moment before attempting anything further.
"You feeling any better?" he asked.
"I assume that means I was feeling worse and the smell in my room is my own doing?" Rory reflected.
"Yeah," Logan replied, chuckling lightly. His face showed concern over judgement right now.
"Sorry…," she replied, looking down.
"But don't worry about it..," he added. "Taco?" he offered instead, sounding strangely energetic.
There was already a tall glass of water on the nightstand, and Logan popped a dissolving vitamin tablet into it - it was his known hangover cure, Rory had seen him consume on most mornings after a big party.
"In a minute," Rory replied, wanting to just get herself to the bathroom first. She felt completely empty - both from food and water, so there was nothing more needing to exit her stomach, thought same couldn't be said for her bladder. But she still had some pride - despite feeling utterly embarrassed by having put Logan through something like this.
"You need help?" Logan offered, seeing her being a little unsteady on her feet.
"No, I'm fine," Rory said from the doorway, even though she perhaps didn't sound very convincing. So was so grateful right now that Paris had somehow gotten them the dorm room that had a private bathroom, even if not one with an actual shower, which they had to use along with the rest of the floor down the hall.
"Oh, isn't it Miss party," Pairs commented, casually, as she was pouring herself some coffee in their kitchen nook. "You know I'm not sure Hanlin quite intended the uniforms to be used quite for this purpose," she added.
"Don't judge," Rory mumbled, and shut herself into the bathroom.
Her makeup was a mess - big panda bear eyes - and hair equally so. Her clothes were not a lot better. She just wanted to liquify and slide down that drain, truthfully, but that didn't seem like it was happening.
She freshened herself up - knowing a real shower would just have to wait a little - and removed her makeup. She gulped down a glass of water in there as well, just sensing she'd need to rehydrate fast to not feel this deflated all day.
"There she is," Logan replied, sounding happy to see her return. He'd brought them two cups of coffee from the living room in the meanwhile. It actually smelled a little better in the room - like maybe he'd opened the window in the meanwhile, or maybe it was just the teeth brushing that had helped.
"Yay!" Rory exclaimed, unenthusiastically, but accepted the taco Logan was holding out for her, and without him having to suggest it, gulped down at least one third of the vitamin drink with an ibuprofen pill.
"So, I was thinking…," Logan suggested, after several minutes of quiet and slow eating.
"Uh?" Rory reflected with her mouth full.
"I know it is kind of short notice… but if you feel up to it. I was thinking we could go have dinner with my sister and her boyfriend tonight. Nothing crazy - just dinner in Glenbrook, near where they live," Logan suggested, having known this morning when he'd woken up that he had to do something.
Logan had a few more surprises in store, but he knew that before he jumped into the deep end of things he needed to exhaust all of the easier options for making her feel better about herself, about them. Even though he was leaning towards a head-dive either way... it was that strongly he felt about the situation. He'd never felt this protective, this ready to fight - fight for her.
"Um, okay..," Rory replied, feeling somewhat surprised by this sudden development. Sure, she wasn't feeling her greatest, sensing like after she ate, vegetated a little more, maybe mopped the floor of her bedroom to make sure to get all of the scent out and then took a nap, she might be up to about half of her usual energy to do something like that.
But she'd wanted to meet his sister for a long time, since he'd first mentioned her. Besides, she knew Honor knew about the two of them, being the only family member that seemed to accept them as they were even without having met her yet.
"I'm going to have to go back to my dorm, change… I have this one assignment to finish, but I'll be back in the afternoon, okay?" Logan said, looking a little like he was up to something. But then again Rory felt guilty for having kept him here, taking care of the mess that she was, possibly having not even slept quite right, to insist on anything else.
"Yeah, of course…," Rory agreed.
Logan finished his taco in a couple of bites and changed into his formal pants he'd left here last night, not bothering with the shirt but just pulled his coat on top of his costume undershirt.
"I really am sorry for last night… I don't know why I over-did it like that. But thank you for taking care of me," Rory said, as she rose to send him off.
Logan knew more than he was letting on, but he wasn't going to enforce whatever she'd felt and unconsciously expressed.
"Hey, you'll just focus on feeling better, okay?" Logan said. "I love you," he added, and kissed her gently.
"I love you too," Rory replied.
Rory truly did feel some of that unconditional love right in that moment - that he'd put up with her, possibly cleaned up after her being all gross and still cared about her enough to stick around. It had to stand for something. But right now, she knew she just needed to finish her coffee, top that off with the vitamin water and just allow her body some time.
Rory's day went pretty much like she'd anticipated - she showered, did some reading for school - the lighter kind, moved herself over to the living room couch and watched some Little Britain, talked to her mother and Lane on the phone - the two getting slightly different versions of what had happened last night, Rory deciding not to go into the details of how drunk she'd actually gotten to her mother, and napped.
Logan had texted her with the details when he was coming over so she knew generally when to start getting ready, feeling already a little excited.
Rory dressed up a little, opting for her little black dress with white lace trim which she'd had for a while - it was a little bit more innocent than what she'd been wearing around Logan these past few weeks but she realized she wasn't going to meet his sister and her boyfriend with the goal to woo them.
Logan was right on time and frankly she didn't even mind that he wasn't late, being pretty much done with her makeup and it was not like Logan didn't know this about her already. She felt grateful that he generally didn't seem to mind her taking her time with anything.
"Hey, you look great," Logan said, stepping in and giving her a little peck.
"You do too," Rory smiled. He always looked good. She still had some of that lingering embarrassment in her, but she was coming around to it, indeed feeling like this was not a deal-breaker for Logan if he was still going forward with their plan. She did wonder who's idea the dinner had been, when it was this last minute.
But she did, however, feel like she needed to repay him somehow. She wasn't really sure yet what that was beyond the sexual. Did she even have anything to offer him that wasn't sexual? She knew her thinking was sabotaging herself - but that was just how she felt right then.
"I'll just go get my purse," Rory said, headed back to her room, finished applying her lipstick and got her purse and coat.
"Hey, I actually got you something," Logan said, stopping at the doorway of her room.
"You didn't have to get me anything," Rory said, feeling utterly undeserving.
"But I wanted to. I just…," Logan began, glancing behind him just to make sure Paris wasn't just hovering around somewhere. "I wanted to show you how much you mean to me. I'm so lucky to have you and I hate that this whole mess with my family might be hurting your feelings or making you feel like you're not enough. You are..-more than enough," Logan began, coming up with a small red jewelry box from his coat pocket.
Not good enough? - Rory thought, feeling a little confused. That part of the evening she'd completely blocked out, not quite being to place where this was coming from.
But she was distracted by the box enough, not to think of it, just putting it down to the possibility that maybe Logan was feeling guilty for the way he'd handled the cocktail party at the golf club yesterday.
Rory wasn't exactly used to getting jewelry boxes so for a moment she was paralizyed at the sight of a box so small it could've technically held a ring. He wouldn't, right?
"Logan..," Rory chimed, reprimanding him while she was in awe of the gesture itself.
She took the box in her hands and opened it.
A huge relief fell off her chest as she opened it to see a gorgeous pair of delicate pearl earrings with what looked like diamonds in front of the studs. She'd worn diamons and pearls before... she'd just never actually owned anything as elegant before.
Both his words and his gift felt over the top, making her feel even more undeserving.
"They're amazing. Thank you, Logan… I don't know what to say," Rory searched for words. She definitely noticed the Cartier label on the inside of the box which made her even more hesitant.
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to… I've been meaning to get you something. And I know how you are with gifts… but I just wanted to…," Logan said, for the first time letting Rory see how he too could struggle with words.
"Well, just know you didn't have to," Rory said, pulling him in for a hug.
"But I did," Logan murmured and despite the deeper meaning not fully reaching Rory, she just accepted it, wanting to keep holding him.
It did make Rory feel special, though it were his words more than the present itself that did it. In her mind it didn't quite undo the odd mixture of emotions she'd felt the day before. She believed Logan knew that her love couldn't be bought, she hoped at least. But she was curious to inquire into it more, she just didn't want to do it right now - knowing they had a drive ahead of them. The prospect of getting to meet Logan's sister was what was really making her feel better.
The place where they met Honor and Josh, as Rory now knew the guy by name, Logan having spent the ride talking about the two, was an upscale place, but nothing Rory wasn't used to. No Michelin Star nor some place needing a reservation six months in advance.
"Do I look alright?" Rory asked, as they handed their coats away hastily, Logan saying before how they were a little late.
"You're perfect," Logan replied, wrapping his arm around her waist as he led her forward, following the hostess.
Rory had put on the new earrings in the car, not quite perhaps giving them the dignity they deserved, oblivious to their exact price tag. But she'd wanted to show her gratitude nonetheless. She didn't like to admit it, but the earrings did work, lifting her self esteem a little. Even though she didn't quite want to be that shallow.
She was trying to understand that this was something that to Logan was a perfectly normal gesture, probably, that to him it wasn't about the price but the gesture itself. She knew gifts like this were normal in his family, so it was really no wonder he'd consider something like this entirely appropriate. She, however, also recalled Logan saying once how his father would buy her mother off with fancy gifts if he had something to feel guilty about. She could only hope last night's awkwardness with his father was the only thing on his conscience. She wasn't doubting him, she trusted him, but she truly hoped the gifts were the only habit in regards to relationships was the only part he'd inherited from his father. They were inseparable - so surely that was all that it was. She hated to even think it, but she knew that she too had traits of her mother, whether she liked it or not.
"Well! Look how long you make a girl wait for you!" Honor exclaimed, as they approached the table. The tall-looking man sitting next to her looked plain in her comparison, truth be told, but friendly nonetheless, and smiled politely in their direction.
"Honor!" Logan exclaimed in return and bent down to hug his sister.
"Do you really think you're worth it?" she teased him, causing Rory to smile at the fact that she was not the only one teasing him about his excess cockiness sometimes.
"Well I might not be, but Rory, here, certainly is," Logan said, wrapping again his arm around her and pulling her forward.
"Rory, wow! It's so good to finally meet you!" Honor said, jumping into her personal space a little unexpectedly and wrapped Rory in her arms.
"Hi," Rory barely managed to said, feeling so surprised.
"Logan has told me so much about you!" Honor said, releasing her grip.
"Likewise. I'm happy to meet you," Rory said.
"And this is Josh, obviously," Honor said, gesturing towards her boyfriend who rose and shook Rory's hand. Logan greeted the man as well, and while they didn't appear like best friends, they seemed to have an understanding.
They got their places behind the table, and one of the waitresses poured everyone at the table some water, not letting them wait.
"I love your dress, and those earrings… I swear I've been eyeing at a similar pair for months now," Honor exclaimed.
Rory noticed something in Logan, a small smug smile, that he seemed to hide from Honor, which made her wonder a little. Could it possibly be that he'd had the gift handy because maybe they'd been meant for his sister instead? She couldn't be sure, but she liked to believe she knew Logan's impressions a little. He was definitely keeping something to himself right this minute.
"Thank you, they were a gift," Rory said, touching gently her earrings and then looking straight at Logan.
"Well, Logan does have impeccable taste," Honor replied, adding, "And don't you worry, so do you, honey," to her rather quiet better half.
"So, how have you been? It's been too long," Logan began, aiming the question at both his sister and Josh.
"Ugh, who cares… same old. I just want to get to know everything about Rory here," Honor insisted, seeming like the type that didn't take 'no' for an answer.
The next hour, along with their orders - grilled steaks and some Italian food - followed with Rory talking about her Yale experience, her schooling and her grandparents. Honor was genuinely curious, and while she didn't talk too much about her mother, there were small glimpses into that little town of hers that came up as well. She showed herself from the intelligent side, but also brought out her humour quite effortlessly. Her lack of fondness for alcoholic drinks that evening even added a dash to her admitting to having had a little too much last night and to that Honor had only laughed at, saying it only made her human.
"Well, looks like you two are just great to each other. Logan actually confessed to me how even he's grades were up the other day, I have a feeling I have you to be grateful for that influence," Honor commented, sounding a lot like a mother would.
"I am very lucky to be with her," Logan said, taking Rory's hand on the table.
Rory squeeze his hand, appreciatively, not quite feeling worthy of all of this praise, but what she didn't know was that there was more coming.
"That's why I was thinking...I was thinking about telling mom and dad about her, about us, next weekend," Logan declared. "And, honestly, I'd love to have you there to back me up," Logan suggested.
"Logan?" Rory exclaimed in disbelief, having not expected that.
"You sound like you're just one step away from popping the question, Logan," Honor commented to logan, raising her eyebrows. "I'm not suggesting or pressuring that...," she added staight away as an apology. "I've just never seen you like this," Honor added to Logan.
"Yeah, well... I am not rushing anything else. I jut don't want to sneak around anymore," Logan added, feeling relieved.
Rory was too.
"I mean dad has already seen us twice, but more than anything I just don't think it's right hiding her. I love her and I think Rory, if anyone, is actually capable of handling them. Her grandparents are no piece of cake either as far as I've heard," Logan explained. He wanted to inject her with courage too.
"You know they can be kind of mean, right? I swear - it's ungrounded most of the time, but just in case…," Honor mentioned to Rory.
"Yeah, so I've heard," Rory replied, suddenly feeling very nervous. She'd thought she'd wanted this, but she wasn't quite sure why it felt this dreadful now.
"For what it's worth I think you're wonderful, you're obviously good for my brother, and I'm absolutely going to have to take you shopping with me sometime," Honor added. "And that's no matter what they say," she added, injecting Rory and Logan with some assurance that things might actually be alright.