AN: Very honestly. I actually wrote this a while back but have become so disillusioned by this site. I really appreciate everyone's support but was getting so many comments saying this is great but x is wrong, this should be this way, etc. and it just made me not want to post and there was no way to turn reviews off so I just wanted to leave. I love writing and since I'd like to continue writing my fics anyway I will do so but I'd love to post them for you guys. I have Excel documents for which ones most people want to see and am always trying to post what people like (despite now attending two college programs). So, please enjoy. You don't have to review but please enjoy and please don't say things like, this sucks because XXX if you really do care more about content being posted than having things your own way.
I know that this is ultra high-neediness but I'd rather have no feedback than complete constructive criticism/comments.
Chapter Thirty Eight – Getting Closer
Rory looked to Doyle again, making note of his body language. Paris sometimes could be a bit rash and when she came to a decision about something she was determined to have it be that way. Still, the idea that she was pregnant was obviously a hypothetical idea. Rory looked away, there was no chance that Paris would entertain a plan of her own pregnancy when she had already made it clear she thought Rory's was a mistake and that Logan was going to leave her alone with the baby.
"Still, you know Paris, she has things planned years in advance," Rory tried to calm Doyle down.
"Yeah, it's not like Paris is going to just go off and steal a boat," Doyle said as Rory bit her top lip and Logan placed his hand on Rory's shoulder not sure whether to say something or not. Usually he would but this was Doyle – a guy who matched Paris well because sometimes he would talk without thinking – so maybe discussing this with Rory later would be best or just letting it go
"Sorry, that was, that was rude and uncalled for," Doyle apologized and Rory smiled before they heard heavy purposeful footsteps advancing towards them and Doyle stood seeing Paris there.
"I didn't tell you to wait for me," Paris said as she placed a hand on her hip, "What are you doing here? Don't think that I'm just going to forgive you for what you didn't say."
"You mean the fact that you left me speechless about a hypothetical involving pregnancy," Doyle said as he took a step back. "What were you expecting me to say? I don't have a prepared dissertation for every fight."
"You don't?" Paris asked as Doyle's jaw dropped. "I do, well not the whole thing but I've mentally mapped out what to say in any hypothetical moment of our relationship. There's always a contingency if this happened or if that happened."
"So you know how you'd respond if you found out you were pregnant?" Doyle asked and Paris nodded.
"Yes. I think that maybe I'd like kids, if my career is going well and I'm not constrained by financial complications, and I trusted that the world would not be in more unfortunate circumstances. Yes, I might have kids then but before that, there are other things that require me to prioritize them and so having a child is not part of the plan," Paris told him and Doyle stared at her open mouthed.
"Did Terrance tell you that?" he asked and Paris looked at him.
"Do you remember your cold?" she reminded him. "I told you that I'm not the mothering sort. I wouldn't be very good with a baby and I don't think that you'd do well as a stay-at-home father so it really is the best for all of us. Now the discussion which we were engaged in is if you would run away like Huntzberger."
Logan coughed at this and Rory stared at her feeling a rush of anger flowing through her.
"Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief as Paris finally noticed the two of them. She looked away from them wanting to explain why she had just said that but she didn't have a good reason. Rory however was standing up and staring at her friend.
"Rory, I uh…didn't see you," Paris said hesitantly. She looked at Logan very quickly before bowing her head. "I'm…sorry, you know sometimes I don't think when I speak."
"I know," Rory said before walking over to Logan who wrapped his arm around her. "But please don't speak that way about my fiancé. Maybe you don't believe in his loyalty and him staying by my side but maybe that's because you two haven't gotten to know each other that well. Still, I am sick of people misjudging Logan. What makes you think that he'll run anyway?"
"Are you kidding me?" Paris said and Logan rolled his eyes. "Well, he was less than professional as a student and as a reporter. He's from an ultra-rich family so has never believed he would have to deal with this. Then, there's his history with other women who entertain him for a while and he moves onto the next."
"I'm aware of how he was," Rory replied before sighing, "But I'm far more concerned by how he is rather than how he was. If Logan judged me for my past then -"
"Your past, you've been a girl scout most of the time, with some obvious exceptions, but -" Paris told her and Rory coughed.
"I'm more rebellious than that. I'm not some perfect princess who doesn't know the truth about the world. I am happy with my choices and what I'm asking from you is that you are happy for me as well," Rory said and looked at Logan. "I don't want our friendship to be entangled in some giant mess so I'm going to say now that if you can't support my future-husband then I'll have to cut you out of our life."
Paris sighed and looked to Doyle before inhaling deeply and letting it out. "Okay. I'm sorry Huntzberger," she told him and Logan nodded. "I should have realized what I'm saying and that you are a real person made of flesh and blood. I want you to prove me wrong."
"Then keep watching," Logan said, "because I will. I'm not running away from this."
"Good. I'll be watching," Paris said and Rory took Logan's hand in hers and squeezed it. She wasn't sure that them going out for dinner now would be such a good thing but she wanted to try. Still, was that disrespectful of Logan's feelings. He didn't need to be challenged like that and Rory knew he was going to be with them.
"So, is that settled now? I wouldn't run away and Logan's not going to run away so can we end this fight," Doyle said as he turned to Paris.
Paris sighed and took another deep breath, "I suppose so."
"Can we just go to dinner," Rory suggested before looking at Logan, although he had drawn into himself a little more he seemed to smile and nodded that it was okay for them to do that. Paris looked to Doyle and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I can eat," he said, "Sounds fun."
"Sounds great to me too," Logan finally said and the three of them all looked at Paris
"I was going to use this time to get ahead of my reading for next semester as I have a rather full course load but I think that I might be able to spare some time to get some food. It should be near here. I don't think that I have time to travel somewhere else," she said uneasily and Logan chuckled.
"Sounds great to me," he said and Paris eyed him suspiciously. Logan stared at her and sighed but Rory kissed his hand. She had no idea how to repair the rift between the two of them. Logan had always seemed more accepting of Paris than the other way around but there had to be a common ground between the two of them.
38.2
Rory looked over at the dartboard and pool table in the cozy restaurant that Logan had picked out for them. She could see that there were lots of people enjoying alcohol and kept turning to Logan wanting to ask him if he wanted something to drink. Logan seemed content with just soda but Doyle and Paris both had alcohol. Rory hadn't even taken Paris as much of a drinker but her friend had said, 'when in Rome'.
Rory looked at the steak in front of her but kept eyeing Logan's fries. He had ordered a burger which had come with the fries whilst she had chosen a steak with mashed potatoes. Still, the saltiness of those fries was something that she was craving right now.
Logan saw her eyes and called a waitress over to order a side of the fries but moved his own onto Rory's plate.
"You didn't have to do that," Rory said and Logan smiled to her.
"I know, Ace, but I've come to learn a lot about you and food and I wouldn't stand in the way of you and a meal," he joked and Rory laughed softly. She looked up to where there were some milkshakes – these had alcohol in them though – and started craving one of them. Logan kissed her cheek.
"I'm going to head to the bar," he told them and Paris eyed him suspiciously. Roy looked at Doyle and Paris as Logan left the table.
"So, how are you two feeli-" she began but Paris stood up and both Rory and Doyle turned to her.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to go to the restroom," she said and walked off before Rory could say that she'd join her. Instead she turned back to Doyle and gave him a weak smile before waiting for him to pick up the conversation.
Paris made her way to the bar and saw a couple of girls trying to talk to Logan whilst he stood there but he ignored them and just looked forward. "Something cute catch your eye?" she accused him and Logan laughed to himself.
"Hey, Paris," he told her and the girls looked to Paris as if she were Logan's girlfriend but somehow decided that they would try to break up the ill-suited couple. "You come over here to keep an eye on me?"
"Somebody has to be looking out for Rory's best interests," Paris said.
Logan turned to her, "Paris, I wouldn't put too much pride in always being right because I'm going to prove you wrong. I don't hate you and I've learned how important your friendship is so I'm keeping my thoughts to myself but maybe you should do the same."
Paris took a step back, "Excuse me, you're the one who came over here to flirt."
Logan sighed and shook his head with a smile before one of the bartenders returned with a milkshake without any alcohol added to it. He thanked them and put a tip in the jar before coming over to the table with it with Paris following him.
"Here, Ace," he smiled.
Rory and Doyle shared a look with each other wondering what Paris had said to him but there didn't seem any major damage to the strained relationship that the two of them had. Rory looked to Logan and squeezed his hand. Maybe she needed to have a private conversation with Paris about how wrong she was being.
End of Chapter Thirty Eight
Thank you for reading
Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Thirty Seven
Bseriel, December Jeffries2, Jenn2122, Js, Kaitlyn Salvator, KathyMesser, Kellybras, luchleneedstherapy, mbnlaredo, roganjalex, Rori Potter, Sarah,
