New Neighbours
Chapter Fourteen: Taking a Chance
They parked the car at the parking lot at the front of the beach. The lot was deserted, the tourist information centre was still open, but no one was visiting.
"Why'd we park?" Blake asked as the four got out of the car.
Lilly made sure all the doors were locked and then grabbed Blake's hand when he came around. "You can't drive on the beach," she told him.
"Why not? There's a path right there," he said, pointing at the two parallel tracks in the long beach grass obviously made by a car.
"Because you can't! It's mean and evil. Do you know how many animals and bugs live in the sand? You'd be killing all of them…And don't even get me started on how it would ruin all the grass and the pretty sand.
Rory and Tristin hung back a bit, watching, both amused as lily took it upon herself to lecture Blake.
"Lilly's very opinionated," Tristin said, not really to anyone.
Rory however laughed and replied. "We all are. I guess you just haven't been around us enough to notice."
"Well maybe you should tell me a little more about you," he suggested stuffing his hands in his pockets as they started to follow Lilly and Blake.
"I thought we already played that game?" she asked smartly. It wasn't like she'd ever forget that day. 'Not in this lifetime,' she thought.
Tristin looked over at her, watching as she kicked at the rocks on the ground. "I want to know different things. Your favourite stuff…" he trailed off feeling embarrassed to be asking.
Rory looked up at him. "Why?" she asked, her blue eyes holding this innocence in them he'd never associate with her.
Tristin thought about that for a minute. 'Why do I want to know so much about?' he asked himself.
"You intrigue me," she finally told her.
Rory laughed, the beautiful sound echoing in Tristin's mind, he loved her laugh. "Okay, let's see…" She brought a finger to her mouth as if thinking really hard.
"Pasta!" she exclaimed.
"Pasta?" he repeated, dumbfounded.
"My favourite food," she clarified. "That or anything Italian," she continued.
"And I would have thought It'd be junk food," Tristin thought aloud.
"It's a close second," she laughed.
"Okay then what's your favourite movie?" Tristin asked, jumping down from the grass, which stood about two feet above the sand.
"Sabrina," Rory told him not wasting a second. She took the hand he offered to her, and let him pulled her down onto the beach. "The black and white version, with Audrey Hepburn."
"I can't say I've seen it," Tristin exclaimed still holding her hand as they continued walking, he hoped she wouldn't notice.
Rory snorted and looked forward. "Why does that not surprise me?" she asked sarcastically.
"Why not?" Tristin enquired.
Rory finally looked at him. "You just don't seem like the kind of guy who'd know that movie," she explained.
Tristin shrugged it off. "I get it. We only did have one theatre back home," he shared with her.
"You're kidding?" Rory exclaimed but Tristin shook his head. "Holy! I don't think I could survive in a place like that. I mean what do you do for fun there?"
"Mostly we just played sports. Basketball, football, rugby," he counted them off his fingers. "There was this giant park and we practically lived there."
Rory was silent for a minute. "You and Blake?" she asked.
Tristin nodded. "The two of us and a couple of guys from school."
"How did your school work?" she asked, knowing it must have been different then North Brook.
Tristin couldn't help but laugh at that question. "You'd be surprised how much like your school it was," he told her, earning a disbelieving glare from Rory. "Okay so maybe it was a little different. But we had the same groups you know, cheerleaders, jocks and…the other people."
Rory laughed. "Wow nice way to put it!" she exclaimed.
Tristin chose to ignore her comment. "I guess the only big difference was money. It being a small town there weren't many rich people there."
"You and Blake seem pretty well off," Rory noted, thinking back to Tristin's house.
"That would be because of our dad's money. Blake's dad is a lawyer and well I guess you know that mines a business man like you own dad."
Rory narrowed her eyes a bit. "How did that work anyway?"
"What having those kinds of jobs living in a small town?" At Rory's nod, Tristin continued. "They didn't work in our town, but in the city. It was why we moved here, because they wanted to live in a real city." Tristin averted his eyes as he said that last part. He knew he wasn't technically lying but he still felt as low as scum for withholding the other reason why they'd moved.
Rory didn't know why at first, but she felt a sudden tension settle between them. She glanced at Tristin; he was staring out into the last part of the ocean before they walked past it. She wasn't sure but she thought it might be because they'd been talking about his father. Thinking it was best, she changed the subject."
"You know me and people sometime play tackles football," she told him, her blue eye twinkling with mirth.
Tristin looked over at her, once again becoming victim to her contagious smile. "Oh really, so how bad do you guy's suck?"
Tristin's question surprised Rory but she didn't let it show. "I'll have you know we're good at it; the best," she boasted, puffing her chest out.
"I think that's challenge," Tristin said.
Rory just flashed him a smile before running to catch up with Lilly and Blake who had started walking down the wooden dock.
"Hey Lilly! Tristin just challenged us to a game of tackle football!" she yelled.
Lilly's laugh could be heard for a long ways as it pierced the quiet night. "You guy's are so gonna lose!" she told them, pointing her finger at Blake and then at Tristin who had just came up.
"Beaten by a bunch of girls? Blake?" Tristin asked turning to look at the guy sitting down on the dock, who shook his head. "Nope, not happening!"
"Yah, we'll see about that," Lilly told them before she sat herself down next to Blake. "Here!" she yelled, grabbing the only blanket left and threw it to the end of the dock.
Tristin went to get it, for he was the only one without a blanket. "Thanks," he called over his shoulder as he picked it up.
Rory shared a secret smile with her sister, knowing she wanted to be alone with Blake. She walked over to the edge of the dock and lowered herself down to sit Indian style, her own blanket still wrapped around her.
"Mind if I join you Mary?" Tristin asked from above her.
Rory laughed. "Would you leave if I said you can't?" she asked, staring out at the water.
Tristin didn't answer he just sat down and piled the blanket around him in an effort to stay warm. "Why do you love this place so much?" he asked after a moment of silence.
Rory turned to look at him before turning back. "I guess it's because it's mostly secluded. Not many people come out here, because there's no road leading up to it." She paused, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "When we're here it always seems like it belongs to us, somehow."
Tristin nodded, understanding perfectly. That was exactly how he felt about the park back in Maine. The only difference was the park was usually crowded with people. "Do you swim here?" he asked, motioning at the water.
"In the summer, when the beach is to crowded," Rory told him.
The two of them were both silent, only it wasn't awkward but comfortable. And that was what was freaking Rory out. She couldn't ever remember feeling this comfortable in a guy's presence, especially not a guy like Tristin. Carefully she turned to look at him, he was staring out at the water in front of them and so she took the moment to really study him. She raked her eyes over him, everything from his unruly blonde hair, down to his breathtaking blue eyes, and then dipped even further down to his parted lips. He was the perfect example of a pretty boy, but Rory found herself arguing that that wasn't the reason why she kept telling herself not to fall for him. She let a shiver pass through her as she got a sudden flashback from a long time ago.
Tristin saw her shake all of a sudden out of the corner of his eye. He mistook it for her being cold. "Hey, you cold?" he asked but he didn't get an answer from her.
.:Flashback:.
A younger Rory is standing at the back of a small market, a tall, dark haired boy standing in front of her with his two hands behind his back.
"Ok in this hand you have…" Rory reached out to grab his hand and get the pop out of it. But instead the guy leaned down and pressed a quick, sweet kiss to her lips. Rory was shocked, she didn't no what to do. She'd never been kissed before!
"Thank you," she told him before she ran out of the market.
.:End Flashback:.
"You want this blanket to?" Tristin asked Rory.
Rory broke out her flashback as Tristin's voice registered in her mind. It took her a moment to realize what he'd asked her. "What? No, I'm fine," she told him quietly. Like a blow to the head, she's just figured out what she'd had against Tristin since the beginning. No matter how much he hit on her, or acted like a total ass, she couldn't help but compare him to her first boyfriend. "So not going there," she muttered under her breath.
"What?" Tristin asked, having heard her say something.
"Nothing," she said quickly wanting the past to stay that; the past. She averted her gaze from Tristin and it landed on her sister and Blake who had turned to face the water. Blake had his arm wrapped around Lilly's shoulder and she had her head resting in the crook of his neck. In that instant Rory couldn't help but feel really jealous of Lilly. It seemed her relationship with Blake was going off without a hitch. But then like burned that feeling disappeared right away. Her sister deserved to have the perfect relationship, she deserved to be happy.
"Hey, come on back to reality," Tristin whispered into Rory's ear, after watching her stare off into space for a minute or two.
Rory looked back to him and scoffed. "Reality?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised.
"What's wrong with reality?"
Rory laughed as she sank further down into the warm blanket around her. "There's no background music," she told him, trying to be serious but failing miserably.
Tristin let out a hearty laugh at her response, glad that she seemed to be back to normal. He didn't know what had happened to her just a moment ago, but it didn't seem good at all. He been watching her intently, and he'd see that normal sparkle in her eye disappear. He didn't ever want to see her like that, so he tried to think of something he could do to keep her occupied. Chancing a glance at her he suddenly leaned back all the way so he was lying on the dock.
Rory jumped at his move and looked at him curiously. He was staring up at the sky that had already gotten darker. Curiously Rory looked up, tryin to see what could have him so transfixed, but she couldn't see anything except a blank black and grey sky. "What are you doing?" she asked, finally deciding to lie down next to him.
"It's weird there aren't any stars," he told her, raisin his hand as if having to point it out to her.
Rory looked up at the sky. "There usually aren't, to much smog."
Tristin sighed. "There were always stars in Maine, you could see them anywhere," he told her, closing his eyes and picturing the scene in his mind.
"Did you want to be an astronomer when you were little or something?" Rory asked, her tone light.
Tristin chuckled. "No…actually I wanted to be a diplomat," he told her, looking at her to see her reaction.
Rory curled her lip in dissatisfaction and she turned to him. "A diplomat?" she repeated, not even trying to hide her obvious dislike for the job out of her voice.
"What do you have against diplomacy?" Tristin asked, thinking back to what she'd said about being opinionated.
Rory let an evil smirk spread across her face. "Nothing," she said innocently. "Just that diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggy' until you can find a rock," she mumbled as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.
Tristin was silent for a moment, just thinking over what she'd just said. He'd never heard anyone say anything like that before. "You're very…odd," he told her pulling himself up to.
"Thanks," she replied, shrugging her shoulders and turning around to look at him. "Have you ever had a serious girlfriend?" The moment the words passed her lips she instantly regretted them. That was not what she wanted to ask him; obviously her brain and her mouth weren't on the same track.
Tristin hadn't expected that question at all. He just looked at her, expecting her to take it back but she never did. He could tell she was arguing with herself but she still held her ground. Sighing out he turned back so she wouldn't be able to read the look in his eyes. "I had one," he started.
Rory eye's shot to Tristin and filled with compassion when she noticed his down cast expression. Slowly she lifted her hand and laid it on his shoulder, letting it slide down his arm to rest atop his own hand. Tristin watched his hand intently; the sight of her small fingers resting near his was enough to make him smile. "What happened?" Rory asked bringing her hand back under the blanket as it turned red from the cold.
Tristin frowned as her hand left his. "She wasn't serious about me," he told her. "She admitted to having other boyfriends." Tristin didn't understand how he could just tell her that. It had took him a long time to admit to anyone what had happened and here he was ready to poor out his life story to this girl, if she'd listen.
Rory didn't say anything; her mind was in a jumble. She hadn't really expected Tristin to tell her he'd ever had a serious girlfriend; he just never seemed like the type. But she knew he wasn't lying about it, whoever that girl was she'd really hurt him. She couldn't help but rethink a lot of things about him. Was he actually a good guy or was he just a player? And did she even want a good guy?
Tristin had been watching her silently; she seemed to be caught up in thought again. "Do you want to go for a walk or something?" he asked, cursing the butterflies in his stomach.
Rory smiled at him. "Sure," she said and he copied her smile, as they both stood up.
"Do you think we should tell them?" Tristin asked, pointing over at Lilly and Blake who were lost in their own world.
Rory laughed and walked past them. "Trust me they won't even notice were gone," she told Tristin, tightening the blanket around her as they walked.
They walked together, on a narrow trail right along the lake. Their shoulders brushing together every once in a while, and even through the blankets and their clothes, Rory could swear she felt tingles run along every nerve in her body. A shadow of smile spread across her face when she felt Tristin's palm press flat on the small of her back, as he made her go in front of him. The path was getting smaller and small the farther they went and Rory remembered that it eventually disappeared. She then remembered that coming up soon there was a small bridge that led over to the Lakeside Ballroom.
"Follow me," Rory told him over her shoulder as she started to walk a little faster towards the bridge. The two teens stepped onto it and walked over to the road. "We sometimes go in there, just to escape the cold," she said.
Tristin nodded and when they got to the doors, he reached out to pull open the handles but found they were locked. He looked up to see if they were locked from the outside but there was a small sigh posted there. "No admittance after nine pm," he read off the sign and then pulled up his sleeve. "It's 9:30."
Rory rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked over to the giant windows that lined the front of the building. "They must be having some sort of function or dance," she said, pausing just outside one window and peering in. There were almost a hundred couples on the dance floor dancing to an upbeat song.
Tristin turned on his side, and slid behind Rory. He came towards the window and pulled the bottom half of it out. Rory came over and leaned, with her elbows resting on the window. The music had stopped and all they could hear was the loud blare of a whole room full of teenagers all talking at once. Rory let her blanket slip down to her shoulders, bathing in the warmth that flowed out through the window. Suddenly the music started back up again, a slow song drifted out to Rory and Tristin through the window.
It only took Tristin a second to get past Rory again and place his blanket down on the ground. "Dance with me?"
His voice floated past her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She spun around, her blue eyes wide. Tristin was standing in front of her, holding out his hand for her. Rory instinctively looked up to meet his eyes, swallowing hard. Blue met blue.
"I…I guess," she stammered, letting the blanket she'd been clinging to all night fall to her feet.
Tristin flashed her an irresistible grin that made her knees weak. 'Bad idea,' she scolded herself, as she took his hand and a delicious heat coursed through her arm, 'very bad idea.'
Oh I, I just died in you arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Tristin still hadn't said anything. He just pulled her out past the windows and onto the flat expanse of grass in front of the hall. He then wasted no time in wrapping his arms tightly around her slim waist. Rory was slightly taken aback by his bold manoeuvre, but she couldn't help but melt into his embrace.
I
keep looking for something I can't get
Broken hearts lie all
around me
And
I don't see an easy way to get out of this
Her diary it sits on
the bedside table
The
curtains are closed, the cats in the cradle
Who would've thought
that a boy like me could come to this
Tristin held her to him, revelling in the feeling of having her cradled in his arms. He was committing to memory how it felt to have her body moulded into his own. She was so beautiful, so right…so perfect. Closing his eyes he felt the butterflies finally dissipate as a wave of contentment washed over him.
Rory sighed, resting her head gently on his shoulder, and letting the faint music guide their steps. She felt Tristin tighten his grip on her waist in an almost protective manner, as if she would somehow disappear if he let go. Rory admitted to herself that she didn't mind at all. She nestled her cheek against his neck, letting one of her hands travel around to the nape of his neck. Her fingers slowly sifted their way into the short hairs there and she felt him tremble at her touch. The both of them knew how right it felt; holding each other in their arms.
When Rory was close to him like this all her doubts and questions from before just seemed to float away and all there was was him. Nothing else existed. And if it did, it really wasn't important. The way he was holding right now made her feel like she was breathtaking. Like she was special.
Like she was his.
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must've been something you said
I
just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms
tonight
It must've been some kind of kiss
I should've walked away
Rory lifted her head of his shoulder and looked him in the eye. She knew right then that it was a mistake –she knew if she saw his eyes, it would be the end for her. But she took the chance, caught up in the moment and gazed into his deep blue eyes. They seemed darker than usual, but still blue…so blue.
Tristin held her gaze as he gulped, feeling the confidence he'd had from before fade away. She was looking at him, really looking. Why? Why did she have to look at him right then? Especially like that.
"Rory…" he whispered, ashamed at how vulnerable he sounded. He slowly raised a hand and brushed a piece of her coffee brown hair behind her ear. He watched as she closed her eyes at the contact and bit down on her bottom lip. Forgetting about everything else in the world, Tristin instinctively leaned down and gently pressed his mouth to hers.
Both Rory's arms wound around his neck and tightened, partly because she was afraid she'd collapse is she didn't. How could he do that? With only the lightest touch of his lips in hers and she turned into jelly under his fingertips.
Tristin let one of his hands run up her back, and the other cupped her cheek. He could feel her skin dancing under his hand as he caressed her, and he pressed his mouth harder to hers, deepening the kiss. He had to suppress a groan when he felt her mouth part and her soft tongue run along his bottom lip.
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must've been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must've been some kind of kiss
I should've walked away
When the need to breath became important, Tristin reluctantly broke away from Rory. He kept his forehead pressed intimately against hers, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Rory still had her eyes closed but she could feel him watching her, his eyes leaving a burning trail all over her where they landed. Slowly she opened her eyes and they connected with Tristin's. Her arms were still clinging onto him; her hands clenching the back of his sweater in a death grip. Her breathing was erratic and her heart was smashing against her chest and his. The two of them were silent, just staring into the others glassy eyes.
At that exact moment though, from inside the dancehall the music stopped and the loud feedback from a microphone broke the moment. All the magic vanished, as Rory jumped pulling her face farther back. Tristin saw it first, the flash of utter panic that swept through her eyes. Rory stared into his eyes, she could feel her arms start to shake and her blood seemed to run cold in her veins all of a sudden. Quickly she let go of Tristin's sweater and dropped her arms to her side. Tristin knew it was coming as he unhooked him arms from around her waist.
"Rory…" he started but was immediately interrupted.
"I have to go," Rory told him, her voice raising a few octaves as the panic settled deep in her bones. "I have to go…" she repeated backing away from him. Her foot collided with a large rock and she almost tripped over it. She saw Tristin's hand reaching out to steady her but before she let him touch her she started to run.
"Rory!" Tristin yelled after her.
She heard him calling after her but she just kept running. Across the bridge, onto the path, careful not to fall into the lake. Nothing could stop her. She felt the rush of hot tears fall onto her cheeks as her feet pounded against the dirt path. She saw the dock come into view and pushed herself to speed up, hoping Tristin wasn't following her.
"Lilly!" Rory yelled her voice sounding hoarse.
Lilly and Blake jumped apart and turned to look at Rory who only stopped running when she was right behind them. Lilly immediately saw the tears streaming down her sister's cheeks and she jumped to her feet. "Rory what's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked frantically, bushing the tears away with the pad of her thumb.
"Lilly please, we have to go," Rory begged her.
Lilly knew not to ask what had happened and so she just nodded and turned around to Blake who was standing beside, a concerned look on his face. "Listen Blake I'm sorry but I have to take her home," she apologized.
"No it's okay, you go," he told her, sending her a small smile.
"Thanks. Here take this," she said grabbing her cell phone out of her pocket. "There's the number for our driver in the phonebook, call him, he'll pick you up," she said, and urgently pressed a kiss to his cheek before she took Rory's hand and led her back to the car.
Blake just stood there, the phone in his hand; staring at the spot he'd last saw Lilly and a feeble Rory. The only thing that made him look away was the slight scuffle of shoes on the wooden planks. He saw Tristin's hopeful face fall when he noticed that Blake was the only one there. "She left," Blake told him.
Tristin nodded as he sat down on the dock, piling his blanket beside him along with Rory's that she'd forgotten. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, thoroughly defeated. His heart felt like it was burning and his arms ached to hold Rory in them again. He didn't understand what had been going on in her head. He wondered if he'd done something. Maybe he shouldn't have kissed her?
Blake just stared at his best friend, he looked crestfallen. Slowly Blake walked over to Tristin and sat down next to him. "What happened, man?" he asked, resting his hand on Tristin's shoulder gently.
Tristin shook his head. "I think I screwed up…really bad," Tristin told him, staring out into the water.
---
Lilly didn't ask anymore questions on the way home. She kept her eyes on the road, making sure to get home okay in the dark. Every once in a while she'd let her gaze travel to Rory. Her sister looked like she was on the verge of breaking down completely. Her skin had turned a dangerous pale colour; her hands were nervously threading themselves through her hair. She hadn't said a word at all, not since they'd been on the bridge. As Lilly pulled the car up into the driveway, she noticed that the gates were closed. "Rory, I'm just gonna go open the gates okay?" she asked her sister, only getting a slight nod in response.
When Lilly reached the front of the house she parked the car outside and went around to the other side. Carefully she opened her door, hoping Rory wasn't leaning against. Lilly reached in and grabbed Rory's hand, and helped her out of the car. "You okay?" she asked, even though she knew it was a stupid question.
Rory didn't answer her; she just continued walking towards the door to their house. Lilly jogged up to her. She didn't know what was wrong. She couldn't ever remember seeing Rory like this. When they got inside, a maid instantly greeted them, her wide smile fading when she saw the state Rory was in.
"Oh no, honey what's wrong?" she asked, looking form Rory to Lilly.
Lilly just shook her head as she guided Rory towards the stairs. "Jewel, could you send up some coffee and chocolate?" Lilly asked, combing her hand through Rory's hair. The maid nodded furiously and then disappeared into the kitchen. The twins walked up the stairs and into Rory's room, where Rory went straight to the bed and sat down.
Lilly walked over and turned off the over head light, and instead turned on the two lamps on each side of the bed. She sat down beside Rory, rubbing her back. "Hey, you gonna tell me what's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Rory finally made eye contact with Lilly, and when she saw the worry shining in her sister's eyes she broke. The tears that had started to fall less intensely now cascaded down her cheeks as heavy sobs wretched out of her mouth. Lilly instantly had her arms around Rory and started to gently rock them back and forth. "Hey, shhh, it's going to be okay," she whispered into Rory's ear, trying desperately to calm her hysterical sister down.
"No…no it isn't…" Rory mumbled into Lilly's shoulder.
"Did Tristin do something?" Lilly asked, fearing the answer.
Rory went numb at the mention of his name. She didn't want to think of what he might be feeling right now. She knew she must have hurt him but she couldn't stay there. "Lilly I really need someone to talk to," she said bringing her head back up.
Lilly smiled. "You know I'm always here," she told her, lifting her hand to brush away Rory's tears. "Just tell me what happened?"
Rory nodded and scooted over onto the other side of the bed. Lilly followed and stretched her legs out, motioning for Rory to lay her head down in her lap. After getting comfortable Rory looked up at Lilly. "Everything was going fine to begin with. We were just talking about our favourite stuff and laughing. But then, I don't know…Remember when I told you how he was just the guy for right now?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, you were pretty convincing to," Lilly told her.
Rory laughed a tiny bit. "That's because I had myself convinced, of not only that but a lot of things." Rory stopped for a moment, closing her eyes to collect herself before continuing. "I've been fighting this internal battle ever since I met Tristin. Can I let myself fall for him? I tried so hard to convince myself that falling wasn't even going to be an issue…that it wouldn't happen so there was no point in worrying over it…and then tonight happened. I finally realized why I had been so adamant in not letting him in." She stopped for a second as the maid brought in coffee and a bowl of chocolate. After she left Rory sat up and took a small sip of the heavenly beverage. "I wouldn't let myself care about him because…he reminds me of Dean."
Lilly almost spit out her drink at that admission. The twin's hadn't spoken of Dean in almost two years, and Lilly had liked it that way. She turned to lock eyes with Rory. "No," she said. "Tristin is not Dean. Okay?" she told Rory her voice strong and defiant.
"He's more like Dean then any of my other boyfriends!" Rory exclaimed. They were both silent as that sentence settled in their minds. Rory put her coffee down on her bedside table and lay back down on the bed. "I felt so comfortable around him tonight. He makes me feel…special. And the last time I really felt like that was with Dean."
"But Rory they're nothing alike! Dean was an asshole! Tristin really cares about you," she explained, lying down next to Rory.
Rory didn't say anything to that. She just lay there, staring up at the ceiling before a frail admission passed through her lips, so quiet she wasn't sure Lilly had heard it. "I kissed Tristin tonight."
Lilly was shell shocked, she had not been expecting that. "Even after…?"
"Yeah, even after I compared him to Dean in my head, even after I swore I wouldn't let myself fall for him, even after…even after I knew I already had," she told Lilly her voice getting quieter with every word.
Lilly reached down and clasped Rory's hand within her own, rubbing small circles on her palm. "Rory I know this is really hard for you…but you can not keep comparing every nice guy to Dean. You have to take down those walls you've got around your heart."
Rory dropped her head to the side to see Lilly. "But those walls keep out the pain," she told her.
Lilly smiled ruefully. "And they also keep out all the joy. Rory, you know that I try not to get too involved with your love life because I know you had it rough the first time. But I have to jump in right now because I can't watch you throw away your first chance at really being happy. And yes I know how corny this is but you have to give love a chance…"
"You don't know how much I want to Lilly. But every time I think of letting someone all the way in…When I was with Dean I would just stick myself right on the train tracks even when I could see the train coming…and yet I was always shocked when I got flattened like a pancake."
Lilly laughed at Rory's description of her relationship with Dean. "And I get that you don't want that to happen again. But…take some advice from one, Joan Crawford; Love is a fire. But whether it's going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell."
Rory smiled her first true smile since earlier that night. "I always thought she was smart," she told Lilly, who laughed. "I'm just not sure if I can take that chance."
Lilly sighed, knowing it really was Rory's decision in the end. "Okay, but just so you know, in my opinion you should go for. Guys like Tristin don't come along often, and I think you'd really regret it if you let him slip by." She pressed a kiss to Rory's forehead before she walked to the door, leaving it open a smidge when she left.
Rory sighed and closed her eyes; she could never remember feeling so confused. It was like with any decision she made she had the chance of losing. But then again wasn't that what love was about? Putting your heart on the line for someone. She was about to welcome the relief of sleep when she heard a faint cry come from the hall. She turned to look and was greeted with the welcomed sight of Prince's head sticking through the doorway. "Hey boy, come here," Rory said, patting the space next to her. The dog immediately bounded into the room and jumped up onto the bed next to Rory. She lay down and he copied her movement, resting his head on her stomach.
"What do you think Prince? Do I take a chance on love?" she asked, running her fingers through his beautiful fur. The dog raised his head and looked at her for a moment. His dark brown eyes seemed to be full of loyalty and devotion. Rory sat up and brought her face down closer to the dogs. "What do you think?" she asked him again, to which Prince gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "I guess you say go for it too huh?" she questioned a small smile playing on her face.
Rory sat there for a while, petting the top of Prince's head. She kept replaying the memory of the kiss in her head. She couldn't lie to herself; she hadn't felt a connection like that ever before. With Tristin everything was different. She felt things with him and for him that she'd never experienced before. She knew in her heart she wanted to give him a chance…
Her thoughts were interrupted all of a sudden when she heard a small pinging sound at her window. Rory drew her eyebrows together in confusion as to what the sound was. After hearing it again, she slowly rose from her bed and padded over to her window, Prince following her. She pushed the long black curtains out of her way and opened the large window that acted like a door onto a small balcony. Peering down from the balcony, she squinted her eyes to see through the darkness and she finally made out the shape of a person standing on the lawn.
"Rory!"
She froze. She knew that voice. "Tristin?" she called not sure if he really wanted it to be him or not. She heard a faint 'yeah it's me' drift up to her window. A slight chill ran through her body and she wrapped her arms around her herself. She knew it wasn't from the cold. "What are you doing here?" she yelled down, bringing one hand up to run it through her hair.
Down on the ground Tristin paused, he didn't really know why he was there, he didn't know what he was going to say. He just knew he had to see her. "I just…I need to talk to you!" he replied, his voice faltering.
Rory closed her eyes at those words. She couldn't help but feel her stomach tighten and her heart flutter. She knew she had to give him brownie point for chasing her to her house. "I'll be…" she bit her bottom lip, praying she was making the right decision, "I'll be down in a minute!"
Rory stepped back through the window and into her room, sliding past Prince, who was giving her a curious expression. "You want come with me, boy?" she asked and he barked before following her lead and heading down to the foyer. "Okay…" Rory sighed, combing a hand through her hair in an attempt to look somewhat presentable before she opened the door. Sooner than she could get her foot through the door Prince had torn past her and pranced around on the front veranda waiting for Rory.
"Rory?" Tristin asked, as he came closer to the front. He wasn't so sure about this idea right now, but he knew it was too late to back out.
Rory didn't say anything; she couldn't even bring herself to look at him. She knew that if she did, his blue eyes would once again be her undoing. Prince was the one who got her to look up. He made a small growling sound in the back of his throat as he was alerted to Tristin's presence. Rory could see the fur on his back start to rise and his teeth appear. She quickly walked closer to the dog and brought her hand out to him. "Prince no!" she told him her voice dripping with authority. The dog slowly let down his defences and gave Rory's offered hand a lick before he laid down by her feet in a protective manner.
"That's quite the dog you've got," Tristin commented, opting for small talk instead of the pressing issues.
Rory nodded her head and chanced a look at him. He was standing in front of her, all signs of that cocky rich boy persona gone. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and his feet were nervously kicking at the ground. "What are you doing here?" she asked him feebly.
Tristin's head shot up and their eyes locked instantly. He shifted uneasily under her gaze, bringing a hand up to his hair, messing it up even more. "I just, uh…wanted to make sure you were okay…" he managed to get.
Rory couldn't stop her lips from twitching into a smile. No matter what had happened earlier that happened the fact that he'd been worried about her made her stomach explode with butterflies and this heat course through her body. "I'm fine," she told him, wrenching her eyes away from him.
Tristin took a small step towards Rory, the light flowing in from the front door that shed left open had her illuminated. She looked radiant, like an angel. That was until she shifted on her feet and he saw her face bathed in the light. Her cheeks were red, he guessed at first from being outside all night but when he looked up into her eyes again he knew it was something different. Her blue eyes seemed forlorn, bloodshot and puffy. He could see the light catch on her face now, shining brighter where it was wet. His heart broke again when he realized that she must have been crying. He'd made her cry…
"God…Rory I'm just, I'm really sorry," he gushed all of a sudden, reaching out to touch her but stopping his hand at the last second.
Rory sighed and lowered her gaze to the ground. "It's not your fault Tristin," she whispered. Rory looked back up at him and then turned around, walking over to the veranda. She sat down on the lowest step, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's me," she told him.
Tristin walked over to her and sat down beside her on the step, keeping about two feet between them. "What's you?" he asked, watching the side of her face, as she stared off into the black night.
Rory bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as she turned to look at him. "I'm the problem, Tristin. I always am!" she told him, her voice rising. She jumped up from the step and walked a few feet before spinning around. "I can't make anything work…this is all wrong," she told him, gesturing her hand between the two of them.
Tristin didn't know what hit him but he suddenly felt overrun by this anger flooding his veins. He jumped up to and stalked over to her, his once blue eyes now quickly turning black with emotion. "What's so wrong about this – about us?" he exploded at her, not believing that she was going to stop whatever was happening between them before it could even start.
Rory was shocked at his outburst and just stared at him for a while. She'd almost made a decision back in her room and right now she knew she had to conclude it. "I haven't dated a guy like you in a long time," she started, wringing her hands together as she walked past him, not wanting to have to look at him when she said this. "Someone nice and sweet and who I think actually cares about me. The last guy I dated treated me like dirt. I wasn't special to him! I didn't mean anything!" Rory dropped to the steps again, lowering her voice. "But he was just like the others and that's why I started dating him in the first place. I didn't want a guy who would act all lovey-dovey with me. Who would hold my hand and tell me how much he loved me. And so I only dated guys who I knew wouldn't want any of those things with me. Because I knew from experience that it's the nice, sweet boys you have to watch out for."
Tristin didn't really know how to respond to that but he did know that he wanted her to keep talking; she was helping him understand her better. "What do you mean?" he asked, not making a move to come any closer to her.
Rory reached forward and started to nervously pet Prince's head. His soft fur and almost muted purring gave her a small sense of calmness, one just big enough to get the next part out. "My first boyfriend…he was the perfect guy. He was kind and polite, he respected me. He bagged groceries at the supermarket! He was my first date, my first kiss. He was the boy I danced my first slow dance with."
"Was he your first love?" Tristin asked quietly, his heart pounding in his chest, not knowing if he really wanted the answer to that question.
"I think I may have loved him. I know I cared about him, I felt for him…but I was young and he was my first boyfriend, I didn't really know what love was…" she explained, not catching the relief that washed over Tristin's face. "I thought he was perfect though."
Tristin suddenly felt instilled with a sense of courage, so he walked over closer to Rory and leaned himself against a tall, white pillar a couple feet away from Rory. "So what happened?" he dared to ask.
"He proved to me that he wasn't perfect…not even close to it," she told him after a moment of silence. "It wasn't that he was mean to me or that he cheated on me. He just changed. He would start getting really jealous when guys were come up to me. At first I thought it was cute, a sign that said he really liked me. But then he's start getting mad at me and we'd fight whenever he caught me talking to a guy, whether it was just a friend or a neighbour." Rory stopped for a second, trying to concentrate on telling the story and not getting caught up in the past. She hated revisiting these memories but she knew that she owed it to Tristin to tell him why she'd run. "I can remember one time we got into this huge fight when I told him I'd gotten paired up with some guy for a school project. He actually told me to either switch partners or not do the work and take an F. That's when it sky rocketed right past cute and into aggravating. It was when he told me that I spent too much time with Lilly and the gang that I had finally had more than enough. He'd told me to stop hanging around with them and not to talk to them as often as I did! I mean they're my best friends!" she told him, her voice growing louder. "I just couldn't take anymore of him, of the whole relationship. He was just so jealous, so overbearing. It literally felt like he was smothering me," Rory said as she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to Tristin's. He was looking at her with so much concern and understanding in his eyes that he gave her the strength to maintain eye contact. "I told him we were over and that maybe someday down the road we could be friends."
"What'd he say?"
Rory exhaled loudly as a weird laugh came from her throat. "I never heard from him for months. You see he lived in this small town, about an hour away. Me and Lilly used to go there a lot, but after me and Dean broke up we didn't go back."
Tristin frowned. "So you just never heard from the guy again?" he asked.
"About a year later he called me and said that he's moving to Chicago with his dad. And I knew that right then and there it was going to be the last time we ever spoke to each other again. So I said goodbye and I hung up the phone."
They two of them were silent for a minute. Rory averted her gaze from him, somehow she always felt naked when he looked at her, like he could right through her. It unnerved her and excited her at the same time. "So…" she said, hoping to break the silence.
Tristin pushed himself off the pillar and sat down next to her. "You know I'm not Dean," he told her.
Rory nodded looking down at Tristin's hand that was resting innocently beside her thigh. "I know it's just hard for me. I mean, no matter how much of an asshole you can be you still remind me of him."
Tristin flashed an irresistible grin. "You know normal girls are usually looking for a nice guy," he told her pointedly earning himself a smile.
"Well you should know by now that I'm not a normal girl," she said, looking up at him through hooded eyes.
Tristin chuckled, drumming his fingers against the steps. "You know I get the fact that you have guy friends…its okay with me."
Rory tilted her head to look at him. The ghost of a smile lingered on her face. She breathed in, running a quick pro and con list through her mind. And as she exhaled she let all her comparisons fly out too. "I know," she told him simply.
This time she did notice the relief wash over his handsome face and her smile grew just a tiny bit. Tristin ingenuously let the hand that had been resting between them slowly move closer to her. His fingers tapped against her leg, spreading a trail of gooseflesh all over her body. He watched as she closed her eyes briefly before opening them and meeting his own, neither of them able to look away. And just like before Tristin slowly brought his hand up to her face, cupping her cheek. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in, kissing her sensuously on the cheek before brushing his lips against hers, softly and slowly.
"Goodnight Mary," Tristin breathed against her swollen lips as he pulled away. He saw her mouth curve into a smile and he leaned down and placed another butterfly kiss on her lips before he stood up.
Rory leisurely opened her eyes and turned her head to watch Tristin as he walked down the driveway, his hands in his pockets. She brought her hands up to her mouth, hiding her wide smile for a second before taking them to her hair and pushing it out of her face. She slowly stood up, surprised that her jelly legs could support her weight and walked back to the door of her house.
"Goodnight Tristin," she whispered lightly seeing his blonde head disappear into the night. She couldn't ever remember a time when she'd felt this happy.
---
Now
I wanted to explain more about
Tristin's dad because some people asked about him. About the whole
thing with him criticizing Mr. Hayden, that's just who he is…I
really don't see him as the type to hold back when he has something
to say so that's how I portrayed him in the chapter, but don't
worry he will get nicer towards Mr. Hayden when he realizes that he
doesn't have the mans trust.
Thanks for all the support and all the reviews...You guys are the coolest!
Hugs
and Kisses,
-Ella
