Thank you everyone for the reviews; you're too kind. Do not worry, Jess will be gone sooner then you guys think. Oh, by the way, the club "The Saloon" really does exist in New York, too. I hope in this story I don't offend people who live in Brooklyn. I am not writing the story to say Brooklyn is a bad area. It's just the apartment Jess and Rory live is in a bad part, or is basically a bad-looking apartment.
August, 10th 2004. 4:00 A.M.
The door opened, revealing a very angry-looking Jess. Logan stepped aside, not wanting to get involved in something that might not be his business.
"Damn it, Rory you actually have the audacity to bring your lover boy to our apartment!" Jess yelled.
Oh, my God, Rory thought. Jess was basically accusing her of cheating in front of her friend. Had she ever given Jess a reason not to trust her? "He is not my lover boy, he is my friend who was nice enough to walk me to our dangerous apartment."
"Oh. Please," Jess sneered. "I know these rich guys; they pretend to charm you in order to get in your pants, and they minute they have you they drop you like a hot potato."
"Oh, my God, Jess, you have basically described yourself."
"What the hell are you talking about, Rory?" Jess's voice was at the top of his lungs, and Logan could have sworn that it would have been heard all the way to Queens. His original assumptions were; right this guy did not deserve her.
"You might not have a trust fund, Jess, but you are just like the supposed rich guys you described. You flirted with me, and worked hard to try and steal me away from Dean. I am not saying it was your fault. I am the idiot who fell for it. Logan is a trust fund boy, and so are his other two friends Colin and Finn, but they never made a serious move on me or bad mouthed you. Plus, now that you have me, you barely spend any time with me."
"Well, I am a busy man, Rory. I can't spend every moment with you."
"Oh, please, you do not spend any minute with me. One time, one freaking time, you happened to make plans with me, Jess. However, that does not matter, now. Jess, I have never cheated on you."
"I find that hard to believe, since you chose to spend a night with him."
"I just hung out with him. It was innocent!"
"What about the time you kissed me when you were still with Dean?"
"I was seventeen, Jess, and confused. Plus, I don't recall you complaining then. "
"Yes, but how do I know you will not do the same thing to me? How do I know that you are not a slutty person?"
Rory gasped at the last two words that came from his mouth. Rory felt that she was going to break down at any second.
Logan could not take it anymore; he went up right in front of Jess.
"Oh, Richey Rich is towering over me, how original."
"Don't talk smart with me, Jess," Logan threatened.
"Oh, I am really scared! What are you going to do smack me?" Jess mocked.
"I would love to, but you are not worth it, man."
"Man, you're such a chicken." Jess was about to put his fist out to punch Logan, but Logan grabbed it in time. Then he grabbed Jess and leaned him up against the wall. "Trust me, Jess, you do not want to mess with me; I don't ever want to hear you talk to her like that again."
"I can talk to her in any way I want. It's a free country," Jess replied snidely. God, what did Rory see in this guy?
"Well, if you're going to be an ass, then I might as well explain myself. You have no idea how lucky you are. That girl is beautiful, smart, and unique. Any straight guy would kill to go out with her, but you don't appreciate her and you treat her like crap. I can't force her to leave you, Jess, but I can promise you that if I ever hear you call her or make any associations to the word slut, I will make sure you will never find work again. My father has connections—not just to newspapers and publishing houses, but to top officials who work in restaurants, stores, you name it. And then, finally, me and ten of my friends will beat you down. Do I make myself clear?"
Jess just stood there with his eyes full of fear.
"Well, I'd better go, see you on Monday, Rory."
Rory nodded slowly, but did not say a word. Logan walked past the dingy hallway. He hated leaving her there, but he did not know how to convince her to leave. After Logan left, Rory walked past Jess to her room. Rory felt the heat engulf her and a sweat come to her forehead. Logan had seen Jess at his worst, and had defended her. Rory's heart soared on what Logan had said to Jess. However, know she knew that she had to distance herself from Logan he knew too much.
--
As Logan got into the limo, he kept thinking of the scene he had witnessed. Logan could always sense that Rory was unhappy with the guy and, from the few things he had heard from Rory, he could tell that the guy did not appreciate her. However, Logan never imagined that Jess would actually talk like that to her, like she was trash. Based on what Logan had seen, he could tell that this was not the first time Jess had acted like this. Logan could tell that Jess would mess with Rory's mind; this would explain her almost agreeing with Jess to not take the internship when he had first met her. Or the sad look in her eyes she had when he first met her. He really needed to talk to someone about this. Suddenly, he had a good idea on whom the right person would be.
"Um, Frank, we're not going home."
--
August 10. 6:00 A.M.
Casey was in her office going over the layout for the next issue; she was shocked when she saw Logan walk in. Logan would never come to the paper at 6 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, when he did not have to be there. Casey was about to make a joke about it, but then she noticed that Logan's eyes looked tired and blood-shoot.
"Logan, are you all right, would you like a seat?" She gestured to the seat in front of her desk.
"Yeah, a seat would be good." Logan sat down. "And, yes I am all right. I just don't think someone else is."
"Who?"
"Rory." Logan's voice was filled with concern
"Oh, Logan, did you break her heart?" Casey asked rather harshly, but immediately regretted it.
"No, she is just my friend, okay."
"Right, sorry. I just get worried sometimes."
"I understand."
"So, what is the problem with Rory? Is she hurt?" Casey asked with concern.
"No, nothing like that."
"So what is the problem with Rory?"
"Casey, can I ask you something personal, before I tell you what is going on?"
"Depends on what it is, Logan."
"Remember around four years ago when I was dating Honor's moronic friend Claude?"
Casey laughed really hard. "How can I forget, Logan? I hear her say this to guests at your parents' and my parents' holiday parties: 'remember when Logan and I dated ages ago when he drove a z3?'" Casey said this in Claude's ditzy voice. "She makes it sound like you guys dated more than, what, three days?"
"A week, but that is not the point. The point is that one time at my house, Claude and I were sitting on the couch and Walker happened to be there."
Casey interrupted him. "Logan, please be quick with this story, I have not spoken to Claude and Four Nose Jobs since the year 2000 for a reason."
"I thought Walker had three nose jobs?"
"She had one last year, and according to what Honor told me, it was not a very good one. So she is thinking of getting another one." They both laughed.
When Logan cleared his throat, he finally said, "Well, anyway, Walker, as usual, was telling Claude which guy to hook up with. And when Claude mentioned Donny Crane, who you were dating at the time, Walker apparently said, 'no, he hits Casey.'"
"Well, that did not stop her from climbing into bed with him, when we were still together."
"What?"
"Yep, that's why we broke up, and that girl has no shame."
"Casey, was what they were saying true, or was it just me being drunk and imagined it?"
Casey softly said. "It's true. It did not happen the whole time we were dating. Just the last two months before we broke up because of the cheating. He was angry that after graduation he was working at his father's law firm, or me for wanting to go into newspapers instead of going into a social charity organization like a nice society girl. He would take his anger out a few times on my face."
Logan could not believe this; to imagine someone as strong as Casey being in that type of relationship was hard. "Oh, Casey, why were you still with him?"
"Lots of bad reasons, Logan. Being younger, scared, remembering the person Donny was before the hitting. Plus, my parents loved him, and he was one of the few things we agreed on. Also when you're in this type of relationship, Logan, it negatively messes with your head. However, it's behind me now, and over a year later I met a wonderful man who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It still took me a while to really trust love again. Anyway, what does my past relationship have to do with Rory?"
"Because I believe Rory is in a bad relationship too. I met her boyfriend this morning and he was a jerk. Who knows, maybe he could have hurt her."
"Logan, there are many guys out there who are jerks, but that does not mean they all hit their girlfriends."
"I know, Casey, but I saw him talk to her like she was trash. You had to be there to hear it."
"Well, he might be emotionally abusive, but not physically abusive. I know the signs of being battered, Logan. Wearing a huge amount of makeup, for instance. I have never seen Rory wear a lot of cover up, or heavy clothing. There is also being afraid of physical contact. I have seen the way Rory lets you put your hand on her shoulder sometimes. Rory would never be able to do that if she was in an abusive relationship. When I was with Donny, I would always flinch away when someone touched me even for a little bit."
"I understand, Casey, but can you please talk to her?"
"Logan, it might push her away."
"I know, but I hate her being in that type of relationship. Plus, I don't think she would listen if it came from me. Please, Casey." Casey looked at him; she had not seen Logan look this concerned about someone since he was thirteen and she and Honor had been in a car accident.
"Alright, Logan, I will talk to her, but do not expect miracles."
"Thank you, Casey, just promise me you will try."
"I will."
--
Sorry this was not my best update.