A/N: mer,sorry for the wait. but thank you thank you thank you for the reviews. anyways, school started and i already had a math tutor (one week - not a good start eh?) and i wrote this while listening to the local-but-getting-popular band tilly and the wall! whee. um..this one ended up odd, i dont know how much i like it. but tell me what you think. enjoy and review.
chapter two
She felt the bed move, the springs flex beneath her. She opened her eyes and tried to become accustomed to the dark; she was awake, in fact, she hadn't slept a wink at all. She kept replaying their conversation in her kitchen from hours ago.
"You're leaving?" she asked quietly, not even trying to hide the disappointment or the annoyance from her voice.
He turned from his spot by the window, where he was standing looking outside to the New York night. "Yeah, it's late."
She snorted and sat up, pulling the sheet up to her chest. "Should I be paying you for this or something?"
He looked away from her at the harshness of her voice and remained silent. "Fine. Just go, then."
"Rory," he sighed, shoving his hands in his slacks pockets. He had found his boxers and pants, his undershirt was another story. He moved to sit next to her on her side of the bed.
Her side, almost like they had a routine, a domestic lifestyle that they were accustomed to. He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, his hand trailed down her jawbone. She turned away from his touch, and he gripped her chin to make her face him. "Can I call you later?"
She shrugged. "I might be busy."
"Can I see you tonight?"
"I might be busy," she repeated.
"God, how did it get like this?" he asked, seriously questioning this predicament they were in. They both refused to look to far into this, not too mention too far down the line with it. They both loved these nights together, and every night, it killed him a little more to leave her.
He had fallen in love with her and she didn't care. Hell, she was going on other dates.
"Forget I asked," he said, "I'm going out tonight."
He stood from the bed, leaving the space next to her cold and she pulled the sheet closer. He found his shirt fallen by her vanity table and picked it up, pulled it on, and haphazardly buttoned a few buttons. "If you find my undershirt, just throw it away. I have more," he told her quickly, giving her no other choice but to nod.
He kissed her cheek briskly, something he always did before he left, whether he was frustrated with her or not.
"They won't give up what I have to spend one night with you," she whispered to his back, so soft he almost missed it. He turned back to look at her and she was staring right at him. "They won't realize you're gone before it's too late."
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He walked up the stairs to her apartment complex. Someone was moving and people coming up and down the elevator were not only pissing him off, but slowing down the elevator.
He knocked on the door, knowing that even in the mid-afternoon she would be home. Today was Friday, and she always took Friday off. "It's half my company and it's a 'Rory' day," she told him, probably several months ago.
He was surprised to see the find the door open, and when he knocked, it pushed it open further and he stepped inside. His brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of cardboard boxes, packing tape, and covered furniture. Did he walk into someone else's apartment?
"Rory?" he called out.
She stepped out of the bedroom, on the phone with someone, and held up her finger to motion one minute.
It had been a while since he had actually seen her in the daylight, most of their visits reserved for the night hours, but he forgot how the night hid her simple beauty. Even now, clad in jeans and a cardigan, her delicate feet poking out from the hem, and the sleeves rolled up to reveal a small gold chain bracelet, and her hair pulled up in some form of a bun that he didn't know how to name, she looked perfect.
God, he sounded so sappy.
Her laughter rang out in the semi-empty apartment as a girl came in to take another box, then stopped, as she saw Rory on the phone.
She came up behind Rory and snatched the phone away from her ear and pushed the off button.
"Paris!" she whined.
"No, Gilmore. I took took time off work to help you move and you're on the phone!"
"It was my mom! Besides, it's our company! We can take time off whenever we want!
"I don't care! I like working! And Lorelai has Luke! She'll be fine for a few hours! And who the hell is he!" she ranted.
Rory waved her hand nonchalantly and sighed. "Paris, go get food."
"I'm not your maid."
"Paris, go."
She looked at Logan and pointed a finger at him, "You hurt her, you die. Capische?"
He nodded dumbly, and she left, grumbling under her breath.
Rory walked around him to some half-packed boxes and started cramming books and picture frames inside them.
"You're moving?" he asked, following her.
"Mhmm."
"Will you at least look at me?" She turned her gaze hesitantly to him, and he smirked.
"How long has this been planned?"
"A few weeks," she said, shrugging. "It was dark and you missed the boxes last night."
"A few weeks? Why didn't you tell me, I could have helped you."
"I was going to ask last night, but you said you were going out." She sat down on the floor against the plastic-wrapped couch.
"So you were really going to be busy?"
She nodded. "So where are you moving?"
"Oh, a Brownstone a few blocks away. It's closer to the firm."
"A Brownstone?"
She smiled and nodded. "I've always wanted to live in one for a little while, and now that the PR firm is doing better, I've actually had a steady enough paycheck to rent one."
She looked back at him, "What are you doing here?"
"I took today off, too."
"So I see," she said, motioning to his designer (of course) jeans and black tee.
"And I wanted to apologize."
"Apology accepted."
"And ask you out to dinner, but I see you're a little busy."
"Well, I can let Paris leave and you can help me finish."
He nodded as she found the phone Paris had taken to call her friend.
Well, he didn't know what he just did and what would happen, but hopefully it was a step in the right direction.