AN: My niece came up with the title, and it stuck. Obviously a lot of you liked the last chapter. I should write caffeine-induced chapters more often huh? I was going through the reviews last night and I realized I'm pushing 150. I never thought that would happen. So far that Maddie is in this chapter. A lot of you have been asking for more of her.
Rory hadn't said much to Jess since Friday night. It was now Wednesday, and things were starting to get tense. She was worried; every time she opened her mouth to say something Jess would walk way. The bright spot in her day came when Tristan called. He had invited her to his loft. He had told her he would cook her dinner. She wasn't used to that.
After they came home she had given him space. She knew he needed time to think about what had happened. That morning was the first time she had talked to him since Sunday. She knew it had meant a lot to him to have her there. But he had told her anyway. He had even gone out of his way to tell her to bring Jess. She didn't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't speaking to her.
Jess had stayed out late the night before. Rory heard him come in at two. She had wanted to confront him then. But she was too tired to argue with him. She heard him outside her door wanting to knock. She had almost opened the door on him. Maybe then he would be so stubborn. She left long before he got out of bed. She heard someone knock on her door and she was surprised to see Jess.
"I'm an ass I know." He said sitting in front of her.
"Yeah, you are." She said calling him on it.
"I just want you to be happy. And this guy has too much emotional baggage." Jess said shaking his head.
"Just because you couldn't handle it doesn't mean I can't." Rory said getting up.
There was a time when Jess had been in love, honestly in love. It had been a year ago. Like Tristan Corey had been a single parent. And when she relocated to Atlanta for her job Rory had thought that Jess would go with her. He had shocked everyone when he broke up with her.
"Rory I'm sorry." Jess said making her stop.
Rory sighed knowing she couldn't stay at him for long.
"He invited us over for dinner tonight."
"I can't, I have a date."
Rory nodded knowing that Jess would be uncomfortable. He didn't like being the third wheel. It was just as well, Rory was nervous as it was. She didn't know why, she had already met Maddie. Maybe it was because things seemed to perfect. She was waiting for the next bomb to drop.
The rest of the day passed by so slow that Rory knew something bad would happen. She stood outside his loft trying to push the dark thoughts away. When he opened the door he seemed fine. Rory heard Maddie from the other room as she walked in.
"We just got home. So I haven't had time to clean."
"It's fine." She said hanging up her coat.
"You okay?" He asked wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"Yeah. It's just been a long day." She said turning to face him.
He leaned down to rest his head on hers while she pushed the day out of her mind.
"Where's Jess?"
"He already had plans."
"Maybe next time." He said before brushing his lips against hers.
Rory nodded knowing that she needed to tell him about Jess. Lying to him wasn't going to get her anywhere. So she sat down on the couch and told him everything. He looked upset at first. Once Rory explained Corey he understood.
"He doesn't want you to make the mistake he did?"
"Yeah, I'm glad you understand."
"Why did you tell me?"
"I've made some mistakes in past relationships. I've learned that lying hurts everyone involved."
"You're right it does."
"I don't want to hurt you." She said turning to face him.
"That's not possible." He said leaning in.
His lips were inches from hers when they heard a crash in the hall. He pulled away taking off down the hall.
"Jack did it." Maddie said when Tristan found her.
There was a dent in her bedroom door.
"You had him chasing you again didn't you?"
Maddie hung her head not wanting to look at him.
"Yes sir."
"What am I gonna do with you?" He asked picking her up.
She shrugged her shoulders as he carried down the hall. He had been trying to break the habit of her wanting to be carried. He only did it when she was upset. Like right now. They walked into the living room; Maddie squirmed to get down when she saw Rory.
"She's fine, it was the dog."
"You're dog makes that much noise?" Rory asked giving him a questioning look.
"He makes my life miserable." He said with a sigh.
Maddie giggled as Tristan walked into the kitchen. He could be heard scolding the dog as he made it go into the laundry room. Rory talked with Maddie wondering how she could only be seven. She wasn't like any seven-year-old Rory had ever met.
"My dad said he knew you when you were in school."
"He did." Rory said nodding her head.
"So do you know Aunt Paris?" She asked as Tristan walked back into the room.
"I know Paris too." Rory said watching Tristan straighten the room.
"Paris'll be here her Sunday." He said not looking up from what he was doing.
"I haven't seen her since college. But we talk every once in a while."
"We usually see her around Christmas. But Megan ran her mouth and invited her over." Tristan said once Maddie left the room.
Rory nodded as Tristan massaged her shoulders. He leaned over the back of the couch as Rory looked up at him. He kept his hands on her shoulders as they kissed. He pulled away with a smile on his face. They could only do so much with Maddie in the next room. Rory was the first girlfriend he had invited over to meet Maddie. He had trouble admitting that, he sheltered Maddie too much sometimes. That was something else he had trouble admitting.
"Daddy, when's dinner." Maddie asked coming back into the room
"Ten more minutes baby."
She ran back down the hall as Tristan looked down at Rory.
"Can I do anything to help?"
"I've got it." He said brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes.
She smiled at him before he walked back into the kitchen. A few minutes later Tristan came back into the room with Jack on a leash.
"I've got to take him for a walk. We'll eat when I get back." He said before opening the door.
Rory made her way down the hall to Maddie's room. She watched the little girl from the door. Maddie was playing with a Barbie on her bed. She was brushing the dolls hair when Rory cleared her throat. Rory smiled when she looked up.
"We're gonna be eating in a few minutes." She said once Maddie said she could come in.
Maddie walked out of her room and across the hall. She flipped on the light in the bathroom. She started the faucet wetting her hands. She was still washing her hands when Tristan came back in a minute later. He saw Rory standing in the hall with a smile on her face.
"Hey. She's showing me the proper way to wash your hands."
"You can thank her Uncle Eddie fro that." He said rolling his eyes.
Rory laughed following him into the kitchen. Jack was lying on a rug by the stove. He eyed Rory suspiciously as she walked by him. They sat down to dinner and Rory realized how normal Tristan was. He was different around Maddie, his face lit up and he smiled when he made her laugh.
"Daddy's really funny." Maddie said once she calmed down.
"Yeah he is." Rory said smiling at him.
He winked at her in response. Talk resumed and Rory could say that this wasn't what she had expected. It was better.
XXXX
Tristan had been trying to put Maddie to bed for ten minutes before Rory took her to her room saying that she would try. Five minutes later she was at the kitchen watching him clean.
"How did you get her to sleep so fast? It usually takes me half an hour." He asked loading the dishwasher.
"I
read to her." She said making it sound so simple.
"I do that.
Most of the time it doesn't work."
"Then you aren't doing it right." She said walking up behind him.
She wrapped her arms around him and he turned in her arms. She trapped him between the counter before she leaned up to kiss him. He fisted his hands in her hair as she sucked on his bottom lip. She deepened the kiss when he didn't pull away. He pulled her off the ground as he turned around. She pulled away gasping for breath. She rested her head in the crook of his neck not wanting him to put her down. Tristan sat her on the counter and put his arms at her sides.
"What are you doing to me?" He whispered in her ear.
"The same thing you're doing to me." She said looking into his eyes.
He smiled not breaking their gaze. He had crossed a line at some point that night. He could see her living with him. Taking care of Maddie in a way he couldn't. Maddie needed a mother figure and he knew that. But was it too soon to be thinking of marrying Rory?
AN2: Sorry for the abrupt ending. But I personally don't think it's too soon for him to be thinking about marrying her. He's been in love with her since he was sixteen. Let me know what you think.