6. Daylight

"Rhett?" Rory asked as he walked out of his room. "Are you done un-packing?"

"Yeah."

"Did you put your dirty clothes in the hamper? I'm going to do laundry tonight or tomorrow."

Rhett sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom."

"Alright. Can you come and sit by me for a second? I have something to talk to you about."

"Mom, I promised I'd call Tanner back."

"It'll only take a minute. You can do it afterward. I promise, honey."

Rhett sat down on the couch next to Rory. "Okay, what's up?"

"I have some news," she started, hesitantly.

A moment passed.

"Oh, come on, Mom. It can't be that bad…" She looked up at him with cautious eyes.

Another moment.

"I saw your father this weekend…"

"What?" his eyes narrowed. "Why? What happened? Where?"

"At that diner, across the street from Joe's? He called me and we set up a… meeting." Rory tried her hardest not to break.

Rhett nodded, signaling she could continue.

"He wants to see you. Now, Rhett, I totally understand if you don't want to. I also understand if you do. Decide what you want to do. Not what you think I want you to do, or Jess wants you to do… Do what you want to do."

"I thought you said you wouldn't let him back in our lives again." His eyes narrowed. "You would scream at me for even bringing him up. Now that's all the sudden changed? I'm sorry, Mom, but this is bullshit."

Rory's eyes welled up with tears. She paused, took a deep breath, and said, "Tristan hurt me so much, Rhett. You don't know what happened."

"I would know if you would tell me! You shun me. You refuse to talk to me about it."

A tear ran down her cheek. "I keep you out of that part of my life for a reason. I don't want you looking at me like that… I don't know…"

"I'm your son. Does that mean nothing? I wouldn't look at you like anything. I love you, Mom."

She looked up in his eyes and knew that he would have to know sometime. She took a deep breath and told him, "When I was sixteen," deep breath, "I was involved with… an abusive boyfriend. That's when I met Tristan. He was in a couple of my classes. Rhett, I'm sorry – I had an affair with him." More tears, deep breath. "I fell in love with him. He was in love with me. Long story, short, I decided to be with Tristan I'd have to break up with my boyfriend." She shrugged. "He put me in the hospital." She closed her eyes and let some tears fall. "After that, he got arrested and I got a restraining order, and so far, nothing has been a problem. Haven't seen him since."

"So, why do you hate Tristan so much? It seems like he's helped you more than hurt you."

She paused. "Tristan got… rough with me sometimes. I mean, in no way how hard Ron would, but…" she shrugged again, "I don't know. He would have to let off steam from his family and stress and stuff, and he would just… I didn't blame him – ever. He had a hard life. Everyone expecting everything. I don't know, Rhett."

A moment passed.

"And then I got pregnant – with you. And…" she looked down. "He left. Out of the blue. No note. No nothing. I sent him out for something and he… never came back."

"Mom, that's horrible…" he pulled her into a hug.

"It's alright, kid. All over. Done with."

"Why haven't you told me any of this before?"

"I don't know. It's tough stuff. I didn't want you to like… feel sorry for me."

"I'm grown up, Mom. More than you think. Hey, talking about growing up… there's this dance coming up, as you know. And there's this girl…"

Rory laughed through her tears and sat up. "Say no more. You're going."

"Mom, that's just it. How do I ask her?"

"What's her name?"

"Dulcey."

"Oh my god! I have her in my class! She's so smart, Rhett. I approve. And to ask her? Don't curse at her like you just did with me. She's slap you. Don't you ever say 'shit' in front of me again, you hear?"

He smirked and blushed, "Got it, Mom. Sorry."

-

Jess, Rory, and Rhett were sitting in front of the television watching a movie.

The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Rory chimed and got up.

"Hello?" she said when she got in the other room.

"Hey. What's going on?"

Rory looked suspiciously over her shoulder and saw Rhett comfortably talking to Jess. She snuck into her room.

"You can't just do this, Tristan. Anyone could answer..."

"So I take it you haven't told him."

"No, I have. It's just… he hasn't made a choice and I don't want him to involuntarily speak to you. You know?"

"Whatever. I was just wondering how you are."

"I'm serious, Tristan. Just stay away for now. I promise I'll get back to you."

Rory hung up the phone.

Meanwhile…

"I'm sure your mother has told you about – "

"Tristan? My father? Yeah."

"Are you going to – "

"Meet him? I don't know. Haven't decided. The way Mom talks about him, it's kind of like, 'whoa.' You know?"

"Yeah, but he's really – "

"A good guy? Different? Mom mentioned that you said that…"

"Did Rory tell you everything?"

"About their relationship before? Well, she kind of grazed over it…"

"No, when he was here - "

"He was here? Like, in the house?"

Rory walked in the room, smiling. "You put it on pause? You didn't have to do that…"

Rhett looked up at her with hurt and confused eyes.

"I'm… gonna go," Jess said, picking up his coat and practically running out of the house.

"I wonder what that was all about…"

"He was here?!"

"Who?" Rory narrowed her eyes.

"Tristan!"

Rory blinked. "Oh, god."

"Was he?" he asked again.

Rory tried to think of an excuse, but all that could come out was a simple, "Yes."

"What was he doing here?"

Rory paused and looked up into her son's eyes. She couldn't tell him; she couldn't get the words out of her mouth, partly because she couldn't believe it had happened either.

Rhett got it – her eyes told everything.

"Oh my god. After everything, everything he's done to you, you let him into your fucking bed. God, Mom, have some fucking self control."

She couldn't believe this just came out of Rhett's mouth. Her eyes filled with water and she ran to her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Silence.

She ran a hot bath and climbed in. She shook from her tears.

A/N: I know, kind of lame chapter. It had a lot of Rhett in it. Jeez, now that I look over it… Anyways, it was completely improv-ed, and if you think Rhett kind of freaked out a little too much, I think you're bullshit. If you were a teenager, going through a really hard time, stress and stuff, and now this, you would kind of blow up too. Don't you think? Anyways, no flames please. Yuck, those make me feel puney and self-conscious about my writing. You asked me to write more and I wrote an entire chapter in one freaking day. Go me. Review, please.