"Well to sum it up, I think Steve is trying to fight for you. To explain why the night between the two of you happened to begin with. He is letting me know o so kindly that he is still in love with you and wants you back. What do you have to say about this, Rory?"-Finn
(looks at both of them in shock then slowly walks up to Steve and just hugs him like there is no tomorrow while her fiance looks on in shock)
"Does that mean you are choosing him? How could you do that to me, Rory to us? I thought that once I got back from rehab we would truly start over and give us an honest try. And know I find out that you are going to just throw away everything that you and I have worked for as well as towards for a man who doesn't deserve you? I"-Finn
(turns around, with her eyes filled with an anger Finn hadn't seen for some time and finally unloads her feelings that she has kept bottled up for far too long)
"How could I? How dare YOU? I was and to this day have ALWAYS been faithful to you for the past three years. I have stuck by you through each awful date that ended with you forgetting my name, in hospital rooms, or you staying with Steve as well as Logan so you wouldn't direct your violent tendencies towards me. I stuck by you after getting raped and you thinking that I cheated on you when I should have left. Stayed when you bailed for THREE hellish months supposedly going through "rehab" to get better. Finn, I love you, I have for a while now, a part of me probably always will, however I haven't been IN love with you for some time. Your happiness has always come first in this relationship, which at first hadn't been a problem but now I am fed up with it all and finally saying something about it. I'm sorry I really am, I have tried to make this work and it just isn't."-Rory
(during this little speech of her's, Finn couldn't help but sadly and fully agree with her. He had been meaning to discuss this with her for some time but couldn't bring himself to leave not just his best friend, but a great support system so soon after rehab.)
(he takes her hands in order to stop her rant before she says things that she will regret later on)
"Rory, I'm not mad at either one of you. Hurt, and ashamed at myself for putting you through hell when you deserve so much better than what I gave you yes but not mad."-Finn
"What are we going to do about the house, the wedding, the ring, Omygosh the businesses that we own together. Your parents and family are going to hate me."-Rory
"Stop, no one is going to hate you at all. You and I are still going to own the businesses, the house you can have until and unless you find something better suited for your needs. You are finally doing what is best for you instead of putting me first and no one can blame you for that. I'm going to pack an over night bag and head out while you and Steve sort through a few things okay."-Finn
(finally speaking up for the first time in a good fifteen minutes) "No that's not okay. Rory and I can talk elsewhere, we are not kicking you out of your own house, Finn. She will call you tomorrow first thing and let you know how the discussion goes though."-Steve
"Sounds like a plan to me. Bye, Steve. Good bye for now Rory."-Finn
(she gives him a quick hug then the two head out the door. Rory knew that her driving abilities weren't at their best right now so she decided to let Steve drive. The two of them were quite all the way back to his apartment but after they got inside she instantly headed to his alcohol collection to get a drink. Steve quickly walks over to her and grabs her wrist)
"What are you doing, Steve?"-Rory
"We need to talk, really talk about what is going to happen between you and I before you get too wasted to do so."-Steve
(looks at him with a hint of anger but gives in, the two of them head to the couch)
"What the hell were you thinking?"-Rory
"Rory."-Steve
"No, you don't get to Rory me. I find you in my house talking to my now ex-fiance about the fact that you are still in love with me and you never stopped. Fill me in here please."-Rory
"It all started with a talk that Logan and I had this morning. He has known for some time now that I have feelings for you and that night in the bar didn't help anything I guess. I know that you said it was a one night stand, but I realized how hurt you still were, how the spark had truly left your eyes, I wanted to and still want to help you get better."-Steve
(looks at him then gently looks away) "Steve, the main problem in our relationship still exists though. I'm only twenty seven you are fifty one there is still a twenty four year age difference between you and I you can't change that."-Rory
"I know but can we not try to have this work again?"-Steve
"What about your job, what will your family think? And?"-Rory
"And what?"-Steve
(she gets up and starts pacing around the room) "Noah."-Rory
(looks at her a bit defeated) "Noah, likes you, the two of you got a long just fine the first time around what's the problem now?"-Steve
"It isn't a problem per say it's just that. You have a son, a past, a wife that passed away before you even knew that I existed. I want this, I do more than you could possibly comprehend but just like the other time we tried this you are asking me to trust you not just with my heart, but everything else as well and I don't know if either one of us can survive if that falters again."-Rory
(gets up from the couch and takes her hands in his, and gently touches her face with as much love he could muster) " The only way we will find out is if we try right? Let me earn your love back, Rory. Let your guard down for once and let me in."-Steve
"You don't know what it was like the weeks after our one night stand. The thoughts that went through my mind in an circular fashion."-Rory
"Tell me then, or show me what you wrote."-Steve
(she goes to her purse, pulls out her journal, and shows him an entry a brief insight to her emotions from that one event that felt so long ago)
"It has been almost a month since that fateful night with Steve and I can't help but wonder, "What if I had not done this?" What if I had not asked that" What if I hadn't sent it to begin with?" WHAT IF?" Then the screams of frustration as well as desperation come with a vengeance that I haven't felt (or maybe allowed myself) to feel in over eight months. The desire to just start running and only stop when things get better or the feelings to escape go away. The only thing is, at the end of the day I know they won't. The feelings will stay, linger seemingly buried far beneath the surface when in reality the emotions are right there just waiting for that final moment in time, or exchange with another human being that is the final straw that breaks the hard earned walls. I stop, pause and think at different intervals through out the day when I allow my self to feel weak, and ponder the what if's again.
Then the circular conversation stops for a few hours and other feelings emerge. O, how much I miss you even though logically I shouldn't, logically I should walk away, should stop caring all together, I should separate. Hell I should be able to for it has been almost four years since he and I have been together how do I still have such strong feelings for him. However, logic doesn't seem to want to play in this game anymore.
I can't help but think that he wasn't supposed to break them (the carefully constructed walls), and yet there the pieces lay on the floor long since tattered, worn and forgotten, their sense of purpose and meaning lost among the memories of that evening that neither one of us can change.
"It was not your fault but mine. I really fucked it up this time. Didn't I, my dear?"
How do he and I fix this? Is it even possible at this point?"
(he looks up at her) " I never knew. I never would have guessed at all that, that is what you were going through. Why didn't you call me? Talk to me about this?"-Steve
(tears in her eyes) "I didn't even know where to begin, let alone what to say, nor how to feel. I felt like you were so obviously not involved, so I never brought it up because I didn't want to push it."-Rory
(the two of them just hold each other for a few minutes before he finally plucks up the courage and kisses her)