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Rory was trying very hard to not let her eyes linger on Logan and his girlfriend, Sadie. Even though they had broken up 2 years before after his disastrous proposal, Rory could tell that she was still in love with Logan. But it was obvious that Logan had moved on. When she arrived at the bar that had been rented out for Colin and Steph’s engagement party, Steph had quickly filled Rory in on the fact that Logan was seriously dating someone, serious enough they thought he might be proposing soon.
Rory had smiled and hoped that Steph didn’t notice her discomfort at the information. She hadn’t walked in hoping she’d see Logan and it would be like the last two years had happened, but she also wasn’t prepared to see him with another woman seriously. It only served to put everything in perspective. Rory hadn’t been ready to marry Logan when he asked 2 years before. But, she didn’t want to say goodbye to him either. Looking back, she realized that she should have said yes and just insisted on a long engagement until they were settled. But, hindsight is 20/20 and Rory had to deal with the consequences.
So, that was how she found herself sitting at a table with Finn, catching up on his life when Logan and his girlfriend joined them. Looking at her, Rory couldn’t dislike her. It was obvious that she was gorgeous with her blonde hair and designer dress. She even made Rory feel slightly inferior. But she tried not to let that show as Logan handled introducing Rory to her.
“Rory, it’s good to see you. I’d like you to meet my girlfriend Sadie.”
Rory smiled and shook Sadie’s hand, hoping that she was just imagining the slightly smug look on Logan’s face. “It’s nice to meet you Sadie.”
“You also Rory. I’ve heard Logan and the guys mention you several times, but unfortunately I’m only just meeting you. I would think in the year and a half Logan and I had been dating we would have seen each other.”
Rory stiffened slightly at that tidbit of information. Logan had moved on six months after they ended a multi-year relationship. She had to admit, that hurt. She made polite chit chat with the three of them before excusing herself to the bathroom. Once in there, she locked herself in a stall and took a few deep breaths.
She knew he would have probably moved on or at least attempted. She had tried to date some, but she knew that she still hadn’t quite gotten over Logan. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that she and Logan would see each other after 2 years and fall back into each other’s arms. She was hoping that at least they could possibly become friends. But, for him to have moved on so quickly from their relationship certainly surprised her.
As she was preparing to leave the stall, she heard the door open and two women walked in. She recognized Steph’s voice and was about to walk out when she also recognized the other voice. It belonged to Sadie. Rory really didn’t want to see her right now, so she stayed put and made sure she didn’t make any noise.
“Steph, this party is amazing.”
“Of course it is. I planned it.” Rory couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard sarcasm in the tone. For Steph, that was a little weird since Rory couldn’t think of a more straightforward person that Steph. Whenever they would hang out in college, Steph would usually have to be filled in on jokes and Rory had definitely never heard her use sarcasm. Of course, Rory could be mistaken.
“I just hope that whenever Logan pops the question, you’ll help me plan an equally fabulous party for us.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not sure I’d be much help.”
Sadie laughed and Rory cringed. She didn’t even know the girl, but Rory just couldn’t abide her. However, Rory knew that she would probably have to suck it up since she and Steph were still friends, good enough friends that Rory was serving as her maid of honor.
After a few more minutes of chatter, the two made their way out of the bathroom and Rory released the breath she was holding. She then took a fortifying breath and left the stall. She checked herself in the mirror, touched up her make-up, and made her way back to the party.
Upon rejoining it, she went to the bar and ordered a martini. She had planned to hold off the alcohol since she had to get up early tomorrow morning for an interview with a source, but if she was going to have to deal with Logan and his girlfriend, then she had little desire to try and do it without liquid courage.
She smiled and thanked the bartender and turned around to the survey the room. As she took a sip, she saw Steph making her way over.
“So, did you enjoy hanging out in the stall?”
Rory was glad she wasn’t drinking anything when Steph asked her that. “What do you mean?”
“I saw you go into the bathroom, but didn’t see you come out. I assumed you were probably still hiding out in there when Sadie followed me in.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, I just—“
“Needed a moment to gather yourself?”
“Yeah. I was just a little overwhelmed.”
Before she could continue, Logan, Finn, Colin, and Said joined them.
“Ladies, enjoying the evening?” Finn asked.
“Of course, Finn,” Steph replied as she leaned into Colin. “How could I not? This entire party is devoted to me?”
“You? Just you, Steph? No one else?” Colin jokingly asked.
Steph seemed to think for a few moments. “Um, now that I think about it, there is some guy here that I’m supposed to be celebrating with.”
Before she could continue, Colin kissed her and she giggled. “Oh, right. That’s you.”
Everyone laughed. After a few beats of silence, Finn spoke up by asking Rory, “So, Reporter Girl, you never got a chance to finish telling me about what you’ve been up to. I find it hardly fair that Steph is fully aware of everything and by proxy, Colin. I’ve been left in the dark and to fend for myself in this hard world.”
“I’m sorry, Finn. I didn’t realize you felt so neglected. There really isn’t much to tell.”
“Oh, please, Rory,” Steph interjected. “Don’t be modest. You have a weekly column in the Times and are constantly working on feature articles. You have nothing to be bashful about.”
“A weekly article?” Logan asked.
“Yeah,” Rory asked, uncomfortable discussing this with everyone, especially Logan.
“What’s it about, Love?” Finn asked.
“Just life in a small town. To fill some space one week I did a small article on the Firelight Festival and talked about the theatrics of the people. Apparently people enjoyed it and wrote letters asking when I would do another one. Because of that, they decided to try a weekly column. It’s pretty popular based on the mail I get. I have a few requests for more information about certain townspeople and a lot of questions all the festivals people participate in.”
“That’s great, Love. I’ll have to look into the paper this week and see if I can get back issues.”
“Just go search my name on the Times site and you’ll see a log of my posts.”
Finn smiled in thanks and turned to order a drink. Rory glanced at Steph and saw that she and Colin had been pulled away. She then moved her eyes over to Logan and saw that he and Sadie were talking quietly. When she saw Sadie giggle, Rory turned away and downed the rest of her martini. She made her way over to Steph and whispered that she was leaving before making her way out to the street to hail a cab.
Upon arriving back at her apartment, Rory changed out of her party dress and dialed her mother.
Lorelei answered the phone, “Road Kill Grill. You kill ‘em, we grill ‘em.”
“What if I was Grandma? I can’t imagine she would appreciate that greeting.”
“Good thing it’s not grandma then.”
“Still, Mom. Unless you invest in caller ID you really need to answer the phone like a normal person.”
“What does normal get you? 2.5 kids with a dog and white picket fence? No thank you.”
Rory just rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything. “So, what do I owe this phone call to?” Lorelei asked her.
“No big reason. Just got home from Steph’s engagement party.”
“Oh! I forgot that was tonight! How was it? Were the appetizer’s horrible? Did someone get horribly drunk and dance on a table? Any sloppy break ups? Come on, give Mommy all the details!”
“Well, I would if someone would give me a chance to get a word in edge-wise.”
Lorelei gasped. “Is that any way to talk to the woman that gave you life?!”
Rory laughed and started to fill her in on the evening. She left out Logan though for the time being. She fully intended to tell Lorelei, she just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.
“What aren’t you telling me, Rory?”
“What do you mean Mom?”
“I can tell from your tone that something else happened. What aren’t you telling Mommy?”
Rory was silent for a few moments. “Logan was there.”
“Oh,” Lorelei responded, silent.
“Yeah.”
Neither of them said anything for a few moments. “So, how did that go?” Lorelei asked.
“About as well as it could have. He brought his girlfriend, Sadie. They’ve apparently been together for a year and a half.”
“Oh, hun.”
They lapsed into silence for another few moments. “That had to hurt,” Lorelei cautiously said.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m still struggling on some level to fully move on from him and apparently he was able to move on after six months. Guess this will help me finally move on,” Rory choked out as a sob worked it way up her throat.
“Do you want me to come to the city? If I leave now, I can be there by midnight.”
“No, Mom, you don’t need to. I plan to go to bed once we get off the phone and I’ll wake up tomorrow and plan to face the day with a new outlook. One where I finally get over Logan.”
Lorelei didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. Rory could tell that her mother was bursting to say some other things, but was holding it in for the sake of sparing Rory a painful conversation.
“Ok, but the offer still stands. I can be there in a jiffy!”
“Thanks, Mom. Talk to you tomorrow?”
“You betcha.
Rory hung up and sat on her couch for a few moments trying to hold off the sobs she could feel that were coming. She took a shuddering breath and tried to release the tension she could feel building. Unfortunately, it didn’t help and Rory broke down, sobs wracking her body as she finally realized that she was truly alone.
————————————————————
The next morning, Rory was blearily starting at her coffeemaker as it spit out the liquid. She did not feel like being up as early as she was, but she had an interview with a source that she could not reschedule. So, here she was, emotionally hungover and looking like a wreck trying to get coffee into her system so that she felt somewhat normal.
Once enough had brewed for a cup, she quickly poured it and gulped it down. She felt marginally better after that cup and quickly poured a second when it was ready. With that one, she slowly sipped it as she made her way back to her bathroom to try and figure out how to make herself not look for terrible.
It was at this moment that Rory was glad she lived alone. Upon arriving in the city after the campaign trail, her grandparents and father bought her a small apartment in a decent area to help her get settled. She was uncomfortable with the gift at first, but when she landed her job at the Times, she realized just how hard it would be to live on that salary and stopped complaining about the gift. It wasn’t large, only two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but it was home.
She had done everything she could to make it feel like home by filling it with floor to ceiling bookcases in the living room and putting homey touches around to show her personality in the place. It had taken a while and several thrift stores and flea markets, but she had finally gotten things the way she wanted them and she finally felt like a citizen of New York.
Rory put some make up on and got dressed while finishing her second cup of coffee and glanced at herself in the mirror. She sighed, realizing that she looked slightly better, but she still didn’t look that great. She couldn’t decide if she just looked sleepless or hungover. And she wasn’t sure which one she preferred people think. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to take her sunglasses off while she was out.
She finished her coffee and grabbed her things, checking that she had her recorder and a notepad before riding the elevator down. She nodded to the doorman as she went out and hailed a taxi. Normally she would probably ride the subway, but she was running late and the subway was always running behind.
She gave the cab driver the address to a little cafe not far from the Times building and settled back into the seat. Trying to think of what she needed to ask her informant when she met him. For the last few weeks, she had been trying to sniff out the truth in some rumors of government corruption in the city. She had received an anonymous tip a few weeks before that someone was accepting bribes in the courthouse and she had been on the hunt since. It had taken her awhile to find someone that was willing to sit down with her and she was thankful someone was. If she couldn’t get someone that she could quote, even anonymously, then she would have to abandon the story. And she didn’t want to abandon the story.
Upon arriving, Rory didn’t see anyone that matched the description she was given for her meeting and went up to order coffee. The barista looked at her funny when she ordered, but she was past caring that she got weird looks when she order 4 large to-go coffees. She knew that she would go through several during the interview and didn’t want to worry about having to order another once she was done.
She gathered her drinks and claimed a table in a far corner, hopefully away from listening ears and got her things together. She smiled when she saw someone approaching her table and was able to push other thoughts to the side since she was on the hunt for her story.
It was only after she’d finished her interview and her informant left that Rory was remembered how she felt and slumped. She quickly finished her coffee and was gathering her things to leave when someone said from behind her, “Leaving so soon?”
Rory winced and closed her eyes, not wanting to believe that Logan was actually standing behind her. “I’ve been here a while actually,” she said, smiling as she glanced over her shoulder, continuing to pack up.
“That doesn’t surprise me. This seat taken?”
Rory shook her head no. She started to fiddle with the zipper on her messenger bag, not wanting to look at Logan or even be sitting there with him. She worried that if she looked at him or even tried to engage in an extended conversation with him that she would just break down and that wouldn’t do anyone any good.
“So, really Rory, how have you been?”
“What do you mean?” she asked warily.
“I mean, you didn’t really say anything last night when Finn asked you. Just something about your column. But that doesn’t say anything about you really. Just that you’re doing well professionally.”
Rory shifted uncomfortably. “I’m fine.”
“You’re fine?” Logan asked skeptically.
“Yes. I’m fine. What more do you want me to say?”
“How about some stuff you’ve been up to or whatever?”
Rory sighed. “Did you ever think that I don’t want to share that with you?”
Logan looked taken aback at her response. Rory felt a twinge at the hurt look on his face, but she couldn’t really bring herself to feel bad. She knew Logan wasn’t trying to hurt her, but she was hurting nonetheless.
“Why wouldn’t you want to share it with me?”
Rory barked out a laugh. “Because you’re not a part of my life anymore. I share personal details with friends.”
With that, Rory gathered her things and walked out of the cafe, her heart pounding wildly. She wanted to look back and see Logan and what his reaction was, but she knew that if she did she would go back in there and apologize. And she refused to apologize. She quickly made her way down the street to the closest subway station and hopped on the train to get home.
She sighed with relief when she got off and made her way into her building. The confrontation with Logan had taken a lot out of her, more than she thought it had, and had been hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion while riding the train home. She looked forward to taking a long, hot bath and trying to forget about the events of the past two days.
Unfortunately, when the elevator doors opened on her floor, she realized that wasn’t going to happen. Steph was standing outside her door. Rory sighed and trudged towards her. “Hey Steph.”
“Hey Steph? That’s what you have to say?”
Rory looked at her confused, not sure why Steph was angry with her. “Yeah?”
“You want to explain to me why Colin just called me and told me that Logan was angry and ranting to him for 30 minutes? And why, for some reason, you seem to be the root of it?!”
Rory sighed again. “Let me open my door and I’ll tell you in my apartment.”
She made quick work of the locks and let them in. “Make yourself at home,” Rory told Steph needlessly and made her way into her room. She quickly changed into some yoga pants and a t-shirt before joining Steph on the couch.
“Well?” Steph asked.
“I honestly don’t know why Logan would have been ranting about me to Colin. I was at a cafe meeting my source and Logan came over to my table as I was getting ready to leave. He sat down and we talked. End of story.”
Steph scoffed. “There has to be more to it than that.”
After a little wheedling, Steph was able to get the story out of Rory. “He just acted like everything was fine?”
“Yeah,” Rory affirmed.
“Well, he obviously deserved a few other choice words than what you gave him. I’m actually surprised you had it in you.”
“Yeah, me too,” Rory agreed. “I felt and still feel bad about what I said, but he can’t just think that 2 years apart won’t have some impact on how we are around each other.”
Steph didn’t say anything and they lapsed into silence. “I hate Sadie,” Steph blurted out after a few moments.
“What?” Rory asked, not sure she heard her right.
“I hate Sadie. I have since I met her. Logan didn’t introduce her to us until they had been dating around 9 months, which would have been just over a year since you broke up. We were all shocked that he was dating someone so quickly and even more so when we met her. She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but he was so devastated after your break up that we all thought it would be years until he started dating.”
“Well,” Rory started tightly, “just goes to show that you don’t really know anyone. And I’m sure she’s not that bad.”
“Come on, Rory. You don’t have to be nice about this. I’m sure you hate her.”
“What’s there to hate, Steph? The fact that she’s with Logan? Ok, that’s fine. It’s upsetting, but he obviously sees something in her. But, Logan and I aren’t friends and I don’t know that we ever will be friends. So what gives me the right to have an opinion about this? It’s not like it matters. We won’t be seeing each other every week or anything. We’ll see each other for things dealing with your wedding. And I will be civil. I won’t do anything to ruin your wedding, I couldn’t do that to you. But other than that, who cares? I certainly don’t!”
Rory realized that she was panting slightly after her rant and blushed. Steph was staring at her with large eyes. “Rory, come on. This is me. We’re best friends. I know you’re not over Logan. It’s obvious. And I don’t think he’s over you either.”
Before she could continue, Rory cut her off. “Steph, it doesn’t matter. That ship sailed two years ago. Logan is obviously happy and who am I to even contemplate stepping in the way of that? I mean, I heard what Sadie said to you in the bathroom. It’s obvious that it’s serious. I’m not going to ruin that for him since I ruined his first chance. Our first chance.”
Steph remained quiet and looked at Rory with what she thought was pity. Rory had to look away. Steph sighed. “Ok, Rory. If that’s how you feel, I won’t press you. But know that I’m here if you want to talk to me about anything with this or if we need to get rid of Sadie. I’m sure Finn knows some people in Australia that could make her disappear.”
Rory laughed, which was the point, and assured Steph that she would be the first to know if she changed her mind.
Later that night, after Steph left at the completion of their impromptu Ladies Night, Rory laid awake on her bed. She couldn’t help it, but her mind kept turning over all the things that Steph mentioned. Did she want Logan to still be in love with her? Yes, because she was still in love with him. Would she try to win him back? No, because it was obvious that he was happy and had moved on. She tried to blink away the tears so she wouldn’t wake up feeling even worse the next day and fell into a fitful sleep.
—————————————————————
Several weeks later found Rory grudgingly getting ready for a night out. She had begged out of the last few evenings Steph had invited her to, but she knew that Steph wouldn’t allow her to miss many more. She was meeting everyone, Logan and Sadie included, at a bar in downtown. From there she assumed they would probably make their way to a club or some other exclusive spot. Because of this, she was wearing a dress that would hopefully fit in anywhere they went. It was burgundy with a sweetheart neckline and almost no back. You could see the straps and the sides as they skimmed her side and came together right above her butt. It poofed out slightly and fell to her knees.
Rory paired the dress with some strappy sandals and picked out a matching clutch. Noticing the time, she quickly made her way downstairs to meet the car she had arranged to pick her up. It was already waiting, so she slipped into the back seat and settled back for the ride. It was a Friday evening, so traffic was thick and she knew it would probably take a while to get to 5 Below.
Upon arrival, she made sure she had the drivers number and they agreed on her calling when she was ready to go home. She made her way in and promptly saw Steph and went over to the table.
“Hey guys,” she greeted as she took a seat next to Finn.
“Reporter Girl!” Finn greeted, hugging her.
Rory could smell the alcohol on his breath and giggled at his sloppy hug.
“Uh, Love. I don’t know if you realized it. But the back of your dress seems to be missing,” Finn informed her, looking at her with wide eyes.
Rory just laughed. “It’s not. It’s just not there. Don’t worry, I’m fully aware of it.”
Before anyone else could respond, Logan and Sadie walked up to the table slightly out of breath. “You should all head out to the dance floor! It is so much fun!” Sadie enthused as she took a sip of her drink.
Rory raised a brow at the comment and the thought of Logan on the dance floor in a bar of all places. He could dance, he had demonstrated it on multiple occasions, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. More often than not he would only give in if he knew she would keep pestering him.
“Maybe later,” Steph said, smiling. Rory could hear the underlying no that Steph was saying. Apparently Logan could to and he sent Steph a look. Steph just shrugged and finished her drink.
Noticing this, Rory glanced around and saw that everyone seemed to be out. “Next round on me?” she asked.
Finn and Colin cheered, so Rory slipped off her stool and made her way to the bar. She got the attention of the bartender and ordered a round of shots and the drinks she remembered everyone like. She guess with Sadie, but considering her drink looked fruity, Rory assumed that so long as what she got was along the same lines it would be fine.
While the bartender was mixing the drinks, she turned around and surveyed the bar. Her eyes wandered over to the table where everyone was sitting and noticed that Logan was staring at her with a weird look in his eyes. She raised a brow in challenge and he blushed at being caught. She watched him turn his attention to Sadie and let her eyes roam some more.
She felt a presence beside her and looked to see Finn had joined her at the bar. “You looked lonely since the drinks were taking so long. I thought I’d come join you.”
“Why, thank you Finn. You certainly are a gentleman.”
They laughed and settled into a comfortable silence. “So, when are you going to go about winning our fair Logan back?”
“What?” Rory asked incredulously.
“I don’t think I stuttered, Love. I know that I’m exotic and all with the accent, but I would think even you could understand that question.”
“I understood you perfectly, Finn. I just don’t know why you’re asking. I have no intention of trying to win Logan back.”
“Why not?”
Rory sighed, wondering why everyone seemed to be having the same conversation with her. She noticed that there was a tray behind her with their shots and drinks and grabbed it. Before walking back to the table, she looked at Finn and said, “Because, he is obviously happy. He has moved on and I can honestly say that I have very little desire to have anything to do with him.”
With that, Rory walked back to the table, ignoring the little niggling she felt about what she had told Finn. She hadn’t really lied, so she wasn’t sure what the problem was. She pushed it aside however once she got back because she passed the drinks out and they all toasted the evening before taking them quickly.
As the night wore on, everyone got a little more drunk. They ended up not leaving the bar and opted instead for the atmosphere that it offered. Sadie had asked to go to a club, but was quickly vetoed as everyone else was having fun reminiscing about their college days, especially the ones with the LDB.
Rory even found herself enough at ease to join in and share some funny stories about everyone, but she still couldn’t quite bring herself to look at Logan. Oh, she would make sure to talk to him and not obviously exclude him, but she still couldn’t quite get to that point. Things did get a little awkward for her at one point that.
“Oh, man. Do you remember when Logan played that stunt on you in class, Rory?” Colin asked.
Rory rolled her eyes. “How could I forget. I was made at you three for weeks!”
“What are you talking about?” Sadie asked.
Rory glanced at Logan from the corner of her eye and noticed that he seemed uncomfortable. “I had just met these three and Logan apparently thought it would be a good idea to prank me in the middle of class when I was showing around a sophomore from my high school. So, there we are, sitting in class, and Colin bursts in declaring his love for me. A few moments later, Logan bursts in saying the same. They argue and get into a fight. Then, here comes Finn in an honest to goodness British police uniform and breaks them up, telling me ‘give them back their balls.’”
Everyone laughed except for Logan and Sadie. Oblivious, Finn continued, “But Reporter Girl here took it to the next level and had her grandfather find Logan and tell him that he was pleased to hear their relationship was going so well and that the contracts were all drawn up for their marriage to each other. I have never seen Logan look so scared in his entire life.”
They laughed again, but this time, Sadie seemed to be shooting Logan a glare. Finn seemed to pick up on this, asking, “Everything all right, mate?”
“Yeah,” Logan tersely replied. “I just hadn’t fill Sadie in on all of our doings.”
“What do you mean? We did things like that regularly?” Finn asked, baffled.
Colin cleared his throat. “I think Logan means he didn’t fill Sadie in on our dealing with Rory.”
Rory looked at the table, realizing what Colin was saying and the truth in it. She thought that she was hurt with the realization that he had started dating Sadie so soon after their break up, but she was even more hurt that Logan had hidden her from Sadie, even though she had no right to be.
Rory glanced up and noticed that Sadie did not look happy. She continued to glare at Logan while she gathered her things and stormed out in a huff. Logan glanced at Finn and said, “Thanks man. I really appreciate that” before following Sadie out, probably to try and fix things.
They were all silent for a few moments before Finn said, “I had no idea he hadn’t said anything about Rory. I mean, why would I? It’s not like he tells us anything about the two of them.”
Colin and Steph agreed while Rory remained silent. The three of them started to hash out the scene they had just witnessed and everything else about Logan and Sadie. Rory just felt increasing uncomfortable with their discussion and quietly gathered her things and left. She felt bad not telling them she was leaving, but she didn’t want to feel like an intruder in their conversation.
She quickly called her driver and waited a few minutes for him to pull up. Upon arriving home and stripping down to her underwear, Rory let herself think about what Logan not mentioning her to Sadie meant. Obviously Logan mentioned Rory at some point since Sadie recognized her name. But why wouldn’t he say anything about her being an ex? That was what Rory found weird. And what she didn’t want to consume her.
————————————————————
Monday morning found Rory trying to catch up on some stuff that she should have tried to finish over the weekend. It was nearing lunch time when she heard someone yell, “Gilmore!”
She jumped and peeked her head over her cubicle to see her editor looking for her. “You have a visitor out front. Why they bothered to tell me, I’ll never know. I’m the editor. So get your ass out there.”
Rory’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t think of anyone that was supposed to stop by and see her, so she made her way out there. She stopped when she saw Logan sitting in one of the chairs. He stood when she walked in.
“Hey, Ace.”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to see if you wanted to grab some lunch and talk.”
Rory quirked an eyebrow. “Talk? About what Logan?”
Logan looked around uncomfortably and Rory glanced around as well. She realized that they were drawing a small crowd. She shouldn’t have been surprised given that his last name was Huntzberger and while he might not work for his dad anymore, he was still very rich and held a lot of power.
“I’ll get my things,” she muttered.
As she gathered her things, she texted Steph to tell her Logan was there and to call her in an hour if she hadn’t heard from her. She got an affirmative back and tossed her phone in her purse.
“Ready?” Rory asked when she rejoined Logan.
Logan smirked and led her to the elevator. They were silent on the ride down. Rory didn’t know what to say and she was sure Logan probably felt the same. Rory also realized that him coming by probably had something to with what happened Friday night. But, what she didn’t know, was why Logan would want to come and talk to her about it. It wasn’t like she had any input on the situation.
Once they reached the street, Logan tugged her to the right and she silently followed him to little Chinese place she liked to go for lunch sometimes. It was small and very few reporters from the paper would go in, so she enjoyed it because she could get away from everything news related when she came here.
“You still like Chinese right?”
“Do birds fly?” she replied.
Logan laughed and they sat down. Rory didn’t bother looking at the menu and Logan cocked a brow at her. “I come here pretty frequently, so I know what they have and what I want.”
Before Logan could reply, a waitress came by and started a conversation with Rory. Rory asked her how her family was and caught up with her before ordering her usual. Logan ordered a chicken dish and waited for the waitress to be far enough away to say, “Well, you’d have to come frequently to know that waitress that well.”
“What can I say? I find the best places to eat and befriend the staff. I mean, they do help keep me alive.”
They lapsed into silence after. Rory didn’t have an inclination to break it since she had no idea why Logan wanted to take her to lunch in the first place. So, she was content to watch him squirm a bit until he worked up the guts to say whatever it was he had to say.
“Look, Rory, about Friday,” he started.
“What about it?” she cut him off, challenging him with a look.
“I feel bad about what happened.”
“What is there to feel bad about Logan? And how does it deal with me? You didn't lie to me or leave out something to me. You did that to your girlfriend. So, again, how does this deal with me.”
Logan sighed in frustration and raked his hand over his face. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
Rory scoffed. “What is there to make easy? I honestly have no idea what you’re expecting out of this conversation.
“I feel bad, ok! I feel bad about not telling Sadie about you. I can only imagine how much that hurt when you realized that while Sadie might have known who you were, but didn’t realize we had dated.”
“Again, I’m not sure what this has to do with me, Logan.”
Before Logan could respond, their food arrived. The next few minutes they set about making their plates and started eating. After some companionable silence, Logan said, “I just, I don’t know how to say it Rory. I feel bad about everything. Friday night. The night of Steph’s engagement party. Two years ago.”
Rory choked on the bite of food she was eating. She quickly swallowed and drank some water. “Excuse me?!”
“Rory,” Logan started, reaching over to grab her hand.
Rory snatched her hand back. “No! You do not get to come in here and apologize for something that doesn’t deal with me or try to apologize for stuff that happened so long ago. We broke up. We have been broken up for two year. Two years, Logan. You moved on after six months to Sadie. So, I repeat, you don’t get to come in here and apologize and try to make things better. There is nothing to make better.”
Rory waved the waitress over and asked for to go containers. She quickly returned and helped Rory box up her food. Rory quickly dug some money out of her wallet and threw it on the table. “That should cover my portion.”
Without another word, Rory left Logan behind at the table. She fumed as she walked back to the Times building. She couldn’t believe the nerve of Logan to come to see her and try to bring stuff like that up. He was just trying to make himself feel better. He didn’t actually care about any of the stuff he said he did.
Upon her arrival at the office, the receptionist informed her that someone was waiting for her at her desk. Rory thought it was weird that someone was allowed to wait back there, but assumed it must be her mom or Steph. They dropped by fairly frequently, so she walked back a little quicker.
“Hey,” she started when she saw the blonde head. “I’m sorry it took so long…”
Rory stopped what she was saying when she realized it wasn’t Steph sitting in her guest chair; it was Sadie.
“It’s not a big deal. I figured I’d probably catch you on your lunch break,” Sadie said, eyeing the take out containers in Rory’s hand.
“Yeah, I went out to eat at a restaurant and realized that I couldn’t really spare the time. I’m in the middle of researching a big story, so decided to come back here and have a working lunch.”
Sadie nodded, but didn’t say anything. Not knowing what Sadie was there for, Rory was silent also. After a few moments, Sadie said, “I want you to leave Logan alone.”
“Excuse me?” Rory asked, not sure she had heard Sadie correctly.
“I want you to leave Logan alone. I know you’re trying to wheedle your way back into his life. I can tell every time we’re all together that’s what you’re trying to do. But it won’t work. So you just need to leave him and everyone else alone.”
“Excuse me, but who do you think you are? You can’t tell me that I can’t see some of my best friends. And, I don’t know what delusion you’re operating under, but I am not trying to wheedle my way back into Logan’s life.”
Sadie scoffed. “Please. You’re so pathetic. It’s all they can talk about when you’re not there. Poor, little Rory. All alone. No one to call friend. No steady lover. They feel sorry for you. That’s the only reason that you’re invited out.”
Rory could feel herself flushing, unable to believe what she was hearing. Before she could respond, she heard Steph say, “I suggest you leave now Sadie.”
Sadie gasped and looked at Steph with wide eyes. Before she could say anything, Steph told her, “Before you ask, I heard everything. It’s nice to know that my dislike of you was justified. It’s also nice to know that I happened to record everything that you just said and sent it to Logan. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know what you think of Rory and how horrible a person you are.”
Sadie started to sputter. Rory took the opportunity to say, “I suggest you leave before I call security.”
Rory could tell that Sadie was mad, but she couldn’t bring herself to care overly much. She watched as she stomped through the newsroom, drawing stares. She then turned to Steph. “Thanks. I honestly don’t know what I would have said if you hadn’t stepped in.”
Steph laughed. “I’m sure, whatever it was, it would have made Lorelei proud. Come on, I’m springing you from this place for the rest of the day. You look like you could use it.”
Rory protested slightly, but gave in eventually. She was able to admit that she was tired and everything with Logan and Sadie had tired her out. She followed Steph out to her town car and sat back for the ride. While they went to wherever Steph was taking her, Rory filled her in on her lunch with Logan and the two of them ate her leftovers for lunch.
When the car stopped, Rory realized they were outside a spa. “Before you protest, you deserve some pampering. Don’t think that this won’t mean that the two of us don’t talk everything to death, but just go in with me.”
Rory agreed and allowed herself to be whisked away.
—————————————————————
Several months later found Rory in the bridal dressing room with Steph helping her get ready. Ever since the confrontation with Sadie and the following conversations with Steph and then her mother, Rory had been purposefully keeping her distance from Logan and Sadie the few times she had seen her since. She had to be thrown with him different times because of the wedding celebrations, but Rory always made a point to only be with him when in a group. If she couldn’t, she would find somewhere to wait it out.
She was even less inclined to be around Sadie. Steph informed her that Sadie and Logan were taking a cooling off period because of what happened. Rory told Steph that she didn’t care, but she really did. Being around Logan again was dredging up all the old feelings she didn’t want to experience again. She realized now she had been lying to herself about getting over Logan because of everything. She was just as in love with Logan now as she had been before they broke up.
Steph had tried multiple times to talk to Rory about everything, but Rory wouldn’t let her. Rory finally had to tell Steph to leave it alone and enjoy her wedding day. She wouldn’t get another one. Finally, it was time to start the ceremony and Rory breathed a little easier knowing that for the next while she would be left alone.
Unfortunately, Steph hadn’t informed Rory that Logan was Colin’s best man. She thought it was Finn and she was looking forward to not being awkward. Rory’s steps faltered while walking down the aisle when she saw Logan standing there. But, she kept going and hoped she wasn’t grimacing. Throughout the ceremony, her eyes kept going back to Logan and she caught him staring at her multiple times. Each time, they would quickly look away from each other.
Then, before she knew it, Steph and Colin were pronounced man and wife and making their way down the aisle. Logan offered Rory his arm and she took it, following behind Steph and Colin. She was definitely uncomfortable, especially as she realized that she had to survive pictures and then at least one dance with Logan.
The ensuing pictures were a nightmare. They had taken multiple pictures beforehand, but none with the boys and girls mixing. So, by the time pictures were done, Rory’s face was sore and she was annoyed with the smiling. Thankfully, she was able to get a few minutes to herself between leaving the church and getting to the reception since she insisted on driving herself. She took the time to collect herself and get ready for the reception. She didn’t know why, but Rory thought that something big would be happening tonight.
Upon arriving at the country club, the wedding planner got everyone into positions and the next hour was a blur of introductions, dances, speeches, and bouquet tossing. Finally, Rory was able to sit down and rest her feet. Colin and Steph were dancing and she smiled seeing them. She then glanced around and saw her mom who waved. Rory waved back and continued on her visual journey. She saw Finn hitting on a redhead agains the wall and had to laugh. The girl looked interested at least, so she hoped that Finn scored.
She then found Logan, who was dancing on the edge of the dance floor with Sadie. Upon first looking, it looked like they were deeply in love and wrapped up in each other. But, Rory looked closer and noticed that they seemed to be having a whispered argument and Logan was very tense. Her brow furrowed, but didn’t really think too much on it.
Realizing her feet felt better, Rory decided to head to the bathroom quickly. She knew that she would need to help Steph with a few other things before the evening was over, so she wanted to go while she could. She didn’t lolly gag in the restroom and was out in a few minutes, but drew up short when she saw Logan standing outside the bathroom, seemingly waiting for her.
“Hey,” he said when he saw her.
“Hey,” she nervously replied.
An awkward silence ensued.
“Want to go for a walk?” he asked.
“Um…that’s probably not a good idea. Steph will probably need me for something soon and I don’t want to wander off.”
“Don’t worry about it. I said something to her and Colin and even said something to your mother. If Steph needs help with anything, she’ll ask Lorelei. So, what do you say?”
Rory chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about what Logan was asking and why. Eventually she said, “Sure.”
Logan took her hand and tugged her behind him out the doors into the balmy spring evening. Once they were outside, Logan released her hand and Rory felt saddened by the loss of his hand. They walked in silence for a little bit before Logan said, “I broke up with Sadie tonight.”
“Oh,” Rory said, not quite sure what to say. “I’m sorry to hear about that. You seemed serious.”
Logan shrugged. “Yes and no. We were, but recently things haven’t been the way they were before.”
Rory just nodded, not quite sure he wanted a response. Apparently he didn’t because he continued, “They haven’t been the same since you came back into my life.”
With that, Logan stopped walking and turned to face Rory. She stopped and stared at him. “Logan?”
Logan sighed and looked behind her at the golf course. “If I’m being totally honest, Sadie was my rebound. I started dating her so soon after we broke up because I thought she would help me finally get over you. When I realized she wouldn’t do that we had already been dating long enough that I couldn’t bring myself to break up with her.”
“No offense, Logan,” Rory interrupted, “but I’m not sure what this has to do with me.”
“Don’t you get it Rory?” Logan yelled, frustrated. “It has everything to do with you!”
Rory took a step back, thrown off my his voice.
Logan softened his voice and tone. “She couldn’t help me get over you because I’ll never get over you. You’ll always be the person that I’m comparing women to.”
“Well, that’s great Logan,” Rory retorted sarcastically.
“Rory, you’re not listening—“
“No, Logan. You’re not speaking clearly. You’re going on about how Sadie was helping you get over me! Well, congrats! It seems like you’ve accomplished your goal! I mean—“
Before she could continue, Logan stopped her by pressing his lips to hers. Rory was stunned and didn’t have a chance to respond to the kiss before Logan pulled back. “Rory, you’re not listening to me,” he told her, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Sadie and I broke up because I realized I couldn’t be with her anymore. Not when I’m still in love with you.”
“Oh,” Rory responded softly.
“Yeah. I realized it pretty quickly after I saw you again, but was too stubborn to do anything about it. I didn’t want to hurt Sadie and then I was scared to be with you again.”
They lapsed into silence again. “Rory, I know that you might not want me, especially after the way Sadie treated you and the way I’ve treated you, but I want to give us another try. I want us to try and get what we had back. I love you, Rory. I want to be with you, however you want to be with me. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Husband and wife. Hell, I’ll even settle for being just your friend. I just—“
This time it was Rory that interrupted him with a kiss. However, he responded quickly, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her. They both pulled back, panting slightly. “So, does this mean yes?” Logan asked.
“Of course, you fool.”
Logan pulled her in for another kiss and Rory felt her heart sore with it. Finally, she felt happy and complete.