Subj:[gilmoregirlsfanfiction] Lost in the Shadows 3/?
From:jennieln@pacbell.net
Previous parts can be found at fanfiction.net
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Lost in the Shadows
Part Three
THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW
Tristan was afraid to move, frightened that it would shatter the moment and take the angel in his arms away from him.
Angel, huh. He realized tonight that she had a little devil in her too.
When she had said she was numb, he had known exactly how she felt. The
difference was was that he felt that way all the time. It was an odd
sensation, being empty…. void, at first but he learned how to steal moments with a girl here and a girl there. But it never lasted long…. at least until he met her.
With one glance, she set his body trembling, with a touch he lost all
ability to speak. She was an enigma to him and he loved every moment of it. So when she approached him, so lost in the shadows, he knew what she was going through. He knew that he was lucky that he happened to be there because she could have easily chosen anyoneWOULD have chosen anyone.
He didn’t take offense; after all he had done it to countless girls
himself, but he couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he had been
used. Never in a million years would he have imagined that happening. But he embraced the thought because it meant that he had one nightone amazing night with the girl of his dreams and he wouldn’t have given that up for the world.
Her breathing became even and steady and he leaned down inhaling her sweet scent. She smelled like strawberries and champagne though the former was probably for the jello shots she had downed earlier.
As she slept peacefully in his arms he realized what he needed to do. It wouldn’t be easy but he had to…. for her.
She had needed the act, the comfort, not him. It would never be him and he would accept that and move on.
He would leave her alone.
But not at the moment. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb could tear him away from her at the moment.
He reached above his head to the blanket draped over the arm of the couch and carefully spread it over them before letting the fire and the company loll him to sleep.
*****
Rory woke up groggily. She moved her foot experimentally and instantly
stopped. The fuzzy blanket on top of her was unfamiliar and she began to panic when she couldn’t remember anything.
Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and blinked until a fireplace came into view.
A fireplace?
A soft moan erupted behind her and she identified the weight across her
waist as an arm. Suddenly, she was assaulted by the vivid memories, one after another. She unconsciously blushed, unbelieving.
And then it hit harder. She and Dean had broken up.
Maybe she could talk to him, explain to him. But how could she explain
that while she refused to sleep with him even after two years, here she
was, quite naked with someone whom, on a good day, she claimed to hate.
No, she had condemned her relationship the moment she had locked eyes with Tristan.
Tristan.
The moment they shared together proved just how gentle and caring he could be. She knew he had done it many times before but even still, it had been special.
The fire crackled loudly and a log shifted sending a cascade of sparkles into the air.
Tristan flinched and she felt him start to wake. Now came the awkward
part. He instantly withdrew his arm as if she had burned him.
“Hey,” he whispered, yet it had lost the element of softness it had had before.
“Hey.” She pulled away form him feeling her skin slide against his sending shivers down her spine. No, she shouldn’t feel that way. Not now. Not him.
“Well, we couldn’t have been out for too long. The party’s still going on.”
Rory suddenly heard the music gently throbbing in the background.
Tristan cleared his throat and reached for his boxers at the bottom of the couch. He slid into them and slipped over her, letting her have the blanket. She wrapped it tightly around her, embarrassed. Watching
Tristan, she felt an empty thrum in her stomach as he went around
collecting their discarded clothing. He placed hers on the couch next to her and got dressed, never one making eye contact.
For a moment they both awkwardly shuffled and then he met her eyes. The normally crystal blue were cloudy and unreadable.
“I’ll um, I’ll leave you to get dressed.” He took a breath as if to say something else but instead shook his head and stepped out the door.
Rory quickly dressed.
*****
He stepped out of the room and felt a tear slip down his cheek. Angrily he wiped it away and eased back into the party. It wasn’t as crowded as before but there was still a large chunk of people dancing.
“Tristan!” Louise came up behind him, dragging a seductive finger across his back and around to his chest. “And where did you disappear to? Hmm?”
As much as he wanted to stand in the middle of the room and yell at the top of his lungs that he had just made love to Rory Gilmore, he couldn’t. He refused to taint her. Nobody would ever taint her as long as he was around.
“I’ve been around,” he replied cryptically. “What time is it?”
“Around 1:30.”
Happy New Year.
He smiled flirtatiously, surprised that it still came naturally to him, and faded away into the shadows near the wall. When Rory emerged, he didn’t want to be in eyesight. It was hard enough as it was.
Luckily for him, Louise gave up on him and turned to the next unsuspecting victim.
He leaned against the wall and shoved his hands into his pockets just as she stumbled thought the doorway. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself and it took all his strength not to run over there and comfort her.
He clenched his fist.
Watching her walk with a little bit of trouble, he noticed that her legs looked weak and sore. He did that to her. Oh God, he was going to be sick. Her hair was messy and she furtively darted her eyes around.
Was she looking for him?
Who was he kidding? He shouldn’t get his hopes up. She was probably
trying to avoid him. Well, he would make it easy for her.
She finally reached the other side of the room with only a few curious
glances thrown her way and then disappeared from sight out the door. He found himself following her, needing to make sure she made it to her car all right.
Leaving his jacket in the coatroom, he followed her outside and spotted her at the bottom of the driveway struggling with her keys. He slipped down after her, sticking to the darkness of the trees in the yard. He saw the shaking of her shoulders before he noticed the tears streaming down her face. He became sick all over again. He would never be able to look at her beautiful face again without seeing the pain he put her through.
Her car pulled away and he felt his body fall to the soft grass below him, unable to stop the sobs from coming.
*****
TBC....
I know it wasnt much but you couldnt expect everything to be hunky-dory
could you? :)
(
geocities.com/gilmoregirlsff)