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RORY WASa shadow of her former self. To the internet and outside perceptions, she was still her happy and optimistic self. But without George, Rory felt empty. She hated that she was living a cliche, why did breakups have to be so hard? She thought she was stronger than that. Rory thought she was more than those girls crumbling over a boy. But she found herself crumbling anyway.
George brought out the best in Rory, bringing our sunshine and happiness in an already happy woman.
Maybe she shouldn't have done it. But it was too late, she couldn't patch up a gunshot with bandages. Maybe they could've made it work. Or maybe it was the right call. The long-distance relationship only brought Rory anxiety and misery. But her feelings hadn't changed. Her mind was so muddled, she couldn't decide what the better choice was.
All she wanted was George with her back in her petite apartment. She missed the teasing about her love for books, the dancing in the living room to the playlist they had shared together, to waking up in the morning next to each other with Luke nuzzling between them. She missed the idiotic conversations she would hold with Dream and Sapnap over the phone and streaming with George.
She missed what felt like home.
Rory had spent most of her life in California, she had been living with the sun and the ocean and the warmth beating down on her skin. But Brighton felt like home, George felt like home. Rory missed the rain, the clouds, Luke. She missed the feeling of being in George's arms and how safe she felt. They were the only real things, it was Rory and George against the world.
Currently, it was Rory against the world.
A few days after the breakup, Rory broke in front of Dawn, who had lovingly chastised the woman.
"Why on earth would you do such a thing?" Dawn asked with a frustrated sigh, although her voice was gentle.
"It was hard," Rory mumbled stupidly, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Dawn pursed her lips, shaking her head.
"Life is hard, my sun. You can't let difficulty dictate your decisions."
Rory had no idea how George was doing or what he was doing. He announced on Twitter that he was taking a short break from social platforms, leaving Rory out of the loop. The only thing Rory knew was that Luke was now in Maddy's care, Maddy had sent her a text a few weeks prior. Rory's life was still back in Brighton but she was living in California.
Her old room in her old house just wasn't the same, it didn't feel as comforting. The faded pink sheets from her childhood seemed to scratch her skin and it always seemed too hot for comfort. But nonetheless, Rory spent a good portion of time laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
And there she laid, wishing she could turn back time.
As she began to drift into a daily lull of regret, Rory let her music play loudly. She was home alone so disturbing Dawn was not a problem, the notes and beat echoing off the walls. After a few songs, Rory carried her phone and speaker down to the kitchen, her stomach growling with hungry protest. As she rummaged through her pantry, a loud knock on the door interrupted the music. Rory sighed as she turned down her music, another knock revealing itself.
"Coming!" Rory shouted, jogging to the foyer. Without bothering to check who stood outside, Rory let the door fly open, pushing her hair out of her face.
Rory's breath hitched when her eyes landed on the visitor, her heart-stopping. Those familiar warm eyes looked back at her, pools of brown shining.
"I'm sorry," George said softly, "But your music is awfully loud."
Rory clapped her hand over her mouth with a laugh, impulsively running into George's arms. He held her without hesitation and rocked back and forth gently until Rory finally lifted her head up, looking at George.
"You're here," Rory said softly. "Why are you here?"
George loosened his grip around her and smiled, his shoulders shrugging, although he knew exactly what he was doing in California.
"I love you, Rory. And I'm going to fight for you."
"George-"
"Please," George begged, "Just listen for a second, okay?"
Rory nodded, her heart beating wildly.
"I love you. And I know you chose to let go but I want to be with you. Ever since we split, I haven't been myself. You brought out such the best in me, Rory. You're this lovely light in my life and without you, it's so dark. I just had to see you, I had to fight for you one last time," George said desperately, his eyes begging her to stay.
Rory felt tears prick her eyes and she wiped them away, with a breathy laugh.
"Kiss me," Rory whispered, "Please."
George didn't hesitate to meet her lips, the lovers connected once more. They clung to each other, wanting to be as close as humanely possible. Emotion flowed through them, both of them offering the other all the love they had. Rory whispered profuse apologies between each kiss, her whispers tickling George's skin. George pulled Rory close and kissed the top of her head tenderly, feeling her head rest against his chest.
"You're alright, love," George whispered, "We're alright."
