ℝ𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕩 𝕃𝕠𝕘𝕒𝕟; 𝕆𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕥𝕤

Riptide (Pt 3)

2 months had passed since the accident.

Rory visited the hospital to send him flowers every day. After a week, she mustered up the courage to enter and talk to him, which didn't end so bad. Logan was his usual overconfident self and smirked at me constantly. Day after day, she would come in and talk to him. As time passed, they both loosened up again. They would talk about everything and anything, just like before. Both would steer clear of any sensitive topics regarding the proposal. I suppose it was to make things less uncomfortable. But they both knew that they would need to discuss that eventually, no matter how painful it could be.

After 2 weeks, Logan was released from the hospital. That didn't stop him from calling Rory, though. He would beg her to go out for dinner with him, which she always rejected. Fearing how it would end.

Eventually, she said yes. Which led her to a lone natural reserve in New York, sitting in a picnic blanket across from Logan. The awkward atmosphere slew them both. 

Rory POV

Logan and I sat in silence, the tension in the room palpable, neither of us knowing what to say. I searched for his restless gaze, desperately searching for a sign, a look, anything. After a minute, I gathered the courage to speak.

"We need to talk, Logan."

His eyes met mine immediately, widening slightly before returning to their normal composed state. He sighed and shifted his body towards me, giving me his full attention.

"We do."

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts. "Why did it have to be all or nothing? Why couldn't we wait? Why did you leave?" I started shooting out questions that had burned in my mind since we started talking again that I desperately wanted answered. He looked surprised and audibly winced as I finished the last question, a flicker of pain crossing briefly his honey-coloured eyes. Guilt pressed my shoulders briefly but quickly left as I remembered how he had broken me.

"I was impatient. I wanted to run into the world with you, and I thought the only way of doing it was if you married me. We could've waited, but I didn't want to. My pride was hurt, my heart was broken, Rory. I don't think I could've waited, even if I tried." He took my hands in his and continued. "Before, with a bleeding pride and a broken heart, I would've justified my actions by saying I left because you didn't love me enough to start a future with me. I only walked away first. Now, I realize that I cornered you and gave you an ultimatum, an unfair one at that. I hurt you in unimaginable ways. You can't imagine how it has haunted my every thought since then. I never left, though. Even if I wished to, my heart was always yours. I never dated again after that. I never slept with another woman. It was you, Ace. There was only ever one woman for me. And it was you."

My breath shuddered at his words. My heart fluttered with his last sentence. I forgot what it felt like to be loved by him. I forgot the warmth his touch would bring me, even in the coldest days of winter. And I forgot how much I missed it. Logan merely smiled at my reaction, my face only blushing further. I sat there, completely speechless, only feeling the fervency of his gaze on mine.

After I had calmed down, he turned serious once more and let go of my hands. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and turned to look at me once more.

 "Why did you say no? Was it the place? Was it me? Were you planning to break up with me? Was that why you rejected me? Were you scared of my family? Did my father say anything to you?" He rambled. "Why didn't you love me enough?"

My eyes widened at his last question. That one hurt. I looked at him incredulously, speechless. He only stared at me, waiting for my answers. After a minute or so, I looked at him again. I took a shaky breath, trying to control myself. And then I spoke.

"How could you not know this?" I humourlessly chuckled as I said it. "I have never loved anyone how I have loved you, Logan Huntzberger. If I were to marry anyone, my sole choice would've been you. Always. I love you, Logan. I never stopped. I desperately wanted to say yes to you. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, grow old with you, and forever make fun of you. I longed all of my life for a love like yours, Logan. The love of my life, my knight in shining armor, my soulmate, my red thread. I read a million books about it. Watched thousands of movies of the protagonist falling for a man who was absolutely perfect for her and being happy. Having that electrical, passionate love in which nothing matters more than the two of them. Where nothing can be more important to each other than each other. Where he would give up anything for her. I think any teenager longs for that. And I found it with you. You were all of that and more to me, Logan Huntzberger. More than I could've ever hoped for. For you to ask me why I didn't love you enough proves that I was never that good at expressing my feelings, unlike you. The answer is, Logan, that you would need to sit down and count every star in the night sky to be able to tell how much I love you. I love you too much. That was the problem. I said no simply because the timing wasn't right. I wasn't ready to settle down, to marry. My life was chaos. I was still trying to figure everything out. I wasn't ready to give up my dreams just yet. But I was an idiot and my mother's daughter. You were worth giving up everything. I was just too young and stupid to realize it."

Fun fact: They love experimenting in the kitchen together. Rory, inspired by Sookie's culinary skills, tries her hand at cooking, often with Logan as her enthusiastic taste tester. They create new recipes, some of which become their signature dishes.