Page 78 of This Changes Everything

“Rory, I’m so sorry.” I cried, too. There were many reasons why I was sorry.

I knew at least a handful of people were watching us—Hannah, Kara, Jacob, Orson, Blair, and Cameron—but I refused to let their stares hold me back. I felt Rory’s lips gently press into the bottom of my neck, against my collarbone, for a soft kiss. Then, as if suddenly realizing what he had just done, he pulled his face away and pressed his fingers into my neck where he had just kissed me, wiping it away.

He whispered, “Sorry.”

“Rory . . .” My eyes scanned his face. I was desperate for him to look at me like he used to.

Orson stepped toward us, breaking us apart, and patted Rory’s back.

“Just give us a second,” Rory said, and Orson moved away, toward Cameron.

Rory tenderly stroked my arm. I heard him catch his breath when his fingers found the rose gold bracelet wrapped around my wrist. I always wore it. I didn’t even think about not wearing it. Perhaps I should have. His index finger slipped beneath the bracelet, and he gave it a small tug.

“I’m surprised to see you,” he said, still staring at the bracelet, but not saying anything about it.

“I . . . I wanted to be here for you. I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have come.”

“I’m glad you’re here. I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s good to see you. You look so beautiful,” Rory said casually, knocking me off balance, as he pushed away the last of his tears.

“I’m so sorry, Rory . . .” I quickly flicked my tears away.

He nodded, eyes on the ground. “I know . . . How’s LA?”

“Um, it’s . . . You know. It’s good,” I lied.

“Good.” He nodded.

“I’ve been watching . . . I’ve—” I stumbled through my thoughts. “Everything you’ve done with your career, and golf, and all of it. I’m so happy for you, Rory. I’ve . . . I’ve . . .” My lips trembled, and my voice grew weak. I bit my lip to stop myself, but I couldn’t be stopped. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered so quietly that I didn’t even hear it myself.

Rory raised his tear-stained face, and his eyes finally lifted to meet mine.

“Rory?” Cameron called from the back of the room.

Rory kept his eyes on me.

“Rore!” Cameron called again, causing Rory to finally pull his gaze away. Cameron beckoned for Rory to join him and Orson.

“I should probably go.” Rory’s words came out with difficulty. “I’ll say goodbye now, just in case I’m not able to get back to you. There’s just a lot going on right now, you know?”

“Okay. Yeah, of course.”

“Tell Ben I say hi.” He dropped his attention to the ground again.

“Rory, I’m n—” I started shaking my head. I was about to tell him that I wasn’t with Ben anymore. I hadn’t been with him for six months. I didn’t know where my sentence would go from there, but I knew that’s where it would start.

But I couldn’t start. We were interrupted when a beautiful woman with long, bone-straight black hair, wearing a knee-length, cap-sleeved black dress, stepped up to Rory. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her. Her hand fell to Rory’s.

“Your mom is looking for you,” she said in the smoothest, silkiest voice I had ever heard.

Rory nodded, then looked at me, still holding her hand. His stare pierced through me, causing me to become short of breath. He didn’t introduce us, and I don’t think I was the only one to notice. “When are you heading back?” he asked.

“Tomorrow,” I choked out.

“Well, thank you for coming. I know you’re busy.”

I felt sick. I felt so fucking sick I almost passed out on the spot. Did Rory think that I could ever possibly be too busy for him? In that moment, I had no idea what came over me, but I grabbed his free hand and lifted it to my face, then closed my eyes and pressed a kiss inside his palm. As I lowered his hand, his brow crinkled, and his eyes flicked back and forth between mine.

“Okay, bye.” I let him go, then turned to leave Rory and his girlfriend.