First off, as always, much thanks and gratitude go out to SoCalCynic for being awesome and editing this yet again. Really, it wouldn't read half as well as it does if it weren't for him.
Sorry that there was a little bit of a delay on this, guys. Unfortunately life tends to get in the way every so often. So without further ado, here's chapter four.
*
Jill half hoped that Rory would still be in the hallway when she opened the door to leave the next morning. He wasn't.
She rode the elevator down to the lobby, her sea bags piled onto a luggage cart, her eyes downcast, not quite focused on the carpeting. Jill couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be able to look at the hotel the same way, or even return to Elitch Gardens again.
Once Jill finally made her way downstairs, Casey took one look at her sister-in-law and pulled her into a big, pregnant hug. "I'm so sorry, hon," she whispered. And without another word between the two of them, Casey checked her out and led her out to the Jeep. She even passed Jill a pair of sunglasses to hide her red eyes from the world.
They beat the furniture delivery to the apartment by all of three minutes. After that it was a long, complex dance of getting everything into the right room, set up just the way Jill wanted it. The TV came around noon, along with some Geek Squad guys to set up all of the electronics she had purchased the previous day.
Jill was grateful for the whole complicated mess. It made it difficult to remember just how empty and hollow she felt inside.
Jason joined them around one, freshly showered from practice but looking a little hung over. Casey explained softly that he had been out with the notorious O'Brian until late: "Your brother will be feeling too bad to notice that you're not exactly feeling great either."
Jill shot her sister-in-law a grateful smile. "Thank goodness for small miracles," she whispered hoarsely, her throat still raw from crying all night.
-----
The next few weeks did nothing for Rory but prove just how heartbroken he was over Jill. Even Kellan, eternally positive, nice guy Kellan, had called him an idiot. You knew things were bad when Kellan Quaid was screaming at you for being an asshole.
Jason didn't go easy on him either, but he at least had an idea of what Rory was going through, having gone through a similar slump when he first met Casey years ago. Though he, too, had called Rory a bonehead for not telling her that he loved her.
He just felt so
lost
. Rory was trying, really trying, to move on. He had even gone out with some of the guys one Friday night; Colby Mac had been raving about a new strip club for weeks. Some random blonde there expressed interest in bringing him home. Two months ago he would have gladly complied, but now all he could think was that she wasn't nearly as beautiful as Jill.
And now, every time he looked out of the window at his apartment, he saw that damn Ferris wheel and remembered what he lost. Who he lost.
Rory had grabbed the keys to his apartment a million times to make his way upstairs to see Jason before he would remember that he too, had left. He and Casey had moved into the new house and he wasn't about to go bother them there, not with the new baby coming so soon.
So he moped. He went on his road trip, and it was the same damn depression in a different city. So he came back and just moped some more.
A month after Jill left, Rory started to consider buying about fifteen cats to keep him company. And that was when he knew he was going crazy. Grasping at straws, he called Kellan and begged him to come over the next day and barbecue after their team meeting. Anything to avoid being alone.
"I can't, man, and neither can you. We're all going over to LeBlanc's for the party, remember?"
"Oh shit, I completely forgot," Rory moaned. It was like he was losing his damn mind.
"Don't worry about it, man. Want me to put your name on the gift I got them?"
Leave it to Kellan to actually buy them a house warming present, the thoughtful bastard. "That depends, what did you get them? I don't want to put my name on another damn fondue set with you."
Quaid actually laughed at that. "First of all, don't knock fondue because it's fucking delicious; Forte told me that they use that set all the time. And secondly, you really are fucking out of it. It's not a house warming party, it's a baby shower. I got them these impermeable changing mats. My sister swears by them."
"You are way too practical, you know that, Quaid? Sure, put my name on it, but I think I'll stay home," Rory eventually conceded. The idea of being around all that happiness was suddenly nauseating.
"You can't stay home, you sad asshole, it's Casey's baby shower. LeBlanc knew she would never have one otherwise, so he's throwing it as a surprise party and he would never forgive you if you didn't go. Even his
sister
is going to be there, you have to come."
Rory cheered a little at the thought. He wasn't much in a partying mood, but the idea of going over to Jason's house and hitting on his sister a bit cheered him. Watching Jason get all worked up was going to be just plain fun. And after everything with Jill, some fun was exactly what he needed.
Not that he would ever try to actually get into the girl's panties. He may be a womanizing asshole, but he was fiercely loyal to his friends. Bros before hoes, and all of that.
"Fine, I'll be there."
-----
"You want me to what?" Jill stared daggers at her brother from over her laptop. "Jason, I need to be studying! I have two papers that are due in less than two weeks, and I have like, three books to finish by Wednesday. I cannot go to a fucking party!"
Jason exhaled audibly. "You're coming, Jillian Emily LeBlanc. I've barely seen you since me and the guys came over and helped you paint. And if you come, then I'll finally admit that you were right, that we should have found a time to come over before the furniture and everything was delivered."
"About time you admit that, but it's not like I've been avoiding you! I've been busy trying not to fail my first semester at college!"
It was only a half lie. Jill had thrown herself into her studies, but she had also been dodging everyone as much as possible since that last disastrous night at the hotel. If she didn't have school to focus on, she'd likely still be in a sobbing heap on the floor of her bedroom. It was especially hard not to think of Rory when she was lying in bed at night, desperately trying to fall asleep; it reminded her too much of their first night together.
Jill avoided Jason's appraising glare by returning her focus to the computer. "I miss you, Jilly Bean. It was bad enough when you were overseas, but it's even worse now, not seeing you when you're just a few miles away. Please come, for a while? I'll make sure you're home by nine to study."
Jill huffed out a sigh. He was playing the guilt card, and he fucking well knew it. "Fine. But don't expect me to enjoy it."
Jason laughed loudly. "I never expected you to. You are my anti-social little sister, after all. Now go get dressed and let's go. Do you have any idea what I'm risking by being here to pick you up myself?"
Jill shut the door to the bedroom behind her and stared at her open closet. As always, her eyes first zoomed in on the white dress that she had worn just a month ago. Had it already been that long? The wound still felt so fresh, she felt she could barely breathe.
The thought of wearing the dress again was painful.
But maybe you can make a new memory wearing it,
she reasoned.
Then it won't hurt so much every time you see it. It can be the dress you wore for Casey's baby shower, and not the dress that makes you ache for Rory.
She jumped when Jason pounded on the door. "We
