The Forgotten Gilmore

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Turning Point

The party was still going strong, the crowd ebbing and flowing like waves as people danced, talked, and drank, but Alessia felt herself drifting. The energy of the night had started to dull, and her thoughts were elsewhere—mainly on Logan.

She sat on one of the worn-out couches in the living room, her back against the armrest as she watched the chaos unfold around her. Logan had wandered off somewhere after their conversation, leaving her with a swirl of confusion in his wake. It wasn't that she didn't like him—if anything, she liked him too much. He was confident, charming, and had a way of making her forget about everything else, if only for a moment. But his reluctance to commit, his casual attitude toward relationships—it gnawed at her.

She took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair as she replayed their conversation in her head. There had been a spark between them, sure, but there was also that nagging voice in the back of her mind. Was this really what she wanted? Another situation where she cared more than the other person?

Her eyes scanned the room, and she spotted Riley and Beau slipping away toward a quieter corner of the house. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched them. She'd noticed the way Riley had been looking at Beau all night, the way his usually guarded expression softened whenever Beau was around. Riley didn't let many people in, but Beau had somehow managed to break through those walls.

She couldn't help but feel a little envious. The connection between Riley and Beau seemed so effortless, like they were drawn to each other in a way that made sense. There was no second-guessing, no overthinking. Just two people enjoying each other's company.

Alessia shifted on the couch, her gaze flicking back to the dance floor where Logan had been. Maybe she was overcomplicating things. Maybe she just needed to let go, to stop thinking so much and see where things went. But that wasn't her. She wasn't the type to just float through life, taking things as they came. She needed stability, and Logan was anything but that.

With a sigh, she leaned back, trying to push the thoughts aside. For now, all she could do was wait and see. Maybe the night would offer some clarity—one way or another.

---

Riley's POV

Riley hadn't planned on ending up in the quieter back room of the house with Beau, but as the night wore on, the noise and chaos of the party had become too much. They'd already played a couple of rounds of beer pong—narrowly losing one game but winning the next. Beau had been the star, of course, sinking shot after shot with an almost infuriating amount of ease, while Riley had been the cautious one, strategizing more than enjoying himself.

The crowd around the beer pong table had cheered for them both, but Beau's natural charm had won them over. Riley couldn't help but notice the way people gravitated toward him, the way they wanted to be near him, talk to him, laugh with him. And Beau, in his usual fashion, took it all in stride, as if it were no big deal.

Now, though, things were quieter. They'd found a room away from the main party—a little nook with mismatched furniture, where the music was more muffled, and the lights were dimmer. Beau leaned against the wall, his playful smile still firmly in place.

"You surprised me out there," Beau said, nodding toward the door they'd come through. "Didn't know you had it in you."

Riley smirked. "I'm full of surprises."

Beau chuckled, stepping closer, his presence filling the small space between them. "I guess I should've known. You're always holding back, but when you let loose... well, it's worth the wait."

Riley's pulse quickened, the weight of Beau's words hitting him in ways he wasn't entirely prepared for. Beau had always been like this—open, honest, and completely unafraid to say what he was thinking. It was one of the things that drew Riley in, even when he tried to resist.

There was a brief pause, the air between them charged with an unspoken tension that had been building all night. Riley could feel it, that magnetic pull he'd been trying to ignore. Beau's gaze was steady, his smile softening as if he, too, was waiting for something to happen.

"You're thinking too much again," Beau teased, his voice low. He reached out, gently tapping Riley on the side of the head. "Relax."

Riley let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I don't know how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Make everything seem so easy."

Beau's smile grew, his eyes locking onto Riley's. "It's not easy. Not with you."

Riley's heart stuttered in his chest. He didn't know what to say, didn't know how to respond to the way Beau was looking at him—like he could see right through every wall Riley had put up, every defense he'd carefully built. He'd spent so long keeping people at arm's length, but with Beau, it felt impossible.

The moment stretched on, the noise of the party fading into the background as the space between them grew smaller. Riley could feel his resolve slipping, could feel himself leaning into the pull.

And then, just as Beau moved closer, Riley's phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping the tension. He cursed under his breath, pulling it out to see a message from Alessia.

Where are you?

Riley sighed, glancing at the door. "It's Alessia. She's probably wondering where we disappeared to."

Beau's expression softened, and he nodded. "Right. Wouldn't want her to think we ditched her."

But as they started toward the door, Riley couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. The almost-kiss, the weight of everything left unsaid—it lingered in the air, and Riley knew that whatever happened next, things would never be the same.

---

Alessia's POV

Alessia was still on the couch, her phone in hand, when Riley and Beau finally reappeared. She raised an eyebrow as they approached, catching the subtle shift in their dynamic. Riley looked a little more flustered than usual, and Beau's smile was softer, more reserved.

"Where'd you two sneak off to?" Alessia asked, her tone teasing but curious.

"Just needed some air," Riley replied, a little too quickly.

Beau shot her a knowing smile but didn't elaborate. "We're back now. What'd we miss?"

Alessia shrugged, her thoughts still half on Logan. "Not much. Just the usual party chaos."

They settled in beside her, but Alessia could tell something was different. There was an unspoken tension between Riley and Beau, a charge that hadn't been there before. She didn't press them on it, but in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened while they were gone—and what it meant for them all moving forward.

As the night wound down, Alessia's mind was still spinning. Between Logan, Riley, and Beau, she felt like she was standing on the edge of something big, something that could change everything.

And for the first time in a long time, she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.