The Forgotten Gilmore

*REWRITTEN* Chapter Sixty-Seven: Comforting Company

AN: This has been rewritten. It's mostly the end that has changed.

Alessia had been dreading Isabella's funeral for weeks, but when the day finally came and went, it wasn't as unbearable as she'd feared. The grief lingered, of course, but after the service, after the quiet goodbyes, and after leaning on Beau and Riley for support, something inside her started to heal, if only a little. Time had blurred the sharp edges of the pain, allowing her to breathe more easily now. She didn't feel whole—probably wouldn't for a while—but she felt better.

Now, as she stood in front of the mirror in her dorm room, smoothing down her shirt for the millionth time, she found herself thinking about the future instead of the past. She tugged at the hem of her shirt for the hundredth time, unsure if it was the right choice for tonight. Logan was picking her up in less than twenty minutes for their first date as an official couple, and somehow that made it feel like a bigger deal than it probably was.

"You're overthinking it," Beau said from his spot on her bed, flipping through his phone. He had been keeping her company while she got ready, offering unsolicited (and sometimes questionable) fashion advice.

"I'm not overthinking it," Alessia muttered, but even she knew that wasn't true. She adjusted her hair again, then looked at herself critically. "Do I look okay? Not too much, right?"

Beau glanced up, giving her a once-over before smirking. "You look great. Logan's probably going to spend the whole night trying not to stare."

She rolled her eyes, even though the compliment did make her feel a little better. "You're not helping."

Riley, who had been leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, finally chimed in. "He's right. Stop stressing. Logan already likes you—you don't need to overthink what you're wearing."

Alessia exhaled, dropping her hands to her sides. "I know. I'm just... I don't know. I've never done the whole 'official relationship' thing with him before. It feels different now."

Beau grinned and tossed a pillow at her. "Because it is different. You're exclusive now. He's got no excuse to flirt with anyone else."

Alessia threw the pillow back at him. "Not helping."

Riley straightened up, moving into the room. "Listen, if Logan's into you—and he obviously is—then nothing you wear or do tonight is going to mess that up. Just be yourself."

She smiled softly at Riley's words, his steady, no-nonsense attitude helping to calm her nerves. "Thanks."

"Besides," Beau added, grinning again, "if he screws it up, Riley and I will hunt him down and remind him of his poor life choices."

"That's comforting," Alessia said dryly, but the joke did ease some of the tension in her shoulders. She took a final look in the mirror, smoothing her hair one last time. "Okay. I think I'm ready."

Beau and Riley exchanged a quick glance, clearly amused by how much she had fussed over getting ready, but they didn't say anything else. Beau sat up and put his phone in his pocket. "Well, if you're ditching us for Logan, then I'm going to grab food. I expect a full recap later, though."

"Yeah, don't leave out any details," Riley added with a smirk.

Alessia gave them both a look but couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped. "You two are ridiculous."

There was a knock on the door, and her heart jumped a little. "That's him," she said, more to herself than to them. She grabbed her jacket, suddenly feeling the nerves again.

Beau stood up, giving her a quick, reassuring hug. "Go have fun. And remember—you look amazing."

Riley offered her a nod, his expression softening. "You'll be fine."

Alessia took a deep breath and opened the door to find Logan standing there, looking effortlessly put together as always. His smile widened when he saw her.

"Hey," he said, his voice warm.

"Hey," Alessia replied, her nerves easing a little just from seeing him.

"You ready to go?" Logan asked, his eyes flicking over her outfit with clear approval.

She nodded, feeling a little more confident now. "Yeah, let's go."

As Alessia stepped out of her dorm with Logan, she could still hear Beau and Riley's banter from behind the door. Their voices carried, playful and loud enough to make her roll her eyes—but there was a fondness in the gesture she couldn't quite hide.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do!" Beau's teasing voice followed them into the hallway, Riley's laugh trailing not far behind.

Logan glanced at her, amused. "Are they always like that?"

Alessia nodded, smiling softly. "Pretty much. But it's fine. I'm used to it."

Logan chuckled as they made their way outside. "They remind me of Colin and Finn," he mused. "All that energy—just different levels of chaos."

Alessia paused, thinking about it for a second. "You know, you're right. They'd probably get along way too well." She could easily picture Beau and Riley falling into the same dynamic as Logan's friends—Beau with his unfiltered humor and quick wit, and Riley, the more laid-back counterpart with an occasional biting comment.

Logan smirked. "Can you imagine Colin and Finn meeting those two? It would be mayhem."

"More like absolute chaos," Alessia agreed, laughing at the image. "Riley would probably be able to hold his own, but Beau and Finn together? That's asking for trouble."

"Exactly. And Colin would just egg them on the whole time." Logan shook his head with mock resignation. "We'd probably have to leave the country."

Alessia laughed, feeling lighter as she imagined the two duos meeting. "Honestly, it could be fun. They're all just so... extra, in the best possible way."

Logan squeezed her hand, a warm smile playing on his lips. "Maybe one day, we'll make it happen."

The idea of introducing her world to his—a world that still felt like a dream sometimes—filled Alessia with a strange sense of anticipation. Maybe it was more than just imagining their friends getting along; it was the thought of these two halves of her life starting to merge. And for the first time in a long time, that didn't feel so overwhelming.

"Yeah," she said softly, smiling to herself. "Maybe one day."