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Ronnie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the faint hum of the town settled into silence. Sleep wasn't coming. It hadn't even knocked on her door. Her mind was a broken record, replaying scenes from earlier in the week—Matt's words echoing in her head.
The whole town had been right all along.
He'd said it so casually, like confessing he'd stolen the last slice of pizza instead of admitting he had feelings for her. More than friendship, he'd said. As if it hadn't turned her world completely upside down.
Her stomach twisted again. How had she not seen it? Or worse, how had she ignored it? The countless moments that should've tipped her off: the way his gaze lingered, the way his jokes landed a little too perfectly, the way he knew her in ways no one else did. And yet, here she was, blindsided.
It wasn't that she didn't feel something. She did. But the thought of actually addressing it? Of opening that door? It scared her. Because once they did, everything between them would change forever.
And wasn't it better to leave things as they were?
The worst part was, she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Not Matt, obviously. Not Brooke—Brooke wasn't speaking to her. Lane? Impossible, given her feelings for Matt. And Rory? No chance. Not with everything Rory was going through.
That thought brought her back to earlier that night, when Rory had stumbled into the house with tears streaming down her face. Dean had broken up with her, and for once, Rory looked completely shattered.
Ronnie had hated Dean from the start. Something about him always screamed boring and too much hair gel, but that wasn't the point. Rory was heartbroken, and Ronnie had no idea how to help. She'd never had her heart broken. She'd never even been in love.
Or... had she?
She shook her head, sitting up in frustration. This wasn't about her. Today wasn't about Matt or her messy feelings. It was about Rory, and Rory needed her.
---
The next morning, Ronnie expected Rory to spend the day under a blanket, eating ice cream, and watching Beaches. But nope—Rory was up before the sun, armed with a to-do list and her usual determined expression.
Typical Rory.
By mid-morning, the three Gilmore girls made their way to Luke's for their daily caffeine fix. The town square was buzzing, as small-town life always was after a breakup. Ronnie swore half the town knew already, thanks to Miss Patty's gossip hotline. Miss Patty loved drama like Kirk loved weird side hustles.
As they entered Luke's, Lorelai stayed behind to whisper something to Miss Patty, probably trying to stop the inevitable drama. Ronnie had her doubts.
Inside Luke's, the warmth of coffee and chatter wrapped around them. Ronnie was shrugging off her coat when the door opened, and Matt walked in. He looked effortless, like he always did—grey sweatshirt, a coffee to-go cup in hand, his easy smile disarming as ever.
