8 years in the life

Chapter 62 - June 2016

She glanced at her future husband. Only a few spring days in the southwest of France and he was already tanned, his gaze turning even bluer. Clad as usual in dark jeans and a white button-down crisp shirt she couldn't deny that it was a good look for him. Legs knee-crossed he seemed relaxed slightly grinning.

"Have you thought about what took us so long to get back together?" Rory asked, holding her fiancé's hand.

They were on the plane flying back to New-York. Although a little exhausting, they had a good time at Logan and Odette's wedding.

Seeing Shira and the Dark Lord had sent Rory back to memory lane. This pair was the epitome of what she'd never wanted her couple to become. How they could still bear each other was a mystery. Even more intriguing was how Logan and Honor had become such nice people. Rory was glad to meet her again and wasn't surprised to learn that with Josh, they had distanced themselves from the Huntzberger and moved to Stamford with their three kids.

Rory had observed Logan, the man she'd cared for so much many years ago. When he ended their relationship, she had felt for a long time that she would never be able to love anyone again as passionately. She'd been so wrong, it was indeed possible to love another man even more. Anyway, Odette was a much better match for the Huntzberger heir. It was such a blast to witness Shira tiptoeing around her daughter in law.

She reminisced her very first date with Robert at Yale. She'd felt a little guilty at the beginning, but obviously, they both knew where they were standing. They'd stay friends after that. It was possible that they were not meant to be a thing at that time. Luckily, they got another chance, even if they'd almost blown it.

"I did actually," Robert answered slightly squeezing his fiancée's hand but keeping his gaze in front of him.

"And what did you conclude?"

It had struck her that on the contrary to what happened with her preceding boyfriends, her love for Robert had taken months to grow in her imperceptibly. They had spent that time to discover each other without any pressure.

"I'd hidden behind the fact that after I told you that I loved you at the Vineyard, you had the ball in your court, but it dawned on me later that I was a coward. What I felt for you when you came in DC just scared the shit out of me. I already knew that we had a unique intellectual connection when we were in Boston, that living with you was how I wanted it to be all my life, but the physical attraction I felt for you was... Off the charts. I didn't know how to deal with it. With hindsight, I know that it's unusual, exceptional, but then... How was I supposed to focus on my work when my hormones were doing all the thinking? I had never desired anyone like that. I had to step back to understand what was happening."

He paused, a small smile playing on his lips.

"When you think of it, what are the odds among billions of people to find a person who is your perfect match? That you can't desire another soul more than you want her? How scary to know that your life depends on her? I think it's why some people do crazy stupid things, like sleep with someone else or any other dumb decision that doesn't make sense," he added.

He pulled her closer to him and lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Then, with time, I started to doubt that you were reciprocating my feelings. There was also the conflict of interest matter, in particular for you. I knew you were big on journalism ethics. Was I supposed to quit the White House? Then seeing you with that guy in the restaurant in Boston knocked me down for a while."

Despite the short stay in France, she was already jet lagged and wasn't sleepy at all. Therefore, she thought it wasn't such a bad idea to have a serious talk. They usually had this kind of conversation after sex, a habit they got from their first year together living apart. They had to manage the few moments face to face so getting rid of their hormonal needs was the only way to be focused on anything else.