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⌠ 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙇𝙑𝙀 ⌡ ───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────
Rory's back was pressed against her headboard, a take-away milkshake held in her hand. Bonnie sat across from her, strewn over her bed. The two of them had been in Rory's room all morning, generally just catching up and talking about what Rory had missed since she was gone—a lot, more than she even expected, really—and were sharing stories from high school and Rory, from college.
"So, this guy," Bonnie began. "Nik," she said, as if testing the name on her tongue. Rory nodded for her to go on, "Does he treat you well? I mean, is he making you happy? Not that I'm not totally happy for you, Rory, but when I say you deserve the best... I really mean the best. Your last boyfriends were complete assholes."
Rory spared her a shy smile, "Yeah, Bon. He treats me really well," Rory nodded in confidence—she really meant those words, too. It wasn't often that she spoke so well about her boyfriends and meant it; half the time it was just generally because she wanted her loved ones to back off the constant worrying. "He makes me really happy, and he's super sweet."
"Not to mention British; which I had no idea you had the hots for," Bonnie giggled.
"I didn't either! But I'll honestly say, hearing that accent," Rory faked a swoon, pressing her teddy bear against her chest. Bonnie rolled her eyes fondly as she reaches forward, taking Rory's hand in hers. She looked downtrodden, which made Rory frown. "Everything alright, Bon?"
"Will you ever forgive Caroline?" inquired Bonnie.
Rory swallowed. It was an odd question to ask, also a much out-of-place one. How quickly they went from talking about boys to talking about... Caroline. Rory pursed her lips, "Maybe. I don't know. I love her so much, Bon, but at the end of the day... she compelled my memories away without my consent—"
"That was because she didn't have a choice," Bonnie interjected.
"It was a choice for her not to use my mental health against me!" Rory exclaimed. She let out a puff of breath, "Katherine's trigger word for me was literally crazy—almost like she knew Caroline would say something like that. And then to have her ask me whether I was on my meds..." Rory trailed off, "My mental health used to be one of the biggest things I was ashamed about for a while, Bonnie. And she knew that. She helped me through it, for god's sake, and to have her use it against me—" Rory cut herself off, squeezing her teddy bear, "I don't know if I can just let it go."
Bonnie looked down at her hands, fiddling with her fingers, "Yeah," she nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you're right. It's time we stop dancing around and start talking about what's been happening."
"I'd really like that," Rory confessed. "I know you, Jeremy, Elena... everyone, for some reason has been wanting to protect me, but let's face it—it's better that I'm in the loop."
