Then you came along (A Robert/Tristan fanfic)

Chapter 35: Saying our final goodbye

They had spent the last two days at the funeral home for the visitation. Rory was very pale she had been crying so much and hardly eating as she looked down at the man she had loved, the man she had planned to spend her life with before she spent the weekend with Tristan. 

They had hidden most of the bruises you could only see them if you looked really good. She rubbed her fingers on his ice-cold cheek. She had never lost anyone close to her besides her great-grandmother, who she didn't know that well.

This was hard, this was a man she had fallen deeply in love with, and even tho she had decided she wanted to be with Tristan, she was still madly in love with Robert.

Finn saw her as she was caressing Robert's cheek, and he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him and smiled. 

"Thanks, Finny, I needed that. This is so hard to see him like this. I keep waiting for him to open his eyes."

"I know, love, that's why I came over, and I am sure it is. He was only my friend, and this is hard for me. I can't even imagine it being the person I loved lying here would break me. I know, but sadly that won't happen. I miss him, even when we started working, he would call me every week, and we would shoot the shit. I miss that, I miss talking to him. I would always aggravate him and tell him I was at your house I was coming to whisk you away."

"I remember that he would always come home and be like, did you have fun? I would look at him like he was crazy and ask him what he was talking about, he would say well, I heard your exotic boyfriend was whisking you away, so I was wondering if you had fun."

"So, I am your exotic boyfriend? I like that." He smiled and hugged me again. "Love, you need to eat something."

"Yep, I'm not hungry. I am afraid if I eat, I will get sick during the funeral."

"Okay, love, but promise me after the services and we leave the graveyard, you will try to eat."

"I promise, Finn. We are supposed to go to Frank and Cynthia's after we leave the cemetery I just don't know if I'm up to it."

"Look, love, we will go, and whenever you are ready to go, you just say the word, and we will leave. I know Cynthia and Frank both know you are exhausted. You have deep bags under your eyes. They asked us if you had been sleeping and eating."

"And what did you tell them?"

"Only the truth, love barely. I hear you get up in the middle of the night and turn the shower on to hide your tears. I woke Tristan up the other night to go check on you."

"Oh, that was you that got me in trouble for not waking him up. I was in the shower sitting on the floor, crying, when he came in there. I was still dressed, and he told me I should have woken him up."

"I know, I don't know what is going on with you and Tristan, but I knew he could get you calmed down."

"What do you mean by that, Tristan is my friend."

"Rory, I said I don't know what is going on, but something has changed between you and him since we saw you at your graduation last month. I am not even going to speculate, but we can all see the change between you. I personally, I think it's great, and I think he's great for you when you are ready to start over. Robert knew it we knew everyone knew he was in love with you. He admitted it the day you graduated, but he has been nothing but a friend, and I know he will make sure you are taken care of."

"Yea, he has been a really great friend. Right now, my focus is on saying goodbye to Robert. I know you all have to get back to your lives, and I understand that. I will be okay, I promise."