Later that day.
I paid a visit to Phoebe because she had refused to pick my calls and I couldn't reach her, I got worried and left for her hostel after the fifth try and getting no response from her.
I got up from my seat when I saw Gloria, Phoebe's friend and roommate coming to where I was.
"Phoebe won't leave her room," she said as she walked back to me, "she's been locked in since she got back earlier today, she was crying, but won't tell me what was wrong with her."
"Did you tell her it's her brother hoping to see her?"
She nodded, "I did she just said go away."
Phoebe has always been stubborn, "I'll just go see her." I told her with a small smile, appreciating her effort.
I made my way to Phoebe's door and knocked on it.
"Go away!" Her voice came angry, but weak and hurt all at the same time.
Ignoring her words I opened the door and I stepped inside, "Go away means go away."
"Not when I'm afraid that you're going to hurt yourself, it isn't." I replied and moved towards her bed, only stopping when I was standing in front of her, "Phoebe, what's wrong?"
I knew what was wrong, but I couldn't tell her that I knew, because that would mean I heard from Keenan first which would make her ask questions I wasn't ready to answer.
She shook her head and turned away from me to face the other side of the room, "It's nothing, Rory, don't worry about it."
"It's not nothing." I prodded and sat down on the bed and reached my hand to rub her shoulder, "You're hurting and crying, Phoebe, you can tell me what's wrong."
She didn't turn around, but she whimpered weakly, "It's Keenan, he broke up with me."
"What?! How?"
She turned to me, clenching hard on the white handkerchief in her hand, her eyes were red and swollen probably from crying too hard and my heart clenched tightly in my chest at the sight of her.
She looked as miserable as Keenan did earlier.
"We've been seeing each other behind your back and we were going to come out and tell you and dad that we were a couple, but today he broke up with me and said he couldn't do it. I thought he loved me, I was so stupid and I should have known."
I found out about their relationship a week ago when I saw Keenan and Phoebe at Finn's birthday party making out. Keenan asked me to come with him, but I was busy at the time and told him to leave without me, but when I finished, I thought it best to meet up with him there. When I saw them I thought my eyes were deceiving me and I felt hurt and betrayed because I trusted Keenan as my best friend and he knew my stand with my little sister and how I was protective of her, so what he was doing was like ripping my heart out and trampling over it.
He was using my sister like he'd used other girls and he was going to move on once he was done and bored. He was going to break her heart along the line and I had to step in.
I was trying to protect her, but did I hurt her in the process? I wondered.
"I'm sorry," I apologised, not because of her pain, but because I was the reason behind it.
"Why would he do that to me? Why would he lead me on? Why did he do this to me? What did I ever do to him?"
"I'm sorry, Phoebe, I wish I could do something to take your pain away."
She shook her head, "It's not your fault Rory, it's Keenan."
If only she knew...
Flashback ends
"She was my little sister and he was my best friend and I wasn't ready to choose a side or lose them so I did what I thought was right," I answer, sighing in regret, realising I did more harm than good.
"You asked him to stay away." He says in shock, "and you only told her the truth today."
"Yeah," I nod slowly, knowing where the question is heading to.
He spends the next couple of minute silently contemplating, over what I just told him, "She spent those years thinking he left because he didn't love her anymore and you just told her he did?" his breath cuts and I worry that he might be choking on air. He runs a shaky hand through his already messed up hair and tugs on it, "I don't think she's ever going to come back."
He says in defeat and takes a stroll to the bar across the room the takes a bottle of whiskey from the top and begins to pour it into the cup.
I know I am not and as sure as hell will never be good at advising, but seeing him follow the same footstep I have taken more than once, I speak up, "Don't." making him pause and I add, "it doesn't help."
His brow raises daringly, "I have seen you many times with the bottle and in those times, you listen to no one, and you think I'm going to listen to you?"
I roll my eyes, the kid is right, I can be a stubborn asshole sometimes, but "Well you should listen because I'm the older one here," I begin to say and it's his turn to roll his eye, "besides you can't give up hope because of this." I retort and he drops the bottle down.
He turns to me, flashing me a pained smile, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't. Keenan was the man of her dreams and I can't compete with that?"
I cross my arms, "All that doesn't matter, she loves you, man, that's enough reason to have hope." I say, giving him my most obvious reason.
He glances around as if looking for the reason I just give him. "Do you think she ever stopped loving Keenan?"
The door opens as we yet talk, saving me from the question I fear to answer and Phoebe walks in and Jack races up to her and before she can begin to explain, he kisses her lips deeply and wraps his arms around her.
"I was so worried." He mumbles into the crook of her neck. He pulls back and asks, "Where have you been?"
"Out." She replies yawning, then her eyes lands on me. "What is he doing here?"
Jack turns to me, "He was worried when he called and you weren't home and so he came over."
"Phoebe -I am."
She raises her hand and dismisses my apology, "Please leave." She orders before walking out of the room.
"Phoebe-" Jack calls after her, but I stop him.
"Don't. I'm glad she home and safe, that's all that matters. Whatever unresolved issues we have now I'm sure will be resolved in the future, right now go spend the night with her." I smile and tap on his shoulder before walking out.