"Come with me Rory, Away from Yale, Away from Stars Hollow, Away from everything that ever stood in our way!" He said a hint of hurt hung in his voice as his empty gaze held her eyes "Please Rory, nothing has gone right since I left you"

"Jess, you had your chance" She said delicately not wanting to hurt the man she so desperately wanted right now "You could've told me that you were going to flunk out of school, I would've helped you, I would've done everything I could but you didn't tell me…You didn't even tell me goodbye" She had hurt in her voice now

"…and I'm sorry for that Ror I just couldn't tell u that I failed…you would've been disappointed in me & that was something I couldn't handle at the time" he ran his hand through his hair trying to think of something to get her to come

"You did disappoint me Jess. I'm disappointed right now"

"Why" he dared to ask

"How could I not be with you standing here asking me for the thing I've been dreaming of since the day I found out you left. Jess I'm madly in love with you I don't want to be with anyone else." His eyes lit up at this a smirk crossing his lips "But I don't know if I'll be able to trust you, that's the bottom line here" he became very serious.

"You can count on me now you CAN" He forced out not wanting to make another empty promise to her. "Look its late can I at least stay for tonight, that way you can sleep on it & if you feel the same I'll go"

She couldn't ignore that it WAS late; her ride home with Dean had gone longer then planned. She fumbled in her bag for the keys to her dorm suite & went inside leaving the door open behind her. He followed slowly just to be sure she wanted him there. There were boxes everywhere packed full of her clothes & books.

"Moving?" he asked the air closing the door behind him

"Semester ended today, Lane is helping me move my stuff tomorrow" she said from what must be her room "Come here" she poked her head out of the door. "Paris left earlier today so you can sleep in her bed" she laid sheets on the bed carefully folding them.

"Let me help you with that" he said trying to be polite as possible in the hopes it'd be the thing to win her heart over.

"Thanks," she smiled remembering his sweet side "The bathrooms through there & the TV got disconnected but I can unpack some books if you want." She left the room to get them. He explored her room, what wasn't already packed up. Assorted books lay open some had post-its marking the page others Doggie eared (a nasty habit she picked up from him). But then he noticed her copy of Howl laying on her bedside table, it looked like it had been read hundreds of times since he saw it last. "I brought you For Whom the Bell Tolls, & Anna Karanina" She returned to the room "I know you've read them both before-" she stopped, noticing he was holding Howl, the book he'd stolen from her the first night they met. She'd read it everyday since he left, reading & rereading every note inside the margins he'd left her trying to keep him alive in her heart.

"Read much?" He asked placing it back on her nightstand. She was glad it was dark or he would've seen her blush.

"Not a lot in my free time anymore" she placed the books on her desk "Too much schoolwork" she stepped towards him cautiously.

"What about this" he tapped the book then casually left his finger dangling on the side of it.

"Truth?" she asked staring at her hands. He nodded "I've read it every night since you left, reading the notes you left. Its all I had left of you…"

"I thought you said you didn't read much these days," he questioned

"Well, what IS much?" she quoted him from when he returned Howl to her the night they met. "Jess, why didn't you tell me you were leaving that day on the bus?" she sat down on her bed & crossed her legs.

"Truth?" he asked in an almost whisper also sitting on the bed.

"Always" She responded eager to know

"I was ashamed at myself for not telling you about me flunking out & for what happened at that stupid party" He sounded like he was about to cry a little "Rory, like I said before I'm really sorry about how I handled things, I'm really really sorry."

"Jess I know your sorry, you don't have to-"

"Yes I do", he interrupted "You're the only woman I've ever truly honest to god loved" he looked her in the eye as he said this to make sure she knew he was serious. "We have everything in common, we love the same music, food, movies, most of the same books-"

"Except The Fountainhead" she interjected "You never liked that one"

"Yea cause the guys a nut," he said "He likes the girl then rapes her & she defends him in a legal case!"

"Yes because she loved him enough to stand up for him," she argued starting to smile "I'd do that for you" she stopped quickly blushing again

"You'd defend me in a legal case? Even if I raped you?" he challenged playfully

"We'll hafta see about that" She retorted, he held her gaze for what seemed like hours "Well its getting late probably better get some rest if you're gonna help me move all my boxes"

"When did you decide this?" he asked walking over to Paris' bed & taking his jacket off.

"When I decided to come to New York with you"