Sequel to 'Falling Slowly', since in that Rory cheated. This is why, kinda.
Not Mine. Pinky swear its not!
When Your Mind's Made Up
Jess opened his eyes and glanced to the girl beside him. She was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, nervously chewing on her thumb nail.
"Morning." He whispered and she jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Hey." She gave him a weak smile.
"Rory, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head, "I'm just thinking." She pushed herself up into a seating position and Jess followed suit.
"I lied last night." She whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
"About what?" He rubbed her thigh with his knuckles.
"Everything's not fixed."
"But, you're back in school. Luke said-"
"Logan." She said lifting her eyes to meet his. "Logan's not fixed."
"That guy? You're still with him?"
"Technically." She shrugged one shoulder and laughed humorlessly. "I want you to know that I didn't come here for this." She waved her hand between them and twisted so she was facing him. "I just got your flyer and I wanted to see your place. And I swear I was gonna leave after you kissed me last night because it wasn't about payback-"
"Payback?" Jess interrupted her, "He cheated on you?"
"With an entire bridal party. Well not the bride. That was his sister but the bridesmaids? Yeah." She smiled sadly. "Things haven't been right for a while. I tried to pretend they were but I knew they weren't when you looked at me like that last night."
"Like what?"
"Like he never does. You get me. You aways have. He thinks I want Berkin bags and diamond bracelets, and I don't. I want someone who writes in the margins of my books, and-" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, threatening to fall, "I want you."
He sighed, and cupped her cheek, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. "Okay." He sighed. "What next?"
"I go back to Yale. Move my stuff out. I'll talk to him when he gets back."
"Back?"
"He's out of town. Costa Rica."
"That is out of town. Where will you stay?"
"I'll probably move back in with Paris."
"Gellar?" He eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You're still friends with her?"
"Oh yeah." She smiled. "I couldn't get rid of her. Apparently our journey together wasn't finished."
"Oh." He nodded and gave her a small smile. "So? We'll make this work?"
"Yeah. We've got weekends and the summer break is coming up. I could get an internship here in Philadelphia. And you could be my date to this wedding I have to go to?"
"Who's getting married?"
"Lane." Rory smiled.
"Lane Kim?" Jess asked, "She finally find a Korean doctor she approved?"
"No." Rory laughed, "She's marrying Zach. The singer in her band."
"The guy with the slashing windmills jump?" Jess raised an eyebrow.
"One in the same."
"Sure." Jess smiled.
"What?"
"I'll be your date. To Lane's wedding."
"You know it's in Stars Holl-"
"I know. I want this to work. I'm gonna have to go back at some point."Jess smiled at her as she leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"Thank you." She whispered as she pulled back. "Know what else would help make this work? Coffee." She grinned.
"I'm on it." He kissed her again, before pulling on a pair of boxers and an old band t-shirt and crossed the room.
"Hey Rory?" He turned before he opened the door "What the hell's a Berkin bag?"
"I'll explain it to you later." She smiled. "It's a whole thing apparently. We'll mock it together."
"Okay." He nodded and exited the room, leaving Rory alone, and for the first time in long time, happy. Excited. And with her mind completely made up.
This was right.
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