A/N: As a writer, I hate to give away my story, but knowing that there's probably a very low tolerance for matching Jess up with anyone but Rory, I feel inclined to tell you that this really is a Jess/Rory story. Please stick with it. Eva will play a big part in Jess' story, but not romantically. By Chapter 4, Jess will be back in Stars Hollow and the Jess/Rory part of the story will begin shortly after. Please stick with me on this story. It will follow canon in the first couple chapters, which you'll keep up with in various ways.
"You wanted to talk to me, so talk. What do you have to say to me?"
Standing in the street of a town that he had sworn he would never return to, he searched for the words to express everything that he had wanted to say to her. He took a deep breath and braced himself for her reaction.
"I love you."
The Firelight Festival buzzed on all around them. She just stood there, staring at him with those defiant steel blue eyes, but she said nothing. He waited, hoping against hope that she would just say something. When she didn't, he slowly backed away, before driving away.
...
Jess sat in his car outside of the coffee shop where he had been working, speaking to Luke's answering machine as if he were speaking to Luke himself. "I made it back home. I just wanted to let you know." He had purposely called during the dinner rush at the diner, hoping to avoid the inevitable lecture he would soon receive. "And um, I left before I had a chance to thank you for the money and all. I do appreciate it. I don't know when, but I will pay you back for everything. Anyway, I guess I should go. I'd give you my number, but it changes, a lot. Well, alright, bye."
He imagined that by this point the town would be buzzing with the news, that is if Rory had actually regained her ability to speak long enough to tell anyone what had happened.
He couldn't remember the last time he had spoken those words and actually meant it. He hadn't expected it to fix everything, but he had hoped that it would have at least started a conversation. With just one word, she could have stopped him from leaving. Instead, she stood there in stunned silence and watched him drive away.
As much as it pained him to admit it, it seemed that Lorelai had been right. Rory was over him, and he had no other choice but to find a way to deal with it. He stepped out of the car, and made his way into the coffee house. He nodded at Eva, who sat on a stool on the corner stage, her guitar in hand. He claimed a booth in the corner, away from all of the other customers, and waited for her to finish her set.
"Thank you." Eva said, as she finished the song. "I'm going to take a short break." She practically ran off the stage and slid into the booth across from him. "Where have you been, Jess? I covered for you as much as I could, but I'd avoid Mike if I were you. He wasn't exactly thrilled."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Jess mumbled, avoiding eye contact by dancing two packs of artificial sweetner around the table. "Think I could get some coffee?"
"I'll be right back. I want to hear everything." She soon returned with two coffee mugs and a fresh pot of coffee. "So where have you been? I thought you'd be back a couple days ago?" She filled his cup and sat the pot down between them.
"Car broke down."
She glanced out the window at the brown boat of a car. "That's it? I'm surprised you made it back at all." She raised the blue coffee mug to her lips, her fingers wrapped around it absorbing the warmth. "Was it as horrible as you imagined it would be?"
"Worse."
"So, you ran into her?" Eva asked, a bit too eager.
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"I told her that I love her."
"You did what? What did she say?"
"Nothing. She just stood there."
"My god, Jess, talking to you is like pulling teeth. What did you do?"
"Forgive me if I don't feel particularly chatty."
"Come on, I have to get back up there. What did you do?"
"The only thing I could do. I left. I got in the car and drove away, and now here I am getting the third degree from my only friend in the whole world." He poked his lip out, dramatically, seeking her pity.
"Oh, woe is me." She mocked, raising her arm to rest on her forehead.
"To top it off, I've become a charity case. My uncle left me an envelope of money over the visor. Guess I can finally get out of this place, maybe find a decent place to live too."
"Couldn't you stay with your mom? I mean, not forever, just until you can find a new place?"
"No way, not forever or otherwise." He sipped at the coffee, and stared out the window. "I chased her through the street, in the middle of one of those damn festivals, right in front of everyone. I'm such an idiot." He slammed his balled up fist against the table.
"I'm sorry, Jess."
"Don't be. She's moved on and I just have to do the same."
"And you really think you'll be able to do that?"
He thought about it for a minute before answering. "What choice do I have?"
"It's her loss, Jess. You're a great guy and if she can't see that..."
"That's the thing, I'm not a great guy. I gave her no reason whatsoever to love me, but she did. Now it's too late for me to even try to make up for all the things I did." He focused on the cup of black liquid in front of him. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Don't you have a set to finish? Your audience is growing restless."
"Don't go anywhere, okay?" She reached over, and patted his arm. "Be here when I'm done. I mean it."
Jess nodded his head in agreement, but slipped out the door before she had even stepped back onto the stage.
A/N Cont'd: Never underestimate the power of a review. Reviews are what keep writers writing. It's not a whole lot of fun writing without feedback from your readers. If you are so inclined, please leave a few words, or PM me if you'd rather not leave a public review. I always enjoy and appreciate reader feedback. Often times, it points out something I hadn't noticed, and can truly shape the story itself. Thank you for reading.