Returning
She paid the cab driver, grabbed her bags and stood on the sidewalk. She stared at the diner in front of her. The William's Hardware sign still hanging, pride of place above the doorway.
She had promised herself she wouldn't come back. She knew Luke didn't trust her. She knew he was not 'The One'. So why did was she here ? She just saw a plane to Hartford and caught it. She realised she was repeating her actions from 9 years ago.
But it was too late to turn back now.
Rachel straightened her back and walked through the door.
The diner was nearly empty, just a few people at the table in the corner and a young dark haired man behind the counter, talking on the diner phone.
No Luke.
She walked towards the counter and accidentally caught the end of the man's conversation.
"-no Matt. What ? I don't know! I'm on holiday. Ask Chris, I've got to go. Bye" He hung up and looked at Rachel expectantly.
Rachel froze for a moment, then regained her composure.
She cleared her throat " Hi, I'm looking for Luke."
The man observed her for a moment, his eyes were calculating. She felt like she was being x-rayed.
He opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly he was interrupted by a brunette woman walking down the stairs.
"Hey Jess, I can't find-" She stopped abruptly when she saw Rachel.
A bewildered look crossed her face but it was gone a moment later.
Rachel knew who this woman was, she saw her at the diner enough times.
"Rachel. Hi." Rory Gilmore said.
"Hi." She replied with an awkward smile.
The silence that followed was broken by Rory introducing the man as Jess, Luke's nephew.
"Rachel is looking for Luke." Jess told Rory.
"Oh. Well he and my mom are on their honeymoon right now so we're looking after the diner."
Honeymoon.
Luke's honeymoon.
Luke and Lorelai's honeymoon.
She should have known. The chemistry between the two was undeniable. That's why she left in the first place.
"Congratulations." She muttered showing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
She slowly backed out of the door, her hands still holding on to her canvas bags.
She was glad Luke and Lorelai were together. She should have known. It should not have been surprising.
Luke was always the one she could go back to. The man who was always there.
She knew she had loved him. She knew he had loved her.
Lorelai made Luke smile, she connected with him. They worked well together. Him and Rachel were not like that, their relationship was strained the second time. They had wanted different things. He never wanted to leave Stars Hollow. Rachel wanted to travel. She could not stay in one place for long.
She closed her security net that Luke had provided her.
She left Stars Hollow. Knowing she wouldn't return. She didn't have any reason to.
She moved on.
Like she always did.