AN
Okay there is a little smut not a lot and maybe some angsty parts to this chapter. Again thank you to those who make me smile with the reviews, i already have another chapter so i'll post that tomorrow. This fic will be actually coming to a close with the option of a sequel so we'll see.
Jess kicked the door shut with the back of his foot, afraid that if he let go it wouldn't be real. Rory continued to step backward her lips pressed firmly against Jess's, her hands gripping on his shirt pulling it free from his waist.
The back of her knees hit the bed and she fell backwards dragging Jess on top of her, she pushed herself further onto the bed toeing off her shoes as they hit the floor.
Jess's hand held onto the back of knee, his fingers gliding along her thigh. Her hands slowly moved along the expanse of his back, his muscles convulsing with every touch. Breaking the kiss he watched as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it away from his shoulders. He lifted the hem of her dress past her thighs and above her waist, exposing skin he was sure he would never see.
She silently lifted her arms allowing him to remove the dress and throw it beside the bed. When they were teenagers there were kisses that were controlled, tentative. Now in the darkness of the hotel room, their kisses exploded with fire and passion, Rory felt like the bottom of her stomach had fallen and left her with an open space.
Her fingers fumbled with the belt on his trousers, while his hands pulled on the strap of her bra exposing her shoulder and allowing his lips to linger on her skin.
Lying in the middle of the bed skin on skin, swollen kisses Rory wondered if this was the moment she had always been waiting for.
"Rory."
Opening her eyes she saw the darkened gaze of his eyes peering deep within her, her name lingering on his lips.
"It's always been you."
With those final words Jess leaned down and stole the breath away from her mouth. Colors danced beneath her closed eyelids, his voice deep against her ear. Grasping the hair at the back of his neck she felt herself fall over the edge, his name tumbling from her lips.
Jess ran his hand down the length of her spine as she slept, her hair fanned across his chest. He couldn't sleep his body was still humming from the night before, thinking not one solid moment in his life matched to the moment he now found himself.
Rory settled deeper into his embrace her nose settling in the crook of his shoulder, causing him to tighten his embrace. Her skin was deliciously warm and felt alive; a small smile graced her lips remembering their coupling.
"You're smiling in your sleep you know." She opened one eye to see Jess smirking at her.
"How long have you been awake?" Jess shifted as Rory sat up slightly.
"Not long, but I ordered breakfast."
"Coffee?" She questioned.
"Of course."
Good man." She kissed him on the tip of his nose, before dashing to the bathroom. She returned to the bed by jumping next to him, the white sheet wrapped around her body.
"Okay serious question." Rory pouted her serious face.
"Okay." She leaned towards him for a kiss only to be held by her upper arms. "Oh it's one of those questions."
"Rory." He let go of her arms and sat up.
"Jess, I told you I'm only here for a week."
"Yes I know, you told me that last night."
"Don't make this complicated." Raising her knees against her chest she refused to look at him.
"I'm not making this complicated, you are."
"Me? I'm leaving in a couple of days." Jess turned to look at her.
"What are you afraid of Rory?" She looked at him for a moment before she turned away.
"Rory?" He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "You know nothings ever easy with you; I just want you to talk to me."
Rory heaved a sigh she didn't want to admit she could see herself with him, but she had worked so hard to get a start on her career.
'Jess what I'm about to say may seem selfish, I've worked hard to get where I am. I don't want to give that up not yet."
"I'm not asking you to give up anything Rory, that's not what I'm saying. I don't even know what I'm saying; maybe I should just disappoint you now." Jess rubbed the frustration on his forehead; throwing back the covers he grabbed his shirt.
"Where are you going?"
"Why do you care?" Rory watched him open the door and slam it behind him.
Rory stared blankly at the stage the usual uplifting speech now falling on deaf ears; she drew circles on her notebook unaware of Mike watching her closely.
"Grumpy?"
Mike was thrown a withering stare that caused him to repel back in his seat, he held up his hands in mock defeat.
"What's wrong? I though the dinner went well." Rory sighed loudly through her nose.
"It did, in fact one of the best nights I've ever had. Jess being Jess had to ruin it."
"I don't follow." Mike shook his head and leaned closer.
"We spent the night together, and then the next morning he started asking questions about after I leave. I clammed up he left."
"Oh so your both not talking?"
"No, and I'm leaving the day after tomorrow." Rory looked at him and pressed her lips together.
"But the thing is now that I've spent time with him again, I find myself thinking of him all the time. I love him, but I'm afraid what we shared as teenagers no longer is there as adults."
Mike placed a comforting hand on her arm, she looked down at the hand and then at her friend.
"I really don't know that much about you guys, apart from the book. But I saw you both the other night, and he doesn't hide his feelings well either."
'What do you mean?"
"Rory, can't you see when a person is madly in love with you?"
Rory sat back and contemplated what Mike had said, his smiles at the dinner table. The way his hand traced circles on her knee when no one was looking. Rory stood up suddenly it was about time she stopped running.
Jumping out of the taxi she threw a couple of bills through the window towards the driver, turning around the face the bookstore noticing that the lights were still on. Reaching for the handle she pushed the door open and entered the bookstore, it was then she felt her heart snap in tow watching as Jess embraced another woman in plain sight.
The small smile of excitement fell slowly from her face, her eyes stinging with the impending tears. She quickly turned back around as fast as she could and pulled on the handle.
'Rory?" She gasped and realized she had been noticed, raising her shoulders she left the bookstore.
Hundreds of thought filtered in her mind, all with the same conclusion, How could she be so stupid? Her steps quickened on the sidewalk, trying to get as far away as she could from the bookstore and Jess. Noises from the street burned through her head, she could hear Jess's faint voice following her as she tried to jog towards the street corner.
Her vision became blurred as she refused to now wipe the tears that were flowing down her cheeks, her body flung back as someone grabbed her wrist.
"Rory what's wrong?" Jess reached forward to wipe the tears from her face only to have her jerk away violently.
"Don't you touch me, don't you dare touch me again."
"I don't understand." She could tell the exact time the world shifted on its axis, Jess stood there his hands shoved deep in his pockets his stance defensive.
"Well let me enlighten you shall I? I was here to tell you I love you, and maybe that we could make it work. But instead I found you in the arms of another woman, god I'm such an idiot." Jess blinked in surprise and tried as best as he could not to show the smile on his face.
"You love me?" Rory looked up to see him grinning.
"Oh don't you focus on that." Jess stepped forward.
"Rory that was Matt's girlfriend. They just got engaged."
"What?"
"Cassie and Matt have been together since their first year of college; Matt was in the back getting drinks."
"Oh." Rory turned her head the blush on her cheeks.
"So you said something a moment ago, something very important."
"Yes, maybe we can forget that happened." Rory turned to walk away and Jess grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back to face him.
"No we will not, I've been waiting years for you to admit that and now I want to hear it again from your lips."
"Jess."
"Okay I'll say it first, I love you Rory. " Rory closed her eyes a small smile playing on her lips.
"How is this going to work?" Jess pulled her closer.
"I don't know but we'll work something out." He kissed her softly on the lips.
Rory woke up to the smell of coffee, stretching in the warm bed she pulled away the covers and left the bedroom. From the corridor she could heard Jess humming quietly to himself, from the kitchen. She stood in the doorway silently watching, Jess stood in front of the stove wearing sweatpants and no shirt.
There was something about a man cooking with no shirt on that made Rory smile, or maybe it was just the fact that Jess was cooking for her. Standing behind him she placed her hands on his chest, her cheek pressed between his shoulder blades
"Morning." She mumbled against his skin, he smiled and kissed the fingertips of her hand.
They sat next to each other at the table, Jess's hand resting on her knee as they sat in silence. Rory sipped on her coffee and finished the rest of the bacon Jess's plate; she pushed the plate away from her and turned slowly in her seat.
"Jess?"
"Yeah?" Stabbing his fork into his eggs and lifting them into his mouth.
"Can we talk about what's going to happen when I leave tomorrow?" Jess sighed and turned to face her.
"And here I was hoping we could pretend you weren't going to leave."
"You know I have to leave, I have to work till at least the end of the year."
"The end of the year Rory! It's only March now."
"I know, but I owe them that much to finish the year."
"This is crazy; surely you can give them a couple of months?" Rory stood up from her chair.
"Do you know how hard it is to get another journalist so late in the campaign; have you been listening to anything I've said?"
"Yes I have, and you honestly expect me to wait for you till the end of the year?"
"I don't know what I was thinking, but look at us how can we be together if all we do is argue?"
"This is what couples do." Jess followed her out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.
"Were not a couple Jess, who are we kidding? I don't think we ever were." She turned and walked towards the bedroom gathering her things quickly before making her way to the front door.
"Rory I'm sorry." Rory slipped on her shoes and looked up at him.
"Its fine I don't know what I was thinking, I'll see you around Jess." She kissed his cheek and opened the door. "You know I always thought you and I were always unfinished business, like our stories that never really had an ending."
"So that's it I tell you I love you, and you leave the fight without an exerted breath. You honestly don't want us to be together?" Rory stopped and blinked audibly, his expression darkening in anger. It was clear he wasn't going to let her go without a fight.
"I love you Jess, I really do. I was going to give up my job and be here with you, but you won't wait."
"Rory you know I would wait for you, what did I say last night I've been waiting forever for you to tell me you love me?" Jess rubbed his arms in agitation.
"So what are we arguing for?" Jess shrugged his shoulders.
"I like the confrontation?" Shaking her head she grinned and ran towards him.
