"Hey, Mom. You home? I guess not. California is great. Christopher and Jimmy, that's Jess' Dad. They're uh friends. Weird right? Things with Christopher are ok, I guess," she sighed. She hated that she had got the answering machine yet again.

"Sweets hold on," Lorelai muttered, running from the front door, only to see the phone was missing.

"I'm going to the beach with Jess, in a few minutes. I'll talk to you later. Bye. Oh and I'll make sure I don't get ate by a killer shark. Love you," Rory finished hanging up. Lorelai sank on the couch with a heavy sigh, disappointed she missed her daughter's call because she couldn't find the phone she just so happened to pull out from under her.

Christopher had already left for work, leaving Rory home alone. She had finished her book from Jess and called her mom. Twice. With no answer either time. She was disappointed she wasn't able to talk to her mom about Christopher. It would have to wait until later. Or not as the phone she tossed aside started to ring.

"Hey, Mom," Rory answered.

"Don't come home with a missing limb or anything."

"Duly noted," Rory remarked, sitting on the bed.

"Hey kiddo, how is California?"

"Hot, salty and I really need a cup of Luke's coffee or a million."

"What about that amazing, incredible Mother of yours?"

"I miss her," she tried to sound calm and collected but she really did miss her mom.

"I miss you to sweets. How are you really?"

"Good thanks to Jess. Christopher has explained some things," she sighed. "But I don't know if I really need to hear his life story to move on."

"Whatever you feel is enough. And Jess?" She didn't want her daughter to fall for him all over again, just to suffer through another heartbreak at the hands of Jess.

"Friends," she was fine with that. They wouldn't be able to have a relationship. She needed him in her life. "I need to get ready, Jess is gonna be here at any second."

"I don't wanna keep ya, call me later?"

"Of course, bye Mom."

"Bye, sweets."

She got ready for the beach the best she could considering she didn't have anything for the beach. She couldn't picture Jess the type to swim in the ocean. Was there even a type for that?

"Hey," Rory greeted. Instead of Jess coming up, she went down to meet him.

"Hey. No swimsuit?" He questioned. She had noticed that he was wearing swim trunks and a towel was hanging over his shoulder.

"I skipped over it. I didn't think I'd be swimming. I came to get know my father not swim where a shark could eat me. I don't wanna be in Jaws," she remarked.

"This isn't the remake of Jaws, Ror. We can stop along the way."

She said nothing letting the silence take over. When it was time to walk away from Jess, Christopher and California, she wanted it to be easy. Leaving Jess once was harder than she thought it ought to be. She hoped with them being friends and being able to stay in contact with each other, things would be better period.

"You ok? You seem quiet." Of course he would notice. He always did. She head already bought a bikini, that Jess secretly approved of. They had sat on their towels further away from the beach goers. She had stuffed a book into her beach bag. She wouldn't be Rory Gilmore without it.

"Thinking," she replied with a shrug. "I don't want it to hurt this time. I can't go with you and you won't with come me. I want to be able to at least call you when I have a horrible day at Yale," she paused feeling her emotions were about to get the better of her.

"Rory, you still can. Friends, remember? I've got a cell these days, just for this. Because even though I needed to leave, I didn't want to leave you behind. It doesn't matter where I am, I'll always be there for you. Ok?" She smiled, kissing his cheek. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard this time.

"You don't happen to be sticking around because of me are you?" It was a horrible thought to voice, it sounded worse when she voiced it then how it sounded in her head.

"The world doesn't revolve around you." She was afraid to look at him. His tone wasn't a pleasant one. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her nerves, daring to look at him. He held a scowl on his face, bit his brown eyes told her otherwise. They looked at her with a gleam to them. It was enough to know he was joking with her.

"Way to burst my bubble, Mariano," she retorted with a small glare, her eyes holding a sparkle of a smile.

"That's me, big bad bubble popper, Jess," he smirked. "Not entirely, I need cash." He had been saving up until he had enough to move on. By the time Summer was over with, he would have enough saved up. If he was honest with himself, he was going to stick around until Rory left. Having her back in his life, was like nothing else. He wanted to go with her, hide out in her dorm room. Be the only guy in her life. She was his after all. Running a hand through his hair, he realized he had given her up when he left. He could only hope she waited for him like he was doing with her.

"So one can not come to California and not swim," Rory announced, breaking Jess from his thoughts.

"One can not," he smirked, getting up. Rory followed suit.

Soon enough they were in the water splashing and dunking the other one. Hours had passed them by before they finally got out, throwing themselves down on their towels.

"I should get back," Rory mused, not wanting to leave the comfort and safety, Jess gave her.

"What's the rush?" Jess asked, looking at her. He wasn't ready to end this day. The more hours he could squeeze in the better.

"I'm not sure, they have a date tonight and I made sure he went. I didn't want him to cancel because of me, ya know? Though now I'm left alone."

"Jimmy has a date too," Jess commented. "We can go out and get a bite to eat."

"Ya know, I came out here to spend time with my father, yet I've seen you more than I've seen him. Maybe it was best he had never made an appearance in my life until now."

"I say it's a bonus. I would much rather be with you than my Dad. Don't you feel the same?" He asked with a pout.

"How can I say no to that?" He gave her a shrug. "I enjoy spending this time with you, it's just..."

"I get it, Rory. You came to see your father. Wanted to know why he abandoned you. You didn't come here to find me." That was technically right. She did come to see him on top of it all. She nodded, getting to her feet.

"I'm starving," she announced. "And full of sand."

Rory had suggested he could shower at Christopher's. He noted that he didn't have any clothes with him. He promised to be back in about an hour. Then they would head out and see what they could find to eat.

In the process of getting ready, Christopher had called and told her he wouldn't be home until the following night.

"I can always stay," Jess commented, carrying the leftovers. "If you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," she told him with a smile.

The friend line had been crossed a few times at dinner and now he was staying. This was a thin and dangerous line she was playing with. She wanted to kiss Jess, the second she saw him. Seeing him in his swim trunks, that had hung low on his hips did nothing to keep the desire away.

He could say the same thing. The bikini she bought left very little to his imagination. This was going to be an interesting night.

They didn't know how long they could keep their distance from the other.

They were gambling with their hearts on the line.