Chapter 29
Luke carelessly dropped yet another cardboard box on top of the pile that had been formed on Jess's temporary half of the apartment. They seemed to overflow the place and Luke wondered if the reason he was living in such a disgusting pit before, was because he was spending all his money on books instead of rent.
"Geez, could you be a little more careful?" Jess snapped, walking over to the box he just dropped while holding yet another.
Luke frowned over his shoulder. "Relax," he said, "I merely placed one unnecessary pile of books, on yet another unnecessary pile of books that happens to be next to – surprise, surprise – yet another pile of books."
Jess glared over at his uncle. "Actually the box you dropped was full of CD's."
Luke sighed while Jess put down the last of his stuff on the table.
"Well," Luke grunted. "That's the last of it." He readjusted his baseball cap and shoved his hands deep into his front pockets.
"Guess so," he muttered and mimicked Luke's pose, shoving his own hands down into his black jeans.
"Need any help unpacking?" Luke offered.
He smiled weakly over at his uncle. "Nah. You've already helped enough."
"Okay," Luke said, letting go of a deep breath that he didn't know he was holding in.
"Besides," Jess continued to mutter. "It's not like I'll be staying long enough to even unpack."
Luke looked over blankly at his misfit nephew. "Have you come any further in finding a place?"
Jess resisted a snort of derision. "Please – the only apartments available are on the fruitiest of street names. It's all so... Little House On The Prairie," he said slapping a hand tiredly against his leg.
"Just call me Charles Ingalls."
Jess grinned at his Uncle's attempt at humor, he even managed a laugh.
"Well... You know if you need any help, or anything, just let me know..."
Jess looked over at his uncle. "You really would do anything to help me, wouldn't you?"
Luke looked over at him, into his dark, dark eyes.
"You always help the people you love..." Jess said.
Luke nodded. "I love you, Jess," he said with a shrug.
Jess lowered his head, tapping his thumb on the back of the chair. "Luke... There's something I have to tell you."
Luke didn't say anything. He just walked over to the door and closed it gently, then turned to face him, but remained on the other side of the room. "Okay, wha'd ya do?"
Jess sneered at his uncle, almost offended. "Nothin'."
"Then...?" He asked, extending his neck for affect.
"It's... It's about Lorelai."
Luke's entire body tensed, and he looked at him intently and somewhat urgently. "What about her?"
Jess squinted his eyes in discomfort. "She didn't want me to say anything."
He frowned. "Then maybe you shouldn't."
Jess bobbed his head slowly. "I shouldn't." There was a silence. "But if you were me..." He said with a tired smile.
"Alright, should I be sitting for this?" Luke asked, shifting his feet nervously. His shoes clunked against the wooden floor with every minor movement. Neither Jess nor Luke could have looked more uncomfortable, and seeing they both had monosyllabic tendencies, it made everything all the more awkward.
"Take a seat." Jess said as he pulled out a chair for him.
