**

His Only Way Out: Part 2

**

Lorelai stared into space; a cold space with a blowing tree. The wind was cool upon her white face and the twinkle lights shone softly lighting up the area around the gazebo. She sighed and looked to the ground. She wanted to see what was on the paper, but it was under the door. She glanced over her shoulder and got up, making her way to the diner.

Water droplets mixed with the wind. The rain was on its way back. She walked up the steps and peered in the door, trying to catch a glimpse of the paper he slipped under it just minutes before.

There it was. A note, well, that's what she figured. 'Ceasar', was jotted on top of the fold. It was for him. She turned around and put her hand in front of her face to stop the rain that was falling considerably harder as she jogged back to the Jeep.

"Where the hell did he go?" she asked herself. She knew it had something with what happened the night before, but why would it be that? Luke never ran he was the strong one. She thought back . . . 

It was near on closing time and Lorelai was the only one in the diner besides Luke. This was a regular occurrence for the two of them. Luke cleaned while Lorelai babbled and whined. But there was something up on that regular night, something different. Luke.

He went on his usual routine until Lorelai became concerned as to why he was showing such apprehension.

"Luke?" He looked towards her but didn't say anything. She tilted her head to the side, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." He was hard to read, but she knew he was lying.

"Luke come on, I know something's up, spill it."

He sighed, "Its nothing, okay."

"Fine." She said unconvinced.

Luke dropped his shoulders and said, "I got a call."

She lifted her head, "Really? Who?" she was getting slightly nervous, who ever was on the other end of that phone told him something of unease.

He scrubbed the counter, "Rachel."

"Oh, What's wrong with that?"

"Everything's wrong with that, I don't even know what sparked call, I mean, I haven't spoke to her in what, 2 years? And she gets on the phone and tells me that she wants to come back and wants to start over and wants me to go with her, and why the hell would she even call, I mean, she told me that 'my' heart wasn't in it, that was the whole reason she left before," he got angry, "and what about when she took off every time she got bored or had the sudden urge to fling her self of a cliff and leave in month intervals, well it didn't matter to her, 'cause it wasn't her getting punched in the stomach every time she left, was it? The whole time it was me!"

Lorelai sat there stunned. Luke was enraged and it was weird. He rarely pulled the top off his bottle. He threw the rag onto the tabletop and leaned back resting himself on the counter. Not upset with Rachel, well, a bit but more with himself. 

Her face turned serious, "What are you gonna do?"

"I can't go, I mean I shouldn't right?" He started to calm down.

She tried to hide her discontent, "It's your decision." She paused and added, " you'd be missed."

"By who? I'm not exactly the guy who everyone in the town likes."  

"I'd miss you." She told him.

"And you say that with a straight face."

Lorelai felt slightly hurt, "Luke, I'm not always serious, but on this occasion I happen to be, I'm serious." She looked up at him, "really." She added for confirmation.

"You would?" he liked hearing her say that, but they never really spoke like this, so heart to heart. It was odd.

"Of course I would." She smiled, "What did you tell her as your 'I can't' story?"

He paused and all of a sudden his defenses went up, "Nothing, I just told her I can't." He scrubbed the counter, a sign to Lorelai that was all too obvious. He was hiding something. 

"Luke." 

"Lorelai." 

She sighed, "Tell me, Luke. I can handle it I'm a big girl." She walked around the counter. Luke stared at her. "Tell me." She said putting her hand on his forearm.

"I don't know if you want to hear it." He moved his arm away. 

"Luke, just tell me . . . please."

He took a deep breath, avoided her gaze.

"Luke?" He looked at her, and her eyes pierced into his.

What he was about to do was possibly the biggest thing he was ever gonna do, the thing he feared most, the vulnerability of his heart. "I can't go because, I can't be away from . . ."

"From what?"

"From . . . I can't leave . . . I just can't, alright." He looked at Lorelai and she caught a longing look in his eyes, something Luke never released, she final saw something.

"Fine." Her eyes looked curious, she slowly stood from her stool and headed for the door. He wondered if she knew.

"Lorelai?"

"Yeah." She turned her head.

One last chance, "Never mind."

She sighed. She'd never seen him so oppressed, like he wanted to tell her something but couldn't. "Luke, what's up? Something is bothering you." She returned to him, walking around to his side of the counter again. "Who can't you be away from?" she was close as she questioned him.

Luke had to let out his secret, it was time to tell,  "The person right in front of me . . ." Lorelai looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Luke didn't take that as a good sign. "Lorelai?"

She swallowed hard, "Yeah-" she said not really hearing him.

Luke was feeling overwhelmed, "Speak."

"I . . ." She stepped back and said almost breathless, "I-I wish I knew what to say . . . I have to go." She rushed out the door; the only sound left being the happy jingle of the bell, but even that sounded sad.

He's gone! The only two words that were making sense in her befuddled head as she sat there in the quiet atmosphere of her car. Breathing more heavily she turned on the engine and drove off, upset 'cause she didn't know what she wanted and even if she did, could be too late.

***

Part 3 Posted tomorrow. Thoughts please!