Jess lied down on his bed, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
The strangest thing in his room wasn't his unfocused eyes or rumpled
clothes, it was the absence of music. Everything he attempted to listen to
reminded him of Rory.
He'd been an idiot and he knew it. He'd done everything wrong and nothing right. He had gotten her hurt. He'd put her in the destructive path of Grant. He should of known better. It was his fault she hated him. He accepted it. But that didn't make it any easier.
"Jess!" Luke called up the stairs, interrupting his nephew's train of thought. Patrons were scattered throughout the diner, pale dusk light filled the room where Luke was.
"I thought you said I didn't have to work toni—" Jess protested as he came down the stairs. He stopped dead in his tracks at the foot of the stairs.
"Hi," Rory said softly, fiddling with her hair.
Jess stood there for a moment, shocked. "Hello," He said slowly.
"Why don't you two go upstairs?" Luke asked as a few more customers came in. Rory nodded and walked towards the staircase. Jess moved to let her pass, his already frazzled nerves verging on explosion at her close proximity.
The two entered the apartment silently. Jess shut the door behind them, pausing a little longer than he needed to as he faced the door. He took a deep breath and turned around.
"Umm, want to take a seat?" Jess asked, pointing to the couch.
"That's okay," Rory said, looking around the room.
"God, Rory, I'm so sorry—" Jess started, but Rory cut him off.
"Jess you don't have to." She said softly, waving her hand in the air to stop him.
"Yes, I do," Jess said. Rory looked at his pleading face and nodded.
"I told you I'm sorry…I don't think I can tell you it enough. I just…." Jess started, then paused to catch his breath. "I made a mistake. I know that, I should never have let him stay here and I should never have forced you to go out with us—" Rory opened her mouth to protest to this last statement, but Jess shook his head. "You know it's true. And you know it's my fault what happened—"
"It wasn't your fault, Jess," Rory said. "It was his."
Jess sighed, "It was mine too. You know it. And I'm sorry."
Rory nodded, "I know."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness, you know that?" She nodded.
The two of them stood there, mute, their eyes traveling around the room, landing everywhere but on each other. Like a ghost Jess walked to a table and rearranged the books on it, just for something to do.
"So what happens now?" he finally asked, breaking the stillness of the room with his words.
Rory shrugged, fiddling with her belt loop. "I don't know."
Once again, the two stood their soundlessly. Awkwardness, tension, filled the large space between them. Jess hesitantly looked up from the floor. Rory's face was turned towards the window, and he took in her still, musing face. The beauty he hadn't bothered to see when Grant was there jumped out at him.
"I should probably go," Rory murmured, turning around and catching him staring at her. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, averting her gaze.
"Okay," Jess agreed, moving aside as she began to walk towards the door.
Her back was to him as he allowed his head to sink to his chest. He bit his lip in anguish, his chest tightening as his fists did the same.
"Jess?" Rory asked as she turned around. A few inches of space was between them as she allowed herself to look up into his eyes. She saw the glimmering tear in his eye, felt the identical one in her own. She took a deep breath and a look of resolution crossed her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a soft, quick kiss on his mouth. Shock registered in Jess's mind as her lips connected with his.
She pulled away, slowly and Jess looked at her with confusion. "What was that for?" He asked.
She shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Forgiveness."
Jess's face lit up at this small word, "Really?"
She nodded. Jess sighed in relief and pulled her into him, her body perfectly molding to his as they embraced each other.
Pulling away, Rory looked up at him, a single tear on her cheek.
"Are you okay?" Jess asked worriedly, wiping the tear away.
"I'm better than okay," Rory said. She tipped her head back and their lips met again, this time full of promise.
He'd been an idiot and he knew it. He'd done everything wrong and nothing right. He had gotten her hurt. He'd put her in the destructive path of Grant. He should of known better. It was his fault she hated him. He accepted it. But that didn't make it any easier.
"Jess!" Luke called up the stairs, interrupting his nephew's train of thought. Patrons were scattered throughout the diner, pale dusk light filled the room where Luke was.
"I thought you said I didn't have to work toni—" Jess protested as he came down the stairs. He stopped dead in his tracks at the foot of the stairs.
"Hi," Rory said softly, fiddling with her hair.
Jess stood there for a moment, shocked. "Hello," He said slowly.
"Why don't you two go upstairs?" Luke asked as a few more customers came in. Rory nodded and walked towards the staircase. Jess moved to let her pass, his already frazzled nerves verging on explosion at her close proximity.
The two entered the apartment silently. Jess shut the door behind them, pausing a little longer than he needed to as he faced the door. He took a deep breath and turned around.
"Umm, want to take a seat?" Jess asked, pointing to the couch.
"That's okay," Rory said, looking around the room.
"God, Rory, I'm so sorry—" Jess started, but Rory cut him off.
"Jess you don't have to." She said softly, waving her hand in the air to stop him.
"Yes, I do," Jess said. Rory looked at his pleading face and nodded.
"I told you I'm sorry…I don't think I can tell you it enough. I just…." Jess started, then paused to catch his breath. "I made a mistake. I know that, I should never have let him stay here and I should never have forced you to go out with us—" Rory opened her mouth to protest to this last statement, but Jess shook his head. "You know it's true. And you know it's my fault what happened—"
"It wasn't your fault, Jess," Rory said. "It was his."
Jess sighed, "It was mine too. You know it. And I'm sorry."
Rory nodded, "I know."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness, you know that?" She nodded.
The two of them stood there, mute, their eyes traveling around the room, landing everywhere but on each other. Like a ghost Jess walked to a table and rearranged the books on it, just for something to do.
"So what happens now?" he finally asked, breaking the stillness of the room with his words.
Rory shrugged, fiddling with her belt loop. "I don't know."
Once again, the two stood their soundlessly. Awkwardness, tension, filled the large space between them. Jess hesitantly looked up from the floor. Rory's face was turned towards the window, and he took in her still, musing face. The beauty he hadn't bothered to see when Grant was there jumped out at him.
"I should probably go," Rory murmured, turning around and catching him staring at her. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, averting her gaze.
"Okay," Jess agreed, moving aside as she began to walk towards the door.
Her back was to him as he allowed his head to sink to his chest. He bit his lip in anguish, his chest tightening as his fists did the same.
"Jess?" Rory asked as she turned around. A few inches of space was between them as she allowed herself to look up into his eyes. She saw the glimmering tear in his eye, felt the identical one in her own. She took a deep breath and a look of resolution crossed her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted a soft, quick kiss on his mouth. Shock registered in Jess's mind as her lips connected with his.
She pulled away, slowly and Jess looked at her with confusion. "What was that for?" He asked.
She shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Forgiveness."
Jess's face lit up at this small word, "Really?"
She nodded. Jess sighed in relief and pulled her into him, her body perfectly molding to his as they embraced each other.
Pulling away, Rory looked up at him, a single tear on her cheek.
"Are you okay?" Jess asked worriedly, wiping the tear away.
"I'm better than okay," Rory said. She tipped her head back and their lips met again, this time full of promise.