A/N: Gotta let me know if I should continue or not.

Chapter 19

Too late

~~~

Jess woke up the next morning still feeling downright miserable, he just couldn't shake the funk he was in.

Luckily and surprisingly enough, Luke gave him the space he needed.

He'd told his uncle what had happened, his version at least and Luke had been more flabbergasted by the revelation that he could actually write songs.

He was pissed off that Rory was caught up in it all but he said he would stay out of it.

He'd even asked to listen to the CD, his eyes widening at Skye's appearance on the cover. That had brought a small smile to his lips. The first smile in a long time.

"Luke I'm going out." He yelled, taking a copy of 'David Copperfield' with him.

He wasn't even going to attempt to read Hemingway. It would only make him think of her and he didn't need that right now especially since she was what he thought about anyway.

He was beginning to regret his decision later ironically, because of Dickens.

Dickens made him think of Oliver Twist which in turn turned his thoughts to Dodger, which invariably led back to Rory.

It always led back to her.

He gave up, his concentration not in working order. He figured he'd go back to the diner but all his plans and coherent thought went out the window when he found himself looking into crystal blue eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rory's blood hummed in her ears as she came face to face with the object of her jumbled thoughts.

She wished she could be in any other place, the pain slowly eating at her from inside.

Her feet were frozen and her brain followed suit as the sun turned his hair to sable, his eyes to molten amber.

She shouldn't have come here but she wasn't able to help herself as she was drawn there.

But then she shouldn't have been surprised, she had had happy times there even if their last encounter hadn't been that pleasant and as they stared at each other, neither saying a word she knew they were both remembering the same thing.

"What are you doing here?" she said more harshly than she had intended but she was caught off guard and still holding on to feelings of bitterness.

He lifted his book by way of explanation all the while staring at her, unnerving her. She reacted on the defensive.

"Why here?" she had wanted some alone time away from thoughts of him and the hurt he caused.

Instead she had to deal with something she wasn't ready for yet. It never occurred to her that she could just walk away.

Maybe she was masochistic.

"Small town not many places to go and it was a free country last time I checked." He said in that infuriating unflappable way of his.

She found herself studying his face, her face reddening in mortification at the memory of slapping him.

He seemed to have no marks - physically or emotionally but then again how could she have expected him to, weeks had passed and she was sure she hadn't been given any thought.

He made his way to move past her but some insane part of her didn't want him to leave just yet, she was only tormenting herself she knew but she hadn't seen him in a while.

At least that was the excuse she used.

"Typical." She muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked whirling around.

"What?"

"Don't give me that crap Rory, if you're gonna start an argument don't be so cowardly about it."

"Cowardly? Cowardly! This coming from you? That's rich." She laughed.

She instantly regretted her words as she saw his eyes harden and a shiver ran down his spine. She thought back to night she last saw him. He'd looked like he was on the prowl. He looked like that now and Rory felt like she was his prey.

She had to fight the urge to step back.

"Would you care to me more specific in your slandering Rory." He said quietly, dangerously quietly.

"You're the one walking away. You figure it out."

"I don't know what's going in your mind Rory. I mean last time we spoke you came up with the most ridiculous accusations, so why don't you just save us both the time and energy and spit it out."

"You walked away that night. You did, not me!"

He looked at her perplexedly, "You honestly expected me to stay so that I could be accused of goodness know what else? I may have been a fool concerning a great many things Rory Gilmore but I wasn't fool enough to continue to be your punching bag. I'm still not."

He walked away again and Rory was filled with some perverse desire to see him hurt. Hurt the way she was right now. An eye for an eye after all.

"Got somewhere else to be? Gee don't let me keep you." She said derisively.

Rory hardly recognised herself. Where was the girl who wanted to get along with everyone? Who wanted everyone else to get along too?

Jess stopped again, "What the hell is your problem? You enjoy ripping my guts out? Funny I never would have taken you for the bitch Rory."

She felt as if he'd physically struck her and it made her lash out even more.

"You are certainly are something you know that. Me ripping your guts out? How poetic, why don't you get your girlfriend to tend to your wounds?"

"I would but you don't seem to want to let me out of your sight. And we've already been through this, Skye and I are just friends. Whether you want to believe it, your right I guess."

"I think you've said that so much that you're actually starting to believe your own lies."

"Why do you care anyway?" he threw at her suddenly.

Rory didn't know what to say for a moment, so she just stood there.

How was she supposed to answer that without giving away the true extent of her humiliation?

"I can't answer that because I don't." she said even though nothing could be further from the truth.

"Well I'm glad we're finally communicating." He said cuttingly.

She said nothing, she couldn't say anything because the words that were coming out of her mouth weren't a true reflection. She wished she could take them back.

"Don't look so worried Rory. I won't burden you with the displeasure of my company a minute longer. I bid you adieu." He said saluting her mockingly before Rory was once again left to watch him turn his back on her.

Jess had closed himself off from her, she didn't think he'd ever really let her get a real look.

And now it was too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was about to fall asleep when she heard the knock on the door.

"Jess?" she asked as she let him in. He looked like a bus had knocked him a couple of times. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with a bleakness that chilled Skye to the bone.

He must have seen her and knowing that this was the result made Skye want to go give Rory a piece of her mind. But not now, he'd come here for a reason and she wasn't gonna turn her back on him.

"What happened?" she asked, closing the door behind him.

He crumpled onto the bed, his head in his hands.

Long moments passed. "I thought it would be easy. How could I have been so stupid?"

"You're anything but Jess." She said kneeling before him, taking his hands into hers. She couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes as she saw her best friend go through so much anguish.

"She doesn't care." He said woodenly.

"Don't - "

"She doesn't Skye." He cut her off.

"Then she's a fool."

"I can't do this anymore Skye. I can't." he said on the verge of tears himself.

It was all she needed.

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't do it anymore. Leave. Come back to New York with me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: What will Jess do? Only one way to find out, review. (Hey that rhymes.) I know I'm probably being a pain by asking but people please let me know what you think. How else am I gonna know if you're still interested? I don't mind bad ones just try not to be too harsh.