Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but my plot.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. It means a lot to me. Oh, and I can take a little criticism if anyone has some to dish out! LoL
-Chapter 2-
"Jess." Rory repeated when he had finally turned and looked at her. She felt her nerves starting to get the better of her. Clasping her hands in front of her she struggled to find something, anything, to say.
"Did you want something, Rory?" Jess asked when she remained silent. He eyed her carefully as she fidgeted ever so slightly.
"I.um."
"Yes?"
"How's Shane?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she hadn't said them. Shane? She asked herself silently. Why bring her up when you chased to him out her to.she had she chased him out here to do?
"She's good." He forced himself not to smirk. Maybe everything Dean had said had been right. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away. It wasn't even possible.
"That's good." Her words brought him out of his thoughts and back to reality.
"Is that all you wanted?"
Rory lowered her gaze to the ground. Before she could respond she felt someone approaching from behind her. Turning slightly she saw Dean a few feet away. "Blissfully happy yet?" He asked coldly.
"Dean." Rory began, but was cut off.
"It's ok, Rory. You want him and he wants you. You never hid it before, why would you start now after we've broken up?"
"We're not together." Her voice was small and quiet.
"It's only a matter of time." Brushing past her, he stopped in front of Jess. "What are you waiting for? She's all yours, man." And with that said, he was gone.
Rory couldn't bring herself to turn around. She couldn't face Jess after what Dean had said to her. "He's a jerk." Jess' voice came from right behind her and she could feel his closeness.
"No he's not." Crossing her arms over her chest, she still refused to turn around.
"Even after what he's said and done, you still defend him. Amazing."
Spinning around quickly, she found brown eyes staring straight at her. She frowned slightly. Jess was one of the few people she couldn't read. Even his eyes gave away nothing. Instead of dwelling on the run in with Dean, she changed the subject slightly. "I went to the bridge last night." She told him, her eyes searching his face for a reaction that never came.
"Huh."
"I hate it when you do that."
He was tempted to utter the syllable in reply, but decided against it. "I had to take Shane home."
She simply nodded. "Huh."
"I hate it when you do that." He teased, a small and rare smile forming on his face.
"Now you know how it feels." They lapsed into a comfortable silence.
"I should go." Jess took a step backwards, but before he could move any farther away, Rory's hand reached out and grabbed his. Both let their gaze rest on their joined hands for a moment.
"There was a reason I followed you out here." She admitted. His eyes had raised to look at her face, but hers remained fixed on their hands. When he didn't reply, she continued. "I defended Dean when you called him a jerk because.because everything he said is true. I can't exactly fault him for being honest now can I? Especially considering that I'm the one with an honesty problem. I couldn't really expect him to just sit back and watch while I struggled with my feelings for someone, someone who wasn't him. I don't blame him for breaking up with me. I would have done it a long time ago if I were him."
"Rory." Jess tried to interrupt, but she wouldn't let him, instead she continued on as if he hadn't spoken at all.
"It isn't fair. What I did to you, to him, to myself even. I lied. Not intentionally, but it was a lie none the less. I kissed you at Sookie's wedding and then I ran. I ran from you and went off to Washington and never contacted you. Even though I tried. I wrote you letters, but I ended up throwing them all away. And then I came back and expected things to be the same as they were when I left, but you were with Shane. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. A lot. And now I'm going to unfair to you again and put you on the spot. Do you lover her?" She finally stopped for a breath and forced herself to look at him. "Jess?" Her voice came out as a whisper as she prompted him to answer her question.
But he didn't. "I should go." He repeated and gently pulled his hand away from hers. Watching him walk away, Rory felt as if someone had punched her hard in the stomach.
~*~*~
Rory slowly made her way back into Luke's. Her mother was still sitting at the counter, downing her second cup off coffee and complaining to Luke about how Kirk just had to rub it in that he had won again. "He needs to get a life. It's just a town dance competition." Rory slouched down beside her mother and listened quietly.
"Do you ever listen to yourself?" Luke inquired.
"Yes," Lorelai answered quickly. "I'm not obsessing. I'm simply complaining about his obsessing. There's a difference."
"No there's not."
"Yes there is." She turned towards her daughter. "Isn't there a difference?"
"Yeah, sure. Big difference. Luke can I have my coffee now?"
He frowned slightly at her, but poured her a cup. "Everything ok, babe?" Lorelai asked.
"Fine. I just had to take care of something and now it's taken care of."
"Right." Lorelai paused. "You know I don't like to pry, but what did you have to take care of?" "Something." Rory answered, taking a big gulp from the mug Luke set in front of her.
"Right, right. Of course. Something. But did this something, have a name?"
"Mom, I don't want to talk about it."
"Fine, I'm letting it drop. For now."
"Thanks, mom." She finished her cup in record time. "More please?"
~*~*~
Jess finished circling the tiny town of Star's Hollow for the fourth time. He ended up where he had every other. In front of the Gilmore house. Even now, he wasn't sure why he had pulled away from Rory. His heart had been telling him to stay, to kiss her and believe her. But his head had been the deciding factor. He couldn't let her hurt him again. Turning, he headed to someone who would never hurt him.
Shaking off all thoughts of Rory, he raised a hand to knock. "Coming." A voice from inside called. "Hey Jess." Shane quickly greeted and pulled him close for a kiss. She pulled her lips away from his long enough to mutter, "My parents aren't home." Then she pulled him into her room and slammed the door. Reluctantly, Jess let her shove him onto the bed. But when she leaned into kiss him again, two hurt blue eyes found their way into his mind.
Unable to shake them from his thoughts, he shoved Shane away. "What's wrong, Jess?" She asked, her voice holding more than a hint of a pout.
"Nothing." He responded, but stood up when she approached him again.
"Something is wrong. Is it me?"
"No." He shook his head at the girl. "I should be going."
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. It means a lot to me. Oh, and I can take a little criticism if anyone has some to dish out! LoL
-Chapter 2-
"Jess." Rory repeated when he had finally turned and looked at her. She felt her nerves starting to get the better of her. Clasping her hands in front of her she struggled to find something, anything, to say.
"Did you want something, Rory?" Jess asked when she remained silent. He eyed her carefully as she fidgeted ever so slightly.
"I.um."
"Yes?"
"How's Shane?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she hadn't said them. Shane? She asked herself silently. Why bring her up when you chased to him out her to.she had she chased him out here to do?
"She's good." He forced himself not to smirk. Maybe everything Dean had said had been right. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away. It wasn't even possible.
"That's good." Her words brought him out of his thoughts and back to reality.
"Is that all you wanted?"
Rory lowered her gaze to the ground. Before she could respond she felt someone approaching from behind her. Turning slightly she saw Dean a few feet away. "Blissfully happy yet?" He asked coldly.
"Dean." Rory began, but was cut off.
"It's ok, Rory. You want him and he wants you. You never hid it before, why would you start now after we've broken up?"
"We're not together." Her voice was small and quiet.
"It's only a matter of time." Brushing past her, he stopped in front of Jess. "What are you waiting for? She's all yours, man." And with that said, he was gone.
Rory couldn't bring herself to turn around. She couldn't face Jess after what Dean had said to her. "He's a jerk." Jess' voice came from right behind her and she could feel his closeness.
"No he's not." Crossing her arms over her chest, she still refused to turn around.
"Even after what he's said and done, you still defend him. Amazing."
Spinning around quickly, she found brown eyes staring straight at her. She frowned slightly. Jess was one of the few people she couldn't read. Even his eyes gave away nothing. Instead of dwelling on the run in with Dean, she changed the subject slightly. "I went to the bridge last night." She told him, her eyes searching his face for a reaction that never came.
"Huh."
"I hate it when you do that."
He was tempted to utter the syllable in reply, but decided against it. "I had to take Shane home."
She simply nodded. "Huh."
"I hate it when you do that." He teased, a small and rare smile forming on his face.
"Now you know how it feels." They lapsed into a comfortable silence.
"I should go." Jess took a step backwards, but before he could move any farther away, Rory's hand reached out and grabbed his. Both let their gaze rest on their joined hands for a moment.
"There was a reason I followed you out here." She admitted. His eyes had raised to look at her face, but hers remained fixed on their hands. When he didn't reply, she continued. "I defended Dean when you called him a jerk because.because everything he said is true. I can't exactly fault him for being honest now can I? Especially considering that I'm the one with an honesty problem. I couldn't really expect him to just sit back and watch while I struggled with my feelings for someone, someone who wasn't him. I don't blame him for breaking up with me. I would have done it a long time ago if I were him."
"Rory." Jess tried to interrupt, but she wouldn't let him, instead she continued on as if he hadn't spoken at all.
"It isn't fair. What I did to you, to him, to myself even. I lied. Not intentionally, but it was a lie none the less. I kissed you at Sookie's wedding and then I ran. I ran from you and went off to Washington and never contacted you. Even though I tried. I wrote you letters, but I ended up throwing them all away. And then I came back and expected things to be the same as they were when I left, but you were with Shane. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. A lot. And now I'm going to unfair to you again and put you on the spot. Do you lover her?" She finally stopped for a breath and forced herself to look at him. "Jess?" Her voice came out as a whisper as she prompted him to answer her question.
But he didn't. "I should go." He repeated and gently pulled his hand away from hers. Watching him walk away, Rory felt as if someone had punched her hard in the stomach.
~*~*~
Rory slowly made her way back into Luke's. Her mother was still sitting at the counter, downing her second cup off coffee and complaining to Luke about how Kirk just had to rub it in that he had won again. "He needs to get a life. It's just a town dance competition." Rory slouched down beside her mother and listened quietly.
"Do you ever listen to yourself?" Luke inquired.
"Yes," Lorelai answered quickly. "I'm not obsessing. I'm simply complaining about his obsessing. There's a difference."
"No there's not."
"Yes there is." She turned towards her daughter. "Isn't there a difference?"
"Yeah, sure. Big difference. Luke can I have my coffee now?"
He frowned slightly at her, but poured her a cup. "Everything ok, babe?" Lorelai asked.
"Fine. I just had to take care of something and now it's taken care of."
"Right." Lorelai paused. "You know I don't like to pry, but what did you have to take care of?" "Something." Rory answered, taking a big gulp from the mug Luke set in front of her.
"Right, right. Of course. Something. But did this something, have a name?"
"Mom, I don't want to talk about it."
"Fine, I'm letting it drop. For now."
"Thanks, mom." She finished her cup in record time. "More please?"
~*~*~
Jess finished circling the tiny town of Star's Hollow for the fourth time. He ended up where he had every other. In front of the Gilmore house. Even now, he wasn't sure why he had pulled away from Rory. His heart had been telling him to stay, to kiss her and believe her. But his head had been the deciding factor. He couldn't let her hurt him again. Turning, he headed to someone who would never hurt him.
Shaking off all thoughts of Rory, he raised a hand to knock. "Coming." A voice from inside called. "Hey Jess." Shane quickly greeted and pulled him close for a kiss. She pulled her lips away from his long enough to mutter, "My parents aren't home." Then she pulled him into her room and slammed the door. Reluctantly, Jess let her shove him onto the bed. But when she leaned into kiss him again, two hurt blue eyes found their way into his mind.
Unable to shake them from his thoughts, he shoved Shane away. "What's wrong, Jess?" She asked, her voice holding more than a hint of a pout.
"Nothing." He responded, but stood up when she approached him again.
"Something is wrong. Is it me?"
"No." He shook his head at the girl. "I should be going."
