A/N: hey guys! Here is another chapter. I promise I didn't forget about Lorelai, she'll be there in a couple of chapters. And I didn't forget Paris either. Also, soon, Rory and Jess will be in Daytona Beach. In fact, in the next chapter, they will. Rory will have a surprise! Stay tuned.

Chapter 6 – The truth, finally.

They were both sitting at a table in the coffee place; Rory was playing with her coffee cup. It was her second in fifteen minutes. She was trying her best to tell Jess what she had to tell him; she had to tell him the truth about her feelings for him.

While this time, Jess had been silent. She was the one who wanted to talk, why would he speak first? He was being stubborn, but he couldn't help it. He studied carefully her amazing blue eyes, waiting for her to say something, wondering what she had in mind. Then, they both decided that this silence was uncomfortable.

"Rory."

"Jess."

They had said it at the same time.

"Go ahead", they said again at the same time. Rory laughed nervously.

"It's weird, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yup", was Jess' answer.

He was lost in his thoughts. Rory just had a fight in HIS car with her boyfriend. And she had mentioned Jess' name. Bag Boy was probably suspecting something again. He didn't seem to trust Rory.

"Jess…" Rory began.

"You had a fight with Bag Boy?" Jess asked suddenly.

Rory sighed.

"His name is Dean."

"Whatever", Jess said.

He didn't care. He would never forget Dean's name. He was to Rory and Jess wanted to be more than anything: her boyfriend. For that reason, Jess hated to say Dean's name. Bag Boy fitted anyway.

"It was more than just a fight…" Rory replied.

"Don't worry, you'll work things out, as always," Jess said sadly, but not too much. He didn't want Rory to know he was hurt.

"I don't think so."

"How come?"

"We… we broke up," Rory finally said.

Silence.

Jess wasn't sure if he had heard right. Rory and Dean were broken up. The fact slowly made his way to his mind. Jess hid a smile. He was happy, but Rory's break up didn't mean that she's jump immediately in his arms. In fact, Jess was totally aware that it would be a hard time for Rory. Dean had been her first boyfriend. He wouldn't be forgotten easily. Jess was determined to wait for Rory to move on. He didn't want to rush things 'cause he loved her. She wasn't like the girls he know back in New York. No, she was sweet and innocent.

"Are you okay? Jess asked Rory who was now too quiet to be her mother's daughter.

"Yeah," Rory whispered, taking a sip of her now cold coffee.

"If you say so," Jess said, not believing her.

He looked right into Rory's eyes. He could easily read her. That's when he noticed something different in her eyes. She didn't seem to be that hurt. She seemed confused. As for why, Jess had no idea.

Looking at Rory's lovely face, Jess felt the urge to kiss her, but he kept himself for doing it. He didn't want her to run away; it would be too dangerous. They were far away from everything Rory knew and trusted. Except for him. She did trust him. She was almost the only one who had given him a chance. The only one except for Luke.

Rory told herself that she was being a child. It was Jess, her friend. The one she had skipped school to see him in New York, missing her mother's graduation. Jess. She loved the way his hair was messy and he didn't seem to care. It was sexy.

Rory shook her head. She had to tell him… She took a deep breath.

"Dean was suspicious. He said that we were breaking up because of you", she said, looking away.

Jess raised an eyebrow.

"I figured it was something like that… You said my name, so.." Jess began but never finished his sentence 'cause Rory cut him off.

"He was right."

Silence.

"Say something, Jess!" Rory exploded after five minutes of silence. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I don't know what to say," Jess admitted.

He thought that it was too soon to tell her about his feelings, but now that she had just said what he had hoping she would say from a long time, maybe should he just go ahead?

"I take it you don't feel the same way as I do. I totally understand. I made a fool of myself and I screwed up my life. I'm sorry, Jess," Rory rambled.

"Rory…"

"I just thought…"

"Rory!"

"What?" Rory asked, back into reality, a tear sliding on her cheek.

"I…" Jess was about to say 'the three words', but they remained hidden in his throat. "I feel the same way as you do. In fact, I feel the same way since I first met you."

Rory smiled between her tears. She couldn't believe it. Jess gently touched her face. He didn't kiss her though, he was afraid he would scare her. He could picture her as a little animal with a broken bone. He didn't want to move too fast for her.

She surprised him as she made her way to his side of the table and kissed him on the lips. A soft kiss that quickly became more passionate. Rory broke the kiss but remained as near as possible to Jess without kissing him.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" she asked him, feeling childish.

Jess softly laughed.

"I'll sure be glad to be your boyfriend," he answered as they headed back to the car. "We still have a long way ahead of us," Jess said. "And once we'll be in Daytona Beach, I have a surprise for you," he added mysteriously.

"A surprise?" Rory asked, excited.

Jess nodded.

"Yep."

"What is it?"

"Not telling."

"Please!"

"Nope."

"Pretty please!"

"Not listening! Not listening!" Jess said, covering his ears with his hands.

Rory pouted.

"You're no fun," she said.

"You'll have to live with it," Jess smirked.

He started the engine and a moment later, they were back on the interstate 95. The sky was darker and Rory couldn't read anymore so she decided to listen to music.

"Wow! There's a cd player in that old car!" she exclaimed.

"It wouldn't have been my car if there wasn't a cd player in it," Jess said.

"I thought so. What would you like to listen to?" Rory asked.

"How about The Clash?", he said, remembering the night he had spoken to her online.

"Sounds good."

Rory opened the dashboard and took Jess' cd. She looked at the cd cover and smiled. It was 'The Clash On Broadway' cd.

"It's my favourite," Rory said as she put the cd in the cd player.

"Mine too," Jess replied.

They began to sing the song 'Lightning strikes (not one but twice).

"Now lightning strikes in old
New York
It may be dark but I wanna talk
It might rain, it might snow
Too many things I got to know
If this is spring than it's time to sing
Never mind the l'il birdies wing
Look out, look out, old New York
New York's coming an' New York talks
Hey! Strike! Not once...
Strike! But twice!"

And then, Jess smiled one of the biggest smile in months. He was happy finally. Rory was his girlfriend. He couldn't wish for more.

"I'm hungry and I need coffee," Rory said.

"We'll be in Fayetteville, North Carolina in five kilometres, can you wait?" Jess asked.

"Nom but I have no other choice," Rory replied.

A moment later, Rory was all excited.

"Jess! Look! There's an ice cream stand over there! Can we go?" she asked with hope and happiness in her eyes. They were sparkling, as if it was the first time she would get ice cream.

Jess laughed, but stopped the car. Rory quickly got off the car and ran to the ice cream stand.

"I hope they have cones," Jess said.

"They have cones, Jess. This is an ice cream stand. They can't be out of cones," Rory reminded him.

"Yeah sure."

"You'll see," she tried to reassure him.

Rory turned to the young man.

"Do you have cones?" she asked before Jess could open his mouth.

"Of course, ma'am," he said with a smile.

"Great!" Rory exclaimed. "So… huh… I'll take chocolate chips ice cream in a cone. A big one," she added.

"Perfect. And what will it be for you?" the young man asked Jess.

"I'll take the same."

"Do you have coffee?" Rory asked suddenly.

"We have iced coffee," the man replied.

"Great. I'll take an iced coffee too then," she ordered. "Oh! Make it two."

The young man handed them what they had ordered, Jess paid and they left.

"I officially love this place," Rory said, eating her ice cream.

"And I officially know that you're crazy," Jess replied, kissing her on the lips.

When Rory broke the kiss, she put her coffees on the sidewalk and put some ice cream on Jess' nose. At first, he was too surprised to react. Rory laughed out load.

"You'll pay for that," he said.

Rory laughed again. She was about to take back her coffees but Jess stood up with a big smiled on his face. Rory ran away from him, but he ran faster so he caught her arms and put some ice cream in her face.

"Jess! You're no fun!" Rory said and pouted.

"Is that really what you think?" Jess asked seriously.

"Maybe… Maybe not…" she said playfully.

They kissed. There was ice cream all over their face. Rory seemed to forget everything around her. But soon, she would have to call her mom. And Jess.. He thought of Rory's surprise. He couldn't help to see her reaction.

*Hey all, yesterday, I had this fabulous idea for a new fic. I wanted to finish this one before starting the other, but I don't want to lose my ideas so I'll write the first chapter. It should be up this weekend. I'll also continue this one, so don't worry about it. I have still a lot of ideas for this one :)

Sarah