*Disclaimer: I don't own the series Gilmore Girls or the original
characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.
*A/N: Hey! I know, not everyone likes the face that Rory chose to invite Jess to her wedding after not talking to him for a while, but it does make sense to me and since it's my story, I won't change or rewrite the other two chapters. So, I hope this chapter is okay.
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)
Rory nervously stood in front of the large mirror, that covered an entire wall. She ran her hands over her dress in an almost indolent matter, straightening dissimilarities that were only visible to her. Her eyes fell on her reflection once again, critically taking in her appearance. The white dress she wore was simple and resembled one of those straight nightgowns that hung till your ankles. The small adjustments however, made it look elegant and perfect for this small indoor wedding. The dress loosely clung to her body, giving the dress the affect of rippling water when she walked, and a split was thoughtfully made in the back, making it easier for her to walk. Her powder white heels and silver necklace finished her ensemble, making her look like a modern Snow White.
Rory absently tugged at her curls, as she looked over at the door, listening to the footsteps that started to pass it more frequently. Soon, those footsteps would be replaced by the soft thudding of her heels against the crimson carpet, that lead from the beginning of the church up to the small plateau where the priest would be waiting, together with Joey. A faint smile appeared on her lips, as she thought about how happy she would be to spend the rest of her living days with him. But this reverie was just a disguise. Underneath lay the feelings she had put away in the hope of never having to face them again, but she knew she was lying to herself, because if she had wanted to detach herself from those old, but still familiar feelings, she wouldn't have invited Jess to her wedding. She wouldn't have approached him at the diner a week ago.
A flame had been lit again that evening, followed by locked up memories and abstained feelings that had fallen into her present reality, deceiving her, filling her head with doubts about Joey, making herself look at him more critically. Fortunately, she hadn't given in. She just pushed those doubts asside by remembering the heartbreak Jess had caused her, something Joey would never let her go through. Instead, she pondered the decision she made a week ago. Had it been justified of her to invite Jess to her wedding. Had it been fair towards him. No, she had been selfish and had just invited him to show him how lucky she was with Joey. She had wanted to make him jealous, but she didn't want to anymore. And she regretted asking him to come. After all, this was just her pathetic way of returning his heartbreak, and no matter if he did or did not deserve it, she was better than that.
Rory let out a guilty sigh, as a shameful look settled itself on her face. She should have given Jess the opportunity to decline her offer, instead of gently persuading him to come. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt this regretful, or nervous of walking down the isle, knowing that his eyes would be following her every move. But for today, there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to live through this day without worrying about him being here. He didn't deserve her worrying.
Rory let out a startled gasp, when there was a sudden knock on the door behind her. The knock had sounded much louder than intended, because of the smallness of the room.
''You can come in.''
She waited for the squeaking sound that came with the wooden door, before turning her head in its direction, anticipating the arrival of a family member or a friend. And although the person standing in the doorframe could be considered a friend, they hadn't acted like that for a while now. As time passed they had become close strangers, who shared intimate looks and unsaid words, but nothing more.
''Jess, what are you doing here ?'' she asked, trying to keep a neutral expression and not showing her delighted surprise.
''I came to wish you good luck,'' Jess answered, as he took another step into the room and swiftly closed the door behind him with a silent thud. He remained standing near the door, while his eyes focused on Rory again, swiftly taking in her striking appearance. ''You look beautiful.''
Rory lowered her eyes and threw him a thankful smile, before turning to face the mirror again. She approvingly looked at her reflection. ''I'm a bride, I'm supposed to look pretty.''
Jess smirked at her childish words, thinking that she didn't need to put on a wedding gown to impress him. While her back was facing him, he took the opportunity to take a closer look at her, noticing that the right strap of her dress had slid off her shoulder, giving her a slightly more laid back look, as if her nerves hadn't taken control off her body just yet. But he knew that that wasn't the case. She was nervous and that made it hurt just a little more. His eyes found hers in the mirror.
''Nervous ?''
Rory sunk her teeth into her lower lip, before nodding at him. ''I'm a bundle of nerves.''
''That's normal, considering you have never done this before,'' Jess reassuringly said, as he took a couple of steps towards where she was standing.
''Yeah, let's hope this is the first and last time I have to do this, since I'm not a big fan of people staring at me, just waiting for me to trip over my heels and fall flat on my face.''
Jess smiled at her anxious rambling, putting up a happy face for her, because he didn't want to ruin this day for her, although now that he was standing only a few steps away from her, that was becoming harder and harder to do. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. ''You're making yourself nervous.''
Rory nodded in agreement, as she quickly lowered her eyes to Jess's feet in the mirror, calculating the amount of steps it would take before he would be close enough to touch. ''Is everyone about here ?''
Jess nodded.
''And what about Joey, is he here ? Cause it would be an awkward situation if he wouldn't be here, since he's the groom and all.''
''The last time I checked he was debating cartoons with his best man,'' Jess responded.
Rory smiled. ''Guess he's not worrying about anything. I just want things to be perfect, to go perfect.''
''Things will go perfectly, although things aren't perfect yet.''
Rory's smile faded, as she locked eyes with Jess in the mirror. ''What do you mean things aren't perfect yet ? Did someone end up in the hospital ? Oh God, the priest got lost, didn't he ?''
Jess took the three steps that were needed to close the lingering distance between them. ''Nothing that big.''
''Then what ?'' Rory asked, unaware of the fact that she was clutching the thin fabric of her dress tightly between her fingers.
Jess didn't say anything, instead he removed his right hand from his pocket and brought it to her right shoulder, deliberately delaying his action to catch a glimpse of the inner turmoil that she was struggling with. He briefly grazed her shoulder, before slipping one finger underneath the smooth strap of her dress and pulling it up over her shoulder.
''Now everything's perfect.''
''God, Jess! You had me freak out about nothing.''
''I told you it was nothing big,'' he responded, as he started to move his fingers across her shoulder and over to the base of her neck, wondering how far he could go.
Rory followed the experienced movement of his fingers, as they tentatively started to rub the most sensitive area of her neck. When she didn't say anything, he took that as a sign to free his other hand from his pocket and place its fingers against the other side of her neck. Soon they were mimicking the rotating movements of his other hand, making Rory tremble, causing her to lean into his hands even more and allowing him better access.
His motions were soothing and as the rotations became more frequent, Rory couldn't help her eyes from closing, as she took in his familiar touch and forgot about her wedding for a few reckless seconds. Suddenly his gesticulations stopped and she felt something soft being pressed onto her skin. Her eyes flew open, curious about what was causing the pleasant sensation. A gasp escaped her lips, when she caught Jess's reflection in the mirror. He was looking directly at her, while he was placing soft butterfly kisses on the hollow of her neck. Rory's eyes widened and she quickly turned around, so Jess was forced to stop his actions.
''Jess,'' she warned.
''Just tell me to stop,'' he said, as he leaned in and took advantage of her unfortunate position.
Although Jess's action was slow, Rory's thoughts were racing as fast as her pulse. She tried to be the rational one in this situation, even though he was making it extremely difficult for her. By the time his lips were only an inch away from hers, she had made a decision.
''Jess, please stop. You can't do this to me, not on my wedding day,'' she pleaded, her lips skimming his with every word.
Jess met her eyes and gave in to her words when he saw the many different emotions flicker within her eyes. He backed away from her, his eyes intently fixed on hers.
''I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have invited me to your wedding. Did you think I could just come and be happy for you ?''
''Jess.......,'' Rory started, as she took a step forward. But when she saw Jess take a step back, she stopped and just looked at him. ''Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come, but you..........we..........,'' Rory tried, looking for the right words.
''There's no we, Rory. There's you and Joey. And from now on that will be inevasibly clear.'' Jess paused to look at her, waiting for her to tell him that she made a wrong decision by agreeing to marry Joey, but of course that didn't happen. ''I'll see you in a few minutes,'' were his parting words, as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Rory turned around to face the mirror one last time, wondering how this would ever turn into the happiest day of her life, even though she had ruined it herself.
*~*~*
Rory looked around the church, while the flower-girl was making her way passed all those people, proudly taking the time to throw the white and pink daisy peddles onto the floor. The white and pink clashed with the red of the carpet, but Rory didn't care, because daisies were her favorite flowers and no matter what it took she would have daisies at her wedding, which she of course got. She held a bouquet of white daisies in her hands, while bigger bouquets of both white and pink daisies were placed at the beginning and end of the crimson carpet.
A genuine smile took over Rory's features, as she spotted her grandparents and both Lorelai and Lane sitting on the first bench, so they could see the ceremony from up close. She quickly scanned the bench with her eyes, pleased to see that Joey's parents and grandmother had made it too, although she hadn't been looking for them. She was looking for Jess, assuming that he would be sitting on the first couple of benches, since he came with Luke. For a minute she was afraid that he had left the church, so he wouldn't have to see her get married, but the disappointment faded when she saw him. He was sitting on an empty bench in the back, hiding away in the corner. Another regretful sigh slipped through her lips, soft enough for only her to hear.
She averted her eyes from Jess's unhappy figure and looked over at Luke, who was standing next to her, looking even more nervous than she had been the entire day.
''Are you nervous ?''
Luke shrugged, as he looked at the benches that were filled with people. ''All that staring will make me a little uncomfortable. It's like they have never seen two people walk before.''
Rory smiled and hooked her arm with his. ''At least you won't be alone.''
Luke nodded.
''Thanks again for giving me away.''
Luke affectionately looked at her, showing her that he considered it a privilege. Rory smiled and felt him tighten his grip on her arm when the music signaled their departure. Rory lowered her eyes when she passed Jess and didn't raise them again until she had reached the end of the carpet. Luke let go of her and watched her climb the small steps to where the priest and Joey were standing. Rory couldn't contain a smile when she saw the boyish excitement in his eyes. But other than that, he looked calm to the rest of the observers.
During the long winded speech of the priest, they kept their eyes locked, sharing secret smiles when they thought no one was looking. Even though they had known each other for a while now, his appearance still amazed her. The darkness of his eyes remained as intriguing as it had been a few years ago and his smile still knowing, like he already knew how happy they would be together. When the priest finally announced to everyone that they were allowed to kiss, both Joey and Rory leaned in, meeting each other half way in a lightly passionate, but suitable kiss. When they had parted, Rory still couldn't dare herself to glance in Jess's direction.
*~*~*
''I like to propose a toast, to my daughter and her brand new husband !'' Lorelai said, as she glanced at where Rory and Joey were sitting.
''I hope that all the lucky charms in the world will be on your side and bring you well deserved happiness, although my warning should be engraved in your brain forever. Cause if you hurt my little girl.......it's off with your head !''
Joey shot Rory a look, although a grin was already starting to form on his face, letting everyone know that he was having the time of his life, including Rory. He brought his head closer to hers and tenderly kissed her on her cheek. ''Are you happy ?''
Rory nodded and faced him, so she could kiss him in response. Before their kiss could get more serious, Lorelai interrupted them. ''Save that for the honeymoon!''
Both Joey and Rory had to laugh, which forced them to break the kiss. A slight blush accompanied Rory's smile, as she reached for her glass of wine, reminding her of the night she and Joey met. Except, when she brought her lips to the glass this time, it wasn't Joey who she saw. It was Jess, who raised his glass in response, although his face remained neutral. Rory lowered her eyes to her wine, thinking that not only did deeds, not words, matter most, they also hurt the most.
*~*~*
Rory looked around the reception, which apparently was a success. They had just cut the cake, which gave most of the people the opportunity to just sit down and catch up with relatives or friends they hadn't seen in a while. She, herself, was standing at a corner of the room, giving her the chance to enjoy the bursts of energy and life around her.
She looked over at where Joey was standing with some of his friends, talking. Friends that had become part of her life too, which was something relatively new to her. She had never had a close bond with the friends of her boyfriend before until she had met Joey. That was what she loved about Joey. He wanted for everyone to get along and if someone didn't, worry lines would appear in his forehead, signaling that he was trying to think of reasons why they simply couldn't get along. He was caring and sensitive to every words she said and every move she made, which Rory found flattering, since she could now openly admit that she was affected by his every word and move too.
Rory gave her husband some time alone with his friends and looked for another interesting sight, which her eyes ran into almost immediately. She caught a glimpse of Jess, as he left the large area and disappeared from her eye-range. Without thinking twice, she got up and casually made her way over to the other end of the room, following him. She found him in wardrobe, where he was putting on his jacket, which seemed ridiculously casual next to his suit.
''Jess..........''
''Rory,'' he said, sounding caught.
''Are you leaving ?''
Jess sighed, as he brought his eyes up to meet Rory's. ''All evidence points towards that direction, doesn't it ?''
''Well, were you going to say goodbye ?'' Rory asked, close to panicking as she remembered how he had left her last time.
Jess shrugged. ''I figured you were probably too busy celebrating.''
Rory couldn't read him as well as he could her, but during the years she had know him she had gotten her share of practice. Especially during the times when they hadn't spoken to one and other. She had managed to find out that whenever he was nervous or lying about something, he wasn't able to hold his focus on anything. His eyes kept moving from her eyes, to the room behind her and back again.
''Liar,'' she almost whispered, which caused Jess to lock eyes with her. His own slightly narrowed.
''Do you ever wonder why I don't tell you things sometimes ? It's because I don't wanna ruin what you have.''
''What do I have ?'' she asked.
''A husband.''
Rory lowered her eyes at the harshness of his voice, not wanting to make him any more upset. He was good at making her feel guilty about things that were supposed to make her smile and feel blessed, like Joey for instance. She had wanted someone like him for a long time. Someone who would stand by her for better or for worse. And although Jess had been there most of the time, he hadn't been there to help her find a salutation to what was bothering her. That was a rare quality Joey had.
''Rory, you have your own life now. One that includes Joey, and it shouldn't matter to you if I care or not, because I don't fit into your life. I didn't back then, and I still don't,'' Jess carefully told her.
''Then why did you come ?'' Rory asked, her voice on the verge of breaking.
''You asked,'' was his simple answer. ''You are one of the only people who has made me feel like I deserved to be there, in Stars Hollow. And I'll still be there tomorrow, but you won't. You will have moved on, which you deserve.''
''But.......,'' Rory started.
''I can't give you what Joey has given you.''
''Can't we be friends ?'' she asked, looking up at him.
''We could, but I won't. I won't be able to be just your friend, and you know that.''
''So, this is it ? I'm not allowed to call you, I'm not allowed to visit you when I'm in Stars Hollow ?''
''Of course you are. I don't want to break all ties with you, but..........''
''You just need some slack,'' Rory finished for him, tears threatening to spill over the borders of her eyes.
Jess saw that her hands were shaking and knew that it would be best to leave, since he could never stand it when she cried. He leaned towards her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, before taking a few steps towards the exit.
''I'll see you.''
Rory raised her hand, because she couldn't seem to find the right words to say goodbye. Jess threw her one last glance, before slipping through the door. Rory lowered her hand, before leaving the room in search of the nearest bathroom. She had to see for herself how upset she looked. She had to see for herself what Jess still meant to her.
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) Well, this chapter did work for me, except that for some reason I'm having trouble writing that tension between Jess and Rory, so please let me know how I did on that. And let me know if it worked. Thanks again for the reviews and critique, it was appreciated. :-)
*A/N: Hey! I know, not everyone likes the face that Rory chose to invite Jess to her wedding after not talking to him for a while, but it does make sense to me and since it's my story, I won't change or rewrite the other two chapters. So, I hope this chapter is okay.
*~*~*:-)*~*~*Bye, smile :-)
Rory nervously stood in front of the large mirror, that covered an entire wall. She ran her hands over her dress in an almost indolent matter, straightening dissimilarities that were only visible to her. Her eyes fell on her reflection once again, critically taking in her appearance. The white dress she wore was simple and resembled one of those straight nightgowns that hung till your ankles. The small adjustments however, made it look elegant and perfect for this small indoor wedding. The dress loosely clung to her body, giving the dress the affect of rippling water when she walked, and a split was thoughtfully made in the back, making it easier for her to walk. Her powder white heels and silver necklace finished her ensemble, making her look like a modern Snow White.
Rory absently tugged at her curls, as she looked over at the door, listening to the footsteps that started to pass it more frequently. Soon, those footsteps would be replaced by the soft thudding of her heels against the crimson carpet, that lead from the beginning of the church up to the small plateau where the priest would be waiting, together with Joey. A faint smile appeared on her lips, as she thought about how happy she would be to spend the rest of her living days with him. But this reverie was just a disguise. Underneath lay the feelings she had put away in the hope of never having to face them again, but she knew she was lying to herself, because if she had wanted to detach herself from those old, but still familiar feelings, she wouldn't have invited Jess to her wedding. She wouldn't have approached him at the diner a week ago.
A flame had been lit again that evening, followed by locked up memories and abstained feelings that had fallen into her present reality, deceiving her, filling her head with doubts about Joey, making herself look at him more critically. Fortunately, she hadn't given in. She just pushed those doubts asside by remembering the heartbreak Jess had caused her, something Joey would never let her go through. Instead, she pondered the decision she made a week ago. Had it been justified of her to invite Jess to her wedding. Had it been fair towards him. No, she had been selfish and had just invited him to show him how lucky she was with Joey. She had wanted to make him jealous, but she didn't want to anymore. And she regretted asking him to come. After all, this was just her pathetic way of returning his heartbreak, and no matter if he did or did not deserve it, she was better than that.
Rory let out a guilty sigh, as a shameful look settled itself on her face. She should have given Jess the opportunity to decline her offer, instead of gently persuading him to come. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt this regretful, or nervous of walking down the isle, knowing that his eyes would be following her every move. But for today, there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to live through this day without worrying about him being here. He didn't deserve her worrying.
Rory let out a startled gasp, when there was a sudden knock on the door behind her. The knock had sounded much louder than intended, because of the smallness of the room.
''You can come in.''
She waited for the squeaking sound that came with the wooden door, before turning her head in its direction, anticipating the arrival of a family member or a friend. And although the person standing in the doorframe could be considered a friend, they hadn't acted like that for a while now. As time passed they had become close strangers, who shared intimate looks and unsaid words, but nothing more.
''Jess, what are you doing here ?'' she asked, trying to keep a neutral expression and not showing her delighted surprise.
''I came to wish you good luck,'' Jess answered, as he took another step into the room and swiftly closed the door behind him with a silent thud. He remained standing near the door, while his eyes focused on Rory again, swiftly taking in her striking appearance. ''You look beautiful.''
Rory lowered her eyes and threw him a thankful smile, before turning to face the mirror again. She approvingly looked at her reflection. ''I'm a bride, I'm supposed to look pretty.''
Jess smirked at her childish words, thinking that she didn't need to put on a wedding gown to impress him. While her back was facing him, he took the opportunity to take a closer look at her, noticing that the right strap of her dress had slid off her shoulder, giving her a slightly more laid back look, as if her nerves hadn't taken control off her body just yet. But he knew that that wasn't the case. She was nervous and that made it hurt just a little more. His eyes found hers in the mirror.
''Nervous ?''
Rory sunk her teeth into her lower lip, before nodding at him. ''I'm a bundle of nerves.''
''That's normal, considering you have never done this before,'' Jess reassuringly said, as he took a couple of steps towards where she was standing.
''Yeah, let's hope this is the first and last time I have to do this, since I'm not a big fan of people staring at me, just waiting for me to trip over my heels and fall flat on my face.''
Jess smiled at her anxious rambling, putting up a happy face for her, because he didn't want to ruin this day for her, although now that he was standing only a few steps away from her, that was becoming harder and harder to do. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. ''You're making yourself nervous.''
Rory nodded in agreement, as she quickly lowered her eyes to Jess's feet in the mirror, calculating the amount of steps it would take before he would be close enough to touch. ''Is everyone about here ?''
Jess nodded.
''And what about Joey, is he here ? Cause it would be an awkward situation if he wouldn't be here, since he's the groom and all.''
''The last time I checked he was debating cartoons with his best man,'' Jess responded.
Rory smiled. ''Guess he's not worrying about anything. I just want things to be perfect, to go perfect.''
''Things will go perfectly, although things aren't perfect yet.''
Rory's smile faded, as she locked eyes with Jess in the mirror. ''What do you mean things aren't perfect yet ? Did someone end up in the hospital ? Oh God, the priest got lost, didn't he ?''
Jess took the three steps that were needed to close the lingering distance between them. ''Nothing that big.''
''Then what ?'' Rory asked, unaware of the fact that she was clutching the thin fabric of her dress tightly between her fingers.
Jess didn't say anything, instead he removed his right hand from his pocket and brought it to her right shoulder, deliberately delaying his action to catch a glimpse of the inner turmoil that she was struggling with. He briefly grazed her shoulder, before slipping one finger underneath the smooth strap of her dress and pulling it up over her shoulder.
''Now everything's perfect.''
''God, Jess! You had me freak out about nothing.''
''I told you it was nothing big,'' he responded, as he started to move his fingers across her shoulder and over to the base of her neck, wondering how far he could go.
Rory followed the experienced movement of his fingers, as they tentatively started to rub the most sensitive area of her neck. When she didn't say anything, he took that as a sign to free his other hand from his pocket and place its fingers against the other side of her neck. Soon they were mimicking the rotating movements of his other hand, making Rory tremble, causing her to lean into his hands even more and allowing him better access.
His motions were soothing and as the rotations became more frequent, Rory couldn't help her eyes from closing, as she took in his familiar touch and forgot about her wedding for a few reckless seconds. Suddenly his gesticulations stopped and she felt something soft being pressed onto her skin. Her eyes flew open, curious about what was causing the pleasant sensation. A gasp escaped her lips, when she caught Jess's reflection in the mirror. He was looking directly at her, while he was placing soft butterfly kisses on the hollow of her neck. Rory's eyes widened and she quickly turned around, so Jess was forced to stop his actions.
''Jess,'' she warned.
''Just tell me to stop,'' he said, as he leaned in and took advantage of her unfortunate position.
Although Jess's action was slow, Rory's thoughts were racing as fast as her pulse. She tried to be the rational one in this situation, even though he was making it extremely difficult for her. By the time his lips were only an inch away from hers, she had made a decision.
''Jess, please stop. You can't do this to me, not on my wedding day,'' she pleaded, her lips skimming his with every word.
Jess met her eyes and gave in to her words when he saw the many different emotions flicker within her eyes. He backed away from her, his eyes intently fixed on hers.
''I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have invited me to your wedding. Did you think I could just come and be happy for you ?''
''Jess.......,'' Rory started, as she took a step forward. But when she saw Jess take a step back, she stopped and just looked at him. ''Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come, but you..........we..........,'' Rory tried, looking for the right words.
''There's no we, Rory. There's you and Joey. And from now on that will be inevasibly clear.'' Jess paused to look at her, waiting for her to tell him that she made a wrong decision by agreeing to marry Joey, but of course that didn't happen. ''I'll see you in a few minutes,'' were his parting words, as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Rory turned around to face the mirror one last time, wondering how this would ever turn into the happiest day of her life, even though she had ruined it herself.
*~*~*
Rory looked around the church, while the flower-girl was making her way passed all those people, proudly taking the time to throw the white and pink daisy peddles onto the floor. The white and pink clashed with the red of the carpet, but Rory didn't care, because daisies were her favorite flowers and no matter what it took she would have daisies at her wedding, which she of course got. She held a bouquet of white daisies in her hands, while bigger bouquets of both white and pink daisies were placed at the beginning and end of the crimson carpet.
A genuine smile took over Rory's features, as she spotted her grandparents and both Lorelai and Lane sitting on the first bench, so they could see the ceremony from up close. She quickly scanned the bench with her eyes, pleased to see that Joey's parents and grandmother had made it too, although she hadn't been looking for them. She was looking for Jess, assuming that he would be sitting on the first couple of benches, since he came with Luke. For a minute she was afraid that he had left the church, so he wouldn't have to see her get married, but the disappointment faded when she saw him. He was sitting on an empty bench in the back, hiding away in the corner. Another regretful sigh slipped through her lips, soft enough for only her to hear.
She averted her eyes from Jess's unhappy figure and looked over at Luke, who was standing next to her, looking even more nervous than she had been the entire day.
''Are you nervous ?''
Luke shrugged, as he looked at the benches that were filled with people. ''All that staring will make me a little uncomfortable. It's like they have never seen two people walk before.''
Rory smiled and hooked her arm with his. ''At least you won't be alone.''
Luke nodded.
''Thanks again for giving me away.''
Luke affectionately looked at her, showing her that he considered it a privilege. Rory smiled and felt him tighten his grip on her arm when the music signaled their departure. Rory lowered her eyes when she passed Jess and didn't raise them again until she had reached the end of the carpet. Luke let go of her and watched her climb the small steps to where the priest and Joey were standing. Rory couldn't contain a smile when she saw the boyish excitement in his eyes. But other than that, he looked calm to the rest of the observers.
During the long winded speech of the priest, they kept their eyes locked, sharing secret smiles when they thought no one was looking. Even though they had known each other for a while now, his appearance still amazed her. The darkness of his eyes remained as intriguing as it had been a few years ago and his smile still knowing, like he already knew how happy they would be together. When the priest finally announced to everyone that they were allowed to kiss, both Joey and Rory leaned in, meeting each other half way in a lightly passionate, but suitable kiss. When they had parted, Rory still couldn't dare herself to glance in Jess's direction.
*~*~*
''I like to propose a toast, to my daughter and her brand new husband !'' Lorelai said, as she glanced at where Rory and Joey were sitting.
''I hope that all the lucky charms in the world will be on your side and bring you well deserved happiness, although my warning should be engraved in your brain forever. Cause if you hurt my little girl.......it's off with your head !''
Joey shot Rory a look, although a grin was already starting to form on his face, letting everyone know that he was having the time of his life, including Rory. He brought his head closer to hers and tenderly kissed her on her cheek. ''Are you happy ?''
Rory nodded and faced him, so she could kiss him in response. Before their kiss could get more serious, Lorelai interrupted them. ''Save that for the honeymoon!''
Both Joey and Rory had to laugh, which forced them to break the kiss. A slight blush accompanied Rory's smile, as she reached for her glass of wine, reminding her of the night she and Joey met. Except, when she brought her lips to the glass this time, it wasn't Joey who she saw. It was Jess, who raised his glass in response, although his face remained neutral. Rory lowered her eyes to her wine, thinking that not only did deeds, not words, matter most, they also hurt the most.
*~*~*
Rory looked around the reception, which apparently was a success. They had just cut the cake, which gave most of the people the opportunity to just sit down and catch up with relatives or friends they hadn't seen in a while. She, herself, was standing at a corner of the room, giving her the chance to enjoy the bursts of energy and life around her.
She looked over at where Joey was standing with some of his friends, talking. Friends that had become part of her life too, which was something relatively new to her. She had never had a close bond with the friends of her boyfriend before until she had met Joey. That was what she loved about Joey. He wanted for everyone to get along and if someone didn't, worry lines would appear in his forehead, signaling that he was trying to think of reasons why they simply couldn't get along. He was caring and sensitive to every words she said and every move she made, which Rory found flattering, since she could now openly admit that she was affected by his every word and move too.
Rory gave her husband some time alone with his friends and looked for another interesting sight, which her eyes ran into almost immediately. She caught a glimpse of Jess, as he left the large area and disappeared from her eye-range. Without thinking twice, she got up and casually made her way over to the other end of the room, following him. She found him in wardrobe, where he was putting on his jacket, which seemed ridiculously casual next to his suit.
''Jess..........''
''Rory,'' he said, sounding caught.
''Are you leaving ?''
Jess sighed, as he brought his eyes up to meet Rory's. ''All evidence points towards that direction, doesn't it ?''
''Well, were you going to say goodbye ?'' Rory asked, close to panicking as she remembered how he had left her last time.
Jess shrugged. ''I figured you were probably too busy celebrating.''
Rory couldn't read him as well as he could her, but during the years she had know him she had gotten her share of practice. Especially during the times when they hadn't spoken to one and other. She had managed to find out that whenever he was nervous or lying about something, he wasn't able to hold his focus on anything. His eyes kept moving from her eyes, to the room behind her and back again.
''Liar,'' she almost whispered, which caused Jess to lock eyes with her. His own slightly narrowed.
''Do you ever wonder why I don't tell you things sometimes ? It's because I don't wanna ruin what you have.''
''What do I have ?'' she asked.
''A husband.''
Rory lowered her eyes at the harshness of his voice, not wanting to make him any more upset. He was good at making her feel guilty about things that were supposed to make her smile and feel blessed, like Joey for instance. She had wanted someone like him for a long time. Someone who would stand by her for better or for worse. And although Jess had been there most of the time, he hadn't been there to help her find a salutation to what was bothering her. That was a rare quality Joey had.
''Rory, you have your own life now. One that includes Joey, and it shouldn't matter to you if I care or not, because I don't fit into your life. I didn't back then, and I still don't,'' Jess carefully told her.
''Then why did you come ?'' Rory asked, her voice on the verge of breaking.
''You asked,'' was his simple answer. ''You are one of the only people who has made me feel like I deserved to be there, in Stars Hollow. And I'll still be there tomorrow, but you won't. You will have moved on, which you deserve.''
''But.......,'' Rory started.
''I can't give you what Joey has given you.''
''Can't we be friends ?'' she asked, looking up at him.
''We could, but I won't. I won't be able to be just your friend, and you know that.''
''So, this is it ? I'm not allowed to call you, I'm not allowed to visit you when I'm in Stars Hollow ?''
''Of course you are. I don't want to break all ties with you, but..........''
''You just need some slack,'' Rory finished for him, tears threatening to spill over the borders of her eyes.
Jess saw that her hands were shaking and knew that it would be best to leave, since he could never stand it when she cried. He leaned towards her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, before taking a few steps towards the exit.
''I'll see you.''
Rory raised her hand, because she couldn't seem to find the right words to say goodbye. Jess threw her one last glance, before slipping through the door. Rory lowered her hand, before leaving the room in search of the nearest bathroom. She had to see for herself how upset she looked. She had to see for herself what Jess still meant to her.
*R*E*V*I*E*W*! Please ? :-) Well, this chapter did work for me, except that for some reason I'm having trouble writing that tension between Jess and Rory, so please let me know how I did on that. And let me know if it worked. Thanks again for the reviews and critique, it was appreciated. :-)