I was in my room when I heard Jess let himself in the front door. Mom and Luke were at Doosey's getting food for dinner.

"Well, look who it is," I turned around to see him leaning against my doorframe. He raised one of his eyebrows and grinned at me. My heart pounded.

"You're early," I said. It was only four.

"I said I'd be here around supper. Some people eat early. Where's Luke and your mom?"

"Getting supper. As often as we eat at four o'clock in the afternoon, we decided to wait a bit today, just for you,"

"That's awfully nice of you to change your eating schedule on account of me,"

"Why are you here?" I decided to play it cool. Or as cool as I could.

"Well, I don't have anywhere else to stay. Sleeping on the streets really isn't as glamorous as it's made out to be, believe me."

"No, I mean why did you leave New York?" I asked. "If that's where you really were?"

"It doesn't matter,"

I didn't want to probe him any more, so I didn't ask.

We stood in silence.

"I thought this might be awkward," he said.

"Did you?" I said sarcastically. "Hmm, let's see. We sleep together for two weeks, you leave without a word, only leaving a note that doesn't say where you're going or why you're going or where I can reach you. Then you come back here and expect everything to be the way it was?"

"I don't know what to expect anymore," he said. He opened his mouth and was about to say something else when we heard the front door open and Mom and Luke come in.

"Look, he's my nephew and I think I know him better than you. He's not going to eat that pizza."

"But it's so good!"

"He doesn't like broccoli."

"Everybody likes broccoli!"

Jess walked into the kitchen.

"You're early," Luke told him.

"So I've heard."

I couldn't get to sleep that night. Just knowing that Jess and I were the only ones on the floor and all that separated us was a wall sent shivers up spine. I didn't know what to think. Most of me hated him for hurting me so much. But a part of me loved him. I sat up in bed and decided a glass of water would help. I crept into the kitchen, and when I turned on the light, found Jess sitting at the kitchen table.

"What are you doing up?" I asked him.

"It's one in the morning," he said, as if that explained it all. I looked at him blankly. "And in New York I had a different sleeping schedule."

"Okay," I said. I got a glass and filled it with water. I started to head back to bed.

"Wait," he said.

"What do you want?"

"Listen, Rory," he said. "I screwed up. I've been thinking about it, and I screwed up big. I never should have left. And that note… what the hell was I thinking? Look, I just want to say… I'm sorry,"

I eyed him suspiciously. I'd never heard him apologize before. I didn't know if he meant it. But he sure sounded sorry. And I wanted to believe him.

"How can I trust you?" I said. "How do I know you won't leave in the middle of the night?"

He stood up, walked over to me, took my hands and looked me in the eye. "I promise I won't leave. At least not without you,"

He kissed me lightly on the lips and walked out, saying "Goodnight Rory,"

I stood there, dazed. I didn't know what to think, and I didn't know what to believe. The Jess that had walked into this house today did not seem like the same Jess who had left two months ago.

It made me wonder what had happened to him in New York.