Rudy Can't Fail 12.5
Something had been different.
He couldn't put his finger on it; not at all. But something had been completely different this time.
Maybe it was the fact that tonight was the first time in almost a month the heat in the building had been working.
He kissed her shoulder, and she shifted a little in her sleep.
No, he reasoned. It wasn't the heat. Well...not that type of heat, at least.
When was the last time he'd felt so…so…
His thoughts were interrupted by an urgent knocking on the apartment door.
Jess blinked and sat up, careful not to wake Nadia. He slid into his boxer shorts and an old t-shirt before padding out of his bedroom, to the front door. He looked through the peephole and blinked, before shaking his head and opening the door.
Rory Gilmore rushed inside past him.
He gave her a confused looked. "It's three in the morning."
"I know," she replied.
"Ssshh," he urged. "Nadia's sleeping."
Rory rolled her eyes. "We need to talk."
"We do?"
She nodded. "Now."
"It's three in the morning," Jess pointed out again.
"You said that already," Rory snapped.
"Fine, so talk."
She hesitated.
"Well?" he snapped impatiently.
"What's wrong with me?" Rory blurted out.
Jess narrowed his eyes. "Right now?"
She looked as if she were about to explode. "Dean dumped me three times! Three! You left! I didn't do anything and you just-"
"My leaving wasn't about you!" Jess cut her off. "Not everything is about you! And how many years have I been telling you that Dean is a jack-ass, huh! You're the one who keeps running back to him! Maybe you deserve what he dishes out!"
"Don't talk about him like that!"
"He cheated on his wife, Rory. What kind of a guy does that make him?"
She attempted to shrug it off, averting her eyes. "They were unhappy."
"Bullshit," Jess snapped. "He just wanted to get laid."
"And you didn't?"
Jess glared, and headed for the door. "And now you're leaving."
"Why, because it's true?" Rory accused.
"No you crazy idiot!" Jess yelled, whirling back to face her. "I was in love with you!"
Rory could only stare at him.
"And I'm not anymore," he went on. "I've moved on. I love someone else now."
He struggled a little with his next words. "I'm…I'm in love with Nadia."
Rory glared at him with a nod. "Thanks Jess, throw it in my face."
Jess groaned and knocked his knuckles against his own forehead. "Hello! McFly!" He sighed, trying to compose himself. "In a relationship, there is give and take. And you love to take. You don't like to give. And that's where you fail at relationships."
She gave him another glare. "Like you gave anything in our relationship."
Jess tilted his head at her. "I spent ninety dollars on a picnic basket! I got us Distiller's tickets! I gave you books, and CD's, I bought dinners. I went to those stupid town events with you! I made an attempt at going to your grandmother's! I'd rent movies…even the ones I hated, but knew you loved."
She stayed silent, looking away.
"Guess what, Rory?" Jess went on. "Before you, I'd only been in really casual relationships. I put everything I could into what we had. And you put in nothing. Which is why you got over it so fast, and I didn't."
"That's not true," Rory countered.
He sighed and walked to the door, opening it up again. "G'night, Rory."
She stared at him for a moment, before walking out slowly, without turning back.
Jess closed the door quietly and then walked over to sit on the couch. He slumped back, letting his head hit the back of it. He ignored the slight twang of pain it caused.
A moment later, Nadia sat next to him, and handed him a cup of hot coffee.
Jess eyed it warily, before slowly taking it with both hands. "This have alcohol in it?" he asked.
She nodded and took a sip f her own.
He watched Nadia for a moment, wondering how long she'd been awake. Long enough to make coffee, obviously.
"Hey, Jess?"
He glanced up from his mug, and at her face.
She gave him a small smile. "I love you, too."
He stared at her, feeling like he'd been slugged in the gut by something pretty.
She leaned in and kissed him softly, before getting up and walking back to the bedroom.
He sat in shock, and drank his entire mug down.