AN Apologies fro the lackness of updates, work has been extremley busy and over time means no writing. But i have updated this one and hopefull i can do the Simple Things as well lol RR
Rory lifted to hand to knock on the door, only to be pulled through when she dropped her hand. Standing in the hallway she stared back at her best friend, the same familiar face that made her smile.
"I wondered when I was finally going to see you." Lane feigned nonchalance, before grinning and grabbing her best friend in a hug.
Rory watched with a small smile on her face, her godsons babbling away in their playpen. Lane handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to her on the couch.
"How is work?"
"I quit." Although Rory mumbled the words Lane heard every word, looking up surprise clearly written on her face. "I've had enough of sitting on a bus and waiting for the next story, it was a great opportunity. But I need a break."
"I get that I really do, but this is not like you Rory. Needless to say I'm glad you're here." Rory smiled and sipped quietly on her coffee.
"So I'm in need of stimulation, what have I missed?"
"Well Kirk is engaged, personally I didn't think she was that stupid but each to their own. Dean was back last year to visit his parents." Rory looked up. "He's alright though, he's in college. Oh and Jess is in town." The last statement mumbling as she whispered over the brim of her cup.
"What!"
"What?" Lane looked away embarrassed.
"Jess is here."
"Yeah I guess he's here for the wedding, he arrived a couple of days ago." Rory nodded and stared into space.
"The wedding."
"Yeah you know Star's Hollow events of the decade, the marriage between your mom and Luke, Rory are you alright?" Lane waved a hand in front of her face.
"Yeah I'm fine…..So did he seem okay?"
"If that's code for did he ask about you? He didn't, we had a very awkward conversation and he's different."
"Different, how?" Lane set her coffee cup down on the table and sighed.
"Physically he looks different, no more of the raised hair with a scoop of hair gel. He's not the same Jess; he's harder he obviously doesn't want to be here." Rory pressed her lips together in a deep set line and exhaled through her nose. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'm not going to do anything, I'm sure we can spend the rest of the weekend avoiding each other." Lane glanced at her friend.
"Rory."
"It's fine." Rory finished the remainder of her coffee and stood up from the couch."I better go; I'll talk to you tomorrow." Touching her friends arm she blew kisses to the twin and left the apartment.
Jess left his mother's house with a sigh of relief, he really didn't know if he could cope with a week of TJ and his etch-a-sketch. Turning onto Plum he walked casually down the street slightly aware of curtains twitching, gossips realizing that the bad boy was back in town. It wasn't until
it was too late that he knew he was standing across from her house, the white porch and those god damn gutters he had cleaned out himself just to get closer to her. His footsteps slowed down, the gentle reminder showing him that she was on a few short steps away. Shaking his head as his thoughts would suddenly make her materialize; it was only then that he noticed her walking across her lawn. Her head bowed and her feet dragging along the grass, stuffing his hands in his pockets he refused to feel sorry for her and walked away.
Rory entered the house and walked straight o her bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed she stared at her bookshelf and the tattered copy of Howl mocking her. Lorelai tentatively knocked on the side of the door frame and opened it slowly; she shifted her feet and stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"Rory?"
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me he would be here?" She muttered the curtain of her hair blocking her face.
"I don't know, I didn't know till a few days ago. I didn't think he would come, but Luke wanted him here." Lorelai cautiously moved into the room and sat next to her daughter on the bed.
"This is going to be bad, he hates me you know. I know he does."
"He doesn't hate you." Lorelai argued.
"Yes he does, you know that it was Jess who convinced me to go back to Yale. I went to see him in Philadelphia, pretended to be single because I knew Logan had been cheating on me. And what did I do? I kissed him led him on and left him standing like a chump in the middle of his bookstore."
The tears began to slowly etch down her cheek, and she refused to wipe them away. This was her penance the balance that for every positive is a negative, her comeuppance.
"Oh hun, I'm sure he doesn't blame you." Lorelai soothingly rubbed her back.
"If you saw the look on his face, I disappointed him. And I regret that every day, god I love Jess. I've always loved him, mom what am i going to do?"
Rory shifted and rested her head on her mother's shoulders, and for once Lorelai didn't know the answer.
Jess pulled on the curtain and entered the diner; Luke quickly set the plates at the table and looked up.
"Jess can you take that box to Lorelai's?"
"You take it, I'll cover the diner." Jess argued.
"I'll rephrase it, Jess take the box. I haven't go time; she's not there this morning." Luke pointed out.
Jess looked at the box sitting on the counter and back at his uncle who was wiping down the table, before moving to take an order from an elderly couple sitting by the window. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he teeth ground together in frustration, grabbing the box he left the diner without a word.
Lorelai was sat in the living room her feet resting on the coffee table; her eyes scanning the list on the notepad. She looked up when she felt Rory sit beside her.
"Hey what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting Lane?"
"Yeah I was, but one of the twins is sick." Rory pouted and crossed her ages underneath her, she looked up when she heard the phone ring.
"Hello…what! Oh great, well alright I'm coming now. " Lorelai closed the phone and sighed.
"What's wrong?" Rory watched her mother run around the room trying to find her keys.
"Room 8 had a flood, I told him not to overfill the bath. Anyway it's gone right through to reception and the ceiling is now cracked."
"Go, before Michel has a panic attack." Lorelai kissed Rory on the head and left the house.
Jess carried the box, his feet slowing with each step that brought his closer to Gilmore house. He knocked on the door and waited for Lorelai to open, but when the door opened she wasn't there and he cursed himself for not leaving the box on the porch.
"Luke asked me to bring this over." Rory stood rooted to the spot staring at him, the first time in 2 years.
Physically he looked no different from the last time she had seen him, and when she caught his gaze she almost flinched from the coldness in his eyes.
"You can drop it in the kitchen." Jess nodded and brushed past her and placed the box on the kitchen table, his eyes darting her bedroom and noticing it hadn't change that much. He took a deep breath and moved back past her at the doorway, he stepped onto the porch and made his way down the few steps.
"Jess?" She stepped forward and held onto the porch railing.
He closed his eyes and stood in the spot, the way she said his name caused his body to jump and he reluctantly turned around to face her.
"It's good to see you." She smiled encouragingly, her smiled faltered. No expression nothing. He turned on his heel and left her standing on the porch, Rory watched as he walked further away from her, running down the steps she ran after him and grabbed his sleeve pulling him to face her.
"Jess, what was that back there?"
"It is what it is." Jess mumbled shrugging his shoulders refusing to make eye contact.
"What's that supposed to mean? Were friends aren't we?" Jess laughed and shook his head.
"We were never friends." Rory closed her mouth and looked up at him.
"Do you hate me?"
"Hate is such a strong feeling, and I have none of those anymore when it comes to you." Jess then stared into her blue gaze, those piercing blue eyes now filled with tears before he walked away.
Rory watched him walk away and disappear, a sob escaped her throat and she fell to her knees her arms hugging her body tightly. Her face were bathed in tears and she sobbed on her front lawn, unaware of neighbors watching her from their houses, she didn't care , she couldn't move and she wasn't sure she wanted to.