Chapter Twenty Six

'You ready to go in honey?' Lorelai asked looking across at Rory. Who was standing nervously playing with the hem of her blue top.

'Yeah. It's now or never' Rory said looking back at the car where Luke and Jess were waiting to get out and grab her things.

'I suggest never' Lorelai said 'Just disappear. After all that's what I did. I ran away to stars hollow. That turned out pretty good.' Lorelai added.

'No. I need to know why she did it.' Rory replied pressing the doorbell.

'Well alright then' Lorelai said squeezing her daughters hand in support. Emily opened the door. Her face showed all the shock she felt.

'Lorelai! I wasn't expecting you' Emily said letting them into the hall.

***

'What's on your mind?' Luke asked Jess as he watched him packing up Rory's books.

'Nothing. Why?' Jess replied smiling as he lifted a copy of the fountainhead from Rory's shelf.

'You look like you have something on your mind.' Luke said knowing Jess wasn't saying something.

'It's Rory. You know it's been so long since I last saw her. I thought she'd broken up with me, I thought she didn't want anything to do with me. Now I come here and find out that none of that was true. We lost all this time and I don't know where I stand with her anymore.' Jess said revealing what he was really thinking. Which was rare for him.

'Where do you want things to stand?' Luke asked him carefully not wanting him to shut down.

'I've spent all this time thinking about her. Nobody else. I mean Jeez! I wrote a book for her. Because of her.' Jess said finishing with her books.

***

'Grandma, Grandpa do you remember Jess?' Rory asked once they were sat at the table. Emily froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. Richard looked at his granddaughter uncomfortably.

'You're old boyfriend?' Emily asked 'The one who took off.'

'Yeah. Well I bumped into him. Funniest thing happens though. We start talking, and he says he got a note from me. Breaking up with him.' Rory is trying hard to hold onto her anger. Not letting herself yell.

'Really?' Richard asks glancing at his wife.

'Yeah. Only I never sent it. That's why he skipped town though. Strangest part is he still had the note and when I read it I noticed something' Rory said staring at her grandma.

'What was that?' Emily asked.

'The note was signed in my name. Only one of the letters was written differently to how I write it. Actually grandma it was written the way you write them.' Rory said her voice rising a little.

'Your not honestly suggesting I forged your handwriting and wrote a note saying he wasn't good enough. Breaking up with him.' Emily said.

'I never mentioned that the note said anything about him not being good enough. Why grandma? Why did you do it?' Rory yelled.

'He was never good enough for you Rory' Emily defended.

'We thought we were acting in your best interests' Richard put in. Rory froze and turned to her grandpa.

'You were part of this?' Rory was hurt. She'd expected it of her grandma but not him.

'Rory you have to understand that boy is not the kind of person you should be with. I stand by what we did. Now your with Logan, he's far more suitable.' Richard replied.

'I broke up with Logan. I'm going back to Yale. I'm moving out and I won't be coming here anymore' Rory yelled.

'Lorelai talk some sense into her. You never liked Jess either.' Emily said frantically.

'No. I'm with Rory on this one. I may not have liked Jess in the beginning but Rory loved him. He loved her. That's all that mattered. You two crossed a line sending that note. It broke Rory's heart, your to blame for that.' Lorelai said standing up from the table. 'I had to watch Rory cry herself to sleep because the man she loved had left and it was all down to you. So you know what I'm done. I was angry with you for going behind my back and letting Rory live here. Now this! This is so much worse. Because in everything. No matter how many times you've messed with my life I never imagined you would hurt my baby girl. Now you have there is no coming back'

'Mum can we go?' Rory asked close to tears. Lorelai nodded and they both headed out into the car where Luke and Jess were waiting. Having packed up all Rory's things. Rory climbed into the back with Jess and burst into tears. She couldn't believe her grandpa had been in on it all along. Jess immediately put his arms around her and rubbed her back comfortingly. He couldn't bare seeing her cry.

***

'I read your book.' Rory said the next morning coming out into the kitchen where Luke and Jess were sat with Lorelai. They all been there a while waiting for Rory to wake up.

'Already? You didn't have to read it so soon.' Jess said smiling slightly.

'I wanted to. Jess it's brilliant. So insightful.' Rory said sitting next to him at the table. It was then that she noticed his bags. Her heart sunk. Lorelai noticing this pulled Luke out the back door to leave them alone.

'You're leaving?' Rory asked. Jess looked away from her.

'I'm due back in Philly.' Jess said quietly.

'Oh.' Rory knew he needed to get back. Knew there was probably no hope and yet she still asked 'Can't you stay a couple days?' Jess looked up at her with his famous smirk.

'You want me to stay?' Jess asked looking her in the eyes. She took his hand.

'I never wanted you to leave' She said quietly.

'I guess I can stick around a few days' Jess smiles at her. Rory smiles back. Maybe there was still hope.

A/N- Ok so I wrote a longer part this time because I haven't posted in a day or two because I've been unwell. Hope you enjoy it.