In the heart of Harvard, Alessia Gilmore is ready to embrace her second year and the independence it brings. After a summer spent reconnecting with friends and discovering herself, she's determined to step out of her twin sister Rory's shadow and ca...
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The crisp winter air nipped at Alessia's cheeks as she navigated the bustling sidewalks of Harvard Yard, clutching a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and her bag in the other. Snow flurries danced lazily in the breeze, and the world around her was a blur of students rushing to their next lectures. Alessia, however, moved at her usual leisurely pace, savoring her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her alive this morning.
Her headphones were in, music drowning out the ambient chatter, when it happened.
She collided with someone, the impact jostling her enough to spill coffee onto her coat sleeve. She stumbled back, yanking her headphones out, and immediately started apologizing.
"Sorry, I wasn't-" Alessia froze mid-sentence as her eyes locked onto the person she'd bumped into.
"Jess?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Alessia," Jess Mariano replied, smirking in that infuriating, all-too-familiar way of his. "Long time no see."
Her breath hitched. He looked exactly as she remembered: brooding, sharp-eyed, and somehow managing to pull off the messy-but-intentional look without trying. Of course, Jess was here. Her day had been going too smoothly.
"You're-what are you doing here?" Alessia finally managed to ask, awkwardly brushing coffee off her sleeve.
"Visiting a friend. Didn't expect to run into you, though," he said, leaning back slightly, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. "Harvard suits you, I guess."
She narrowed her eyes. "That's...not a compliment, is it?"
He chuckled. "Depends on how you take it."
Alessia sighed, shaking her head. "I have class."
Jess tilted his head, grinning like he'd already won. "Skip it."
"Skip it?" she repeated, incredulous.
"You're telling me whatever boring lecture you're heading to is more important than catching up with an old...whatever we were?"
Her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "You're insufferable."
"And yet, here you are, still talking to me," he quipped.
Alessia groaned, glancing at her watch. Logan would've told her to stick to her schedule, but Logan wasn't here. Besides, it wasn't like she wanted to go to class.
"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "But you're buying the next coffee."
"Deal."
Back at her dorm, Alessia tossed her bag onto the floor and gestured for Jess to sit. "It's not much, but it's home. Temporarily, anyway."
Jess scanned the room, his gaze pausing briefly on the stack of photography books on her desk and the collage of black-and-white prints pinned to the wall. "Still into photography, huh?"
"Yeah," she said, setting her coffee down and taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Keeps me sane."
Jess nodded, leaning back in the desk chair he'd claimed. "Looks good. Better than some of the crap I've seen in galleries."
"High praise," she teased, though the warmth in her cheeks betrayed how much the comment meant.
They fell into easy conversation, reminiscing about Stars Hollow, trading sarcastic jabs, and filling in the gaps of what they'd missed in each other's lives. Alessia was careful not to bring up Logan, and Jess didn't ask.
At one point, their laughter faded, and the air shifted. Jess's gaze lingered on her a moment too long, and Alessia's stomach flipped. There was something unspoken between them, a current that buzzed under the surface.
"Harvard's not boring with you here," Jess said softly, his voice carrying just a hint of something she couldn't quite place.
Her chest tightened, and for a brief, fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to close the space between them. But then she thought of Logan-steady, dependable Logan-and the moment passed.
"Well, don't get used to it," Alessia said, forcing a lightness into her tone. "I'm not skipping class every time you show up."
Jess smirked, leaning back in the chair. "We'll see about that."
As the conversation turned back to lighter topics, Alessia couldn't shake the feeling that Jess had unsettled something in her. Something she wasn't ready to face.
