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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Jess didn't move at first. He just stood there like the doorway had become some forcefield he wasn't sure he wanted to walk through.
Alessia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly hyper-aware of how she must look—rumpled, puffy-eyed, heart somewhere around her shoelaces.
Jess finally stepped forward, slow, like he was trying not to spook her.
"You're... back," he said, and the way he said back made it sound like a question.
"Yeah." Her fingers tightened around the mug. "Just for a bit."
Jess nodded, eyes drifting over her face, searching for clues she wasn't ready to hand over. "Stars Hollow hasn't changed."
"Yeah, it never does." She breathed out a tiny laugh. "That's kind of the problem."
He huffed something like agreement, then walked past her to drop the boxes onto the counter. For a moment his shoulder brushed the back of her stool—warm, unintentional, enough to trip a wire in her chest.
Jess leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms, pretending to focus on the tape seam of one box. "You, uh... staying at the house?"
"Yeah. For now."
"Right." He nodded like he was trying to file the answer somewhere, but it didn't fit.
Another beat.
Alessia took a sip of coffee she didn't actually want. "You don't have to hover. I'm not gonna break another one of Luke's mugs."
Jess's lip twitched. "That was one time."
"It was two."
"It was one and a half. The second one was already cracked."
That earned a real smile from her—small but genuine. Jess caught it, and something softened in his face.
He cleared his throat. "Look... if you need anything while you're here—books, quiet, a place to hide from town gossip—I'm around."
It wasn't said dramatically. It wasn't even said gently. It was said the way Jess said most things when he meant them: offhand, like a secret slipped under a door.
Alessia stared at her coffee, the words landing somewhere deeper than she expected. "Thanks."
Jess opened his mouth again, maybe to ask, maybe to pry—but the diner door flew open with a gust of cold morning air.
"Alessia Gilmore!" Taylor Doose boomed.
Alessia winced. Jess muttered, "God," under his breath.
Taylor marched in with a clipboard, eyes wide with both self-importance and nosiness. "I heard a rumor you returned to town and, as town selectman, I need to verify—officially—"
Jess cut him off. "Taylor, not now."
Taylor sniffed. "This concerns town records, Jess."
"No, it concerns your inability to mind your own business," Jess shot back.
Alessia almost laughed—almost.
Taylor ignored them both. "Alessia, will you be attending the Winter Welcome Festival this year? We need to know for headcount, liability waivers, volunteer scheduling—"
Luke's voice barked from across the diner, "Taylor, stop harassing my customers!"
Taylor gave a dramatic sigh. "I am surrounded by philistines." Then he pointed at Alessia with his pen. "We'll talk later. Officially."
He left in a huff.
Jess watched the door swing shut, then turned back to her. "Town's missed you." His tone made it clear he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
Alessia exhaled, shoulders sinking. "Yeah. Missed being interrogated at breakfast."
Jess's gaze softened again, the sarcasm fading. "Seriously... you okay?"
It was the second time someone had asked her that today, but the first time it felt dangerous to answer honestly.
She swallowed. "Working on it."
Jess nodded, like he respected that more than any real explanation.
Luke's voice drifted over from the other end of the counter. "Jess! Boxes aren't gonna shelve themselves!"
Jess rolled his eyes, but he pushed off the counter.
Before heading to the storeroom, he paused behind her.
"You know where to find me," he said quietly. Not pushy. Not dramatic. Just a simple offering.
Alessia didn't look up, but she didn't need to. The warmth in her chest answered for her.
"Yeah," she said. "I do."
Jess left through the swinging back door, and Alessia stared into the swirl of her coffee—still hot, still grounding—and finally let herself breathe.
