Gilmore Girls: Wish Upon a Snow

Chapter 6

Rory stood up so quickly, she felt a mean head rush. "Jess!" She exclaimed, smiling and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her. Rory could feel a familiar sense of energy drawing her towards him. She could not explain their connection. She was connected to something inside of him that she could not fulfill with what he had offered her on the outside. For Rory, Jess had always been the one project that she had been unable to tackle. When he left years before- he left a pile of loose string where all other loose ends had been tied. She had truly transitioned into a woman after her experiences with him.
Rory thought of him often. She had a tendency to get caught up in the excitement of a new relationship. Rory worried that there would never be someone who fulfilled her. Jess reached into the depths of her very soul and expanded the parts of her that connected her to him indefinitely, but the parts he left empty and broken were enough to leave her stranded like an abandoned marionette. She wondered if she was just too picky, and would never find someone to share her life with. Rory longed for the deep connection and friendship of her grandparents' marriage.
She realized she had been staring at him for several moments without speaking. She had seen him a few weeks before. Rory wasn't sure why she felt so confused this time. She cleared her throat.
"Shakespeare, huh? You'll have to do better than that Romeo," she giggled, "You obviously were trying impale yourself on my self-defense weapon of choice."
He grinned, slipping the scissors from her hand and squatted down to cut open the box.
Rory couldn't help but notice a muscle rippling by his shoulder blade through the thin ice blue T-shirt that clung to him. It was stuck to him and looked damp.
"Didn't Lorelei teach you not to run with scissors?" He grinned mischievously.
Rory laughed. "I wasn't running! Didn't your mother teach you not to sneak up on unsuspecting women?"
Jess considered this. "No, not really. She didn't teach me much!"
Pulling items out of the box, he glanced at Rory. "What exactly were you looking for?"
She walked over and kneeled down by the box. "Luke was looking for order pads," Rory said quickly.
Jess pulled a cassette tape out of the box and read it. He quickly shoved it back into the box and closed the flaps. He stood up, pulling at the arm of his T-shirt. "I don't think that box has order pads in it."
Rory reached for the box. "What's in it then? Secrets?"
Jess moved the box away from her with his foot. "No, just not your stuff."
Rory pursed her lips at him and lunged for the box. Since she was still on the ground, she got there quicker. Digging into the box, Rory pulled out a collection of self-help books and cassettes about love and relationships.
She looked up at Jess. "Why is your shirt wet?" She asked suddenly.
Jess furrowed his brow, tugging at his collar. "Luke doesn't have a dryer," he said.
Rory placed the cassettes back in the box and sat back on her heels. "Are you...dating someone?" She asked.
Jess sighed. "No, Rory. I had those ten years ago. I came to your dorm room to tell you how I felt...Luke gave me the books and they made me think about losing you. I had to try one last time."
Rory studied him. His eyes were slightly downcast, his jaw tight. "When you asked me to run away with you, you mean?" She said. It came out harsher, nastier than she intended.
He looked slightly taken aback. "Yes. Maybe I didn't go about it the right way, but I had to tell you."
Rory paused. "Well it's certainly not your usual Tolstoy," She grinned.
Jess smiled half-heartedly. "Sometimes you have to diversify your library a bit."
"Do you want to help me look for these order pads?" Rory asked, walking around the apartment in search of another box:
Jess stood still.
"Why did you say no?" He asked, folding his arms.
Rory stopped, turning to face him. "I couldn't, Jess. I was in school! I couldn't just walk away from my life," she said softly.
"I was in love with you, Rory. I made mistakes but I was trying to fix them."
"Jess. This was ten years ago. I am sorry I hurt you, what else do you want from me?" Rory asked defensively.
Jess sighed. "Nothing, I guess."
Rory turned from him to start towards a box in the corner. Something stopped her. She turned to face him again, surprised to see that she was closer to him than she thought. "Do you still?" She asked quietly.
Jess looked down at her. Her blue eyes sparkled at him and he felt a wave of anxiety invading him. He swallowed. "Do I still...?"
"Love me." Rory said simply.
Jess examined her face. She was just as beautiful as she had ever been, but she had lost her sense of wonder. She seemed broken, somehow. Bristly. She was not the same girl she had been when they had been in love. He placed his hand on the side of her face, tracing the line from her temple to cheekbone with his thumb. Her eyes closed and he could feel the whisper of her eyelash against his fingers. Sliding his hand back through her hair, he gathered it in his fist behind her neck and pulled her towards him. "Let's find out," he said.