Attachment Issues // Jess Mariano

CHAPTER 14:

"You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known-- and even that is an understatement." - F. Scott Fitsgerald. 

Delilah takes a deep breath as she walks into Luke's trying to be ready to see Jess again. Thankfully, he isn't.

It's been three months since she left Stars Hollow, the day after the wedding. Since then, she's spent nearly every day in the Lone Star Record store with Ty or even walking around town with her friends. Well, the few of them who were still in town and actually wanted to spend time with her.

And now she's back, ready to get back to work.

"Hey Luke." She greets, taking a seat at the counter. Luke looks up in surprise, a small smile gracing his face.

"Hey Delilah, when did you get back?"

"About an hour ago. How are things going? How is...?"

"Jess is fine. You guys haven't talked since you left, have you?"

She looks away, out the window as she speaks. "I don't know what to say to him. He left me, and he said he wouldn't do that, you know?"

"I do, but he came back."

"I know he did, but... I just, I don't know if he'll leave again."

Before she can say anything else, Jess comes down the stairs, shocking the girl. He looks close to the same as he did before, though he doesn't seem to smile as he walks through. He looks up from his book to look around the diner, stopping when his eyes land on her.

"Delilah..."

"Hey, Jess. Long time no see."

"Yeah, how was your trip?" He asks, eyes never leaving her. She looks a bit different than before, her hair a bit longer and light brown from the sun.

"It was okay, I just... you know, needed some time to think. I got to see my old friend, Colin, that was nice."

"Yeah, I bet... listen, about before, I-."

"I know." She says quickly, interrupting him. Jess looks at her in surprise. "I mean, I know why you left. You were trying to protect me and I- I get that, but I don't need you to. I don't need you to protect me, Jess."

"I know you don't, Lilah."

"Good."

Jess starts to say something but before he can, a girl with a blonde bob and a hot pink shirt comes bouncing in, climbing on the seat beside her and pulling him into a rough kiss. Delilah can nearly hear her heart shattering as she watches the scene. Jess pulls away quickly, sending Delilah a questioning glance, but she isn't there anymore. The door slams behind her as she leaves.

"Whose she?"

"Doesn't matter, one sec."

---

"My application got here!" Delilah shouts, rushing into the house and showing her uncle the large letter.

"It's big, that's good isn't it?!"

"I think they're all like that, Ty!" She says happily, grabbing a butter knife from the table and slitting the top open. There's a large packet of paper inside, which she pulls out with a smile.

"To Miss Delilah Gilmore, we would like to offer you the chance to apply to Yale university." She reads off, interrupting herself with a squeal. "Yay!"

"Yay!" He confirms, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I gotta go tell... Luke." She says, realizing that the last time she'd seen Jess, a few days prior, she'd run away again. To be fair, she did see him kissing some girl, so she thinks it's justified.