Lucy smiled to herself as she was reading Jess' manuscript. She was only on the second chapter since yesterday when she had started, but that's only because she had to keep a dictionary next to her while reading it.
Jess was never a man of words when it came to speaking out loud. In writing, was a whole other story.
Lucy took an apple out of her bag and took a bite of it as she continued to read on bridge of the Stars Hollow lake. She couldn't believe that a few months ago she was here, having a mental breaking down and ultimately jeopardizing the future of her existence.
A few months ago a memory like this would send her huddling into a ball. But now, she only thought about how far she had come from now. She smiled to herself before looking back down at the book.
"No amount of questions the boy asked the girl would get him any of the answers he needed about who she was. Who she really was. Only one week in a small town and he was so curious about her. And what she was hiding." Lucy read. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she continued to read,
"'Erase anymore and you'll burn through the paper.'" He commented smugly as he watched this intriguing girl sitting on her front porch with a pad and pen in her lap. She had her earbuds in, but still managed to hear him. She looked up and smiled; even though it looked like she was fighting it back. 'What are you doing here.' She asked."
Lucy quickly shut the manuscript and sat back on the bridge. She blinked confused. It was her. The story was about her. Wasn't it? She grabbed the stack of pages and flipped through the chapters quickly.
"'For your escapism.' she said. She looked at the cover of the book before looking back at him, 'Winnie the Pooh is said to be loosely based on a string of mental disorders..' He handed her the fabled book."
"He met her at the counter and chuckled, "Escapism?" he asked. She smiled looking at him, "At it's finest." she shared the earbud."
Lucy slammed the book shut and immediately got up. In a slight huff she hurried over to the diner in search for Jess. She didn't find him there, just Luke. But she didn't stop.
She stopped up the stairs behind the counter and up to Luke's apartment. She barged in the door and saw Jess reading on his bed. She took the book from him and slammed the manuscript infront of him instead.
"Hello to you too." he looked at her slightly unphased.
"Don't get smart with me, Jess." she breathed out. She pointed to the manuscript. "What the hell is this."
"A book."
He recieved one of his own pillows to the face. He chuckled, "Alright alright, I take it you read it." he said; sitting up in his bed.
"No, I didn't. You know why? Because I'm only two chapters in, when I was starting to getting deja vu!" she said. She looked at him; clearly upset by this, "That's me isn't it Jess. The book is about me."
Jess furrowed his eyebrows. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting at all from her. "Of course it is." he said like it was obvious he intended it that way.
"Of course it is." she mimmicked him, in a tussle. "-Jess that's my life you put in that book."
"Our life." he said; stopping her as he stood up and looked at her. She looked at him trying to stand her ground for whatever excuse he had barreling after her. "I put our life in that book." he said, "..More so your life, yes. But through my eyes." he explained.
She looked at him; her eyes glossy, "Jess..that's my story in that book. Somebody will be reading that book and reading me." she said.
"That's the point." he said. He looked at her. "I know.. you still have some things about yourself that you need to figure out, and this book may seem intimidating because of what you know about yourself and ultimately what you feel about yourself." he said, "But that's not how it's written. Okay?" he tried to get her to look in his eyes. He held her chin up with both his hands, "The book is about how you changed me." he told her. He shrugged his shoulders slightly, "I wouldn't be here, or be around Luke even, if it weren't for you. I wouldn't be writing if it weren't for you." he said.
Lucy felt like she was really fighting the anger that she was feeling for him, knowing what his intentions with this book were. But she couldn't get past the fact that their conversations were in that book. Everything about their personal relationship was in that book.
"I wouldn't write this if I knew it would hurt you." he said.
She looked at him and wiped her eyes, "Is my dad in it." she spoke blatantly. Jess looked at her a little caught off guard. He frowned slightly before nodding, "Yes."
Lucy shook her head and looked down. "Write about something else." she said barely even raising her volume. Jess for about the third time in his life felt his heart break a little hearing that. He couldn't help but just stare at her in response.
She looked at him dead serious before turning and walking out of the small apartment. Jess was left to his own devices. He looked down at the manuscript and sighed. Twice she had rejected this book, and all before she could read all the way through. And it was killing him.
If she could just read to the ending she would see.