𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 𝕁𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lorelai had decided to keep the room a secret for a while, thinking it might push Dani over the edge. Because Dani was not okay. She had spent the last three days pushing everyone away, including Jess. She had been hiding in Rory's room but at night she went up onto the porch and looked up at the stars, trying to figure out why the fuck did her dad didn't want her anymore. 

"Hey Dan, you alright?" Lorelai asked. She had just got home from work and was surprised to see her daughter in the kitchen, around people and sunlight. 

"Yes, I'm fine, now what the fuck is this?" She demanded, holding up one of the posters for the basket selling event. 

"Language, and it's a tradition. All the women and girls make up a basket of food and the men bid on it. Whoever wins gets the basket and the basket-maker's company." Lorelai explained, grabbing a cup of coffee. 

"Well, that's one way to keep sexism alive." Dani snorted, getting a container of strawberries out of the fridge. 

"It's a tradition, me and Rory do it every year. You should join in. You haven't been out for a while." Lorelai suggested. 

"Thanks for reminding me I have no social life." Dani laughed. "There is no way in hell I'm doing this." 

*** 

"Right, the next basket is this lovely, heavy one! Belonging to, oh. Dani Hayden. Start on three dollars." Taylor announced, enthusiasm dropping when he said Dani's name. Dani rolled her eyes and kicked Jess in the shin subtly. 

"C'mon dumbass or I'll go with Kirk." She smiled and he smirked. He went to say something but someone beat him to it. 

"Five!" Dean's voice rang out loud and clear, making Dani, Rory, Jess and Lorelai glare at him. Particularly Jess. 

"Ten!" Jess called out, teeth gritted. Dani quickly slipped away and weaved between the crowd to where Dean was.  

"Twenty!" 

"Now, now, boys I don't think you understand-" Taylor tried to interrupt. 

"Thirty!" 

"Dean Forrester, if you want to live to see my sister once more you will stop bidding right this fucking minute and let me enjoy sometime with my boyfriend. I have no idea what is happening in your brain but I will not hesitate to knock it out." Dani hissed threateningly in his ear, meaning every single word. Dean visibly gulped and put his hand down. 

"Thirty dollars, going once, going twice gone to the young hoodlum at the back!" Taylor pointed to Jess who was smirking triumphantly. Dani rolled her eyes at his smug face and walked over to him, lacing their fingers together. They collected the basket and were about to go to the bridge to eat when they were stopped by Dean who was quickly followed by a distraught-looking Rory. 

"Stop, Dean, stop!" She was saying as she caught up. 

"Dani come on, you can come with me and Rory." Dean said, ignoring his girlfriend. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jess spat, standing slightly in front of Dani.  

"There's nothing wrong with me, but there's a whole lot wrong with you and I won't let you spend time with my girlfriend's sister!" Dean said, "Now, come on Dani!" 

"Okay, tough guy," Dani mocked him, "Do I need to remind you of how I deal with people I don't like? And I would much rather spend time with Jess, messed up as he is-" 

"Real helpful, Blue, real helpful." Jess snorted quietly. 

"Than with you, because you hurt my family more than a punch can hurt. So you can kindly fuck off." Dani sneered, and stared at him with her fiery blue eyes. 

"Dean, what is wrong with you?" Rory cried. 

"You can't let her hang out with him! He tried to punch me!" 

"I punched you too, dumbass!" Dani reminded him. 

"It's a couple activity." Jess smirked. "Now, I am really, genuinely sorry to break this all up but I really want to go and enjoy a picnic with my girlfriend." he slung an arm around Dani's shoulders and led her away to the bridge, leaving Rory to have a go at her boyfriend. 

"So what did you put in here? It actually is heavy." Jess groaned, putting it down on the wooden bridge. They sat down either side, feet dangling over the edge and nearly touching the water. Dani laughed and opened it to reveal two bottles of beer and what looked like hundreds of strawberries. 

"Of course. What else?" Jess chuckled, helping himself. They stayed in silent, sipping on beer and eating the strawberries until they were full and tipsy, laying on their backs looking up at the blue sky. That was the thing about them, they didn't need to talk. But the silence was broken by a whimper, so quiet Jess was surprised he heard. But he did so he sat up and looked down at his girl who was silently crying, tears running down from big blue eyes. 

"Oh, love." He said, helping her sit up and curl into his chest. Her sobs became louder and more heartbreaking. Jess was completely out of his depth. "What's wrong?"    

"He doesn't want me." She choked out, "I ruined it all." 

"I don't know what you're talking about, love." Jess mumbled, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a comforting way. 

"I fucked it up. I fuck everything up." She whispered. 

"I don't understand." He said, "Tell me what's wrong so I can help, love, I just want to help." 

"No one fuckin' understands." she mumbled, crying harder, "He doesn't want me anymore, Jess,  my own father doesn't want me." 

Ah. So that was it. Jess frowned, "Love, I know it's hard right now, but you have to know that if he doesn't want you its his loss and its not your fault." 

"It's all my fault." 

"Nothing is. I won't let it be." Jess promised and helped her to her feet, "Now, come on love. Let's get you home." 

"I can't. I can't do it. I can't, Jess, don't make me." Dani sobbed, tears streaming down her face. 

"Daniella, you have to listen to me. I am absolutely shit at this stuff, but you can, okay? I know you can and I'm here for you, alright? Now I have no idea if that helps, because emotions make me ramble, but.." 

"He left, Freddie left, I leave and you will too." She said, looking in his brown eyes with her watery blue ones. 

"I won't ever leave you." he whispered, wrapping her in a hug. But she was throwing punches, battling him. 

"Don't say that! You will." She begged, "Don't promise things like that." she was fighting. 

"Do you want me to leave, Ella?" He asked, holding her tighter, grunting as she winded him slightly. 

"No." She said, going limp in his arms, giving up. 

"Then I won't." Jess said, "But you can't leave me either."

*** 

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