𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒, gilmore girls

¹¹, THE FIRST SNOW

  "Oh, I'd hope not," She smiled, pulling herself onto the counter, "Yes, please, let me know when you guys are coming— we need to hang out with you two when you aren't hitting on me."

  "I hate to break this to you, but that's just impossible."

  Charlie couldn't help but laugh at that, and Finn smiled proudly because that was usually the goal of his calls.

  "Alright, but then you have to at least promise that we'll get in some sort of trouble."

  "Oh, I like you a little more every day," Finn admitted with a wide grin, "Goodbye, Lottie."

  "Bye," The girl smiled, hanging up the phone and lifting her eyes only to meet the angry ones of Luke Danes, and the worriedly focused ones of Jess Mariano.

  "Pea—"

  "Gotta go, great seeing you both— Lucas, worked two hours, add that to my check," Charlie rambled, pointing as she slipped off the counter, "Mariano, meet me outside Luke's tonight— bye, guys!"

  Luke let out a long breath as Charlie hurried out of the diner doors, turning on Jess who quickly raised his hands.

  "Hey, man, I'm just doing homework."

  Liam Montgomery just so happened to be kicking stones around Stars Hollow when Charlie Gilmore made her grand escape from Luke's Diner. He raised his head at the small commotion, unable to hold back a smile at her cheeks turning pink from the bitter cold.

  "Hey, Speed-Racer!"

  Charlie jumped, smiling when she saw Liam. The girl jogged across the street, taking a deep breath when she stopped at the boy.

  "Whatcha runnin' from this time?"

  "Luke, just the usual," Charlie shrugged, "Used the diner phone for another long-distance call— he threatens taking them out of my paycheck but never does."

  "So, same old, same old," Liam laughed, tilting his head, "Do you wanna hang out? Em and I are gonna work on our project— maybe drink some wine?"

  Charlie shrunk at the idea. At the idea of Liam and Emma being drunk and alone, once again, and what might happen, but was that worse than the three of them being drunk together? Things weren't normal, she'd hardly talked to Emma— it was too strange.

  "I can't," Charlie breathed out, "I— uh—"

  "Are you trying to stall and think of an excuse?"

  "No," Charlie quickly spoke before deflating, "Yes."

  "Charls."

  "Things are weird, Lee," Charlie sighed, "I just. . . I don't know."

  "Charlie, come on, things aren't just gonna be normal if we never talk about—"

  "I don't want to talk about it."

  "Charlie—"

  "I have to go," Charlie quickly excused, already walking backward, "Bye!"

  Liam began taking quick steps in pursuit of her, before stopping himself short. He took a deep breath, watching the girl until she turned a corner and disappeared into the bookstore. 

  It was his fault, after all. His fault he didn't turn Emma away, his fault he kissed her back, his fault he was drunk and alone and reciprocated her actions without thinking enough.

  And he couldn't blame Charlie Gilmore, whose heart was bigger than her body, for being hurt.

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