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2.18: back in a saddle again
21: ❝ blaze of glory, minus the glory ❞
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✨☕️✨

LIFE BEFORE STARS HOLLOW
[ CHICAGO ]

     The stars were out in full force, twinkling above them like tiny diamonds scattered across a velvet sky. Blaze and Everleigh were perched on the roof of her house, wrapped in the cool, quiet embrace of the night. It was their favorite spot—somewhere they came when the world felt too loud. Up here, it was just the two of them, sitting close enough that their shoulders brushed with every small shift.

    Blaze tilts his head back, staring up at the constellations. "You ever think about how small we are compared to all of that?"

    Everleigh, sitting beside him with her knees drawn to her chest, turned to look at him instead of the stars. She'd always liked the way his face softened in moments like these, when he was thoughtful and quiet. There was something so magnetic about him—something that made her feel calm, but at the same time, made her heart race in a way she didn't quite understand.

    "I guess so," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I kind of like it. It's like... everything else is so big and out of reach, but this—" she gestured between them, "—this feels close. Real."

    Blaze looks over at her then, his eyes reflecting the faint glow of the moonlight. For a second, neither of them said anything. There was no need to. The night seemed to hold its breath around them, the silence filled with the soft rhythm of their breathing.

    Without thinking, Everleigh leaned into him just a little, her shoulder pressing more firmly against his. She didn't know when it started—the way her heart seemed to skip every time he smiled at her, or the way she felt like she could stay in his presence forever, never needing to say a word. But in this moment, she knew it wasn't just about being best friends anymore.

   Blaze shifts slightly, the movement so subtle she almost missed it, and then he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His fingertips lingered for just a second longer than they usually would, sending a shiver down her spine.

There it was—something unspoken between them, hanging in the air like a single note from a song that hadn't finished playing. She didn't know if it was the way his gaze softened, or the warmth of his hand so close to hers, but everything felt... different.

    She looked at him—really looked at him—and suddenly, it all made sense. The warmth in her chest, the way her heart fluttered when he was close, the way her world seemed to shift just a little when he was around. She's read it in the books. It was the only explanation of everything she felt;

    She was in love with him. Completely, irrevocably in love with Blaze.

    The realization hit her like a wave, not loud or crashing, but soft and sure, like something that had always been there, waiting for her to notice.

    Blaze's eyes never left hers, and for the first time, she thought maybe—just maybe—he felt it too. He leaned in, just enough that the space between them disappeared, and his hand found hers, fingers intertwining gently. The world around them seemed to fade, the stars above forgotten as they sat there, lost in each other.

    In that moment, Everleigh knew. She wasn't just in love with Blaze. She had always been, and now, sitting under the stars with him, everything felt right.

━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━

[ PRESENT ]

Her heart feels heavy.

Heavier than before.

It carries everything—her emotions, her confusion, her regrets. Everleigh had hoped that if she ignored it all long enough, the weight would somehow lift, that everything would sort itself out. But it hasn't. It only gets heavier.

Avoiding Blaze is easy. Facing him, though? That's harder. She knows their relationship is breaking down, and deep down, she's pretty sure Blaze knows it too. Maybe if they'd worked on things from the start, it would be different. Maybe they'd be happy now, together, in Stars Hollow. Everleigh would have had her happy ending.

But happy endings are for dreams. And right now, she's stuck in a reality where nothing feels right.

So, she keeps running. Running from Blaze, and, somehow, she's also running from Jess.

She hasn't really spoken to him since last week, after their awkward phone call. That conversation had left so much unsaid, lingering in the air between them. Jess has been distant ever since, cold even, and it's bothering her more than she'd like to admit.

Everleigh rubs her temples as she walks through the diner, hoping to avoid everyone's gaze. She slips into the storeroom, closing the door softly behind her. Her movements come to holt, noticing another person in the storeroom with her.

Jess.

His back turned, stacking boxes. Not even glancing her way or acknowledging her existence. She crosses her arms, leaning against the door. "What's up with you?"

He doesn't turn as he continues lifting boxes, "I'm working."

Everleigh's eyes narrow. "That's it? No remarks thrown my way? How I always find you? How creepy it is to creep up?"There's a silence. The girl sighs, taking a few steps forward, "Nothing?"

Jess drops a box onto the shelf a little too hard, still not facing her. "Why did you call me?" His voice is tight. "After your Gilmore dinner?"

The question catches her off guard. "I—" She blinks, her grip on her arms tightening. "I wanted to talk to someone."

Finally, Jess turns to face her, his eyes narrowing as he steps closer to her. "Did you call your boyfriend?"

Everleigh straightens, her heart picking up. "No."

"Dean?"

"No."

"Lydia?" Jess takes another step closer.

Everleigh doesn't move. "Stop."

"Your dad? Your sister?"

"Jess!" She cuts him off, her voice sharp. "What's your point?"

He takes another step, the space between almost non-existent. "I want to know why you called me instead of your boyfriend. Because I'm not him."

She opens her mouth, but the words get stuck in her throat. She can feel the warmth of his body close to hers, "You know why."

Jess doesn't break the eye contact. "No, I don't. All I know is you keep coming to me when he's not around."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She shifts, uncomfortable under his intense gaze, looking away.

"You tell me," his tone somewhat soft.

It makes her look back at him, "Why does it matter? You're my friend. Blaze wasn't available, so I called you. End of story."

"Clearly,"Jess scoffs. "He never seems to be around these days."

She uncrosses her arms, "I don't have to be with him all the time. He's got his own life, and so do I."

Jess leans in closer, for a second she could've sworn she held her breath. His proximity crossing a dangerous territory. "Or are you just trying to convince yourself of that? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're stuck proving something—to him, to Agnes—hell, maybe even to yourself."

She stiffens at his words. Finally getting the courage to take a step back, "You don't know anything about that."

He shrugs, "I know enough."

"What happened with Agnes doesn't concern you. Nor it will ever," She narrows her eyes as she remarks. "Mind your own business."

"Oh, trust me, I am" Jess laughs dryly, "But it's hard to watch when your boyfriend's attention seems to drift elsewhere, and you're left pretending everything's fine."

    "Stop twisting things around just because you're pissed off." She looks him up and down, her voice rising.

    "Ask Rory," His expression hardens, stepping back and picking up a box again. Turning away from her, "She seems to know more about Blaze these days than you do."

    Everleigh's eyebrows crease together, watching him moving a box. Her chest pounding, "What does Rory have to do with this?"

    "Oh, give me a break." He drops a box with a loud thud as he scoffs. He turns to face her again. This time staying in place. "You really haven't noticed? Those two have spent more time together than you and him. And funny enough, she brings him up more than her own boyfriend—you know, Dean, your best friend? I wonder why."

    The simple thought of Blaze and Rory made her heart ache. She shakes her head. Refusing to believe him. "Nothing's happening between them."

   Without skipping a beat, Jess remarks coldly. "Wouldn't be the first time he went behind your back."

   She exhales sharply at his words, her eyes glaring, "Screw you,"

   And like that she turns back around, storming out of the storeroom. Leaving Jess standing there, frozen in place. Not saying another word. His own words stunned himself. All he could do was watch her go.

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     Everleigh storms out of Luke's Diner, her mood as dark as ever. Her argument with Jess playing over and over again in her head. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she was getting.

     She didn't notice Miss Patty, who stood in the doorway of her dance studio, surveying the street like a seasoned gossip detective. With her head down and annoyance radiating from her, Everleigh walked past the studio, oblivious to the watchful eyes of the woman.

    "Stop right there, my little tornado!" Miss Patty calls out, her voice slicing through the air with undeniable authority.

    Everleigh freezes at her voice, and turns slowly to face her, forcing a smile that barely concealed her frustration. "Hi, Miss Patty," she replies, trying to sound casual.

    Miss Patty takes a step closer, her expression a mix of curiosity and mischief. "Oh, come on now! You look like you just tangled with a windstorm. Sit down here with me!"

    With a reluctant sigh, Everleigh sank onto the steps outside the studio, avoiding eye contact and staring at her shoes. Miss Patty plops down beside her, the warmth of her presence both comforting and overwhelming. "So, what's got you all knotted up today?" she asked, her voice teasingly gentle.

    Everleigh hesitates, trying to come up with something plausible. Anything that was said to Miss Patty meant the whole town knowing and that was the last thing she wanted, "Oh, you know, just stuff."

"Stuff? Please!" Miss Patty rolls her eyes dramatically. "That's a code word for 'the universe is collapsing.' Spill it, darling! Is it a boy?"

"What? No." Everleigh says it almost too quickly but then sighs heavily. "I mean, it's just a disagreement."

"A disagreement, huh? Between you and a handsome boy, I bet," Miss Patty teases, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she nudges Everleigh playfully. Everleigh's gaze drifts toward Luke's.

Her stare lingers longer than it should and when she feels eyes on her, she looks back at Miss Patty. She was giving her a knowing look and Everleigh protests, "It's not about him."

"Oh, honey," Miss Patty says, leaning in with a conspiratorial tone. "You know, that reminds me of a stunning fellow I once dated—a Frenchman named Philippe! Ooh la la, he was like a work of art!"

Everleigh couldn't help but watch Miss Patty, intrigued. The shift of subject sent a small relief over her. "Philippe?"

"Yes, darling! With dark curls and the bluest eyes you've ever seen. When he walked into a room, it was like the sun decided to shine just for him! He wore these crisp white shirts that hugged his shoulders just right, and when he smiled..." Miss Patty sighs dramatically, her hand over her heart. "Oh, you could feel the whole world swoon!"

"He sure sounds dreamy." The teen comments, small smile morphing on her face.

"Dreamy doesn't even begin to cover it! We'd go dancing, and he'd twirl me around like I was a leaf caught in a breeze. But the moment we'd stop, he'd lean in close, whispering the sweetest nonsense in French. I didn't understand half of it, but I could feel it!" Miss Patty laughs, her eyes twinkling with nostalgia. "I could have sworn he was going to sweep me off my feet right into the Seine!"

"Did he?" Everleigh asks.

Miss Patty waves her hand dismissively. "No, no, my dear! I realized I had two left feet when it came to love! But you know, he taught me that sometimes, the best dances are the ones you share with someone who makes your heart race!"

Everleigh's expression softens. "Sounds like he was quite the character."

"He was." Miss Patty replies, her voice lowering. "But I learned that love is a dance, and sometimes you just have to find the right partner. Now, don't tell me that boy over there isn't making your heart do a little jig."

Everleigh's eyebrows crease together for a second until she realises who Miss Patty was referring to. The girl shakes her head, "Jess? No! He's just a friend."

"Just a friend, huh?" Miss Patty chuckles knowingly. "You're not fooling me, sweetheart. Love is like choreography; it takes two to make it work. And it looks to me like you've got some serious footwork going on!"

Everleigh rolls her eyes, looking down, "Miss Patty...It's not like that."

Miss Patty pats Everleigh's knee with a knowing smile. "Oh, sweetie, I've seen this dance before. Whether it's Philippe or him over there, sometimes you just have to let the music play and see where it takes you."

━━━━━━━▼━━━━━━━

     If anyone asked when was the last time she saw Blaze. She couldn't give them a honest answer. She doesn't remember.

    She was no longer consistent with interacting with him. Everleigh felt a lot better when she wasn't around him but deep down she knew what she was doing wasn't healthy. It was toxic and dragging him down with her wasn't fair. She knew that. Her conversation days before with Jess didn't help her either.

    Things were getting too complicated.

    And Everleigh was exhausted.

As Everleigh wandered through the quiet streets of Stars Hollow, her gaze landed on the gazebo bathed in the soft glow of the evening lights. There, standing alone under the wooden beams, was Blaze. The sight of him hit her like a wave, her heart sinking into her chest. The peacefulness of the night seemed at odds with the storm brewing inside her. She knew, in that moment, she couldn't wait any longer. It had to be now.

   She stands still for a moment, watching Blaze from the distance, trying to grasp as much courage as possible. Everleigh rolls her eyes at herself for not feeling so brave anymore and exhales sharply.

   When she does start making her way towards him, she didn't know what she was going to say. There was no speech prepared. Nothing.

    But being together wasn't fair on either of them.

    Just as she walked up the steps of Gazebo Blaze looks up. Seeing her his shoulders drop as he says, "Why do I feel like you've been avoiding me?" She didn't know what to say. It was either tell the truth or lie. Either one of them will hurt. So she looks away. Almost as if the silence confirmed his speculation, "So you have been avoiding me. Why?"

    Before she knew it, the words left her mouth, "Why did you never wanted to fix what happened with Agnes?"

    There's a silence between them before Blaze laughs dryly, "Not this again."

   "Blaze, we never talked about it." She says quietly.

   "We did. I explained what happened and we moved on." He states.

   "No, you moved on, I didn't." Everleigh says more sharper this time, "Sure you explained your side of the story and I heard Agnes's side of the story but we never worked on it. We just pushed it to the side."

   "Because it didn't mean anything to me.—"

    "But it did to me." Everleigh interjects, "You kissed my best friend."

   "She kissed me." Blaze notes, exhaling sharply, "I don't see why we have to go back to this, it's almost been a year since it happened."

   "Did you ever suspect she might like you behind my back?" Everleigh asks, feeling slight hurt behind those words. Blaze looks away. "Blaze?"

    "It doesn't matter."

   "Just answer the question." Everleigh demands, her body feeling a lot more warmer and her chest heavy. Blaze doesn't speak. "Bla—"

   "Yes." Blaze admits looking her in the eyes. It felt as someone just tugged on her heart and her legs feeling like jelly. She didn't know what to say back. She presses her lips together. Everleigh didn't know what hurt more, the fact that Blaze had a feeling and didn't say anything or her best friend at the time could do something like that to her. Her silence was heavy, so he asks, "Why are we speaking about this now?"

   "What about Rory?" Everleigh ignores his question to ask hers.

    "What's there to talk about Rory?" Blaze's eyebrows crease together.

    "Why did you have her bracelet?"

    Blaze just looks at her, trying to say something. She waits patiently for him to repeat the same thing he said weeks ago. Hoping Jess wasn't hinting anything else. After a minute he finally says, "I already told you, Eve. I was in Doose's Market and I saw a bracelet on the floor. It looked like Rory's."

Her heart sinks. He lied to her. Again.

"You said you were with Babette." Everleigh's words barely audible.

"What?"

"You told me you saw it on the ground, heading out with Babette." Everleigh repeats his words from weeks ago.

"Right, yeah, sorry, "Blaze blinks rapidly, " Babette and I were heading out to Doose's when we noticed it."

The girl looks down, shaking her head, "Stop lying."

"Why are we even talking about a pointless bracelet?" Blaze asks stepping closer. Everleigh steps back.

Everleigh continues shaking her head, "I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"This." Everleigh makes an eye contact with him, gesturing between them, "I can't do us anymore."

"You're trying to break up with me?" Blaze is taken back by surprise. His expression unreadable. "Again? Why? I thought we were in this till the end."

"I can't."

"You can't what?" Blaze pushes further, taking another step closer to her. Everleigh covers her face with her hands, trying to gather her thoughts. Blaze now desperately pleas, "Eve."

"I'm not in love with you." Everleigh blurs out. Panic setting in, hearing those words out loud.

For a moment, the world around them seems to fall away, and all that's left is the pounding ache in his chest. His breath falters, and the pain in his eyes is undeniable. He's trying, trying so hard to keep himself together, but the blow she's dealt him is too deep. Everleigh could see it right through him.

   She did the one thing, she was the most afraid of. She hurt him.

   "You're right," he finally says, his voice barely above a whisper, the words heavy with hurt. His gaze drops to the ground between them, as if he's searching for something—anything—that might make this feel less real. "We're done."

    The wind stirs around them, rustling the leaves of the trees that line the path. Blaze takes a shaky breath and turns away, his movements slow, deliberate, as though each step away from her is another break in his heart. The sound of his footsteps on the wooden gazebo floor echoes in the quiet night.

    Just as he's about to step off the gazebo, he pauses, his back still to her. His hands clench at his sides, his shoulders tense, and she can hear him mutter, almost to himself, "So done."

She didn't know what to say or if there was anything else to say. She couldn't apologise, not a single word came out of her mouth to stop him from walking away. All she could do was watch the guy she once was in love with walk away.

As Blaze's figure disappears into the shadows, the silence around Everleigh feels crushing. For a moment, she stands frozen in the middle of the gazebo, the air still thick with the words they had just exchanged. Her chest feels tight, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. It was over. Really over.

Her breath catches as the full weight of it hits her—she hadn't just ended their relationship. She'd lost him. Blaze, the boy she'd known since she was ten, the one who knew her better than anyone. Her best friend. Her constant.

The realization comes crashing down on her all at once, making it hard to breathe. She feels a sudden, sharp pang in her chest as if something vital had been torn away. She had destroyed what they were, and there was no going back. Not fixing it. Not anymore.

Tears well up in her eyes before she can stop them. Everleigh covers her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle the sobs, but they come anyway, breaking free in ragged gasps. Her shoulders shake, and she sinks onto one of the benches inside the gazebo, her body trembling with the force of her grief.

She presses her palms to her face, trying to hold herself together, but the loss feels too deep, too overwhelming. She's not just crying for the end of their relationship. She's crying for the years they spent together, for the moments that made them who they were. For the best friend she had just let go.

And in that moment, she knew she'd lost the one person who had always been by her side.

✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    tbf guys, everleigh had this coming and everything blew up in her face. but from the bright side blaze and everleigh broke up... so brownie points for that.

   jess and everleigh on the other hand? uhm... yeah.. sorry.

✨☕️✨