Gemma stood at her window and looked down at the greenery. “Go wait on the beach. I’ll be right behind you.”
* * * *
Harrison kicked the sand at his feet as he waited for Gemma to appear. He heard the crunching of stones behind him and turned.
“Thank you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet.
Gemma shook her head. “This is a risky move, Harrison. We really can’t afford for my parents to see you.”
“I know. I just… I can’t let this happen again.”
Gemma’s eyes softened as she gazed at his, no doubt, wretched expression. He ran a hand through his hair, unsure where to begin.
“I rang Amy and told her I can’t see her again.”
Gemma winced and sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
“Because…” He shook his head. “I didn’t want you to think that I was over you. I wasn’t sleeping and Bryan was on my case all the time and she was just a distraction. But I swear I never could have been with her.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
It injured him that she’d even ask, but he curbed his anger and spoke softly. “No. Of course not.”
“Did you make out?”
He wanted to lie. He wanted to be able to look Gemma in the eye and say an outright no, but he knew he couldn’t.
“A couple of times.” He swallowed.
Gemma’s brows pinched together as if in pain. She let out a slow sigh. “Any fire?”
“None.”
A small smile flew over her lips before she could catch it. He felt his chest loosen.
“I’m sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never should have pretended. I… You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
Gemma’s face rose with a soft smile.
“I hurt you too.” She bit her cheek. “I didn’t mean to. I would never break up with you and not tell you why.” She shook her head. “I’d never break up with you period! I mean the whole concept is just so… hideous to me. Why would I choose to live without you? I could never make that choice.”
“I couldn’t either.” He took his hands from his pockets and wanted so bad to reach for her, but he didn’t feel he had the right. “So, do you want…?”
“What? Do I want to what?”
He shrugged. “Start again as if none of this ever happened.”
She gazed at him for a long, silent moment then shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that.”
He frowned and gave her a nod of understanding. “So what do you want to do then?”
She tipped her head and studied him. Biting the inside of her cheek, she took a slow step towards him and then another until they were standing nose to nose. He didn’t make a move to touch her, he knew this had to come from her and so he waited in agony.
Her breath brushed his face. She licked her lips then looked into his eyes again. He didn’t know what she was looking for, but he kept his eyes on hers. The jade swirled in slow circles, gradually growing lighter. Her lashes dropped for a moment, she took a deep breath and then her lips were on his, soft and inviting.
He savoured the fire racing over his face. Placing his hands on her neck, he rubbed his thumb along her jaw line and let the warmth work down his arms. Her hands came around his waist and pulled him as close as he could be. Everything clicked into place and once again he felt his insides surging with the hope that had been missing.
Chapter Thirty-Four
St Augustine, Florida – 2011 AD
Thankfully her phone hadn’t rung all day. Her mother was obviously too caught up with helping Dom and Ruby pack for college. Gemma turned on the hose and rinsed down the car. Her relief at being left alone was palpable. Her mother hadn’t bothered to question her when she left that morning. Gemma had said a quick farewell and promised to be home for dinner. She had been expecting a call all day. She knew things were going to get really hard when the twins left. Gemma would become her parents’ sole focus. The thought was terrifying. With trying to keep Harrison a secret, it was going to be a challenging senior year.
Pushing the unsettling thoughts aside, she rinsed off the suds and laughed as Rosie bounced around the car singing. She had rock music pumping from her iPod. She had scrounged up some portable speakers with her pocket money and the girls had spent the day dancing around the suds and singing at the top of their lungs. It was doing wonders for Gemma’s mental health.
Sensing a set of eyes on her, Gemma turned to catch a glimpse of Helen. She was standing at the window of Bryan’s office, her intense gaze narrowed on the girl who had broken her son’s heart. Gemma pushed a quivering smile over her lips and sent the woman a little wave. It was reciprocated in movement, but the warmth she used to bask in was missing from the woman’s eyes. She had been aware of Helen’s quiet speculation over lunch. Gemma wished she could run into the office and let the truth spill from her lips, but how would any mother take it?
Biting the inside of her cheek, she turned back to the car unable to ignore the two lazer beams searing the flesh from her back. Turning once more, she saw that Helen was still staring at her and decided that something had to be done. She loved Harrison and didn’t want him to have to go through what she did with her parents. Rustling up what courage she could, she dropped the rag she had been using and strode towards the office. She knocked once and entered, closing the door behind her.
“Hi.” Scrunching her fingers into her pockets, she stood on jittery toes, forcing her eyes to focus on the serene, yet wary mother.
“Hello, Gemma,” Helen’s voice was gentle and cool. “I see you and Harrison are back together.”
“I see you have a problem with that.”
Helen’s eyes gleamed with a small smile. “Harrison’s had a very tough month.” She looked down and sighed. “I just want to make sure he doesn’t have to go through this again. Between you and Amy the poor guy doesn’t stand a chance.”
Gemma winced as her mind raced with an appropriate falsehood that would justify her terrible behavior. She decided as much truth as she could give would be best.
“I wish so much that I could take it all back, but I had a bit of a disaster happen in my family. I was really struggling to deal with it. I know this probably sounds like a cop-out to you, but I didn’t want to pull Harrison into it as well, so I walked away.”
Helen’s laugh held a teaspoon of mockery. “You sacrificed in order not to hurt him?”
“I can see you don’t believe me, but maybe you’ll believe this. This summer has been a living hell for me. I have been doing everything in my power to try and be with Harrison again. I love your son, Helen, and I would never consciously do anything to hurt him.”
She still looked a little unconvinced. “So what was the big disaster?”
Gemma had the immediate reply of “I don’t really want to go into it” sitting on her lips, but she swallowed it back. That would never cut it with Helen. Taking in a deep breath, she once again went for truth.
“My parents have a very specific plan for my future and Harrison doesn’t fit into it. I got sick of fighting so I tried living without him and realized that I couldn’t. Harrison and I are meant to be together. I’m sorry if you now have a problem with that too.”
Helen’s features remained still as she absorbed Gemma’s reasoning. The silence was a threatening cloud of rejection that hovered towards Gemma like a brewing rainstorm. She bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for a verdict.
Moments later Helen’s eyes began to sparkle and her lips shot north for a brief second.
“I know that feeling. Forbidden love, it’s so passionate and exciting isn’t it? But it doesn’t always last, Gemma.” Her eyes filled with a broken sadness. “Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life fighting for this?”
Gemma felt a quick response would come across as flippant, so she licked her lips and looked to the floor in consideration.
“Harrison is worth any fight. I know what it’
s like to live without him now and I never want to feel that way again.”
Helen nodded then looked out at the garage, watching her son emerge from beneath a car with a rich smile on his face. Gemma’s lips quirked in unison and Helen obviously noted the strong connection between them.
“What’s the point of even trying?” Helen shook her head with a chuckle. “I guess I’ll be seeing you for dinner tonight.”
“Actually.” Gemma frowned. “My curfew’s pretty tight now. Home for dinner every night.”
“How about lunch on Sunday then?”
Gemma’s insides filled with instant sunshine as her head bobbed.
* * * *
Work had finished for the day and Harrison was walking Gemma to her bike. She loathed having to say goodbye to him, but knew that she would see him the next day. She ran the reminder repeatedly through her head as they neared her Ducati.
Harrison kissed her softly and sent her another mushy gaze. She returned his look with one of her own.
“I’m locking up in five! If you kids want anything from my office you better hurry up!”
Bryan's loud voice pulled them apart. They both glanced over at him with blushing grins.
“We’re good!” Harrison waved then turned back to her, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So, what was the deal with you and my mom before?”
“Oh, she just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to hurt you again.”
Harrison rolled his eyes. Gemma stopped his complaints with a soft hand on his chest.
“Hey, she loves you. Let her be concerned… at least she cares about your happiness.”
Harrison’s complaints were drowned in her quiet comment and he pulled her into a sympathetic embrace. She wrapped her mind around the fire, hoping to dream about it through the night.
Reluctantly she pulled out of his arms and suggested she better go. Soft lips were soon meeting hers in an exquisite kiss. Her insides bubbled and she felt that giddy sensation. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face once he’d pulled away. They stood there staring at each other like a couple of goof balls again, completely oblivious to life around them.
“Sleep well my spatia angelus. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“G’night.”
She stole one more kiss before mounting her bike and securing her helmet. As she gunned the engine she missed the appearance of Sam from behind Harrison’s body and his inquisitive question.
Chapter Thirty-Five
St Augustine, Florida – 2011 AD
Gemma sat in the caravan feeling comfortable as she wrapped her fingers around a glass of ice tea. Taking a sip, she swallowed down the sweetness with a smile as she watched Gabe slide into the booth opposite her. It was certainly a change up from the first time they had sat in this position.
“So things are sorted then?”
Gemma grinned. “I’m heading there for lunch today.”
“What did your parents say?”
“They don’t know. They think I’m going to Courtney’s house. She’s covering for me, which is really nice of her.”
“As much as I hate you lying, I think it’s best you guys keep this under wraps for as long as possible.”
“Yeah, I know.” Gemma despised the feeling nestling in her stomach. Deceiving her parents felt so wrong, but they had been deceiving her for years and somehow that felt even worse.
Part of her wanted to get as far from them as possible, but then her ingrained loyalty kicked in and that flicker of hope that maybe this was just a big misunderstanding… and the box in the safe was merely a family heirloom… and the necklaces meant nothing, sparked to life for a moment. She wanted Gabe to be a liar, yet she had never trusted another adult more.
“So, Lucia, huh?” The question jumped out of the blue and into her head. She felt her eyes glimmer. “I was beginning to wonder why you never called me Gemma.”
“I had to that first time on the beach to get your attention, but after that I just couldn’t make myself do it. It’s so wrong for you. You’re my little Lucy, nothing could ever change that.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Gemma felt her throat grow dry. Gabe thought of her as his own.
“Did you pick the name?”
Gabe shook his head with a crooked smile.
“Your mother loved it. She wouldn’t even let me suggest anything else.” He chuckled. “She always thought Lucia sounded like an amazing woman and she knew if she had a daughter that that girl would be amazing too.”
Gemma dropped her eyes to the table, feeling her cheeks rise with warmth and hoping that she wasn’t letting Lena down.
“She was right.”
Gabe’s soft words were like perfume. She inhaled the sweet aroma and let it fill her head. Glancing up from the table she looked him in the eye and mouthed “thank you,” too overcome with emotion to form any sound.
His eyes matched hers in warmth as he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. They sat like that until Gemma had to go.
“Make sure you bring Harrison with you next time. I’ve missed that kid.”
“Will do.” She jumped from the door and headed to her bike, filled with a sense that maybe just maybe the bad things were over… but if they weren’t, with Harrison and Gabe by her side, she could totally handle it.
* * * *
The Granger/Chatsworth home was back to normal. She pulled up to the curb with a smile.
Tucking her helmet beneath her arm, she approached the door with a bounce in her step. The last few days had been euphoric… working at the garage, having fun with Rosie, elongated lunch hours with Harrison and she even managed to wrangle that movie date with Courtney and Darren. Her parents had noted a change in her behavior and had put it down to her acceptance of life without Harrison. She tried not to let their smug smiles grate too much.
Rapping on the door, she waited with a broad grin. The ice-cold reception she received when the door opened was not what she had been expecting.
“Hey… Helen,” her happy voice petered out to nothing.
“What do you want, Gemma?”
“I… I thought...” Gemma glanced at her watch. “Didn’t you invite me for lunch today?”
“There’s been a change of plans.”
“Is everything okay? Where’s, um, where’s Harrison?” Gemma swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. Helen’s eyes were like two burning balls of fury despite her cold façade.
“I asked him to go and get something for me at the store. Gemma, I think it would be best if you went home.”
“Why?” She felt the dread building in her system. “What’s going on?”
The flame in Helen’s eyes sparked.
“I know what you are and I want you to stay away from my son.”
Gemma felt a solid lump of ice forming in her stomach. “W-what I am?”
“How long have you been speaking Latin, Gemma?” Helen took a step towards her and Gemma instinctively moved one step away. “My spatia angelus? Sam told me what Harrison called you… and I know exactly what it refers to.”
“How do y… how do you know?”
“I just know!” Helen snapped. “I just know you mean danger for my son and I won’t have you messing with his life!” Her head shook with disgust. “I knew there was something different about you, but I ignored the feeling because Harrison cares so much about you… and I wanted him to be happy!” She pointed her finger at Gemma’s nose. “How could you be so irresponsible to let yourself get involved with him in the first place? If you love him as much as you say you do, you’ll stay away from him!”
“I…”
“Go home, Gemma. You’re not welcome here anymore.”
And with that she turned and closed the door in Gemma’s face. Gemma stood staring at the wood, tears building in her eyes and that feeling of stone weighing down her stomach.
It had been a slim hope to wish that the bad things Gabe had warned her of were over once she got Harrison back. By the looks
of things, her fight had only just begun and this time she had more than one adversary.
#####
Acknowledgements
Once again this project was made possible by the continued support of friends and family.
I'd like to especially thank my writing group, Inklings - Kim Koning, T. G. Ayer & Leigh K. Hunt. You girls are all fantastic authors and world-class cheerleaders. I love having you around to bounce ideas off and chat with.
Also, a big thank you to my beta readers. The girls at BBI gave me so much feedback. Your honest opinions are highly valued.
Once again, Amanda - thank you for another stunning cover. You are such a talented woman.
And to the constants in my life - Pete, Brenda, Mom and Dad. I love you guys :)
About Melissa Pearl
Melissa Pearl lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband and two sons. She trained as an elementary school teacher. She has always had a passion for writing and finally completed her first manuscript in 2003. She has been writing ever since and the more she learns, the more she loves it. Keep an eye out for future projects.
Connect with Melissa Pearl
You can contact Melissa Pearl online:
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http://melissapearl.blogspot.com
http://yalicious.blogspot.com/
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Black Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #2) Page 19
