He’d nodded his heavy head and thanked her for the coffee before stumbling out of the room with his phone.
The day had dragged by with each member of the family taking different shifts. His mother had popped in with fresh clothes and his laptop and he spent the afternoon absorbed in research, waiting for Gemma to stir. After his daylong vigil he had finally popped out of the room to stretch his legs while the nurse changed Gemma’s dressings… and that’s when she’d decided to wake up. A grin tugged at his lips.
You would have to wake when I’m out of the room, wouldn’t you, Gem.
The sound of his name on her lips still rang in the back of his mind. He had been down the end of the corridor sensing he should return when he’d heard the faint call. It had taken a second to register and then he’d taken off. The look on her face when she saw him said more than words ever could.
The silence in the room was awkward. No one seemed willing to fill it. Harrison wondered why they weren’t gushing with all the emotion they had been living over the last couple of days.
Gemma looked from face to face, obviously struggling to find any words to begin. Her father stood at the end of the bed just staring at her. His hand covered his mouth and his eyes blinked at threatening tears. Dom’s eyes twinkled with a smile; he looked as though he wanted to grab his little sister up in a bear hug. Ruby stood next to him. Her eyes were a slight mystery, but from what he could tell she was still fighting a war between relief and mistrust.
Harrison’s eyes finally flicked to Dr. Hart. Her face wavered with strong emotion as she reached for her daughter’s hand.
“It’s good to see you awake.” Her voice shook and she drew in a deep breath. The efficient doctor persona from the last twenty-eight hours was slipping from her grasp. Standing on the other side of the bed to Harrison was Gemma’s wrung out mother. She brushed her knuckles down the side of her daughter’s face.
Gemma responded with a tired smile, which she in turn passed on to her siblings and father.
“How you feelin’, slim?” Dom gave her foot a gentle whack.
“Like I could kick your ass.”
The awkward tension in the room shattered.
“Looking forward to it.” Dom chuckled.
“Well, you still need your rest.” Alistair cleared his throat. “Dr. Hart here wants you to spend a couple more nights and then we’ll take you home, where you belong.”
His eyes shot to Harrison for a moment before flicking back to Gemma. She met his gaze with determination and entwined her fingers more solidly within Harrison’s.
Her father’s eyes rose to the challenge, but soon dropped to the floor. He looked up to send a silent message to his wife, before ushering Ruby and Dom from the room. Gemma turned to face her parents as her father stepped back in.
“This shouldn’t have happened. You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know, Dad.” Gemma picked at the blanket.
The silence was oppressive and only broke when Alistair slammed his hand on the end table. “What did you think you were doing? Exposing yourself on a wall that way? You should have been in the stable where I left you!”
“I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. We got to the top tower and were trapped. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You did have a choice.”
“That wasn’t an option.” Her voice was steel. She met her father’s black look with one of her own. His jaw went tight. Tapping the table with his knuckles, he put his hands in his pockets and left the room, followed swiftly by his wife.
Gemma’s lips quivered as she took a breath. Harrison rubbed his thumb over her skin. “They were going to leave me there, weren’t they?”
She shook her head then nodded, pulling in another shaky breath. “I couldn’t let that happen. Just the idea of you…” She sniffed. “You not being here doesn’t work for me. I can’t make it work.”
Her ragged sigh turned into a sob and she covered her face. Caught between elation and sorrow, Harrison gently pulled her hands away and wiped at her tears. His throat was too clogged to speak, so he gave her a smile and put as much gratitude into it as he could.
She let out a hiccupy laugh and licked her lips. Sniffing, she looked at the bedside cabinet and squeaked, “Tissues?”
“I’ll get some.” Harrison jumped from his spot and shot into the corridor.
He walked to the nurses’ station with a shaking head. She would’ve had to fight pretty hard to convince them to go back in time. Her getting injured was only going to compound the situation. He had to face facts. Gemma’s parents were never going to let them be together.
He asked for tissues in monotone and slumped back towards the room. A murmur of voices caught his attention. He walked toward the partially closed door and leaned behind it, recognizing Gemma’s parents.
“You know we can’t allow this. He’ll ruin everything.” Penelope clipped.
“Look, he already knows and obviously hasn’t told anybody. His parents have no idea, yet they knew he was dating Gemma. They must have been hiding this for a while.”
“Great, so they knew and we didn’t. How could she lie to us this way? She’s always been so good.”
Harrison listened to a heavy sigh.
“She’s never been in love before, Pen.” Another sigh. “I’m worried if we try and force this, we might lose her. You saw her reaction when we refused to go back.”
“That’s what scares me. If he can make her behave this way, what’s she going to be like in the future? We need to keep control of her. What if she pulls him through time again?”
“I’ve never heard of it happening before. I don’t know how she did it.”
“Well she obviously didn’t mean to.” Penelope’s voice was droll.
“But she did, without even trying.”
“Do you think she’s more gifted than we originally thought?”
“She’s definitely capable. That’s why we can’t afford to lose her.”
Harrison's chest tightened. Frowning, he leaned closer to the gap in the door, not wanting to miss a word.
“But that’s what will happen if we try and stop them from seeing each other. We have to keep her on side. Allowing them to date will score points and build some trust.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Penelope clicked her tongue. “But shouldn’t we at least try first. That’s what she’ll be expecting.”
Alistair chuckled softly. “I think it will be a futile argument, but if you want, we can try.”
Harrison peered through the wedge of light and saw Alistair pull his wife into an embrace. His gut stirred as he watched them. He wasn’t sure what underlying details he was missing, but something about the conversation unnerved him.
Pasting on a bland expression, he entered Gemma’s room and passed her the tissues. She wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hear about his inklings. He wondered if she ever would be.
Gemma wiped her nose clean and looked at him. “Are you okay?”
He forced a smile. Bland obviously couldn’t hide the gnawing worry. “I’m fine.”
He touched her face then pulled away as the door swung open. He wasn’t sure he could look at Mr. and Mrs. Hart without giving away his mistrust, so he kept his gaze down.
Gemma bundled up her tissue and threw it toward the trashcan. It missed. Alistair bent to rectify the situation then dusted his hands off and faced the young couple.
“You know this relationship of yours can’t happen, Gemma. There are rules.”
Gemma reached for Harrison’s hand and gave her parents a defiant glare. “I’m not breaking up with him. You can’t make me.”
Penelope gave a cynical laugh as she stepped towards the bed “That’s just it, isn’t it? You’ve been going behind our back for weeks, why stop now?”
Gemma’s face flamed with shame. She dropped her gaze to their hands. Harrison squeezed her digits as the Harts’ exchanged a quiet look.
Defeated, Penelope nodded once a
nd looked to the ceiling.
Alistair sniffed and stood tall. “We set up these rules to protect you, Gemma.”
“I don’t need—”
“Let me finish.” His sharp command silenced the room. “Your mother and I want you to be happy, but this relationship of yours needs boundaries.”
Gemma squeezed his hand. Harrison could sense her dark mood take flight. She looked up at her parents with bright eyes that were dimmed slightly by her mother’s sharp voice.
“Meaning no more traveling for Harrison.”
He forced his lips to remain straight. That wouldn’t be a problem. He wasn’t overly keen on experiencing that again.
“You can spend the day together at school obviously and are allowed one date per weekend.”
“One date? Mom—”
“You will tell us exactly where you are going and what you are doing. Your curfew is eleven o’clock, without exception.”
“Mom, can we negotiate—”
“There’s no sleeping together.”
Gemma’s face turned instantly red. Harrison felt Alistair’s eyes hot on him. He glanced up at the man and was so singed by the brief encounter that he had to look away.
“And lastly, this has to end when you leave for college.”
Harrison’s stomach coiled.
“Forget it. You can’t dictate that!” Gemma snapped.
“You either accept those rules or we start looking at boarding schools.” Alistair’s voice was laced with a stern warning.
“Stoneridge Academy in Maine has been highly recommended to us.” Penelope smoothed her right eyebrow with her pinky finger.
Gemma pressed her lips together and shot her mother a dark look.
“Take what you can, darling, and smile. You’ve won this round.” Penelope squeezed her daughter’s forearm then stepped back to let Alistair kiss Gemma’s cheek.
A half-hearted smile flickered across her face as she murmured farewell to her parents. The room lay in silence after their departure and Harrison didn’t want to fill it. He could see Gemma’s mind hard at work as her fingers ran up and down his arm, stopping to fidget with his watchstrap at varying intervals.
“Maybe by the time we graduate they’ll see why I love you so much and be willing to bend the rules a little further.” Her hopeful voice made him smile.
“I’ll do my best to persuade them.”
She looked exhausted as she forced a smile. Her tired eyes turned his way. “I guess I should be grateful they’re not keeping me under lock and key. I was so expecting them to say I could never see you again.”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, I think they knew you were going to put up a pretty vicious fight if they tried.” He stilled her fidgeting hand with his own. “You should rest, Gem.”
He caressed her forehead and she closed her eyes with a sigh. Frown lines soon appeared on her brow.
“What is it, babe?”
“I hate feeling this way. Like I have no control.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I mean, I’ve won this battle, but ultimately I’m going to be paired with someone else and how can I stop them? I can’t escape this life. Dad controls everything.”
Harrison sensed the stress creeping up her body.
“I love helping people, Harrison, I do! But I want my own life. I want to be with you and for that to be okay. I want my say to count for something.”
“Hey.” He touched her face, needing to end the worry before it started taking a physical toll. “Look at me.”
She reluctantly turned toward him.
“We just had our say and they’re letting us enjoy the rest of high school. You probably thought they were going to kill me when they found out about us. Who knows what they’ll say in another year or so. Don’t focus on the lack of control. Focus on the hope of this summer and a great senior year.”
Her body relaxed as he finished his little speech, but her eyes remained unsettled.
“I just don’t ever want to lose you.”
“Then don’t.”
Rising from his chair, he leaned over the bed rail and kissed her. Her lips were warm beneath his, the flames simmering through his senses.
Pulling back, he looked at her face and watched her lips pull into the smile he had fallen for.
“Tu es ma stella del mattino. Tu es ma gioiello.”
Her tired eyes lit with wonder. “What does that mean?”
“I’ll tell you some time.” He kissed her nose. “For now, you need to get some sleep.”
The fact she put up no fight, gave away her sheer exhaustion. Tipping his head, he studied her fondly before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and lightly kissing her once more.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida - 2011 AD
The early morning sand felt cool between her toes. Gemma buried her feet beneath the grains, feeling a slow contentment build within her. Summer was coming. The searing heat, the hours in the ocean, the freedom of no school, the chance to spend that unallocated time with her boyfriend… She couldn’t wait.
Peeking to her left, she bit her cheek then asked, “So we’re good then?”
“Yeah.” Ruby rocked to her side and nudged their shoulders together. “I guess I won’t kick your ass.”
Gemma laughed.
The walk at dawn had been Ruby’s idea. The beach was practically empty and the still air was soothing. Gemma had been out of hospital just over a week and had been restlessly waiting for Ruby to make the first move. When she’d shaken her awake, Gemma had been too surprised to kick her out of her room.
Ruby’s apology had been simple and sweet, Gemma’s forgiveness swift.
“You want to know the whole truth, Gem?”
“Always.” She kept her eyes on the ocean, not sure if she actually did.
“It wasn’t just the fact you shared our secret that made me mad. I was…jealous.”
“Jealous? Of me?” Gemma gaped at her sister. “Why?”
“Because you’ve got this boyfriend who treats you like a princess. It’s so obvious you love each other.”
Gemma blushed as she reached for a handful of sand.
“And then you told him what you are and he stayed. He doesn’t think you’re a freak. You get to be one hundred percent yourself around someone who isn’t family…and I want that.” Ruby’s eyes were moist as she glanced at Gemma. “You’re not the only one who gets tired of lying.”
“Acting,” Gemma corrected with a smile.
Ruby sniffed out a chuckle.
Gemma shuffled closer in the sand and wrapped an arm around her sister.
“Please don’t give me the 'your time will come' speech. I don’t think I could stomach it right now.”
Gemma pinched her lips together, gulping back her words.
“I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Thanks, Ruby.”
Drawing in a shaky sigh, she pulled her shoulders straight and wiggled out of Gemma’s embrace.
“We should head back. I want to drive down to Orlando today and get some serious shopping done.”
“Still looking for the perfect prom dress, huh?”
“Of course,” Ruby’s smile was dazzling. “Thanks to you breaking the rules and kicking up a big stink, I don’t have to hide the fact I’m going to prom. Of course I won’t advertise that I’m going with the most gorgeous guy in school.”
Gemma giggled.
“But since I am going with the most gorgeous guy in school, I don’t want him to look better than me.”
“Someone look better than you? I don’t think that’s possible, Rube.”
Her sister giggled sweetly. “Wanna come?”
“No,” Gemma shook her head. “You and Mom go ahead. I’m just gonna—”
“Make out with your boyfriend?” Ruby rolled her eyes while Gemma blushed up a storm.
“I was actually going to say, that I might stay and go for a run before the day heats up.”
“Oh.” Rub
y looked disappointed as she stood and brushed the sand from her shorts. “Well, have fun.”
“You too.”
Gemma watched her sister glide over the sand as if it were flat glass. Rising from her spot, she headed to the water’s edge, stretching her arms high and preparing her muscles for a work out.
“How far do you usually run?”
The voice behind her was rich and smooth like melted chocolate. She spun on her heel and found herself facing a tall man, his hands casually tucked into his fraying jeans. His black, wavy hair was lined with fine strips of grey and his face looked tanned and weathered. His eyes were so clear and serene she felt an easy peace trying to find a good perch within her. It was the magnetic pull he seemed to have on her that was keeping the peace at bay. He felt familiar.
“Four to five miles,” she tried to keep her voice casual as she pulled a tie from her wrist and began shoving her hair into a ponytail.
“That’s pretty good. Sand is great resistance training. You need that in your line of work.”
The wary caution inside her jumped to full alert as she felt the particles in her blood start to run cold.
“Who are you?”
“That’s not important right now, Gemma.”
Her blood turned to ice.
“How do you know my name?”
“I know a lot about you, putus unus.”
Gemma scoffed before she could stop herself. “I’m not a pure one.”
Her body jolted with the realization that she’d just given away the fact she knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Yes, you are. You’re the only one left.”
His intense gaze had her stepping back. She felt the salt water lick around her ankles, but couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Who was this man? And how did he know about the electus, the original pure ones? Fear coiled in her stomach as she waited for the sense of danger to swamp her, but she couldn’t reach past a quiet caution. There was something so calm about him, and she found it attractive.
She resisted his pull and stepped further into the water. Her mind ran with distant thoughts of stranger danger and she urged them to the forefront.
Golden Blood (The Time Spirit Trilogy, #1) Page 20
