something
about your relationship with Harrison.”
“I guess you
won’t be together forever after all,” Alistair added making Gemma
want to leap across the table and pummel his face until her
knuckles bled.
“Now if you’re
done making a scene.” Penelope cleared her throat. “There should be
enough lasagne left over for you in the kitchen. Although, I’d like
you to clean up that mess before joining us, please.”
Gemma could
think of nothing to say. She suddenly knew she was staring at two
complete strangers. The thought of being near them for a second
longer was repulsive. Without another word she made a beeline for
her bedroom.
No one chased
her. No one called her back. The only remnants of the dining room
fiasco she picked up before walking out of hearing was Ruby’s shaky
comment.
“Well what else
did you expect? She was in love with him.”
Closing
the door behind her, she leaned against the wood and fought for
air. She felt like someone had punched through her middle and
pulled out a huge chunk of flesh. All that remained now was a
jagged hole. Bending over with a cry, she slumped to the floor and
crawled towards her bed. Slithering under the covers she buried
herself in the dark cocoon and embraced the hollow ache, not even
caring if she survived it.
Harrison was
gone.
His family line
was broken and so was she.
Chapter Seventeen
Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida – 2011 AD
Sleep captured
Gemma some time in the evening, but it didn’t last. She woke
throughout the night forgetting what had happened. A smile would
cross her face as she imagined seeing Harrison the next day and
then the realization would hit. It was a force so strong her
breaths were reduced to short, rapid puffs of air. Her muscles
shook and she would curl into a ball trying to counter the ache
screaming through her system.
“Harrison.”
She didn’t want
to believe it. She couldn’t.
Reaching under
her pillow she scrambled for the comfort he had gifted her. They
had joked about it. She remembered pulling out the old shirt he’d
tucked into his waistband and cuddling it against her. He’d rolled
his eyes and told her she couldn’t possibly be one of those sappy
girls who needed to sleep with her boyfriend’s shirt beneath her
pillow. She had held it to her nose and drawn in his scent. “Say
goodbye to your shirt, baby.”
Her fingers
scratched over the empty sheet. Ripping the pillow away, she
scrounged around in the dark only to have reality reconfirmed.
He was gone. He
had never been here. That shirt had never lived under her pillow.
Curling into another ball, she pulled the covers over her head. She
wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But her insides were numb.
Instead she closed her eyes and begged for the unconscious bliss of
sleep.
Time passed.
There was a
knock on her door. Gemma’s eyes popped open. Her muscles
tensed.
“Gemma? It’s
Ruby. I brought you some breakfast. Can I come in?”
Still
nestled within the safety of her cocoon, Gemma remained silent. She
noticed the lightness above her and realized she must accept a new
day, but the thought was too painful. Shuffling further down the
bed, she held the covers tight over her head.
Ruby knocked a
few more times then eventually gave in.
“I’ll… I’ll
just leave it outside your door.”
Time passed.
She woke in a
stuffy daze. Flinging back the covers, she sniffed the fresh air
and then remembered. Her breaths grew short as panic radiated
through her system.
“Gemma?” Ruby’s
voice was behind the door again. “Sweetie, you really need to eat
something. Can I come in?”
Gemma flung the
covers back over her head and curled into a ball.
Time passed.
“ Gem,
come on. Unlock the door. I just want to talk to you.”
Ruby again.
Gemma pulled
the covers away from her face and spotted sunlight. She winced and
shook her head.
Time passed.
It was
dark again when she
about your relationship with Harrison.”
“I guess you
won’t be together forever after all,” Alistair added making Gemma
want to leap across the table and pummel his face until her
knuckles bled.
“Now if you’re
done making a scene.” Penelope cleared her throat. “There should be
enough lasagne left over for you in the kitchen. Although, I’d like
you to clean up that mess before joining us, please.”
Gemma could
think of nothing to say. She suddenly knew she was staring at two
complete strangers. The thought of being near them for a second
longer was repulsive. Without another word she made a beeline for
her bedroom.
No one chased
her. No one called her back. The only remnants of the dining room
fiasco she picked up before walking out of hearing was Ruby’s shaky
comment.
“Well what else
did you expect? She was in love with him.”
Closing
the door behind her, she leaned against the wood and fought for
air. She felt like someone had punched through her middle and
pulled out a huge chunk of flesh. All that remained now was a
jagged hole. Bending over with a cry, she slumped to the floor and
crawled towards her bed. Slithering under the covers she buried
herself in the dark cocoon and embraced the hollow ache, not even
caring if she survived it.
Harrison was
gone.
His family line
was broken and so was she.
Chapter Seventeen
Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida – 2011 AD
Sleep captured
Gemma some time in the evening, but it didn’t last. She woke
throughout the night forgetting what had happened. A smile would
cross her face as she imagined seeing Harrison the next day and
then the realization would hit. It was a force so strong her
breaths were reduced to short, rapid puffs of air. Her muscles
shook and she would curl into a ball trying to counter the ache
screaming through her system.
“Harrison.”
She didn’t want
to believe it. She couldn’t.
Reaching under
her pillow she scrambled for the comfort he had gifted her. They
had joked about it. She remembered pulling out the old shirt he’d
tucked into his waistband and cuddling it against her. He’d rolled
his eyes and told her she couldn’t possibly be one of those sappy
girls who needed to sleep with her boyfriend’s shirt beneath her
pillow. She had held it to her nose and drawn in his scent. “Say
goodbye to your shirt, baby.”
Her fingers
scratched over the empty sheet. Ripping the pillow away, she
scrounged around in the dark only to have reality reconfirmed.
He was gone. He
had never been here. That shirt had never lived under her pillow.
Curling into another ball, she pulled the covers over her head. She
wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But her insides were numb.
Instead she closed her eyes and begged for the unconscious bliss of
sleep.
Time passed.
There was a
knock on her door. Gemma’s eyes popped open. Her muscles
tensed.
“Gemma? It’s
Ruby. I brought you some breakfast. Can I come in?”
Still
nestled within the safety of her cocoon, Gemma remained silent. She
noticed the lightness above her and realized she must accept a new
day, but the thought was too painful. Shuffling further down the
bed, she held the covers tight over her head.
Ruby knocked a
few more times then eventually gave in.
“I’ll… I’ll
just leave it outside your door.”
Time passed.
She woke in a
stuffy daze. Flinging back the covers, she sniffed the fresh air
and then remembered. Her breaths grew short as panic radiated
through her system.
“Gemma?” Ruby’s
voice was behind the door again. “Sweetie, you really need to eat
something. Can I come in?”
Gemma flung the
covers back over her head and curled into a ball.
Time passed.
“ Gem,
come on. Unlock the door. I just want to talk to you.”
Ruby again.
Gemma pulled
the covers away from her face and spotted sunlight. She winced and
shook her head.
Time passed.
It was
dark again when she
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