The Boy Who Knew Me When(48)

Once her breathing stilled I crept out of the bed hoping to catch Brea in front of the television. For a while she would come running into the room every time Jemma woke up screaming. Eventually realizing that I had it under control she opted to put on some cheesy romance flick.

I think it made her feel helpless not being able to run to Jemma’s side but being there for her was my job now. I intended on having that job for as long as Jemma would allow. Luckily the only thing that changed was the fact that Jonathan was sitting on the couch next to her. She was stroking his hair while he lay with his head in her lap passed out cold.

“Hey, is she OK?” Brea whispered, muting the television as I sat down in the chair on the other side of the couch.

“She’s asleep. She fell asleep this afternoon and woke up the same way. They are getting worse the closer it gets to time to go.”

Brea turned away and started staring at the muted television. I could tell something was going through her mind so I just sat back and waited until she was ready to speak.

“What if I went with you? Maybe Jonathan might like to go?”

At the mention of his name Jonathans head poked up a few inches out of Brea’s lap. “Wha...what? Go where?”

He was still half asleep but Brea never stopped stroking his head instead she responded to him softly as if talking to a child.

“To the beach baby, with Jem and Julian.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah sure princess, sure.”

“It’s settled then, go back to sleep baby.”

And with that he lay his head back down and began to snore.

“Well Julian? Do you mind? I am scared for her and I have never not been there, Julian. I have to be there for her if she decides to go see him which is something we both know she will decide to do.”

“I agree Brea, you should come. But just so you know, I have plans for the two of us Saturday night. Just us.” I should have chosen my words better because her eye brows instantly shot up questioningly.

“No Brea, not those kinds of plans.” I replied to her unspoken implication emphasizing the word “those”.

“Then what kinds of plans do you mean that couldn’t include....” and then it hit her.

Why the hell does she have to be so perceptive? Did this unfortunate character trait drive Jemma as crazy as it drove me?

“Show me. I wanna see it!”

I pulled the small red box out of my pocket and opened it for her to see the prize inside.

“I knew it! I knew it!”

“How did you know? I didn’t even tell Jonathan.”

“Uh, I saw the bulge in your pocket and I have seen the bulge enough times to know that it wasn’t your dick, hot shot.”

Embarrassed, I laughed. “Damn Brea, you can be so damned crude that I sometimes forget that you are a lady.”

“I don’t have to be a lady for you. I reserve my ladyship status for this gorgeous hunk of man right here.” she said, running her hands over Jonathans sleeping face.

“Of course I also save my bad ass bitch in bed status for him, too. As you can see, mama was a little too much for him tonight.” she winked and I went back to bed.

Way more information than I needed at three in the morning.





Chapter Fifteen





Jemma



The last few days have been pretty rough, last night being the worse yet. I have been having the same dream over and over again as if it were stuck in a loop. Julian and I are out to dinner when suddenly my father appears. He is frantically shouting something at the two of us that I cannot quite make out but whatever it is has me scared to death. Julian however never flinches; he simply sits in his seat eating his filet mignon like nothing is going on around him.

The next thing I know my mother is behind my father and she is screaming at him in the same muted way that he is screaming at us. Before I know it there is a gun floating up through space, they both reach for it. I never actually see who catches it or even hear the gun go off , the bullet simply appears out of nowhere and I watch in slow motion as it makes its way into the side of Julian’s head. I fly from the table over to his side screaming, as he falls face-first into his plate, listening to the laughter of the sudden crowd surrounding us. My father is standing in a corner next to my mother who is also laughing, but instead of laughter, my father is crying.

This night was the same as it always has been only this time I saw who held the gun that took from me the only man who had ever held my heart in his hands, I saw the fingers that pulled the trigger. Only, I did not just see them, I felt them.



“Hi, Brandon,” I said, picking up the phone.

“Hey, Jem. I just thought I would call and check in. Are you leaving today?”