CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: WHOLE AGAIN
July 26th, 2020
5:03PM
Gemma was home alone that afternoon, laying on the couch while American Horror Story played on the television. She was wrapped up in a blanket watching her favorite episodes from Murder House, half asleep when she heard a knock on the door. She was not sure if she actually heard a knock, or if she was just imagining it in her half awake state. Though when Gemma heard the knocking again, she knew that someone really was at the door.
She groaned, not wanting to get up from her comfortable spot on the couch. Though when the knock was heard again, more urgently this time, Gemma threw the blanket off of her and with a yawn, made her way towards the door.
When she opened the door, she was expecting a package, or maybe a neighbor stopping by. What she did not expect, was to see Rowan Taylor at her door, with bloodshot eyes and fresh tears streaming down his face.
"Rowan?" Gemma was shocked and confused as she took in the sight of Rowan in front of her. Instead of responding, Rowan threw his arms around Gemma, where he cried on her shoulder. As if an instinct, Gemma wrapped her arms around Rowan, as well. She was confused, but did not hesitate before hugging him back. Although she was confused, she was enjoying having Rowan in her arms.
"Gemma," Rowan wept. Gemma pulled away from Rowan for a moment, taking in his features once more. She grabbed his hand and led him into the living room, where he sat down and wiped away the fresh tears streaming down his face.
"Rowan," Gemma kept her fingers laced with his as she sat down. "What happened?"
"She - " Rowan's words were slurring, and that's when Gemma knew that he was drunk. She was not sure how she did not notice before, though as they sat down, Gemma could smell the booze on him. "Avery cheated on me."
Gemma's jaw dropped. Her heartbeat increased, and she was speechless. She did not know what to say, but all she wanted to do in that moment was comfort Rowan, because it was clear that he had just found recently.
"What?" was all Gemma could muster out. She was trying to piece together how Avery could have cheated, and with whom, but she could not get over the initial fact that Avery did cheat, and instead of going home, Rowan ran to her. Gemma's heart did some flips at the thought of Rowan running to her in this shocking time of need.
"She lost the baby - " Rowan cried. He opened his eyes to look at Gemma, though through tears and being drunk, she was blurry in his field of vision.
"Oh my god,"
"And the baby - it wasn't mine. She fucking slept with someone else."
Gemma squeezed Rowan's hand. In response, he inched closer to her on the couch. Gemma sat there, still holding his hand, unsure of what to do.
"I'm sorry, Rowan."
Rowan's tears slowed down as Gemma's face came more into his view. He blinked away the tears, and although the room was spinning due to how much he drank, he could see her much clearer.
"I'm not," he laughed. Surprisingly, his laugh was genuine. Gemma cocked her head to the side, taking in his sudden change in appearance as she waited for him to say more. "I didn't want to be a father."
Gemma just nodded, still not knowing how to respond. All she was focused on in the moment was the fact that with each word Rowan spoke, he was inching closer to her on the couch.
"Now that I'm thinking about it, I did not even want to get married."
Gemma's eyes widened. His words brought her back to mini golfing only two days ago, when Rowan asked her the strange question of what Gemma would do if she were in a situation that she did not know how to get out of. For a moment, Gemma started piecing everything together. Rowan did not want to get married -- that was the situation he was referring to, only two days previous.
"Why not?" Gemma asked, her words as low as a whisper. Rowan's face was dangerously close to hers. If Gemma were to slightly move her head forward, their lips would be touching.
"Because I have feelings for someone else," he whispered, and without hesitation, closed the space between himself and Gemma.
For the first time in over seven hundred days, Rowan kissed Gemma. The familiar feeling of electricity he felt any time he kissed her before consumed him, making him want more.
Gemma's heart felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest as the lips she craved, the lips she had not touched in two years collided with hers. As she kissed Rowan, lustful but also passionate at the same time, she did not hesitate before pulling him even closer to her. In one quick second, her back was pressed against the couch, with Rowan hovering above her. Not once did their lips disconnect as they repositioned themselves on the couch but instead, only moved faster.
Gemma moaned against Rowan's lips as his tongue pushed against hers. Her hands made their way into his hair, which she gently pulled on as he kissed her roughly. He disconnected for a moment -- where his lips then attached to the skin just below Gemma's ear, causing her to moan loudly. Her loud moans echoed throughout the empty living room, overpowering the low volume on the TV.
"Fuck," Rowan groaned in pleasure as his lips traveled down Gemma's neck. By the way he was kissing her, she knew for a fact that some sort of purple mark was going to be left there, but in that moment she did not care. All she could focus on was Rowan, the man she still deeply loved, and how he was doing things to her that drove her absolutely insane. "I missed you."
Gemma, in a state of awe and pleasure, meant to say I missed you too, though her brain seemed to be too caught up in what was happening when instead she said, "I love you."
Rowan stopped for a moment. He was still hovering above Gemma, though this time their eyes were locked into one another's. Gemma's mouth fell open when she realized what she had said. She could feel her heartbeat increasing more than it already was, while she instantly felt regret.
"I - " Gemma started to say, but was cut off by Rowan's lips kissing hers in a long, and much needed, closed mouth kiss.
"I love you too," Rowan whispered against Gemma's lips. He pulled away slightly, still keeping his face close to hers.
They locked eyes once more. Gemma searched his eyes for any hesitation, but found none. She kissed him again, long and passionately -- because she never wanted this moment with him to end.
"I don't think I ever stopped." Rowan admitted as he pulled away slightly again.
Gemma could feel her eyes watering. She gently pushed Rowan off of her, and when he was sitting with his back against the couch, she climbed over him so she was straddling his waist. Gemma felt fresh tears stream down her face, which instinctively, Rowan wiped away. Placing her hands on the back of his neck, Gemma pressed her forehead against his.
"I've always loved you," Gemma cried. "Even when I was away. I convinced myself I was over you, but I never stopped thinking about you."
Rowan closed the small space between them. He kissed Gemma passionately for a second, before pulling away to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
"I knew something would always bring me back to you," Rowan whispered. "When I saw you at Clementine's for the first time again back in May, something told me that you weren't going to walk away again."
Gemma let out a soft sob. Rowan continued to wipe away at her tears.
"Don't cry," he whispered, kissing away the tears that streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Gemma laughed. "I'm just happy."
Rowan smiled and kissed her again. "I'm going to call off the wedding."
Gemma's eyes widened. She had a feeling that he would do that regardless, since Avery cheated, though she was not expecting him to say it aloud. "Really?"
"Yes," Rowan nodded, keeping his eyes fixated on Gemma. "There's no point now. She cheated on me, and I love you."
"Do you love her?" Gemma asked without thinking.
"I don't know, anymore." Rowan answered honestly. He was with Avery for almost a year. He'd been through a lot with her in such a short amount of time. Rowan felt something for her, though at this point, he wasn't sure if it was love. He did not know if it ever was love, in the first place.
Instead of responding, Gemma kissed him again, hard. This time, her mouth attached to the skin on his neck, likely leaving a deep, purple mark. But Rowan did not care.
Because for the first time in over seven hundred, Rowan Taylor felt whole again. And Gemma did, too.
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a/n: EEEEEK I know this is shorter but I felt like I had to end it here lololol
I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER U DONT EVEN KNOW!!!
also. only a few chapters left. ;)