CHAPTER THIRTY: GET THE HELL OUT OF MICHIGAN
July 27th, 2020
"Gemma?" Rowan was at a loss for words as Gemma stood at his doorstep, with tears streaming down her cheeks, pajamas on, and no shoes covering her feet. He did not have time to take in her appearance though, given the surprise he felt from seeing her. Rowan was planning on calling Gemma later, after Avery had left his house. He was still trying to figure out what he was going to even say to her, because now that he was sober, there were some things said only twelve hours before that should not have left Rowan's mouth.
"H-Hi," Gemma mumbled, wondering why the hell Avery was standing behind Rowan, who had yet to say anything.
"I'll let you two talk," Avery spoke flatly. She was not her usual chipper self this morning, and Gemma had a feeling why. Not only had she lost her baby, though by the glares Avery was sending Gemma, she had a feeling that Avery knew about what Gemma and Rowan did, only twelve hours before.
Rowan just nodded before walking outside to join Gemma, closing the front door behind him. He grabbed her hand, bringing her over towards the bench on the front porch. Rowan sat down, watching as Gemma sat beside him. He took in her distressed appearance, immediately feeling guilty. He wasn't sure why she was upset, though he knew what he was about to tell her was going to make her even more upset.
"Why is she here?" Gemma got straight to the point. While driving over here, Gemma had every intention of telling Rowan everything that she just found out. Though once she saw Avery standing behind him as he opened the door, Gemma had a feeling that she wasn't going to be able to talk about that.
"Gems," Rowan laced his fingers with Gemma's, breaking eye contact with her, because he did not want to see the look on her face when he dropped this bombshell on her. "I want you to know that I don't regret anything last night, and that I do love you."
By the way Rowan was starting off, Gemma had a feeling that he was going to say something that she did not want to hear. For a moment, she tried to brace herself for whatever was going to come. But after finding out that Jax and Gayle betrayed her in a way she did not even know was possible, Gemma was not sure if she could mentally handle anymore bad news.
"But a part of me still loves Avery, too."
Gemma closed her eyes tightly to refrain from crying. Her heart felt as if it was going to leap out of her chest, though at the same time she could feel it sinking to her stomach.
"She cheated - " Gemma kept her eyes closed as she croaked out what remained of her vocal cords after screaming at Jax and Gayle.
"I know," Rowan sighed. "And I'm hurt by that. But I've been with Avery for almost a year, and we've been through a lot - "
"So you aren't going to call off the wedding?" Gemma asked the question she dreaded the answer to.
"I - I don't know. Maybe, but I need to be with Avery and figure this out."
Gemma ripped her hand from Rowan's. She opened her eyes, though instantly wished she would have kept them closed. Rowan was staring right at her, with a mixed look of sadness and guilt covering his facial features. He wished he wouldn't have said those things while drunk, because if he didn't, Gemma may not have been sobbing in front of him like the way she was now.
"Gems - " he attempted to put his arm around her shoulders, but Gemma backed away before he could touch the skin that his lips were all over only twelve hours ago.
"Don't," she cried. Before Gemma could say another word, the front door of the Taylor household opened. And to no surprise, out walked Avery.
"Avery," Rowan was not expecting her to come outside. "I need a second."
"No," Avery refused to give Rowan the time he needed. "Time's up, Gemma can go. I need to talk to you."
"Avery - " Rowan started, but was interrupted by a frustrated Gemma who could not seem to catch a break. Too much had happened in the last hour -- from finding out about her family's drama hiding in the corner all this time, to Rowan telling Gemma he loved her, but he was choosing Avery. She couldn't handle anymore bad news, or else she was going to snap.
And that's exactly what she did.
"Fuck you, Avery!" Gemma stood up from her spot on the bench, fully prepared to call Avery out for all the harm she has caused to the Perry family.
Avery, taken aback by Gemma's outburst, placed her hand on her chest as if she was hurt. "What did I do? You're the one that fucking slept with my fiancé!"
"Avery," Rowan rolled his eyes. "That is not what happened. And you're one to talk, you fucking cheated on me!"
"We'll talk about that later," Avery pinched the skin between her eyes in frustration.
"I know everything you did," Gemma did not want to cry in front of Avery, but at this point, she was beyond angry. She was hurt, embarrassed, and betrayed. Gemma was blowing up and she knew it, but it was all for good reason.
"What?" Avery taunted. "That your brother cheated on his girlfriend and was too much of a bitch to tell her about it?"
"Avery, stop." Rowan demanded. The last thing he wanted was for Avery and Gemma to fight in front of him. This was why he was going to talk to Gemma after Avery left, that is, until Gems showed up unexpectantly.
"You know what I'm talking about," Gemma's voice broke, but that did not stop her from saying what she needed to say. "The blackmail, the lies, the fucking manipulation. You knew my family was weak and you fucking took advantage of that!"
"Gemma, I'm your friend. I would never - "
"Don't try to lie! I know the truth. And besides, you aren't my fucking friend. You made damn sure of that when you left me to rot all those years ago!"
Rowan was confused as the conversation played out in front of him. He had no idea what Gemma was talking about -- what could Avery have possibly done?
"But we grew apart, Gemma! And I felt bad about that!" Avery tried to defend herself, though it was hard. She always knew she ended her friendship with Gemma the wrong way, though by the time she realized â it was already too late. Although she did harm to the Perry family, Avery did want Gemma apart of the wedding in some way. That is, until she realized that Rowan was Gemma's ex. That's when things started spiraling out of control, to the point where Avery was losing her grip on the entire situation. "That's why I wanted your mom to plan the wedding! That's why I wanted you to be apart of it so badly!"
"You're lying," Gemma laughed, an angry, nongenuine, laugh. They did not grow apart. Gemma felt her friendship with Avery was fine, that is, until she all of a sudden met new, older friends. When one grows apart from a friend, the change is slow, and gradual. That was the complete opposite of the end of Gemma and Avery's friendship. One day they were fine and the next, Avery acted as if Gemma never even existed. "We didn't grow apart. You dropped me with no explanation. Don't even bother trying to defend yourself, because Jax told me everything. You blackmailed him, and my mom chimed in to help you plan this wedding so you wouldn't ruin his life."
Gemma knew what her family did was wrong. And although she hated them for it in that moment, she would choose their side over Avery's. They messed up, but Avery did too. Avery had just as much of a part in the whole shitshow as Jax and Gayle did.
"What?" Rowan interrupted, his mind spinning from the shocking information he was hearing. "Is that true?"
"Rowan - "
Gemma had enough. She could not bare to look at Avery anymore, or Rowan, for that matter. She came here for comfort -- to be with Rowan to help her forget about the mess her family found themselves in. Though she now realized that she could not find comfort in him, because he was choosing Avery. He still loved Avery, and as much as she wished she could, Gemma could not change that.
"You know what," Gemma's anger was getting the best of her. "Fuck both of you. You deserve each other." She knew she would later regret saying that, but in the moment she did not care. The anger, betrayal, and frustration she was feeling was getting the best of her. She did not like how she was feeling, and the only way to rid herself of these feelings, was to get the hell out of Michigan.
She walked away from the Taylor household without another word, despite Rowan calling after her. Gemma quickly entered her mother's car, and drove away with fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.
As soon as she got home, she ignored her family -- her entire family, aside from her dad who was likely working trying to save his hardware store.
"Gemma," Olivia called from behind her, following her sister up the stairs.
Gemma ignored her as she walked into her bedroom, finding Marcie awake, sitting on Gemma's bed with headphones in. Though she immediately took the headphones out of her ears as she took in Gemma's miserable appearance.
"Gemma?" Marcie questioned immediately. "What's wrong?"
"We're leaving," she started throwing her stuff into the bag she brought with her back in May, with every intention of getting the hell out of Michigan, now. Gemma ignored Liv who was still trying to fight for her attention, while Marcie just sat there, confused.
"Gemma!" Olivia was frustrated. "Listen to me. Mom and Jax told me everything."
"Told you what?" Marcie chimed in, her curiosity and concern for Gemma growing. Gemma did not stop packing -- she was in a hurry to get to the airport and leave her awful home state as fast as she possibly could.
"Gemma," Olivia grabbed her sister's hands, to stop her from throwing things into her bags. As Olivia gripped her sister's wrists, Gemma stopped. She tuned back into reality, by looking her sister in the eyes who showed nothing but concern on her face. "Gemma," Liv said again. "Take a deep breath."
"How could they do this to me?" Gemma sobbed. She threw her arms around her sister, where she let it all out on Olivia's shoulder.
"Do what?" Marcie asked, growing impatient. She had no idea what was going on, but she was dying to know.
"Gemma," Liv pulled away from her sobbing sister. "You should tell Marcie what's going on, before you just up and leave."
So that's exactly what Gemma did. She sat down on her bed, in the middle of Olivia and Marcie, and told them everything. She started with the day before, telling them how Rowan ran to her, upset about finding out that he was not the father of Avery's child. She told them about the time they shared together, which began on the living room couch and ended in Gemma's bed. Both Marcie and Olivia were surprised -- yet happy at the same time. Olivia always hoped the two would end up together somehow, even if it meant a one night stand type of situation. Marcie could see their chemistry from the beginning, so it was satisfying to know that Gemma and Rowan had some sort of night together.
Gemma cried harder when she got to the part about how her family was involved in the entire wedding process, which prompted a light bulb to go off in Marcie's head. She did not tell Gemma, because now just was not the time. Marcie remembered a strange interaction she'd had with Gayle in the beginning, when the two had first arrived in Michigan. She wondered why Gayle was so adamant on having Gemma be apart of the wedding, to which Gayle responded it was for family related reasons -- reasons that Marcie would never understand. Though as she sat here now, holding her best friends' hand as she cried, Marcie now understood those reasons. And she was disgusted with Gayle and Jax for being involved in the first place.
Gemma's tears only fell more once she explained what had happened only twenty minutes ago, when she ran to Rowan for comfort. Gemma sobbed as she repeated Rowan's recent words: he loves Gemma, but he loves Avery too. And in turn, he was not planning on leaving Avery, despite what she had done to him. Gemma explained how she called Avery out, essentially calling her a terrible person -- and dragging Rowan into that statement as well, which now that she had some time to think on it, she regretted.
"I just want to go home," Gemma whispered, given her hoarse voice from screaming and crying, in only the span of an hour and a half. "I can't be here anymore."
"I understand," Olivia placed her head on her sister's shoulder. She did not want Gemma to leave, but Olivia knew that at this point, she had to.
Marcie hugged her best friend tightly, knowing now was finally the time to go home. "I'll pack my things."
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a/n: oooooppp things are hella crazy. avery kinda sucks. jax and gayle kinda suck. this whole situation just SUCKS