ChapterTwelve
BODIE
She left.
When I walked back into the living room after getting Piper back to sleep, Gemma wasn’t there.
My mind had said it was for the best because of the fifteen-year age gap between us, me being a father, her being so innocent, and how we were at different stages in our lives.
But my heart and body said something completely different. I wanted Gemma in my life. I wanted to hold her, spend time with her and my girls together, and I desperately wanted to explore what we’d started in the wee hours of the morning. Since I’d met her I’d resisted and let my mind win.
Now I was going to listen to my heart and body.
ChapterThirteen
GEMMA
I’d been hiding.
During the week after I mauled Bodie in his home and had concluded there was no way for us to be together, I’d been sneaking out of the condo and coming back when I’d known he wouldn’t be around.
I was a coward.
My eyes wanted to drink him in and my body craved to be near him, but I couldn’t allow it. When he texted me the message I was conflicted. What he’d said made me want to run to him and yet I knew that wasn’t fair to him or the girls.
Hopefully, none of them would hate me for being absent from their lives after we’d spent quality time together in the weeks prior. I wasn’t only trying to protect myself, but all three of them as well.
During the week I had received calls from several of the guys who were working on the latest note Bodie had taken to them. They didn’t mention anything about him other than he’d given them the letter so I assumed he hadn’t told anyone what had happened between us.
That was a good thing, I supposed, but it also caused a pang in my chest because it made me feel like a secret or not important. I was being irrational though. Afterall, I’d been the one to take off and not answer him when he messaged me.
However, it wasn’t as if I’d told Jurnee or any of the ladies about it either. But I felt like I needed to talk to someone. It was a Friday and I had early class so I was meeting some of my friends for lunch. They weren’t taking no for an answer and I thought maybe instead of keeping all my feelings bottled up that I could talk to them about Bodie.
Lost in thought I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and I slammed into someone, sending my books scattering. Looking up to say I was sorry, I was met with Brett’s evil glare. He didn’t touch me, but I heard him mutter, “bitch” under his breath as he walked around me and down the hall.
I’d done well staying out of sight and out of his way since Bodie put the fear of God into him at my apartment, but my luck had run out.
I blew out a ragged breath and scrambled to pick all my stuff up. Once I had it secured, I rushed out of the building and to my car.
Normally I would have bailed on lunch when so much was going on in my head and life, but talking with my friends may be just what I needed.
* * *
I ploppeddown on the wooden chair and looked around at the group.
“Why do you look so unnerved, did something happen?” Jurnee asked, worriedly.
When I thought about talking to the ladies, I hadn’t planned on doing it the second I sat down, but I didn’t want to keep secrets or lie to them. I’d been keeping enough from them for some time now.
I huffed out a breath. “I ran into Brett in the hall right before leaving to meet you guys.” My nerves were still rattled. “He didn’t try hurting me but seeing him had the incidents when he had rearing their ugly head in my mind.” My hands balled into fists. “And the asshole had the nerve to call me a bitch before walking off as all my books were scattered across the floor.”
“I’m glad he didn’t touch you, but please tell Bodie about what happened so he and the guys know. I don’t want anything happening to you,” Jurnee said, her expression and tone full of concern.
While the group let Jurnee talk, I glanced around at each of them and they were all nodding their heads in agreement with her. All except for Alley whose expression was furious. Then she piped up.
“Maybe Monday I should take you to school and bring along my bat. We can accidentally run into the bastard and I can show him a thing or two.”
Hearing her threaten to hurt someone should have been appalling, but not in this case since that someone was Brett. I seriously couldn’t contain the loud laughter that bubbled up from the depths of my stomach and wildly burst free. It had everyone in the restaurant, my friends included, staring at me.
