ChapterThree
GEMMA
A week had passedsince the eventful day at Ruby and Lyric’s home.
I’d headed to the hospital to check on Brinley shortly after the soul-stirring conversation with Bodie and his girls. My friend hadn’t had her baby yet so I’d gone home but went back the next day to welcome her beautiful baby girl into the world.
Serenity Rose was perfect.
Brinley and Rowan had decided not to name their little one after his sister. At one time it was thought that they might but for reasons, had decided against it. Something all their friends could understand and support. The new name they’d picked out was as amazing as their daughter.
When I looked down into the baby’s precious face, my heart tumbled over.
I may have been young but I wanted what my friends had. A family, husband, and kids. Some may be as puzzled as I was on how I got the baby bug and any nurturing skills at all after only having a mother for six years as well as growing up in foster care. Homes that most of the time were the farthest from a nurturing atmosphere.
But it was embedded deep inside me.
And when I thought about it, almost all of my friends were the same way. Most of the ladies had one of three things: an absent mother, one who they didn’t have for long, or worse yet, a mom who didn’t set an example of what a good mama should be. Yet, they were all extremely wonderful, caring mothers themselves.
Jurnee herself at a young age had been that way with me when I arrived at the home after my parents’ deaths. Between the six years I had with my mother and Jurnee showing me that sweet, soft, caretaking side of her, it had worn off on me.
I just wished that I’d had my parents longer. And if I was lucky enough to have children, that they could be there to see them grow up. A few memories trickled through my mind of moments with my mother and father, but over the years it was getting harder to remember everything when I’d been so young when they’d passed away.
My biggest fear was that everything would fade until I forgot our time as a family altogether. I was thankful that I had gotten pictures of them to take with me so their faces would stick with me.
Thoughts spun in my head as I shut the door to the apartment I rented just off campus and locked it before I headed toward my car. Everyone was going over to Rowan and Brinley’s for an official meet and greet with the new baby. I’d been missing enough stuff lately and wasn’t going to skip out on this.
I rounded the corner and slammed into a tall, sturdy, male body. When I looked up into the eyes of the one person I tried to avoid like the plague, anger and fear raced through me. He didn’t seem to know what the wordnomeant.
“Not now, Brett,” I said with an edge to my voice as I tried to veer around him.
He grabbed my upper arms hard, probably leaving a new set of bruises. Panicked, I tried to yank free while looking around for anyone who could help.
But nobody was there and I couldn’t break his hold.
How the hell was it that this asshole always knew exactly the right time to get to me?Dammit, I need to pay more attention.I’d been trying but sometimes I got lost in my head.
He squeezed my arms. “We need to talk and I’m sick of you trying to avoid me, Gemma.”
Excruciating pain radiated down my arms and I sucked in a sharp breath.
Looked like I was missing the gathering after all.
* * *
Comemorning I knew I was going to be sore.
I found myself forcefully shoved up against the brick building where I lived and discomfort ran down my back along with a shiver of unease. An angry look was etched across Brett’s face, but even scared, I was angry and that drove my mouth to lash out when I should have stayed silent.
“Get your damn hands off me.” He gave me a shake, but I didn’t stop. “If someone doesn’t want to go out with your shitty ass, they don’t have to. Take no for an answer and move the hell on.”
I was clearly out of my mind and in the next second I paid for it.
He leaned back, his right hand leaving my arm, and the next thing I knew, his palm struck my cheek so hard that my head bounced off the wall behind me.
I cried out but there was still nobody around to hear me. My face and skull immediately throbbed and I gritted my teeth, holding back the tears threatening to break free.
I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
