Bride to Be

12: Twenty-Six Questions

CHAPTER TWELVE: TWENTY-SIX QUESTIONS

June 5th, 2020

Rowan was seconds from falling asleep before he heard his phone ring. He almost didn't want to answer, because who the hell would be calling him at almost one o'clock in the morning, though his curiosity sparked at the same time. He opened his eyes wider to view his phone screen, which displayed the letters LP across the caller ID.

Confusion filled Rowan's thoughts. He wondered why Olivia Perry was calling him -- especially at almost 1AM.

"Hello?" he hesitated before answering, considering Avery was in a deep sleep next to him at her apartment.

"Um, hi Rowan." Liv sounded nervous. As he heard Gemma's younger sister's voice over the line, he began to wonder why Olivia kept his number all these years. He could be asking himself the same thing, though, as his nickname for Olivia lit up across his phone screen.

"Why are you calling me, Liv?" he questioned. There had to be an exact reason why she was calling, because why else would she?

"Well," Olivia paused. Rowan heard groaning over the line, which added to his confusion more. "Do you remember that time you and Gemma were at that party - "

Liv didn't even need to finish her sentence, for the exact memory to resurface in Rowan's brain. He remembered holding a crying, panicked Gemma in his arms, stroking her hair and kissing all over her face to calm her down. She fell asleep with her head in his lap as they watched her favorite shows.

"I remember," Rowan gulped, not really knowing what to do with this newfound information of Gemma getting roofied, again.

"She's uh - freaking out and Marcie and I don't know what to do," Olivia's voice was thick with stress. Rowan couldn't help but feel bad for the sixteen-year-old, given this was the second time she was seeing her older sister in such a bad state. She was only fourteen the last time it happened. Liv was scared, and Rowan could hear it in her voice. "So I was wondering," she continued, "if you could come here?"

Rowan was slightly taken back by Liv's question. Even though he could easily imagine the state Gemma was in, it wasn't his place to be the one to calm her down. He was with Avery, and jumping to his ex girlfriend's rescue wasn't something he wanted to have to tell his fiancé about the next morning.

"I can't, Liv. And you know that." He sighed. Before Liv could respond, he could hear Gemma let out a sob over the line. Her frightened voice kept repeating what's happening to me? To which Marcie would respond, you're okay Gemma. You are safe.

Olivia let out a quiet cry. Rowan felt his heart breaking as he pictured the scene happening behind the phone call.

"Rowan, please." Liv was crying now.

"Liv - " Rowan mumbled. He realized he could be speaking quieter as Avery tossed and turned in her sleep. "I'm with Avery. I can't be there for Gemma this time."

"Please," Liv begged again. She sounded desperate. She was desperate. "Nothing that we're doing is working. We put her favorite shows on. We've been constantly telling her that she's okay. But nothing is working. She's freaking out."

"Olivia - "

"Rowan, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious. Please."

Rowan sighed. His eyes drifted over towards Avery, who was fast asleep. Avery was a deep sleeper. She never woke up during the night, unless there were severe thunderstorms. And as far as Rowan knew, there weren't supposed to be severe thunderstorms tonight. He glanced at the time. It was now 1:02AM.