Bride to Be

13: The Past Was in the Past

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE PAST WAS IN THE PAST

June 6th, 2020

That next morning, Gemma woke up feeling violently hungover. Though despite feeling hungover and having little memory of the night before, she couldn't shake a sudden feeling of familiarity and comfort that radiated throughout her hungover body.

As she opened her eyes further, she noticed Marcie sitting awake on the floor, who was brushing her hair and applying makeup. Gemma sat up in her childhood bed, immediately regretting it as her head started to pound. Marcie noticed a hurting Gemma in the corner of her eye.

"Morning, how are you feeling?" Marcie asked. She knew damn well that Gemma was likely very hungover from the mixed drinks she consumed only twelve hours before.

"Like shit. Did I black out last night? I don't remember a thing."

"Something like that..." Marcie shrugged. She wondered if she should tell Gemma what happened, or if her hungover friend would piece together the night as the day went on while her hangover healed.

"I just remember going to that party... But the rest is a blur," Gemma croaked as she let her head hit the pillow again. She had no intentions of getting up from bed anytime soon; she was glad she did not have to work at Target today.

Marcie nodded. She looked away from hungover Gemma, while she continued to ready herself for her shift at Dunkin. Marcie figured she would tell Gemma the beginning of the night, to see if her hungover friend would be able to piece the rest of the story together on her own. After all, Marcie wasn't sure what went on after she and Olivia had left the room. That was something only Gemma and Rowan knew. And although Marcie was sure nothing happened, and that Rowan only comforted a panicked Gemma, that was the part of the night that Gems would have to remember without the help of anyone else.

"Some girl made a bunch of mixed drinks," Marcie began. "But some of the drinks were mixed with drugs.. not different types of alcohol."

"Holy shit," Gemma gulped. She shut her eyes tight, as the dream-like memories began to replay in her head like a fever dream.

The party. Her panic attack. Marcie and Olivia not knowing what to do. Rowan. Rowan sitting in Gemma's bed. Rowan and Gemma playing twenty-six questions. Gemma finding out how Rowan and Avery met, and how the hell they ended up where they were today. Rowan comforting Gemma. Gemma holding Rowan's hand.

Gemma thought that was all a dream. When she first awoke only minutes ago, she thought the feeling of familiarity and comfort was only from a dream she had of her ex. She didn't actually think he was here, comforting her again, in a time of need similar to what happened to her years ago.

"Rowan was here," Gemma gulped, suddenly feeling... guilty? for spending time with him when he was soon to be married. Not that Gemma gave a shit about Avery's feelings, but something about him comforting her, when no one else was in the room, and the fact that she held his hand -- seemed wrong to her.

"Yeah," Marcie confirmed Gemma's suspicions.

"How the hell did you convince him to come here?" Gemma asked. Her mind was full of questions at the moment.

"Liv begged. He kept saying no but finally gave in."

"Well shit," Gemma nervously laughed. "All the memories are flooding back to me,"

"How do you feel?" Marcie asked, genuinely curious. After all, this was the first time Gemma and Rowan spent some sort of time together in years, despite Gemma being severely under the influence. "Since you remember everything?"