Bride to Be

29: Truth Unfolded

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: TRUTH UNFOLDED

July 27th, 2020

Gemma awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. As soon as she opened her eyes, she brought her fingers to her lips, where Rowan had been kissing her only twelve hours before. After awhile of kissing and cuddling on the couch, Gemma brought Rowan upstairs to her bedroom where they continued what they started in the living room. The entire time, Gemma remained cognizant of when her family would come home, considering they all went to see a movie. After awhile of making out with Rowan in her bedroom, Gemma knew their movie had ended, or was close to ending. Marcie, who was working, ended her shift at eight o'clock, which was roughly around the same time the family would be back.

Gemma did not want Rowan to leave, but she knew he had to. So after a long kiss goodbye and multiple I love you's, Rowan was out the door and into the Uber he ordered.

Gemma could not push last night from her mind. As she sat up in bed, noticing Marcie who was still asleep on the mattress on the floor, Gemma checked her phone. It was nearing 9AM, and to her disappointment, Gemma did not see any texts from Rowan. She tiredly walked to the bathroom, immediately noticing a deep, purple mark on her neck. Gemma gasped at the sight of it, and although it did not help much, she applied a thick layer of foundation over the spot. The purple was still visible through the makeup; the only thing able to cover it was her hair. Gemma never wore her hair in a side braid, though this hairstyle was the only one that was going to completely cover the hickey that Rowan had left on her neck.

Somewhat paranoid that she was not going to be able to hide the mark, Gemma decided to stay in her room for most of the day. Though when she heard yelling coming from downstairs, her curiosity grew. She walked towards the steps, where she could hear Gayle and Jax arguing from downstairs.

"Marissa broke up with me," Jax sounded as if he was crying. "She fucking told her - "

"Jackson," Gayle angrily interrupted her son. "If you did not cheat on Marissa in the first place, we would have never ended up in this situation."

"You think I don't know that?" Jax yelled. "I fucked up, mom! I know that! But why are you complaining? You're the one who needed money! You agreed to do this!"

"Only because you were being blackmailed, Jax. I'm your mother. I had to help you."

Gemma was beyond confused. She had absolutely no idea what her mom and brother could have been talking about. Marissa broke up with Jax, which was news to Gemma, and Jax cheated? This was shocking, because Gemma could see how much his brother loved Marissa. She would have never suspected that he would cheat on her.

Gemma could not figure out what her mother meant by this situation, because how would Gayle be involved in Jax's breakup with Marissa? That was something Jax needed to figure out for himself, and it was not something for their mom to intervene in. It simply did not seem like her place.

The part that confused Gemma the most was blackmail. Jax, being blackmailed, just did not make sense. He was not the kind of person to get mixed up in things like that. And money? What did money have to do with any of this? Gemma could not decipher the context of their conversation, because so much was being said at once.

Jax stayed silent. Gemma could hear him crying from where she stood at the top of the steps.

"Well," Gayle sighed. She no longer sounded angry. "You don't have to worry anymore. She lost the baby, and now I'm out a few thousand dollars of what I was going to be paid for planning this wedding, that likely isn't going to happen anymore."

Gemma's eyes widened as an overwhelming sensation of confusion, shock, and betrayal hit her all at once. She did not hesitate before running down the stairs, almost tripping over her feet in the process. Jax and Gayle eyed Gemma's expression as she entered the kitchen, instantly knowing that she had heard their conversation, and that she was slowly piecing all the confusion of their conversation together.