The Book of Gemma VOL. 2

17: THE END OF MY VACATION

"What does Deecon have to say about me coming to the compound?" I cringe at the name.

"I wanted to run it by you first. He has been trying for months to see you, I don't think your help will make him turn his back."

I sat back on the broken table, "And Scorpz?"

He pauses, mimicking my position and rubbing his eyes with his fingertips, "Since your arrival, she has curled around his leg like a snake... but-" He pauses again, not wanting to tell me something.

"But what?" My curiosity either brings me more pain or maybe a little relief, but he stays silent. His emotions give me a sign of guilt and withdrawal.

"Aries, what aren't you telling me?"

He shakes his head not at me but at himself, "He banished Scorpz from his new housing. Not speaking to her unless about the compound."

Why would he not want to tell me this? If Deecon was not seeing her anymore, it would bring just a sliver of relief to hear. There's more though, his guilt still a lump in his throat.

"Aries?" I say sternly, trying to pry open that mouth of his to spill his guts.

He sighs, "Deecon told Scorpz that it was over between them, to stop her advances and to leave you alone. She tried holding his hand on the sidelines of the training in front of everyone, telling him that they should go enjoy the sunset. He ripped away from her saying 'I never enjoyed a single one we saw.''

I smirk a bit, she really did try to be me in his eyes. Pathetic snake. How they have dealt with her this long is beyond me.

As children I tried my hardest to be her friend, to show her that humans were interesting and loveable. She would turn up her nose and tell me that they were weak, that they couldn't keep up with her. She wished to flee Feirita the moment her feet planted on it. I was an innocent child and she treated me like I was absolute scum. The only good thing she ever did was make Cosmic Cocktails on Sky, my favorite bar that was torn down along with the rest of Sky buildings. Humans never knew the little gems she put it in, like if we glowed our hands under the counter, it would shimmer like glittering gold, the stools made by the tree the Starzithian kids used to climb on, that if you turned the lights off, the ceiling would illuminate with our glow to show a map of the stars. She could have been tolerable to have a drink with if she didn't spend the whole time complaining. Talking such garbage about everyone who wasn't her, she was never curious.. Always judgmental.

"Why would you keep this from me?" I finally ask him, his eyes meeting mine. "I still want you to be angry at him, to hate him." He says finally spitting up that lump of guilt.

Hate? I could never hate anyone. Even Vyx who I will slaughter on her throne. "But why?" I say it but I answer my own question as he looks at me. His eyes soften and he takes my hand, "So I could have more time for you to see me."

I pull my hand away, "Aries.. You withheld this information until after you fucked me?"

He gulps, "I was going to tell you but you ordered me to pretend nothing happened out there."

I stand up, my hair coming out of the braid during our love making and falling over my breasts. "But-.. you- I still would want to know that!" Irritation running through my words. He scoffs, standing from the table and grabbing his sweatpants. "I'm sorry did I miss the part where you wanted me to pop your bubble? Deecon's name is like poison in this house, you are the one who banished anything new."

I cross my arms, fuming that he was right. "You know things would have been different tonight if you led with that information."

He steps towards me, towering over my huffed face, cracking a smile and tipping my chin up to him, "You can't tell me that you don't already want another taste of what I can give you." HIs finger slowly trailing down between my breasts.