Love Metamorphosis

Chapter 38

When she woke up the next morning it was to the sound of a knock on her door. She sat up quickly, she was still sick but she wasn't nearly as tired as she had been. She pushed at her hair, trying to tame it and she ran her tongue over her teeth; she cringed at the taste in her mouth.

"Jemma?" Eric's voice was muffled by the closed door.

She pulled herself up into a sitting position as he opened the door a crack. "Good morning."

"Feeling better?" He said coming into the room with a serving tray in his hands.

"I feel rested," she couldn't help but grin at him like an idiot, "I slept much better."

"I thought you might be hungry," he said sitting down and putting the tray over her legs, "I brought a little bit of everything."

"Thank you," she eyed the fruit and toast, eggs and even one pancake, "how is Adele?"

"Watching Sunday cartoons downstairs," he said with a smile, "She wanted to have you come down and watch them with her but I decided you should sleep."

"I needed it," Jemma said, overjoyed that Adele was getting better so fast and popped a grape into her mouth

"You look better." He said and the tenderness in which he said it made her look up at him.

She saw it then, the love she wasn't sure had been there shown through. "Why did you leave?" She asked pointedly.

His smile faltered, he had not been expecting her to ask that, and she watched him with an eerie sort of calm. All doubt left her, she was happy here in this house, and she was going say what she had been avoiding. She had carved herself some bloody oars, as Candice would say.

"I think this should wait until you are better," he said uncomfortably, "I don't want to upset you."

"Do you love me?" She said hopefully, her voice so low she wasn't sure if he had heard her question.

"Yes." He said softly.

"As a friend?" She asked, tilting her head to try and see his face.

He sighed. "Yes."

"As something more?" She pressed, feeling as though she was standing on the edge of a waterfall, her oars forgotten and she needed to put her arms out so she could fly.

His head came up and he met her serious eyes, and her lip firmly planted between her teeth. He searched her face, whatever he was looking for he must have found because he answered almost breathlessly, "Yes."

She bent her head forward and started crying, she couldn't help it she was unbelievably happy, and they burst forth without her consent. She even started to laugh through her tears, as she felt him stand up and she looked up to see where he was going. He lifted the tray off of her and set it on her dresser, with his back to her she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I have been in love with since the first moment I saw you," he said, his hands falling to his side but his back still to her, "I know you still love Jeff and I wouldn't want to replace him but I can't lie to you anymore. There is nothing between Missy and I. It has always been you. She was a distraction when I wanted to convince myself that we were only friends. Then my sister died and I realized you were worth waiting for. A month, a year, it no longer mattered. Then you were in the house with me and it was filled with the happiest moments and the most miserable. You were right there but you weren't mine. Then you said you were going to see Jeff and I realized I needed to go before I said something I'd regret but I can't lie to you anymore. No matter the consequences my heart is yours and I don't want to marry you because of Adele. I want to marry you for myself because I love you."

She sniffled and wiped away her tears, a foolish grin on her face, "My brother is going to be so angry."

He turned around and looked at her as though she had said something strange, but he didn't say anything so she continued, "Since our wedding is going to be before his."

Understanding slowly lit up his eyes he came over and put his hands on each side of her face before he kissed her. It was filled with such a deep longing on his part that she was swallowed up in his emotions. He put his arms around her and hugged her close, as though she may slip through his fingers.

"That is if you will still have me." She said half joking, but wanting to make sure she wasn't wrong in assuming that his being in love with her meant he wanted to marry her.

He pulled back and held her by the shoulders, laughing, "Only if you say you love me."

"I, Jemma Katherine Turner, am in love with you," she said and kissed him thoroughly, and she became lightheaded from all the excitement, "And I have been since you brought Adele to New York or maybe before then but couldn't admit it."

He kissed her neck and shoulder and she shuttered from desire, she could feel it rolling off of him as he held her arms just below her shoulders. Her head fell back in a moan, and her eyes shot open in shock before she covered her mouth. He didn't stop even when she looked down at him, he was still holding her arms and he kissed his way over the top of one breast and then another.

She muffled another sound that was bubbling up in her throat as he pulled back and kissed her hand that was over her mouth, "You have made me the happiest man in the world."

"Then I," she said kissing his nose, "am the luckiest woman in the world."

"Let's take Adele and get married in Italy, at my vineyard," he said giving her small kisses all over her face, "Let's fly there tomorrow and get married."

"Tomorrow is a school day," Jemma scolded without any real venom, "They get a break after midterms in two weeks, let's go then."

"Really?" His voice a little doubtful but it had such hope.

"Yes," she put her hands on each side of his face, "I don't want to wait, I am positive I want to continue living in this house with you and Adele for all my days."

"I have to say Ms. Turner," he said seriously, "You had better regain your strength because as it is I am going to wait to have you until you are my wife."

"Promise?" She said putting her arms behind his back and kissing him with a smile on her lips.

He pulled back, "Not if you keep kissing like that. I may just forget that you are sick."

She laughed whole heartedly, a sense of joy washed over her, "Come, let's tell Adele our good news."