Gemma
Gemma was in heaven as she fell asleep in Theo’s arms. She had never been so happy in her entire life. She couldn’t have known Theo had been awake all night long, fighting an invisible battle within himself.
She woke the next morning, and the first thing she noticed was that Theo’s side of the bed was cold. The pillow still had an indention where his head had been. She rolled over a bit and breathed in his scent. The combination between sandalwood and pine made her heady.
Before he left, Theo had covered her.
He must have waited until she was asleep, gotten out of bed, grabbed his clothes and left. She didn’t know why he would react that way unless he had trouble sleeping. She didn’t understand his actions. But then, this was the first time she had ever been with a man, and she had no idea what to expect.
Still, Gemma was very disappointed, and she felt strangely bereft at his absence. She had fantasized about them waking up together, smiling at each other and having a fabulous day, holding hands and talking together like they did that first night she was there and having fun like they had when he took her shopping. She even imagined him sneaking in some kisses. Maybe that part of her dream was still possible, she hoped.
The second thing she noticed was that she was rather sore. However, the aching between her legs was a good ache. She felt as though she and Theo had really connected the night before. She hoped he was starting to feel something for her because she knew the love she had for Theo could never be given to another man.
She had tried so hard not to fall for him because she knew he loved another woman. Gemma wondered if Savannah had something to do with the fact that she hadn’t seen much of Theo in the last few days. Maybe he hadn’t been busy. He had just been avoiding her.
That thought made her heart hurt. He might not love her, but did he find her so unpleasant that he couldn’t stand being around her.
The third thing she noticed as she sat up was the blood on the sheets. That was a testament she had given her virginity to the only man to have ever kissed her.
She thought about all the feelings he had brought out in her. She had read about how men could make a woman feel. However, she thought those were just fairy stories from a book and never really happened. Now, she knew it did happen.
Gemma wondered if those feelings would be possible with another man or if they only happened with a man she loved. She knew, though, she could never stand having another man touch her.
Stretching, she decided she needed to find Theo and gauge his reaction. She wondered if he would be back to his fun-loving self or if he regretted being with her the night before. She was a little nervous at the answer, but she needed to know.
Although she wanted so much to hold onto her fantasy of happily ever after, she needed the truth. She washed up, dressed, and headed downstairs. Gemma heard the racket in the kitchen and headed in there to find Theo making breakfast.
“Good morning,” she said, smiling at him.
She walked over to him, intending to kiss him, but he stepped past her and said, “Please, sit down and eat.”
Hurt but still thinking this was Theo’s way, she sat obediently as he put both of their plates on the table.
They ate in an awkward silence that hung in the air like a heavy woolen blanket.
After she finished, he said in a very hard voice, “You need to understand that what happened last night was part of your training. You now have my scent on you, and you know how to act like my mate.”
Gemma nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. She had given him her heart and soul, not to mention her body, and it meant nothing to him. To him, it was just part of him filling his vow. She meant nothing to him.
She knew that was how he felt, and she had no right to expect anything more from him.
Yet to hear those words come from his mouth, so coldly, as though he was simply telling her that he made eggs for breakfast, sent a knife right through her heart.
She did everything she possibly could to not let him see how much he had hurt her with his words. That would simply make her even more humiliated than she already felt at this moment.
After swallowing hard and stepping on her foot hard, she smiled and said, “Yes, I understand completely. I appreciate all that you have done to help me,” she said, proud her voice didn’t break at all.
Theo set his fork down, threw his food into the garbage and tossed his plate into the sink. Gemma was quite surprised that it didn’t break.
“I’m leaving. I’ll be back later to pick you up for the ritual,” Theo told her, his voice still harsh.
He walked around the table so he didn’t have to go near her, as though she had an awful disease that would rub off on him if he accidentally brushed against her.
Gemma cringed like a wounded puppy as he accidentally bumped the table, sending it skittering a few feet.
She listened as his heavy footsteps tromped across the floor. Then, the door slammed shut.
Heartbroken, Gemma buried her head in her arms and sobbed.
