by TJ Hines
Taura came out from the bedroom and saw Gemini on the floor holding her chest and flipped out.
"Gemi! Gemi! Are you okay? Oh God Gemi! Please be okay."
The door burst open and in strode Jesse. "What's wrong, Destiny? Who's Gemi?" He spotted Gem on the floor holding her chest and went to her side. "Dusty, are you okay?"
"…panic…attack…be…okay," Gem whispered as she struggled to breathe.
"Destiny will you go get your sister a cool washrag, please," Jesse replied gently brushing Gemini's hair from her face so he could see her eyes. "It's going to be okay. Just close your eyes and take long, deep breaths. Focus on your breathing."
Gem heard Taura run to the little bathroom and then return. She tried to focus on her breathing but the thought of losing her sister kept coming up in her thoughts. Jesse placed the cool washcloth on Gem's neck and started talking to her about random things, like football and some of the people who lived in town. He sent Taura out to play with Bear, she argued at first but when he told her how lonely Bear had been and that he would take good care of her sister she agreed, even if reluctantly.
Eventually, Gemini's breathing started evening out and her heart stopped beating so fast. She slowly started returning to normal and became more and more aware of how close Jesse was to her and how he was gently stroking her back. She couldn't help herself and relaxed into his touch. It felt so nice that she almost allowed herself to fantasize about what it would be like to have him kiss her. Almost.
She remembered what set the panic attack off in the first place and stood up as quickly as she could. Jesse stood up too.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"No. I, mean, yes. I mean Destiny and I have to leave. I will give you $1000 for the car but we won't be able to go on the date because we are leaving tonight."
"Wait. What?"
"We just have to go. This isn't the place for us after all," Gemini turned to walk into the bedroom to start packing when Jesse spoke.
"Does this have something to do with the picture on your phone, Dusty, or should I call you Gemini?"
CHAPTER TEN
Gemini just froze. She wasn't sure what to do. She hung her head in defeat until she realized that she couldn't go down that easy. She had a little sister that needed protecting to think about. So, she turned back around and stared Jesse straight in the face and lied. Again. To him.
"I don't know who you are talking about but if you'll excuse me, I need to pack."
"I haven't agreed to sell you the car. Not without my date." Jesse took a step forward causing Gem to take one back.
"Don't be stubborn. Take the money, please."
"Nope. Not until I get my date." He took another step forward, still smiling that unbelievably beautiful smile at her. Gem backed up again hitting the bedroom door.
"Fine. We'll walk."
"Now who's being stubborn and still lying to me," Jesse said taking another step towards Gemini.
"I'm not lying to you. I'm telling you the truth when I say I don't know what you're…," she meant to say 'talking about' but she was silenced when Jesse leaned down and kissed her. Right there in the trailer.
He kissed her so deeply that she couldn't help but kiss him back which made him kiss her even harder. She wasn't positive but she thought he lifted her off her feet a little. He was so strong and beyond gorgeous. And without a doubt the most stubborn person she had ever met. And she was sure in those moments leading up to the kiss that she was going to fall in love with this guy. Heaven help her. She didn't know if she had enough willpower in her body not to.
"Sorry," Jesse said as he broke the kiss. He didn't move an inch though keeping his body firmly pressed against Gemini's. "I just had to get you to stop talking."
Gemini just looked at Jesse still shocked by what had just happened and that she could feel every inch of his body against hers and man that was so hot. She had never had a guy kiss her like that before. Sure, she had been kissed but never like that. Never like he was trying to intertwine their souls.
"Tell me what's going on. Your secret is safe with me."
Gemini hung her head because she wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't keep lying to him because he knew the truth now and part of her was tired of lying. She felt like that was all she had done for three days. So, she told him the truth. Well, part of it anyway.
She explained to him about their mom and her addiction. Gemini finally decided enough was enough, so she took Taura and ran. Hoping to build a better life somewhere for them. She also told him her true age of 17 and that she didn't have a real license. She told him about the family in the diner that she believed recognized her. She left out all the stuff with Taura and her ability. That was a secret she was willing to die for.
He listened to her whole story never saying a word. She did notice that his eyes got a little big when she told him she was only 17. Gem was sure he would have something to say about that. When she was finished, he just walked over to the couch and sat down. She felt like sitting down too but didn’t think it would be prudent to sit so close to him at the moment. So, she sat down on the floor in front of the bedroom door.
They sat there in silence for a while before Jesse finally spoke again.
“Well, you just can’t leave. No one knows you’re here. Not really. You’re just assuming that family recognized you. We don’t know that for sure.”
“I have to keep Taura safe. We can’t go back to Chicago. We just can’t,” Gem said rubbing her temples.
“You will keep her safe by staying here. She has a home and friends. If you go on the run again, who knows what will happen or where y’all will end up. You have to stay here. It’s the safest and best option for y’all,” Jesse said pleading with Gemini.
Gem wasn’t sure what to say. It was a big decision. And she was so tired of making these types of decisions. She opted to give it a day and then decide, but she made Jesse promise not to tell anyone about them. He promised and made her promise not to leave until they had a chance to talk about her decision. She agreed.
Gem thought the conversation was over when Jesse stood up but apparently, he still had more to say.
“Now can we talk about this being 17 thing. I mean are you kidding me?”
“Not the last time I checked,” Gemini said coming to stand in front of him.
Jesse just looked at her and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. I finally find a girl that is perfect and she’s a minor.” He started for the door; his head hung low in clear disappointment.
“But I’ll be 18 in two weeks,” Gem said with a big smile on her face.
Jesse’s head snapped up and he turned to look at her. That beautiful smile was plastered on his face again and he couldn’t stop himself from moving forward a few steps.
“Seriously?” he asked.
“Seriously. June 5th.”
“June 5th is my new favorite day. And that my girl is the day of our date,” he said turning back towards the door.
“Jesse?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for being there for me. It really means a lot that I’m not alone in this anymore.”
“Sweetheart, you will never be alone again if I have anything to say about it,” he replied before walking out the door.
The next day, with a clear mind, Gemini decided she wanted to move on, but she promised Jesse she would give it a day and talk with him before she left. She owed him that much. So, she went about her day serving the people of Hope at the diner.
As the day progressed her decision to leave started wavering, especially when she watched Taura interact with the family. Gem could tell Taura already loved them all even though she hadn’t known them a week. Taura fell in love easily unlike Gemini. Except with Jesse, of course. Gemini could see herself falling in love with him so easily and naturally, just like breathing.
Jesse was the other reason her decision started wavering. He would give her looks every so often like she was the only girl o
n the planet, and it would make her melt for him a little more. He ate lunch with her, showed a true and genuine interest in Taura, and actually made an effort to get to know the real Gemini.
After work, Taura went to play with the pups, even Bryant, who would tear himself away from guarding the goats to play with her. Jesse and Gemini settled in on the wrap around porch so they could talk about Gem’s decision. She sat there for a little while in the quiet watching Taura. Gemini had still been on the fence until she saw how happy her little sister got when the pups all greeted her at the corner of the yard. Taura really loved it here, Gem thought.
“I’ll stay for a little while longer if that’s okay with you,” she told Jesse who was seated on the porch swing next to her.
“Sweetheart, that’s more than okay with me.”
Jesse and Gemini didn’t kiss again after that evening in the trailer. Gemini would have thought she did something wrong if Jesse didn’t always choose to sit by her and continuously call her sweetheart. He would also brush her hair from her face when it fell out of its ponytail at work or around the house. Little things like that reminded Gem that Jesse was still interested in her and that the only thing holding him back was the age difference. Jesse turned 21 his last birthday and he said he was not about to put their relationship in jeopardy over a measly two weeks. So, both of them kept their hormones in check waiting for that ever-important birthday.
By the time June 5th rolled around, Gemini and Taura felt like part of the family. They worked with them all day and ate dinner with them every night. So even though she knew everyone in the family knew when her birthday was it was still a shock to Gem when they threw her a birthday party celebrating her 21st, but really 18th, birthday. There was cake and presents and decorations and even those little party hats. She nearly started crying when she saw everything. She never had a birthday party before.
After the party, Jesse took her to dinner. It was a nice place; nicer than anywhere she had ever been before. Jesse was the perfect gentleman, opening her car door for her and pulling out her chair. She felt like a flipping princess the way he treated her. But she felt like she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like he couldn’t be this great. All the men she had ever know in her life had problems. Usually serious ones, like addiction or abusiveness. She thought it would be harder to let her guard down around him, but it felt so right to talk to him. Like they had known each other their whole lives.
After dinner, Jesse and Gemini sat on the front porch of the farmhouse and talked about their childhoods. Apparently, Jesse didn't know his dad either, so they had that in common. Jesse's mom died when he was in middle school and his grandparents had raised him and Dani ever since. Gemini told him about all the hardships she and Taura had gone through with their mom and even talked about the abuse a little. It was nice to be able to talk to someone, it was even better that he didn't judge her about her decisions. They talked for hours about everything.
Finally, a little after midnight they decided to call it a night because they had to go to work in the morning. Jesse walked Gem to her front door and before she could thank him for a wonderful night, he kissed her like a man that was starved.
It was the kind of kiss that had your toes curling from the intensity of it. She melted into him as he deepened the kiss. They finally came up for air and Jesse smiled at her.
"I have been waiting for two weeks to do that. I didn't think I was gonna make it."
Gemini still a little shaken by the kiss just smiled at him.
"Well good night, Gemini," he said walking back toward his house whistling as he went.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next couple of months seem to pass by quickly. Gemini and Taura had gotten into a routine and they finally started letting their guard down a little. No one had come looking for them and Gem hadn't encountered any more travelers whom she believed recognized her.
Gemini was able to buy the car from Jesse and the one date she owed him turned into a weekly thing. Gem was so happy to have met a guy like him that she had allowed herself to think about her future. She knew she was madly in love with the guy, but she hadn't said it yet, mainly because she didn't want to seem too forward. But she did love him, and she couldn't imagine her life without him.
Taura was settling in nicely. She even made friends with the cop, who turned out to be the Sheriff, who came into the diner daily. Everyone just loved her and why wouldn't they? She was a pretty terrific kid. Everything was going great for the girls until one day late in July.
It was a Saturday late in July, the humidity was making it feel like 100 degrees in the shade and Gemini and Taura were hanging out at Jesse's house because the little air conditioner in the travel trailer just wasn't cutting it. The girls had never felt this kind of heat before and Gem was sure she was going to melt away.
"How do you get used to this?" she asked Jesse who was watching baseball on the television.
"Time. And I think us Southerners are just stronger than you Yankees," he said shooting Gem a playful smirk. She hit him with a pillow.
"Whatever. You couldn't handle one of our winters."
"You got that right. Me and below-freezing temperatures do not mix," Jesse said before returning his attention to the game. Gemini went back to reading her book about an Elven assassin who turns out to be a princess who has to save a kingdom. It was a wonderful book and the first one she had read for pleasure. It was nice, she thought, to have a hobby. She never had the time for it in Chicago because she was always taking care of Taura, working, or going to school.
Taura went outside to play with the dogs which caused Jesse to stop watching baseball and lean over and start kissing Gemini. This kiss was slow and sensual which caused Gemini to get all tingly. Her nerves felt raw like most times now when she and Jesse kissed. She wanted more and she could tell that so did he, but they were trying to take it slow which was so hard to do when he kissed her like this. They were still making out when they heard Taura scream for help.
Jesse and Gemini jumped up, breaking the kiss. Jesse was out the door in a flash. He was so fast, Gemini thought. Gemini quickly followed behind him. When she made it to where Taura was, Jesse was already by her side. They were huddled over Bryant who had been attacked from what Gem could tell. Bear and Allie were lying next to the big dog with their heads upon their paws.
Taura was crying big tears and Jesse was hugging her telling her everything would be all right. Taura looked up at Gem when she heard her approach.
"I have to, please understand," Taura told Gem before she laid her hands upon the dog and started to use her ability. Gem didn't have time to reason with Taura or anything. Their whole lives just imploded when she decided to risk everything to heal the dog. Gem couldn't do anything but stand there trying to come up with some kind of lie that could explain what Jesse was seeing.
Jesse looked up at Gem with big eyes and a shocked expression, but he didn't let go of Taura and run away like most people would have done. Gem didn't know what to say so she just looked back at Taura who was still healing Bryant. Gem noticed that Taura almost passed out once, but Jesse held her up and then the unthinkable happened.
Jesse placed his left hand atop Taura’s, and a glowing light radiated out from his hand encompassing Taura's hands and the entirety of the beautiful dog. Gemini's mouth dropped and she literally took a step back. Out of shock, not fear but Jesse saw the step and had a hurt look on his face. He dropped his head and focused on the healing along with Taura.
When Taura and Jesse had the dog 100 percent back to normal, they pulled away from each other and sat there quietly staring at their hands while Gem just stared at them. Jesse finally looked up at Gem.
"I guess we need to talk."
And talk they did. Taura, Jesse, and Gemini all sat down at the little dining room table in the travel trailer so that they wouldn't be overheard and talked about what had just happened with Bryant.
"What just happened?" Gemini asked lo
oking at Jesse. It looked like he was about to start talking when Taura spoke first.
"It all just happened so fast. We were out there playing catch and the next thing the goats started going crazy and Bryant stopped playing and went completely still and then took off. Me and Bear and Allie chased him but by the time we got there Bryant was already tangled up with a really, big cat, like the kind you see at the zoo. I tried to get the cat to stop but Bear wouldn't let me go and Allie went to help Bryant. The cat must have got scared when Allie showed up because it just ran off. But Bryant was hurt bad and I just couldn't let him die, Gemi. I had to help. I just had to."
"I know munchkin, I know."
"Thank you for saving Bryant, kid," Jesse said patting Taura's head.
"You're welcome." Taura sat there for a second before looking up at Jesse. "Hey, you're like me."