by Leah Sanders
“Chocolate.”
He chuckled. “You got it.”
He dropped a light kiss on her forehead and grabbed the room key from the nightstand. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes. You can watch TV if you want.” The remote lay on the table, so he picked it up and tossed it onto the bed then stepped out the door.
****
As Gryff pulled the door closed behind him, Gem rose from her place on the bed and stretched once more. Another day of sitting in that car did not appeal to her, but she knew it was necessary.
A quick shower was in order to invigorate her for what lay ahead. Gryff had said they were getting close to their destination. Her stomach tensed at the thought of meeting Gryff’s family. What if they felt about her the way the Endfield staff did? That had been Gem’s only interaction with non-stems, and it did not bode well if they were all like that.
Though Aria wasn’t that way. And Ms. Birger.
They offered some hope, but the closer Gryff and Gem came to his parents’ living quarters, the tenser Gryff seemed to grow. He was trying to hide it, she could tell. The Aaron memory in him had taught him to be secretive. Gem didn’t understand why it was necessary in this outside world. It seemed that being forthright with the facts was always the best method. If they both knew the dangers, they could help each other. Instead it felt like he was trying to protect her from knowledge of the truth, which was infinitely more dangerous for both of them.
Gem showered and pulled on the same loose-fitting jeans and sweatshirt she had worn for the past several days. She would have to speak to Gryff about finding another change of clothes or two. The odor of these were starting to offend her senses.
She stepped out of the small bathroom, braiding her hair just as Gryff entered the room carrying a couple of shopping bags. He lifted one of the bags to her.
“Chocolate?” she asked, anticipation swelling in her chest. He nodded.
With an eager reach, she took the bag from him and dug into it with her free hand, retrieving a flat bar wrapped in a dark brown wrapper. Gem dropped the bag on the bed and peeled the wrapper back from the enticing dark candy.
How had she lived without it? She broke off a rectangle and popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes to savor the quickly melting, smooth velvet of the chocolate. Her contented moan brought a light-hearted chuckle from Gryff, who stood watching the scene with great interest.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’ve never seen anyone enjoy a candy bar as much as you do.”
She shrugged, broke off another piece, and offered it to him. “Want to try?”
“Nah.” He shook his head and lifted his hands in surrender. “I’ll let you have it. I’m gonna take a quick shower, then we’ll go.”
Gryff disappeared around the corner, and Gem sat on the bed and took up the remote control. He had shown her how to use one a few nights ago, but Gem was still a little wary of the TV. From what she had seen of it so far, it was similar in nature to the educational videos they were periodically shown in Endfield, and Gryff told her it might help her get used to life outside.
A push of the power button brought the screen blaring to life. She studied the story on the monitor, trying to understand what was happening. The people seemed to use a lot of strange words. Words she didn’t understand, and the context of their actions explained only some of them.
She pressed another button, and the monitor abruptly flashed to another scene. Another story playing out. This time she understood more words. Some of them were words she had heard Gryff say not long ago. The familiarity intrigued her, and she leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees and craning to get a closer look.
“Will you marry me? — I’d make a good husband, Jenny.”
“You would, Forrest.”
“But you won’t marry me.”
“You don’t wanna marry me.”
“Why don’t you love me, Jenny? — I am not a smart man. But I know what love is.”
The scene that danced across the monitor and the character’s apparent emotion as Jenny refused his request wrenched at Gem’s gut. And by the time Forrest found Jenny’s room empty, tears were making a trail down her pallid cheeks.
Marry was a word she knew nothing of, but Gryff had used the term love before, even though he insisted Gem didn’t understand it. It was true. She hadn’t heard the word before, but if that was the name of the feeling embedded deep in her being when she thought of Gryff, then she did understand it. Like Forrest.
The sound of the door opening startled Gem, and she turned to see Gryff sauntering out of the bathroom in a clean shirt and jeans. His brown curls still dripping from the shower. He sat on the bed beside her and slipped his socks and shoes on.
She swiped at the moisture on her face with the back of her hand.
“Are you okay?” Gryff asked, concern lacing his voice. “What happened?”
Gem pointed at the television. “It’s sad.”
He glanced at the monitor for a moment, then a small grin creased his lips. “Oh. Forrest Gump, huh? Good movie.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Aaron did.”
“Oh.” Her hand brushed at her tears once more. “So, a movie? Does that mean it’s not real?”
Gryff nodded.
She lifted her wet hand up in question. “Why am I crying if it isn’t real?”
Gryff chuckled. “You’re a female. It happens.”
“Males don’t cry?”
“Only if they have a very good reason.”
“I see.”
“Are you ready to go?”
She shrugged. The interaction between Forrest and Jenny still haunted her. But there would be plenty of time to ask questions later.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Gryff pulled into the driveway and parked his car. He scrutinized his parents’ house from his place in the driver’s seat for a moment then exhaled resolutely and opened the car door. It was late afternoon now. His father would still be at the office.
“Wait here.”
Gem nodded with wide eyes and slid down a little in the seat. Her silence betrayed her fear. She hadn’t met anyone on the outside yet, other than in passing. No doubt it would be stressful for her.
The cool fall breeze played in Gryff’s hair as he stepped out of the car and sauntered toward the front door, looking to the left and the right for anything out of place. On the porch he glanced up at the security camera. Nobody would be watching the monitor, he knew, but having his image recorded made him cringe. If they wanted to, EROMI could access that feed at any time — they had connections with the intelligence branches of the government — connections, he realized, that included his father.
He knocked on the door and waited. The knots in his stomach tightened as the minutes stretched out. His instincts had told him to come home, but now he was questioning whose instincts they had been — Aaron should have known it wouldn’t be safe. Gryff would have sought out a familiar place. What had he done?
The icy fear he had thought long gone with his years of training and experience returned and clutched in his chest.
The car seemed so far away. What if he couldn’t get back to Gem before someone stopped him? They had followed them here. They weren’t even bothering to hide it anymore. But now that he was here, it seemed as though they had known all along where they would go, and they were waiting for him to let down his guard. He turned to hurry back to Gem just as the door opened behind him.
“Aaron?” The sweet voice of his mother drifted out toward him.
He spun back to face her, forcing a smile. “Hi, Mom.”
“What are you doing here, honey?”
Gryff hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to answer.
She seemed to sense his hesitation and a look of concern leaped to her face. “Is everything okay?” His mother wiped her hands with her apron and took a step through the door.
“Yes, ma’am. Long trip. I—” He started to give her
the story he had rehearsed, but she interrupted him.
“It’s a wonderful surprise, honey. It’s just that we weren’t expecting you. Did you try to call?” She moved to embrace him, glancing around the front yard and toward the driveway, seeing only the back of the blue car from around the corner. “My goodness! You drove here?”
“Yes, ma’am. Like I said, long trip.” Gryff scrutinized his mother’s nonverbal cues to determine if she was buying his line. His behavior could easily be confused with fatigue and travel tension. Her mannerisms told him she believed the story.
“You must be exhausted! Come in, I’ll call your dad.” She stepped back into the entryway and held the door for him, gesturing for him to follow.
Gryff’s throat clenched. He wasn’t ready for that yet. “It’s okay, Mom. You don’t have to do that… it can be a surprise for when he gets home,” he said almost too quickly.
“Oh, he’s not working today. He’s in the study. You know he’ll be thrilled to see you!” Her laugh was genuine, innocent. Gryff had no doubt she knew nothing of his situation. The thought of facing his father though — that was still a frightening prospect. He felt vulnerable and unable to defend his position. And Gem all alone.
The thought plagued him. He couldn’t leave her out there.
He glanced over his shoulder again toward the parked car, then back to his mother. “Just a sec, Mom. I have someone with me… in the car.”
“What? You brought someone home? A girl? Dare I hope?” A wide grin broke across her lips, and she followed him down the walkway.
As they rounded the corner of the house to the driveway, Gryff saw him. His father stood holding the door to the passenger side open, offering his hand to help Gem out. Gryff stopped in his tracks and stared at the pair of them. Gem’s eyes were wide with fear, though she had taken the man’s hand and was stepping out of the vehicle.
Gryff knew she would recognize him. His face and build would be familiar to her. She had seen and known Aksel, after all. But the obvious advanced age of the man before her might cause her anxiety. And all at once, just as it had with Gryff, the idea of the stem’s counterpart would become reality for her.
“And who is this young lady, son?” His father’s gaze bore into him, and the foreboding smirk, coupled with the inflection of the final word, made Gryff’s heart plummet into his shoes. He glowered back at his father. And Gryff knew — they both knew.
The icy adrenaline vibrated through him. Would his father do something right here? In the open? Gryff stared down his father as he assessed the man’s intentions.
Robert glared back at him with a hint of amusement. And Gryff watched in horror as the man’s hand tightened around Gem’s arm ever so slightly, and he pulled her closer to his side.
“I see this son of mine has lost his manners. I’m Robert. And no matter what he’s told you about me, I’m as gentle as a lamb. Just ask my wife.” He swept a hand toward Gryff’s mother. “This is Cary.” He glanced back to Gryff, shooting daggers that no one else seemed to notice.
“Aaron, aren’t you going to introduce your little friend?” his mother asked.
Gryff shook his head as if to rid his mind of anxiety. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” He stepped toward Gem and reached for her hand, thinking to rescue her from his father. “Mom, Dad, this is Gem.”
Cary stepped between Gryff and Gem, blocking him from taking her arm. She lifted a hand to shake Gem’s. Gem looked at Cary’s outstretched hand in confusion and then glanced toward Gryff. He nodded and lifted his hand in demonstration, so she would know what to do.
The light of understanding glittered in her eyes, and she took the woman’s hand and pumped it twice hard. Surprise registered in his mother’s eyes with a hint of amusement. “It’s lovely to meet you, Gem. That’s a beautiful name. Gem — like a precious jewel,” she said with an accepting smile.
Gryff kept his gaze trained on his father.
“May I escort you inside, Gem?” Robert asked, casting a nonchalant look at Gryff.
Anger bubbled in his gut, and he turned sideways to allow the two to pass in front of him on the walkway. He knew his father wouldn’t do anything now. And not with Mom hovering over Gem like a doting mother hen.
“I’ll get our stuff,” he muttered and turned back to the car as they disappeared around the corner.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Come with me, Gem. You can help me fix dinner while we get to know each other.” Cary gestured for Gem to follow her.
Robert released his grip on her elbow as they entered the front door. “I have a few things to finish up in my study before dinner. You can send Aaron in after he gets settled. That will give you two girls plenty of time to get acquainted.” He offered Gem a lighthearted wink and planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek before disappearing through a side door.
Gem followed Cary through the dwelling. Its size was intimidating, and Gem was certain she would get lost if left to her own devices. Cary wove a path through a room with several comfortable-looking chairs and to a door that swung in and out on hinges of some sort. Nothing like the automatic sliding doors in the dormitory. With a push of Cary’s hand the door swept open, and they entered a brightly lit room filled with brushed silver machines and dark cabinets.
Her gaze scoured the room. On a high table in the center of the room, fresh vegetables were piled next to a large bowl.
Cary snatched a long carrot, set it on a nearby wooden board, and took up a large knife. Gesturing toward the green onions with the pointed end of the knife, she said, “Will you do the onions, Gem? You can use the other cutting board there on the counter. And… um, I keep the knives in that drawer there on your left.”
She hesitated only a moment to track Cary’s gaze to the drawer, then opened it and slipped out another knife. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the motion Cary made with her knife as she cut the carrot into thin slices, chattering all the while.
“That must have been quite the road trip. How long did it take?”
Gem glanced up at her as she set the bunch of green onions on her board and tightened her grip on the knife. “Several nights.” She turned her attention back to the onions and began slicing through them slowly, trying to emulate the movements Cary made.
“Nights?” Cary paused and scrutinized her a moment.
“Mmm-hmm. We drove from the evening until the morning and slept through the day… except for today. Gr — um, Aaron wanted to drive all the way, since we were so close.”
“Oh. Well, I’m glad he did.” Cary smiled at her and went back to work on another carrot. “You know, he hasn’t brought a girl home before. Have you known each other long?”
Gem found it difficult to concentrate on Cary’s questions while endeavoring not to slice into her fingers. “Yes.” The lie came so easily, probably because she had known Gryff her entire life. It was Aaron she wasn’t so sure about.
Gem finished cutting and looked up. Cary was squinting at her, tilting her head this way and that. “You are quite pretty. I always knew he would bring home a pretty one. Oh he’s dated a lot in the past, but… none of them had your innocence.”
“Innocence?” Gem asked, swallowing the sudden nervousness she felt.
Cary pulled out a large, glass bowl. “Yes, I can’t really explain it, but you have this newness about you. It’s quite refreshing. You’ll look lovely in white.”
Gem felt her stomach lurch. “White?”
“Oh, I was only teasing. A mother can hope, you know!” She patted Gem’s hand. “I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but a wedding in the spring…”
“Wedding?” Gryff walked in bags in hand. “Wow, Mom. You work fast. Let the girl eat before you start attacking her.” He winked at Gem.
Suddenly she felt warm inside — the same way she had felt when he touched or kissed her. The thought brought her hand to her lips.
“Look at you two! Oh, is that your father calling? I’ll be just a minute.” Cary nearly ran out
of the room, leaving Gem, knife in hand, staring at Gryff.
Her heart thudded in her chest. The words wedding and white flashing in her head like a beacon. She didn’t even feel the knife slip out of her hands and clamor to the floor. Gryff took her arm, stopping her from kneeling to pick it up.
Without speaking, he pulled her in for a warm embrace, sending shivers down to her toes. Then as quickly as it happened, he released her.
“You doing okay in here?”
“Better now,” Gem said, closing her eyes and relishing his closeness. “What did she mean by white? And wedding? She uses a lot of strange words. And I don’t know if I’m cutting the vegetables right.”
“You’re doing fine. And Mom is great. She seems to like you.” His grip tightened on her hand. “Those words just mean she thinks you’re good for me.”
“Do you think I am? Good for you?” His emerald eyes sparkled with warmth, and Gem was certain he would kiss her. She gazed up at him in anticipation. But a noise at the door startled them both, and Gryff took a step away from her.
“I’m back!” Cary came sashaying into the room. “Your father wants to speak with you, Aaron. He’s waiting in his study.”
Gem shot a nervous glance toward Gryff. He flashed a confident smile and left the room, taking her heart with him.
****
Gryff’s heart was beating up in his throat when he entered his father’s study. His hands went absently to his pockets as he stood just inside the door, waiting in silence for his father to notice.
“Mom said you wanted to see me,” he finally said. His throat tightened around the words.
“What are you doing, Aaron?” The man cut straight to it. “You’re AWOL. You realize that, don’t you? You stole the girl from your post. That’s grounds for a court martial! How could she possibly be worth the risk? What would possess you—?”
“They were going to kill her! I had to get her out—”