Dark Days: The Long Road Home ✪ free preview

Dark Days: an addition to the epilogue

As the early morning rays spilled into the room Christopher watched Gemma as she slept.

There was so much left unsaid between them, spanning right back to the moment when she'd knocked on his bedroom window in the darkest hours of the morning, tears streaming down her face, and blood on her hands.

Gemma changed overnight. She became cold and distant, refusing to discuss it.

It festered between them, and whenever he tried to bring it up – to tell her it wasn't her fault – she changed the subject.

And then he had gone to college.

At the time he felt as though that was what she was waiting for, that she didn't have the heart to just break things off.

Especially when she didn't return his calls.

He hoped that time would bring her back to him, and didn't want to push her. He hadn't been ready to give up on her, on their future.

Then he went and ruined everything.

He went back during break, his head full of big plans to bring them closer and regain what they had lost. He booked a table at Lassiter's, a fancy restaurant in Carlisle.

Gemma had been reserved during dinner, and when he dropped her home and tried to kiss her she pulled away.

He'd spoken without thinking. "Damn it, Gemma. Either we're together or we're not. I can't keep doing this, it's killing me. If you want to break it off, then have the guts to do it."

"Is that what you want?" Gemma had asked.

"No," he'd exploded. "I want you – I want it to be how it used to be."

"It can never be how it used to be."

"I need more than this. I need you. I need you to want me."

She'd nodded her head, biting her lip. Her eyes so wide and vulnerable it hurt.

But it was his parting words that had been their undoing.

"I'll leave you alone – give you time to work out what you want. But if I don't hear from you ..." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders, giving her an easy out.

When she didn't call he regretted his words. So many times he had picked up the phone to call her.

But he didn't want to be the love-sick fool who failed to get the message, and still had some small measure of pride left.

After two weeks the hurt was a little less. His roommate invited some girls over for drinks, telling him it was time to stop moping around waiting for a call that was never going to come.

And that was the night Gemma decided she wanted him after all.

The night she decided to surprise him.

God – he could still see the hurt on her face – hear her angry words, and even then she blamed herself for taking too long.

He drove to her house the next morning, but he knew it was too late the minute he saw the look on her face. She had closed herself off to him.

And then her mother died, and time moved on.

Christopher shifted in the bed, moving closer to Gemma.

A cry from the room beside them had him sitting up, alert.

CJ.

Christopher froze. What did he do? Did he wake Gemma? Or did he go to him?

He crept into CJ's room, but by the time he got there CJ had settled.

Christopher sat in the chair beside his son's bed, watching him sleep. He wasn't prepared for the strength of the emotions that surged through him.

His heart seemed to both tighten and swell at the same time.

"Couldn't sleep." Gemma stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

"I heard CJ." Christopher shrugged. "How do people do this without going crazy?"

"What?" Gemma came closer. "Be a parent?"

Christopher nodded. He'd never suspected what parents went through every day. Never understood what motivated his clients as they battled for custody.

But now he did.

CJ looked so small and fragile, his limbs splayed out on the bed to escape the heat of the blanket.

The fear and the worry was crippling. What if he couldn't keep his son safe? The world had been a scary enough place before the pulse.

And then there was the way CJ had mimicked him – it was both heartening and terrifying.

"What if I mess up?" Christopher asked.

"You will," Gemma said softly.

Christopher looked at her.

"And so will CJ. You just have to do your best – figure out what works for you."

"What if my best isn't enough."

"Welcome to the fears of parenthood," Gemma said.

Christopher nodded, aware that he was staring at her long, naked legs as she walked toward him.

Gemma looked suddenly sheepish. "I meant me. Before..." she trailed off.

Christopher met her eyes, saw the raw, stark vulnerability as she opened herself to him.

"That I couldn't sleep," Gemma added. "I've gotten used to you being there."

Christopher's heart flared. Maybe it wasn't too late for them after all.

Gemma offered him her hand. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Christopher wanted to hear those words every day for the rest of his life.

He had a few weeks at most until Gemma healed. To show her they were a perfect fit – all three of them.

He took her hand, and smiled. She had no idea what she had just done.

Then he saw the look in her eye and realized that maybe she did.

A/N: I'm playing around with adding this bit to the epilogue after a comment from a beta reader, or maybe using it as a teaser for the next book. I would love to know what you think, and if you think I should add this to my story, or leave it as it was. And again, thanks for reading and all your awesome comments and encouragement along the way. And yeah – if you think I am procrastinating you would be 100% right – I'm terrified of letting this go and finally publishing on kindle. But now at least I'm setting a real publishing date. 1st of March.