Then he came along

Chapter 29: Healing?

Gem's Pov

I did all I possibly could to keep my mind off things. I started working at the daycare again though papa and mama highly disagreed. I started going out more with Linnette and my sisters plus of course Hayes.
Today was yet another day to be out with them. It was Hayes, the twins, Gwyn,  Nevaeh, Reina, oddly, and myself at the bowling alley. They were guards lurking around and trying not to make their presence felt, Swiss was part of them too.

"Do they actually think they don't look odd?" Sadie asked as we carried the snacks back to our booth.

"Probably, " I half smiled.

"Is this even necessary?"

"If mama and papa implemented it thrn it must be."

"But the Lombardis aren't even dangerous, " my mood went sour. The Lombardi's never reached out and especially not Darius, it was like we didn't even live in the same city.
"Sorry I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's alright Sadie, the truth is we can't change the reality of things." She simply nodded and we proceeded.

"Took you ages just to get a few snacks," Hayes complained taking a bag of chips for himself.

"Can't you just be appreciative? You brat!"

"Sadie, " I poked her.

"What? He needs to have some sense knocked into his silly head."

Reina was seated typing away on her phone pretending like we didn't exist. Gwyneth had probably forced her to join us.

"Who's going first?" Storm asked.

"We'll do oldest to youngest," Nevaeh suggested

"Oh come on," Hayes whined.

"Stop being whiney and put on your bowling shoes. " I  told him.

"Are the shoes necessary?" Storm asked staring at the pair of shoes that were handed to us on our way in.

"Yes they help with the right balance of slide and traction, " Reina responded eyes still on her phone.

We were all still staring at her when she looked up from her phone.

"What?? Just because I'm a model by profession doesn't mean I'm dull or i have lesser brains than you," she countered and we all went back to putting on our bowling shoes and putting away our own.

It was most certainly a competitive game and Reina was the master but Hayes and Stormy were putting up a fight. Gwyn, Sadie, Neva and myself gave up in the third round.

"Well he seems smitten, " Gwyn commented on my side starring into another booth. I followed her eyes to meet a pair of dark brown eyes that were staring at me. He looked away in that moment and continued talking to his friends. 

"I think he likes you," Sadie spoke between her chewing break.

"He barely even knows me," I responded continuing my conversation with Linnette and we had a moment of quiet except the music playing in the bowling alley.

"Uhh Gemz, can you please go get us more snacks, please," Nevaeh begged me.

"Okay," I got up still on my phone texting Lin and making my way to the food stand.
I made it to the food stand and clumsily bumped into someone. Which led to them spilling their slush on me.

"I'm so sorry," we said simultaneously, I looked up at the person and it was the dark eyed man. He seemed dumbstruck for a good 40 seconds before he spoke.

"I'm truly sorry, i didn't see you coming," his voice was deep and smooth. He was mixed race, with caramel skin and a jaw that looked like it could cut into any vegetable.