Seeking Solace

Five

I cannot open my eyes in fear that the sun creeping through the blinds will burn them. The pounding in my head could not be any louder if it tried, but the sound of Gran singing loudly and off key shatters the glass barrier in my mind and the memories of last night come flooding in.

"Gemma Rose, breakfast!" Gran yells up the stairs.

I roll out of bed and saunter saunter downstairs. I sit at the small table in the kitchen and lay my head in my hands.

"Are you alright dear?" She asks me.

"Coffee, I need coffee." My voice so hoarse I sound like I have been dead for over a century.

"What happened to you last night, I didn't see you." She sets the mug in front of me. "And when I got home, you were already in bed fast asleep."

"Was anyone else here?" I ask. I vaguely remember someone carrying me upstairs.

"No." Gran says quickly. "Just you."

I swallow half of the hot liquid in under a minute, feeling better already.

"Mae called." Gran announces through the thin layers of the town paper. "Six times."

"Of course she did." I sigh. "I'm going to go see her."

"Be careful dear." Gran calls out.

I walk out the front door, and down the street. I walk three blocks before I hear something across the street. I slow down, trying to see the other side of the sidewalk with my peripheral vision. I walk a few more paces before I see movement. I stop in my tracks and cross the road. I look up and down the street but see nothing. I shake my head, trying to shake out my paranoia. I continue walking into town to the coffee shop. I step in the door and take a seat at the counter. The barista gets me a donut and a coffee. The bell above the door rings and a tall figure stands beside me.

"Gemma Bean, what's a guy got to do to get a coffee around here." At the sound of his voice I spin around in my seat with a huge smile on my face.

"Lima Bean!!" I shout. I jump from the stool and throw my arms around his neck. "When did you get home?"

He squeezes my torso closer to his, his familiar scent of aftershave overwhelms my senses, and his hearty laugh rings in my ears. "Last night." He says into my hair. He sets me down on the floor and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I stopped by your house, but you weren't there. So I thought maybe Mae had finally gotten you to go to the bonfire, but you weren't with her either."

"I was around." I tell him. "How was Europe?"

"Europe was amazing." His face lights up as he remembers his time spent there. "The food was incredible, the sights were beautiful and the girls..."

"Okay, okay I get it. I haven't seen you for more than five minutes and you're already almost as bad as your sister." I giggle.

The bell at the door rings again. We both look to the door to see Lila and Mae skipping in, arms linked and cheeks red. "Speaking of."

"There you are!" Lila cheers. "We've been trying to get ahold of you all night! Where did you disappear to last night?"

"I didn't want to be a third wheel, so I left." I shrug. "You're welcome."

"So after that, you just went home?" Mae asks curiously.

"Yep." I lie. I have never lied to Mae before, but it came with ease.

"I must have just missed you then." Liam says. "But since everyone is here now, we can all go do something!"

"I don't know Liam, I've got-" Lila starts.

"Nothing to do today other than spend time with us." He smiles. "Come on, let's go."

He grabs Mae's hand and drags her out of the coffee shop. I shrug my shoulders and hook arms with Lila. We follow him through town to the bowling alley.

"Seriously bowling?" Mae asks. "We haven't bowled since like sixth grade."

"Exactly." Liam grins. "Let's go."

The four of us walk inside, get our shoes, and find balls. The alley is rather empty today with the exception of a few older men who must be apart of a league.

"Alright Little Miss Mae and I against the two of you." Liam announces.

"Oh you two are going down!" Lila shouts.

All of a sudden I feel someone behind me. I turn around at the same time as I hear Him say, "Gemma Rose is that you?"

I stare dumbfounded at Him as he stands in front of me with a wicked grin. "What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"I work here." He tells me. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm bowling." I say with a grin that is equal to his.

"Gemma Rose?" I hear Liam say. "Who is this guy?" He says louder. He walks towards me, standing so close I can feel his chest on my back. "Hi. I'm Liam. And you are?"

"A friend of Gemma's." He says with a smirk. He does not look at Liam but keeps eye contact with me. "Isn't that right Gemma Rose?"

"Something like that." I turn to face Liam. "I'll be right back. You guys can start." I nod at Lila and Mae before walking away. I grab Him by the hand and pull him away from my friends.

"Are you following me or something?" I ask.

"No."

"Well you obviously don't work here, I mean what would you need to work here for? You're practically made of money." I ramble.

"I like working. It gets me away from home. And now that I know that you come here with your boyfriend, in definitely staying." He smirks. "Someone has to keep an eye on ya love, and I graciously volunteer."

"Liam isn't my boyfriend."

"You might want to tell him that. I mean I can't blame him, you're absolutely irresistible. Even I find it hard to stay away from you."

"If you've been trying to stay away from me you're doing a great job." He picks up on the sarcasm and his grin only widens. "I'm going to go back to my friends and have some fun, if you don't mind."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Excuse me?"

"I doubt you'll have as much fun with them as you did with me." He smiles. "I'm one of a kind love."

"I guess I'll just have to do my best." I cross my arms and leave him standing there watching me.

"Goodbye Gemma Rose. I truly hope you win the game." He calls out, if only I knew which game he meant.