Chapter 50
Gemma woke the next morning in a daze! She wasnt sure if she'd been dreaming or if all of this was real! She lifted her hand & sure enough the ring was on her finger! She smiled as she stared at it! She was so happy she wanted to tell the world!!
Adam had already left, there was a red rose on the pillow beside her & she picked it up, twirling it between her fingers & smelling its perfume!
She got up, had a shower & got dressed. Then she headed downstairs for some breakfast. She was halfway down the stairs when Shane came running up the other way.
"Gemma!" He stopped, gasping for breath. "Phone! There's a phonecall for you at reception! It seems urgent!"
"Who is it?" She asked puzzled.
"Someone called Kellie. You know her?"
"Yeah she's my step-mom..." Gemma froze. "SHIT! My Dad! Something's wrong!" She darted down the stairs to the reception & grabbed the phone from the counter.
"KELLIE! What's wrong? Where's Dad?"
"Gemma honey...your Dad is fine....it's Chris. Now I dont want you to freak out sweetheart but we need you to come home!"
"Kellie....what's goin on? Where's Chris?"
At that moment Jeff, Matt & Amy walked past, saw Gemma's worried face & stopped. She turned & faced them as she talked on the phone. Matt got hold of her hand.
"Look honey could you just come home today?"
"KELLIE!" Gemma's eyes filled with tears, Jeff put a hand on her shoulder.
"OK Ok! The police found Chris...he's...well its drugs Gemma...and...and it doesnt look good...." Kellie started to cry.
"DRUGS?!! Kellie is he ok? Is...is he...is he dead?"
Amy put a hand to her mouth & Matt put his arm around her. Shane appeared & they all stood in silence,looking at Gemma.
"Gemma please...just come home!" Kellie sobbed.
Gemma swooned. She leaned on Jeff & took a deep breath.
"Tell me before I come home Kellie please!"
There was a long pause. All Gemma could hear was Kellie's sobs & sniffles. Finally she spoke.
"Im....Im so sorry Gemma!" She broke down.
"NO!" Gemma shouted down the phone. "NO KELLIE! NO! NO!" She dropped the phone & sank to her knees. Jeff picked her up & held her. Matt picked up the telephone.
"Kellie it's Matt!"
"Son?"
"Dad? What's goin on?"
"It's Chris!"
"Oh Jesus!"
"Look just get Gemma down here somehow...Jack & Kellie....well...let's just say everyone's on their way."
"Sure Dad! Listen we'll be home as soon as we can ok?"
"Ok son! You take care you hear me? And look after your brother Matthew!"
"I will!"
Jeff took Gemma into another room & got her a brandy. She was as white as a sheet & shaking uncontrolably. He sat beside her & held her.
"I.....erm......shit I gotta go call Mike...and Pat...and.."
"Shhhhhh....sit down! they're on their way home. It's all taken care of." He stroked her hair.
"Ok....I have to pack...I need to get home now!"
"Shane's organising everything & Im comming with you!"
"No, no you're not Jeff."
"Adam's on raw tonight & so are Matt & Amy! Crucial parts, no way can they be written out at this short notice! Im the only one left & Im not letting you do this on your own Gem!"
"Adam! Where's Adam?!"
"Matt already called him. He's on his way back from the gym right now!"
Jeff spoke softly & gentally rubbed her back. Gemma wasnt even on the planet! Her mind raced with a million questions that she didnt want answers to! She couldnt think straight!
Adam walked in followed by Matt, Amy & shane.
"Adam!" Gemma jumped up from her seat & ran into his open arms. He held her tightly.
"Oh Gemma...Im so sorry!"
The others just watched, feeling so helpless. Jeff turned his head away & bit on his lip.
"Jeff is gonna go with her today...you guys can follow on in two days ok?" Shane said.
"Like Hell he is!" Adam turned to look at Shane! "I have to go with her!"
"Im sorry Adam there's no way I can ........"
"CRAP Shane! Find a way!"
"Adam no! Look its ok really! I'll be fine! I just want to be with my Dad!" She started to cry. "Please just go do your job & I'll see you in a couple of days."
Adam reluctantly agreed. Gemma didnt see the look he gave Jeff over her shoulder as he held her. She didnt see Jeff stare back at him, unblinking, intense. Matt saw it & quickly dragged Jeff out of the room saying he had to pack!
Gemma woke the next morning in a daze! She wasnt sure if she'd been dreaming or if all of this was real! She lifted her hand & sure enough the ring was on her finger! She smiled as she stared at it! She was so happy she wanted to tell the world!!
Adam had already left, there was a red rose on the pillow beside her & she picked it up, twirling it between her fingers & smelling its perfume!
She got up, had a shower & got dressed. Then she headed downstairs for some breakfast. She was halfway down the stairs when Shane came running up the other way.
"Gemma!" He stopped, gasping for breath. "Phone! There's a phonecall for you at reception! It seems urgent!"
"Who is it?" She asked puzzled.
"Someone called Kellie. You know her?"
"Yeah she's my step-mom..." Gemma froze. "SHIT! My Dad! Something's wrong!" She darted down the stairs to the reception & grabbed the phone from the counter.
"KELLIE! What's wrong? Where's Dad?"
"Gemma honey...your Dad is fine....it's Chris. Now I dont want you to freak out sweetheart but we need you to come home!"
"Kellie....what's goin on? Where's Chris?"
At that moment Jeff, Matt & Amy walked past, saw Gemma's worried face & stopped. She turned & faced them as she talked on the phone. Matt got hold of her hand.
"Look honey could you just come home today?"
"KELLIE!" Gemma's eyes filled with tears, Jeff put a hand on her shoulder.
"OK Ok! The police found Chris...he's...well its drugs Gemma...and...and it doesnt look good...." Kellie started to cry.
"DRUGS?!! Kellie is he ok? Is...is he...is he dead?"
Amy put a hand to her mouth & Matt put his arm around her. Shane appeared & they all stood in silence,looking at Gemma.
"Gemma please...just come home!" Kellie sobbed.
Gemma swooned. She leaned on Jeff & took a deep breath.
"Tell me before I come home Kellie please!"
There was a long pause. All Gemma could hear was Kellie's sobs & sniffles. Finally she spoke.
"Im....Im so sorry Gemma!" She broke down.
"NO!" Gemma shouted down the phone. "NO KELLIE! NO! NO!" She dropped the phone & sank to her knees. Jeff picked her up & held her. Matt picked up the telephone.
"Kellie it's Matt!"
"Son?"
"Dad? What's goin on?"
"It's Chris!"
"Oh Jesus!"
"Look just get Gemma down here somehow...Jack & Kellie....well...let's just say everyone's on their way."
"Sure Dad! Listen we'll be home as soon as we can ok?"
"Ok son! You take care you hear me? And look after your brother Matthew!"
"I will!"
Jeff took Gemma into another room & got her a brandy. She was as white as a sheet & shaking uncontrolably. He sat beside her & held her.
"I.....erm......shit I gotta go call Mike...and Pat...and.."
"Shhhhhh....sit down! they're on their way home. It's all taken care of." He stroked her hair.
"Ok....I have to pack...I need to get home now!"
"Shane's organising everything & Im comming with you!"
"No, no you're not Jeff."
"Adam's on raw tonight & so are Matt & Amy! Crucial parts, no way can they be written out at this short notice! Im the only one left & Im not letting you do this on your own Gem!"
"Adam! Where's Adam?!"
"Matt already called him. He's on his way back from the gym right now!"
Jeff spoke softly & gentally rubbed her back. Gemma wasnt even on the planet! Her mind raced with a million questions that she didnt want answers to! She couldnt think straight!
Adam walked in followed by Matt, Amy & shane.
"Adam!" Gemma jumped up from her seat & ran into his open arms. He held her tightly.
"Oh Gemma...Im so sorry!"
The others just watched, feeling so helpless. Jeff turned his head away & bit on his lip.
"Jeff is gonna go with her today...you guys can follow on in two days ok?" Shane said.
"Like Hell he is!" Adam turned to look at Shane! "I have to go with her!"
"Im sorry Adam there's no way I can ........"
"CRAP Shane! Find a way!"
"Adam no! Look its ok really! I'll be fine! I just want to be with my Dad!" She started to cry. "Please just go do your job & I'll see you in a couple of days."
Adam reluctantly agreed. Gemma didnt see the look he gave Jeff over her shoulder as he held her. She didnt see Jeff stare back at him, unblinking, intense. Matt saw it & quickly dragged Jeff out of the room saying he had to pack!