Chapter 29
We got back to Cameron & 2 days later Michael & I were ready to leave for Australia. The plane didn't leave until 3pm so Jeff took Michael out for a few hours while I did the last minute packing! I was in my old room throwing things into yet another bag when there was a knock on my door. "Can I come in?" It was Matt. "Sure Matt! You can sit on this case while I try & do up the zipper!!" I laughed. He smiled & put his arms around my waist. I looked skywards, trying to stop the tears but it was no use. He pulled me close & I put my head on his chest. "Shhhhhh....come on!" "Oh Matt!" "I know! I know!" He held me until my tears stopped & then turned my face towards his & kissed my lightly on the lips. A shiver ran down my spine & I realised he'd never kissed me like that before, on the lips! I just looked at him. "He's an idiot that brother of mine!" he said softly & wiped my face. "No he's not! It's my fault, all of this! Please don't blame Jeff for anything!" He smiled. "Why do you always do it?" "Do what?" "Defend him like that! Ever since we were kids you've faught his battles for him!" He let out a little laugh! "Anyway don't worry about it we're not gonna be fighting again!" He winked at me, "Maybe you have been with the wrong brother all this time!!" Typical Matt! I playfully punched him in the ribs, but when I was alone with him like this I secretly felt the same, although it was more sisterly love I felt for Matt, nothing more. "So, where's this case you want my ass on?" I showed him & he sat on the suitcase while I fastened the zipper. "How come wherever you go you always seem to go back with twice as much junk in your tru..." "Don't go gemma!" Matt interrupted, "Stay here & work it out with Jeff! You two were meant to be together!" "But you were right! We went too fast! It's over, screwed!" "No don't say that! He loves you Gemma!" I sighed, "This is so hard for me to do....I love him so much, he's the only guy I've ever truely loved in my entire life! But I can't stay!" "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make this harder for you! I'm gonna miss you so much....you have no idea!" "If it's half as much as I'll miss you then I'm a lucky girl!" I hugged him tightly. I wasn't lying, it was going to be tough. We both cried, but I wasn't staying for anything or anybody! Michael & I were on that plane if it was the last thing I ever did! ******* Jeff brought Mike home a couple of hours before we were due to leave & he ran off to spend his last precious moments in Cameron with Dad, Kellie & Gilbert. Jeff & I sat outside on the porch. "So, you're really going huh?" "Yeah." "God Gemma!" He took my hands, "I love you so much & I'm sorry I didn't make it work for us! But I can, if you stay I can put it all right I prom..." I put my finger to his lips, "No promises Jeff!" "Bu..." "Jeff I'm going home! It's a fact & it's happening & that's that! But look you have our address, our phone number, my cell number......you can see Mike anytime! I can bring him over, Dad can bring him over, hell you can come & stay! It won't be like last time!" He hung his head. "I don't know what to do! I want you to stay! I want to know how to put this right!" There was a tone of panick in his voice. I stood up. "Come with me!" I said & I took his hand. I led him to the edge of the yard, to the fence that we'd broken so many years ago! It was still broken, like a prehistoric monument to our reckless youth!! "Look at that!" I pointed to the fence. He smiled. "Can you remember Jeff?" "Yeah." He said quietly. "No not what we did, not our actions........can you remember the feelings? The passion? The intensity? The sheer lust...." I paused, "The love?" He looked at me slightly puzzled. "I remember every moment Jeff because it was the first time you kissed me & it was the time when I truely realised I was in love with you! What I felt that day....well I can remember every second....." "You fell in love with me then?" he asked, surprised. "No, I fell in love with you a long time before then! I just didn't realise it!" I smiled at the memory of that kiss! Of how I'd wanted him so badly it had made my whole body shake & how at the same time I was terrified! "The way you made me feel that day is...........well it's the way you make me feel right now! The way I've felt about you every day of my life since then!" I turned to face him & it was then I realised he was crying. "So stay!" He whispered biting on his bottom lip to stop it from trembling. I looked into his eyes & it would have been so easy for me to just give in, stay in Cameron & be with the love of my life, but I couldn't. "Jeff...." I said stroking his cheek, "........When........when you can feel that way about me again..." I choked back my tears, "...then come & get me!" I blinked & the tears fell. I kissed him & what started out as a quick peck on the lips turned into a deep, passionate embrace & once again I melted in his arms. Neither of us could stop crying, even while we kissed the tears still fell. "Gemma!" Dad shouted form the porch & I looked up to see the taxi in the drive. It was time to go. We walked back to the house as Matt carried our cases to the cab. Michael ran into Jeff's arms & Jeff tried to hide his tears & smile. "See you real soon little guy!" he said, sniffing, "be good for your mom ok?" Mike nodded. "Jeff can I call you....." "You call me everyday you hear! Don't miss a single day!" I looked at Gilbert who had his arm aroound Matt as they watched Jeff & Michael. Matt sniffed & wiped his face & Gilbert gave him a little squeeze. "Yeah I will...but I mean can I call you daddy? Instead of Jeff?" My heart sank! Even dad wiped a tear from his cheek! Jeff grabbed Michael & held him tightly, tears flowing freely down his face. I turned away & put a hand to my mouth. Once again I was breaking his heart & it was hurting me like hell! "Yes Mike!" Jeff said, "You can call me Daddy! I'd like that more than anything!!" We hugged everyone while the cab driver impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel! Suddenly another car pulled into the drive.....it was Amy! "Don't go without saying goodbye to me!" She shouted as she leapt out of the car & ran towards me. I hugged her, still crying. "Oh Amy! I'm gonna miss you so much!" "Don't stay away too long you hear?" "I won't!" We got Michael into the car then Amy tactfully got the others to one side, giving me & Jeff some space. "I'll call you!" I said wiping my face. "You'd better!" Jeff put his arms around me & we sobbed together. "I'm sorry!" He whispered. I knew everyone was watching but I didn't care! I kissed him as passionately as we'd done just moments earlier, I didn't care what anyone thought! "Remember what I said Jeff!" I sniffed, "Come & get me!" With that I got into the cab & we headed back to Australia.
We got back to Cameron & 2 days later Michael & I were ready to leave for Australia. The plane didn't leave until 3pm so Jeff took Michael out for a few hours while I did the last minute packing! I was in my old room throwing things into yet another bag when there was a knock on my door. "Can I come in?" It was Matt. "Sure Matt! You can sit on this case while I try & do up the zipper!!" I laughed. He smiled & put his arms around my waist. I looked skywards, trying to stop the tears but it was no use. He pulled me close & I put my head on his chest. "Shhhhhh....come on!" "Oh Matt!" "I know! I know!" He held me until my tears stopped & then turned my face towards his & kissed my lightly on the lips. A shiver ran down my spine & I realised he'd never kissed me like that before, on the lips! I just looked at him. "He's an idiot that brother of mine!" he said softly & wiped my face. "No he's not! It's my fault, all of this! Please don't blame Jeff for anything!" He smiled. "Why do you always do it?" "Do what?" "Defend him like that! Ever since we were kids you've faught his battles for him!" He let out a little laugh! "Anyway don't worry about it we're not gonna be fighting again!" He winked at me, "Maybe you have been with the wrong brother all this time!!" Typical Matt! I playfully punched him in the ribs, but when I was alone with him like this I secretly felt the same, although it was more sisterly love I felt for Matt, nothing more. "So, where's this case you want my ass on?" I showed him & he sat on the suitcase while I fastened the zipper. "How come wherever you go you always seem to go back with twice as much junk in your tru..." "Don't go gemma!" Matt interrupted, "Stay here & work it out with Jeff! You two were meant to be together!" "But you were right! We went too fast! It's over, screwed!" "No don't say that! He loves you Gemma!" I sighed, "This is so hard for me to do....I love him so much, he's the only guy I've ever truely loved in my entire life! But I can't stay!" "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make this harder for you! I'm gonna miss you so much....you have no idea!" "If it's half as much as I'll miss you then I'm a lucky girl!" I hugged him tightly. I wasn't lying, it was going to be tough. We both cried, but I wasn't staying for anything or anybody! Michael & I were on that plane if it was the last thing I ever did! ******* Jeff brought Mike home a couple of hours before we were due to leave & he ran off to spend his last precious moments in Cameron with Dad, Kellie & Gilbert. Jeff & I sat outside on the porch. "So, you're really going huh?" "Yeah." "God Gemma!" He took my hands, "I love you so much & I'm sorry I didn't make it work for us! But I can, if you stay I can put it all right I prom..." I put my finger to his lips, "No promises Jeff!" "Bu..." "Jeff I'm going home! It's a fact & it's happening & that's that! But look you have our address, our phone number, my cell number......you can see Mike anytime! I can bring him over, Dad can bring him over, hell you can come & stay! It won't be like last time!" He hung his head. "I don't know what to do! I want you to stay! I want to know how to put this right!" There was a tone of panick in his voice. I stood up. "Come with me!" I said & I took his hand. I led him to the edge of the yard, to the fence that we'd broken so many years ago! It was still broken, like a prehistoric monument to our reckless youth!! "Look at that!" I pointed to the fence. He smiled. "Can you remember Jeff?" "Yeah." He said quietly. "No not what we did, not our actions........can you remember the feelings? The passion? The intensity? The sheer lust...." I paused, "The love?" He looked at me slightly puzzled. "I remember every moment Jeff because it was the first time you kissed me & it was the time when I truely realised I was in love with you! What I felt that day....well I can remember every second....." "You fell in love with me then?" he asked, surprised. "No, I fell in love with you a long time before then! I just didn't realise it!" I smiled at the memory of that kiss! Of how I'd wanted him so badly it had made my whole body shake & how at the same time I was terrified! "The way you made me feel that day is...........well it's the way you make me feel right now! The way I've felt about you every day of my life since then!" I turned to face him & it was then I realised he was crying. "So stay!" He whispered biting on his bottom lip to stop it from trembling. I looked into his eyes & it would have been so easy for me to just give in, stay in Cameron & be with the love of my life, but I couldn't. "Jeff...." I said stroking his cheek, "........When........when you can feel that way about me again..." I choked back my tears, "...then come & get me!" I blinked & the tears fell. I kissed him & what started out as a quick peck on the lips turned into a deep, passionate embrace & once again I melted in his arms. Neither of us could stop crying, even while we kissed the tears still fell. "Gemma!" Dad shouted form the porch & I looked up to see the taxi in the drive. It was time to go. We walked back to the house as Matt carried our cases to the cab. Michael ran into Jeff's arms & Jeff tried to hide his tears & smile. "See you real soon little guy!" he said, sniffing, "be good for your mom ok?" Mike nodded. "Jeff can I call you....." "You call me everyday you hear! Don't miss a single day!" I looked at Gilbert who had his arm aroound Matt as they watched Jeff & Michael. Matt sniffed & wiped his face & Gilbert gave him a little squeeze. "Yeah I will...but I mean can I call you daddy? Instead of Jeff?" My heart sank! Even dad wiped a tear from his cheek! Jeff grabbed Michael & held him tightly, tears flowing freely down his face. I turned away & put a hand to my mouth. Once again I was breaking his heart & it was hurting me like hell! "Yes Mike!" Jeff said, "You can call me Daddy! I'd like that more than anything!!" We hugged everyone while the cab driver impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel! Suddenly another car pulled into the drive.....it was Amy! "Don't go without saying goodbye to me!" She shouted as she leapt out of the car & ran towards me. I hugged her, still crying. "Oh Amy! I'm gonna miss you so much!" "Don't stay away too long you hear?" "I won't!" We got Michael into the car then Amy tactfully got the others to one side, giving me & Jeff some space. "I'll call you!" I said wiping my face. "You'd better!" Jeff put his arms around me & we sobbed together. "I'm sorry!" He whispered. I knew everyone was watching but I didn't care! I kissed him as passionately as we'd done just moments earlier, I didn't care what anyone thought! "Remember what I said Jeff!" I sniffed, "Come & get me!" With that I got into the cab & we headed back to Australia.