GEMMA'S POINT OF VIEW:
"I can't believe that Rachel Gatina was your adoptive mom." Lennie said, while fingering the pictures taped onto my old dresser. Last night I'd picked up Lennie at the hotel, and drove over to the old apartment my mom and I shared, that had thankfully been left untouched courtesy of my grandparents. "No wonder you're so…"
"So what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"So confident," she winked, "I heard Rachel was a real spitfire." I laughed and flung myself back down on the bed. I loved this bed. It was vintage, with a canopy, and silk sheets. Rolling over, I studied Lennie as she flipped through my pictures. Despite the jet lag, the fact we hadn't eaten anything since we landed, and how distraught she was over the Piper situation, she looked pretty. Her red hair was its usual soft and shiny self, and her cheeks were pink from the French winter air, but her green eyes still looked sad. "We should talk, Len." I said, sitting up.
She turned to me, her face solemn. "I guess you're right." She jumped on the bed next to me, and rubbed her eyes.
"You are going to have to tell him," I said slowly, hoping she didn't burst into tears. "Jamie deserves to know, and besides, we can't have Piper holding this over you every time she wants something."
"I know," she sighed, leaning back onto the pillows. "I'm just worried, Gemma. If he ends it, I don't know what I'll do. Jamie and I have been together since middle school, I don't know who I am without him."
"Lennie," I replied, "You're not defined by who you date."
"I know but what if I lose sight of myself with him gone?" She asked, starting to tear up.
"I can't guarantee that things will work out, but if they don't, maybe it's for the better. Maybe this is your opportunity to find yourself, the person you are without Jamie." I pulled her into a hug. That line wasn't just for her, it was for me too. I'd spent my whole life thinking that Paris was who I was, where I belonged, but I just didn't know that somewhere out there I'd always had another home. Maybe it was time for me to let go of France, and try to find the person I was without it.
"You're right," Lennie sniffed, "but hey, do you think we can go get some food? I'm starving."
"Totally," I laughed, hopping off the bed. "Food, then back to the hotel, it's time to face the music.
I'd left Lennie back at our hotel room, and was now heading to Brooke's. Not really sure what I was going to say, I hoped Brooke wouldn't be too in the mood to talk. Sliding my room card through the door, I took a deep breath and pushed it open.
"What the-," I screeched, when I noticed the tangled limbs on Brooke's bed. Lucas sat up groggily, followed by Brooke.
"Gemma…?" Brooke said, warily. Then her eyes snapped open, and she blushed. "Gemma!" She slapped Lucas on the arm to wake him up.
"What? Gemma? Where?" Lucas rubbed his eyes, and glanced around the room till he saw me. "Oh."
"I trust you two find your way back to the hotel ok?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I scowled at them, but inside I was really laughing. Did they think I didn't know? They'd hardly been able to keep their eyes off each other all week. Brooke jumped to the other side of the bed, "We just fell asleep," she reassured me, "It was a long walk."
"Right." I smirked, taking a step closer to the door. "Look why don't you two get dressed, and we'll discuss this over coffee." I laughed at how in control I sounded, since clearly both my parents decided to play the teenagers for the night.
Twenty minutes later we were seated at a table in the hotel café. Lucas and Brooke avoided eye contact for most of the time, focusing on their coffees and other people in the room. I pushed a strand of chocolate brown hair behind my ear, and gave them a bright smile. They were confused, and worried, and I was finding it hilarious that for once I was the one keeping a secret from them.
"So my grandparents called me last night." I said, taking a sip of my latte. Their faces paled, and I could see Brooke was about to cry. I wanted to let her know it was ok, that I was coming home, but something stopped me. I wanted them to feel what I had felt for the last four months, the feeling of being kept in the dark. "It wouldn't be wise to fight for me." I finished, setting my cup down.
Lucas's eyes went big, and his ears reddened in anger. "Do you think we wouldn't? Gemma, we'd lose everything to keep you. Your home is with me and with Brooke."
"I know." I replied, my heart lurching in my chest.
Brooke looked up, "You're coming back with us?" She asked, her voice cracking.
"Of course," I said pushing myself up from my chair and walking over to hug her. "God, I'd think you would know by now that I love you guys, I wouldn't want live apart from you." Brooke clung to me, sobbing.
"We were so worried." She said, "Why didn't you just tell us in the first place."
"What would be the fun in that?" I grinned, Brooke slapped me on the arm, but she smiled. We finished eating, then walked back up to our rooms.
"You do realize that whatever happened last night needs to be fixed, right?" I said, eyeing them. Brooke and Lucas stepped apart awkwardly. "I love you both," I pushed, "and I would love for you to be together, but there's more people involved than just me." I hated being the bearer of bad news, but didn't they realize that Peyton and Sawyer would be here in a week? This was the absolute worst time to rekindle old feelings. "I won't tell anyone, but I hope that one of you will tell Peyton, and sort everything out."
Lucas threw and arm over me, "don't worry about it, Gem. I promise that I'll take care of it."