Chapter 13
“Damn, girl, these tatas, though!” Anna exclaimed as she measured my breasts.
Anna had come in early this morning, and like the last time I saw her in person, she was a whirlwind of energy. We had barely finished breakfast before she whisked me away to our apartment. She was excited to get started on my dresses for next weekend. Yes, dresses, plural . She insisted that I have at least three wardrobe changes.
She’d seen the pictures of the location Troy had chosen for our photos, and she was full of creative ideas—an entire Pinterest board worth. Anna bullied Lincoln into divulging the name of our photographer, and she’d scarcely eaten half a slice of toast and some eggs before she scurried off to talk to the man. When she returned, she had even more manic energy.
Needless to say, Dawn and Rachel insisted on coming, and Anna seemed excited by the idea of their presence. Then she saw Sierra and Jemmy and coaxed them into following along, too.
She had been the one who’d dressed them for Lincoln’s premiere, drawing them into her wild and chaotic atmosphere as she did with me. She kept in touch with them and texted them weekly, if not daily. Like Lincoln, she had been enfolded into our clan, and I was pleased with the addition.
“Right.” Dawn dramatically sighed as she looked down at her modest B-cups. “The bish was lucky before she was preggos. Now,” she paused, playfully sucking her teeth, “she’s just being selfish.”
Rachel and Dawn had made themselves comfortable on my bed as they poured over some new fashion magazines Anna brought. They oohed and ahhed and nearly drooled at some of the clothing. I didn’t get it, but Anna seemed just as excited to discuss the newest fashion trends as they were.
Jemmy and Sierra had taken seats on my little settee in the corner of the room. They weren’t as animated, like they really didn’t want to be there. But for two different reasons.
“Truth.” Anna smirked as she measured beneath my breasts. She looked at Sierra, who seemed to be in a quiet but heated debate with Jemmy. Well, technically, Jemmy was wildly gesticulating, her face red with frustration, while Sierra stared down at her linked fingers in her lap. “Si Si, why aren’t you undressed yet? And Jemmy, what’s got you in such a tizzy?”
“Huh, what?” Sierra snapped her head up.
At the same time, Jemmy whirled on Anna with a sardonic laugh. “What? They didn’t tell you? I thought Lincoln told you everything, and I know you talked to Blake on the phone last night.”
I had a feeling Jemmy was laying into Sierra once again because she was warming up to Gavin. Even though Sierra still seemed hesitant to get to know Mercedes, she had been working and taking her meals with Gavin, Bentley, and Lexus. Jemmy acted as if Sierra’s desire to reacquaint herself with him was a betrayal.
Mercedes was making herself scarce. She had eagerly jumped into the clinic as a nurse of sorts since she had been in nursing school when Horatio had basically abducted her. Since we were short-staffed, they gladly accepted her help.
Gavin was still struggling, but he was making a valiant effort, ensuring that he split his time with the women. I had even witnessed his continual attempts to speak to Jemmy.
Unfortunately, she wanted nothing to do with Gavin. However, she hadn’t cut ties with Sierra. She clearly loved Sierra like a sister and still regarded her baby as a surrogate child. That was the only recent evidence of any emotional maturity. Well, in regards to Sierra, anyway. She still refused to speak to me, and quite honestly, I was too tired to even try.
I frowned. “It wasn’t our place to tell her.”
I still didn’t know how to handle Jemmy. This was the closest we’d been since my return. She blamed me for not immediately telling her about Gavin. She couldn’t understand that I really didn’t have the time, and I had a lot on my plate at the time. Hell, I still had a lot on my plate. My mind, body, and emotions were a tilt-a-whirl of chaos.
I was stretched thin. I was trying to get schoolwork done, spend time with the kids and my connections, and pretend I wasn’t drowning. It was all so overwhelming. I was beyond ecstatic to be home, but it was still a huge adjustment.
“Oooh, who has the tea?” Anna bounced on her tiptoes like an excitable toddler. “Spill!”
Sierra continued to stare at her entwined fingers while Jemmy paced and glared at me. Dawn and Rachel suddenly seemed engrossed in one of the magazines. Finally, Anna looked at me with a hopeful expression, and I immediately took an interest in a loose pull in the rug at our feet.
“Rachel,” Anna whirled, a wheedling grin on her face. “I have a new pair of Jimmy Choos that I cannot fit. I was going to return them, but…” Her voice trailed off. “They should fit you, that is—”
She didn’t even get to finish her statement. Instead, Rachel stood up from the bed like her butt was on fire.
“Gavin is back. Only he doesn’t look like Gavin anymore!” Rachel blurted out.
At Jemmy’s loud scoff, Rachel gave her a sheepish pout. “She said Jimmy Choos! You know how weak I am for a gorgeous pair of shoes. Plus, it isn’t like it’s a huge secret. Plus, plus, Anna’s a part of our dysfunctional family, so she would have found out sooner rather than later!”
Jemmy rolled her eyes, but we all knew had the situation been reversed, she would have been singing like a canary. Everyone knew her obsession with clothes and shoes rivaled Rachel’s. Their closets were overflowing with said items, and neither of them showed signs of stopping their hoarding tendencies anytime soon.
“What!” Anna screeched as tears flooded her eyes. “That’s amazing news. I’m so happy for you girls.” Tears began to fall as she approached them. She attempted to hug them both, but Jemmy shirked the embrace.
“Did you not hear the part where he doesn’t look like Gavin!” Jemmy snorted. “He mimicked Lincoln’s gift. Gavin jumped seconds before the mortal blow, and somehow,” she said with a derisive laugh, “he essentially kicked this Max guy out of his body while managing to retain both of his gifts!”
Anna frowned for a second before she gave them a wide smile. “Okay, so is he like… ugly now?” Then she shrugged and shook her head. “I mean, it’s a bit shallow, but… Nevertheless, even if that were the case, I don’t see how that matters. He’s back. He’s. Back! Who cares what he looks like?”
“He’s hot! Hot with a capital H . I mean, Gavin was too, but Gavin 2.0 is just as yummy.” Dawn snorted a laugh that had Rachel giggling.
“I wouldn’t kick either of them out of my bed,” Rachel agreed. “I mean,” she added, looking remorseful for a moment, “it must be super hard on him. I couldn’t imagine keeping a body that wasn’t my own. I’m kind of attached to my body. Even if I had the choice to look like, say, Adriana Lima, Candace Swanepoel, or Gigi Hadid, I’m not certain I would easily accept it.”
“He seems to have come to terms with it,” Dawn said with a shrug. “It’s how others are taking it that seems to be hurting him the most now.” She pointedly looked at Jemmy.
“I don’t see why it would matter.” Anna drew her brows in concentration. “One of my favorite foster sisters, Harmony, was in and out of our home due to her troubled family life. Her mom disappeared without a trace, and her dad was an addict. The system treated her like a yo-yo. First, her dad would be forced into getting cleaned up, then, once he was clean, he would get custody of her again. It wasn’t long before he got hooked again and she was placed with us once more.
“When she was twelve or so, her mom returned after vanishing from her life for about five years because she found a sugar daddy that wanted kids. Her mom thought maybe her ready-made kid would be enough since she didn’t want any more children. Harmony’s dad came home as they were packing her bags.
“He was high and flew into a rage. He set their apartment on fire. Harmony’s parents died, and she suffered third-degree burns on over sixty percent of her body. Mom and Dad barely recognized her. She had so many reconstructive surgeries I lost count, and even though Mom and Dad got some of the most renowned plastic surgeons in the world to help, she never looked the same.
“Anyway, my point is, her outer appearance never affected the way we love her. She’s still the same person, regardless. So, if you don’t have any doubts that it’s Gavin, why does it matter what he looks like?”
I was glad Anna was able to break it down that way. It made sense to me and ran along the lines that I had been thinking. As his best friend, I knew it was Gavin within minutes. As his connections, they should have felt it more profoundly. However much I didn’t want to rock the boat with my established relationships when I realized I was connected to Lincoln, I’d felt inexplicably drawn to him mere moments after meeting him. I knew the girls felt the same way toward Gavin.
“It doesn’t,” I staidly stated. “How’s your foster sister now?”
“Awesome!” Anna gave me a beaming smile. “Harmony was on the verge of adolescence when it first happened. You know how cruel kids can be. She struggled with her looks and confidence. Mom and Dad adopted her, and having the right therapist and a few other fantastic role models in her life made her a much stronger person. She became a motivational speaker, and she travels to schools and colleges nationwide, giving speeches and inspiring people.”
Then she turned to Dawn and Rachel. “Call this new Gavin over. I wanna see him!” she explained, seemingly shaking off her pensive mood like a dog shaking off water.“What else is eatin’ at ya, Jem?” she said in a weary tone. “Your man is back. You should be screwing him day and night to see if he can put a bun in your oven next. By the way…” She whirled back on Sierra and pulled out her measuring tape. “Why aren’t you undressed yet? I need to get your maternity dresses going now. I already talked to the photog and told him I wanted him to take maternity shots. The pictures will be even better with Gavin back!”
I swore that woman had multiple train tracks running through her thoughts.How was the train even still moving?
She pulled Sierra up and began to undress her. I shook my head and smiled as I realized I was being dismissed. I walked to my bed and slid on my short black bodycon dress and three-quarter-sleeve olive green military jacket.
“I’m not sure,” Sierra protested as Anna practically manhandled her. “Things are too complicated right now. I mean… Of course, I would love to have family photos to document this miracle in our lives, but… It’s not just Gavin, Jemmy, and me anymore. There’s…”
My heart went out to her, understanding her struggle.She deserved to have lovely family photos too, but their situation was a little messy right now.
“Gavin has another woman!” Jemmy nearly screeched as Rachel went to do Anna’s bidding. “I don’t want to be anywhere near that man. I could have gotten over the fact that he looked completely different than the man I fell in love with. However, he came back with that bitch. I cannot and will not coexist with a woman who loves crawling under other people's skin. Plus, she has a kid. Who the hell wants to play second fiddle to not only two other women but someone else’s brat as well?”
Anna frowned, and I immediately realized that Jemmy had essentially just crapped all over Anna and her situation. As a single mom, Anna actively dated and I knew she was ready to settle down with the right man.
I could tell Jemmy’s words had cut deep, and even though I knew Jemmy was speaking without thinking, I couldn’t stand by and allow her to tear Anna down. Not to mention, it wasn’t fair for her to judge Mercedes without really knowing her.
“Wow, Jemmy,” I huffed as I slipped on socks and combat boots. “You’re just like her in so many ways. You like to instigate things all the time. Did you really expect her to stand by and allow you to tear Gav down? After she defended him, did you expect her to roll over and let you judge her without even knowing her?You delivered a low blow about her single mother status, not knowing it was rape that led to her pregnancy. Despite that, she chose to keep her daughter, and a child shouldn’t be a life sentence of being alone. Essentially, you just said Anna doesn’t deserve a good man in her life either because she’s a single mother. I understand being hurt and angry, but you need to think before you speak.
“I’m proud of the way you stepped up for Si Si, but you’re acting immature again. You struck out without knowing the full picture. I know it’s hard. I don’t envy your situation at all, but ultimately, he’s your connected. Whether you stay with him or not, you can do it civilly without making yourself look bad.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Jemmy’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Anna. That statement wasn’t directed at you. I just don’t like that bitch! It’s not fair!”
Old Jemmy was back. And here I thought she had grown and matured in my absence. Okay. Now, I wasn’t being fair. There was no denying how well she had stepped up to be there for Sierra in Gavin’s absence.
I sighed heavily. “You’re not being fair to Gavin or Mercedes. She’s his connection, and you’re trying to ice her out because she didn’t find him first. She could have easily attempted to seduce him and make their connection, but she didn’t. She respected you and Sierra enough to wait until you guys knew about her even though she had the right to. You remember how hard it was for you guys not to make your connection immediately. She didn’t want to step on y’all’s toes.”
“They didn’t make their connection?” Jemmy faltered with a frown before she straightened her shoulders in resolve. “It doesn’t matter. It was hard enough accepting Si. Sorry,” she added, sending the other woman an apologetic smile. “I came to terms with it, but that was mostly because Sierra is sweet and fits into our family dynamic. That bitch will never fit in.”
“We haven’t even given her a chance,” Sierra argued. “At first, I was avoiding Mercedes too, but I can’t and won’t any longer. I already know she made Gavin’s captivity easier—and Blake's right. Once Gavin told her he didn’t want to make their connection without letting us know, she didn’t push further. And Lexus is a sweet little girl. I won’t treat her any differently than my own.”
Jemmy’s jaw set, and she seemed to be at war with herself for several moments before she straightened again. “Well, I’m out. It seems like I’m being iced out of my family. I told Gavin it was her or me, and if he won’t choose me, then so be it.” She attempted a careless shrug, but there was nothing nonchalant about her right now. “I was gracious enough when I accepted you, and I shouldn’t have to beg for more scraps. I can go out there and find several men that would be more than happy to make me their one and only.” She huffed and turned to leave.
“You behave as if you never knew this was a possibility,” Dawn growled, stopping her in her tracks. “You grew up in this culture! You were marked young, so Pops made sure to prepare you for this possibility. Connections are rare, and female nuclei are even rarer.
“You are being a selfish bitch right now, Jemmy. I’ve tried to understand where you’re coming from. I even sympathized with you for a long time, but you have no clue how lucky you are. Fate chose the perfect man for you. While most of us unmarked chase one fling after the other, hoping to find our perfect match, yours was handed to you on a silver platter.”
I could tell Dawn’s words were striking a chord for Jemmy, especially since Dawn was rarely brutally honest with her. If anything, she usually sided with Jem to a fault, so being delivered these hard truths by a woman she looked up to had to be tough.
“So, you have to share?” Dawn continued. “Gavin has always held you and Sierra in the same regard and treated both of you like queens. Never once did he favor one of you over the other. I know it’s a difficult adjustment, but you haven’t even tried to make it work! You can’t always quit when your relationship gets complicated. None of your relationships will work if you’re unwilling to put the work into them.
“You're just cutting off your nose to spite your face. Go ahead and find all those eager men, but you’ll lose your gift. Are you willing to lose it or get weaker just because you’re determined to have things your way? Stop being so stubborn and really think about all you have to lose over your pride and ego.”
Jemmy’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Good to know how I stand with everyone,” she stubbornly choked out before she left.
I really hoped and prayed that she would see the wisdom in our words. Gavin and Sierra were worth the effort, and Mercedes and Lexus being in the picture didn’t mean her life couldn’t be just as rewarding.