~ Love Conquers All ~
Chapter 7 cont.
Ryan's mind came back to the present and he returned his attention to Gillian and Jake who had now made it up to their balcony and placed the luggage on the ground outside their suite. Ryan's smile faded away as Gillian moved closer to Jake and he stood frozen in place.
He watched Gillian as she kissed Jake, the look on her face, the movements of her body. True, he wasn't close enough to read her eyes - he could always tell what she was thinking and feeling by the look in her eyes - but she didn't look like a woman who was resisting a man's advances.
What if Hayley had been wrong about Gillian still loving him? Hayley was a true romantic at heart. Perhaps what she said was only wishful thinking. What if Gillian actually was in love with Jake? Maybe it was wrong for him to be there. If Gillian had truly moved on, if this was what she really wanted, who was he to stop her?
Ryan watched as Jake took Gillian by the arm and lead her into their suite. Fool. Ryan, you idiot! Gillian's going inside with him. She'll make love to him - if not now, then later. And she'll do it because she wants to, because she wants him. Who am I to say anything about it?! I had my chance with her and I threw it away! I have no one else to blame but myself.
Ryan turned back around and headed towards his car. He threw the luggage in the car and got in, starting the engine. He was heading into town with all the stores and people - and all the crowds. That would clear his mind. He just had to get away from all this romance - and the damned private beaches.
Chapter 8
Gillian walked through the door of their suite and took it all in. Jake reached for her and she purposefully moved away further into the room.
"Wow, this is really lovely, " she said innocently.
"Yeah, and look at the view," Jake said, settling down on the bed.
"Thank you for bringing me here, " Gillian said. "But you really didn't have to do all this."
"Yes I did, for you. You deserve it, Gillian. You're my beautiful Princess."
Gillian drew back as if she had been struck and felt her body grow tense.
"So much has changed since I came to this country. It doesn't seem like I am.....not anymore," she paused, drawing in air and exhaling again before she went on. "Please don't call me that ever again."
Jake was more then a bit surprised at her reaction to his endearment, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he beckoned to her from his place on the bed.
"Come sit beside me," he said.
She crossed the room and stiffly sat next to him on the bed. Jake looked over at her and immediately noticed how jittery she was.
"Gillian, what's wrong?" he asked, gently.
This is stupid, she told herself. All along a small part of her had been hoping for someone or something to come and stop this. But there was nothing. And, since she was sure she wasn't strong enough to stop it herself, she knew there would be no way out.
"I just.....I...I've been living at the Boarding House for awhile now. I guess I've just grown unaccustomed to all this. It really is a bit overwhelming, " she lied.
"Well, I don't want you to feel rushed, Gillian, and certainly not overwhelmed. I want tonight to be very special," he reached over and tipped up her chin so she looked him in the eye, " - for both of us. Tell you what, I'll stay here and unpack. Why don't you go do a little shopping? That wil put you more at ease."
His last comment put a smile back on her face and she could feel some of the tension slowly melting away.
"That would be nice," she admitted. "But for all the things this resort has, it doesn't have any stores. Just a little gift shop in the main building next to the lobby."
Jake hid his amusement at the fact that she already memorized the location of the one store the resort did have, and he stoop up in mock horro.
"How dare they build a beach resort without dozens of upscale stores for you to shop in?!"
"Ha, ha," Gilian said. "Very funny."
He took her hands in his, still smiling, and pulled her up.
"Look, why don't you take the car and drive into town? There are lots of stores there. I remember you had your eye on a few when we drove through. It's not that far really - maybe fifteen, twenty minutes. The signs are easy enough to follow. And there's a map in the car."
Jake reached into his pocket.
"Here are the keys."
"Jake, are you sure? I mean, I don't want to leave you here all by yourself doing all the unpacking," Gillian said.
"Yes, I'm positive."
Gillian held out for a minute longer, then broke out in a huge smile and headed towards the door with Jake laughing behind her.
"Just one more thing. Be sure to bring your cell phone - just in case."
She smiled. "It's in my purse. 'The signs are easy to follow'," she said, playfully mocking him. "You thing I'm going to get lost. Well, I'll show you!"
She turned around and walked out of the room.
"Stay out of trouble! " he called after her as the door shut.
Gillian walked down to the car and started the engine.
"Shopping will be good. It'll clear my head," she said good-naturedly to herself as she fastened her seat belt. "Stay out of trouble, " she repeated. "What trouble can I possibly get into in town?"
Chapter 9
"Thousands of people live in this town, and I had to run into him.
When I saw him there, on that busy street, those feelings came back again."
Gillian parked her car at the side of the road and put a handful of quarters in the meter. She'd been
hearing weather warnings constantly on the ride into town and knew she would have to hurry if she
wanted to make it back to the resort before the bad weather hit. They were even talking about the
possiblity of tornandoes. But, as GIllian got out of her car, the skies were sunny and blue, so she wasn't very concerned.
************************************************************************************************************************
Two hours later, Gillian walked out of the last of the five stores she selected. The sky was no longer blue and it was now very apparent to her that storms were on the way, soon to be there. The traffic had really picked up, and it was obvious the beach go-ers had realized the same thing.
She walked to her car and got in, fastening her seat belt. She stuck the key in the ignition and turned, but instead of the gentle roar of the engine she heard an awful chugging sound. She tried starting the car again and again with the same result. Finally, she got out and slammed the door behind her.
"Great," Gillian said. "This is all I need. One dead car, one huge storm on the way."
She didn't much pay attention when she heard a car close behind her beeping it's horn. After all, traffic was heavy and people were starting to get annoyed.
"Damn it," Gillian muttered as she felt a fat rain drop fall on her forehead.
Again she heard the horn and from the corner of her eye saw a car pull in behind her from the street. She turned around to see who it was - a jerk or perhaps a good Samaritan? When she did see who was behind the wheel, her heart all but stopped.
"My God, " she said, shakily. "Ryan."
" And still, the world stood still.
I couldn't move and alll I could feel was this aching in my heart saying
I loved him still."
Reba McEntire
"And Still"
Chapter 10
"Ryan, what on earth are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, GIllian," Ryan said as he stepped out of his car, clearly amused.
"I'm sorry," she said, flustered. "I just didn't expect to see you here. Um, did you know I was here in Virginia?" she asked, and as a thought occured to her she began to panic. "Is something wrong? Grandmama?"
"No, no, Gillian," he said, sensing her panic. "Everyone is fine in Pine Valley."
"Then I don't understand."
Suddenly, another thought occurred to her and a tingle of pleasure spread through her body.
"Are, were you looking for me?"
Ryan still hadn't decided what to do about Gillian - and Jake for that matter. He hadn't at all expected to run into her, but when he saw her standing alone he couldn't help but finally make his presense known. Since he didn't know how to answer that question, he decided to lie.
"Actually, I''m on vacation," he said.
"Vacation? Here?"
"Yeah, well, I had an aunt who lived near here. She was really the only decent member of my family. Every so often I'd visit her. She died a few years back. I just thought, in light of everything that's happened recently, it might be nice to relive a happy childhood memory."
"Oh, " she said for lack of anything better to say. "I'm on vacation, too."
Gillian, you sound like an idiot, she admonished herself.
"Yes," Ryan said, smiling that smile that made her knees go weak. "I can see that." He was teasing her, and thoroughly enjoying himself.
Gillian felt her face flushing, half from embarrasment, half from the pleasure of having him tease her - and the fact that she enjoyed it so much. God, he is good-looking, she thought.
"So, you drove down here all by yourself, " Ryan said, testing the waters carefully. "Taking risks. That's like the old Gillian I knew. All though, I don't suppose this really compares to the time you snuck out of the hospital last summer."
She felt like dirt - lower then dirt.
"Uh, actually, Jake came with me. We're sort of here....um, together."
"Oh," Ryan said, trying to express the correct mixture of surprise and pain at her answer. He found that the latter want' at all hard to conjure up.
It began to sprinkle.
"Well, the reason I stopped was to help you. It looked like you were having some car trouble?"
"Yeah," she said, gladly turning her attention to the car. "It won't start. I don't know what's wrong."
"Okay. I can probably jump your car. I have some cables in the trunk."
"What?" Gillian asked, not understanding what he meant.
It started to rain harder and they were now getting wet.
"Never mind. Listen, just get in the car," he said, opening the passenger door for her.
"Ryan, I - "
"Gillian," he said, cocking up an eyebrow.
She obeyed him and got in the car.
"It's too late to try and jump the car. If we don't leave now we'll be caught in the middle of the storm," Ryan said, glancing up. "We still might be. I'll drop you off at your hotel. I'm staying at the Paradise Beach Resort. That's a ways out of town. Your hotel is probably on the way, right?"
"Actually, I'm staying there, too. At the resort, I mean. Jake and I."
"Perfect," he said, ignoring her last comment.
He started the engine and turned on the wipers.
"I don't know, Ryan. Maybe I should just take a taxi," Gillian said.
"Don't be ridiculous. What for? I'm going there, so are you. It only makes sense."
"I, I just don't think it would be a good idea for the two of us to show up together, " she reasoned.
"Come on, Gilly," he said, coaxingly. "Let me drive you home."
I just dont' understand it, she thought. How is it possible that he can even make a ride in the car seem sexy? She looked at him and smiled, relenting.
"All right."
He looked in her eyes then and saw it. Saw that she still wanted him. Saw that she still loved him. Saw that it wasn't too late. And, in that moment, he made up his mind that he would do everything in his power to have her back again.