"THIS TIME AROUND"
By: gb
Chapter 19
Gillian finished the last of her rounds and was heading back to Wildwind to get ready for dinner with Mateo.
She rounded the last corner before entering the parking area when she saw Jake flagging her down from the opposite direction.
"Hey, Gillian, wait up!" he called.
Gillian had not been looking forward to this- she wanted a few more days before having to face Jake and explain things. She took a deep breath and waited for him. Putting on a smile, she realized she had been doing her best to delay this, but now she had no choice.
"Hi, Jake," she called. "How have you been?"
"Well, I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been hiding yourself? I haven't even seen you aroud Myrtle's."
"I know," Gillian admitted. "Jake, Ryan's been sick and I've been really worried about him. I've been sort of helping take care of him."
"Yeah, I heard he was here. But I thought he was well enough to go home." Jake tried to keep his voice from revealing his anxiety about Gillian's concern for Ryan.
"Well, he was, but he's still just getting stronger."
Jake wanted to change the subject. "How about getting some dinner together tonight since
Ryan's better now?"
Gillian hedged. "That's sounds nice, but I can't. I have dinner plans for this evening already."
"With Ryan..." Jake said as much to himself as to her.
"No, actually with Mateo Santos. We're in a weekly meeting discussion group together and we like to talk sometimes."
"Oh," Jake visibly relaxed. "That's nice."
"Why because it's not Ryan?" asked Gillian pointedly. "Jake these meetings are so that we can understand our relationships with Ryan and Hayley."
Jake stiffened. "Gillian look I wanted to wait and discuss this with you later, but I guess now is good, too. I think we could be fantastic together and I really care for you and want our relationship to grow. But I wanted to take it slow and give you a chance to get over Ryan, but that's just not happening. You know that I think he'll just hurt you again, but that's for you to find out. For myself, I got know if I'm just wasting my time here, so do me a favor. You think about what I said and let me know if you want to continue this. I'll fight for you if I think there's a chance. But I'm tired of tiptoeing around Ryan Lavery."
"Jake, Ryan's my husband and you might as well know. He's staying at Wildwind to get well and...and, and I'm staying there with him."
She looked him straight in the eye and waited for his response.
"Ex-husband," he corrected her. "And that's just my point. You haven't moved on one bit here, have you?"
Gillian didn't respond.
Jake sighed. "You do what you have to do. Just think about what I said, ok?"
She watched him walk away and knew what her answer was going to be even before he had asked the question.
She was about to go again to her car when another man approached her. This time it was Edmund.
"Hi, Gillian." he greeted her softly.
"Hello, Edmund."
"Yeah, I heard some of that. I'm sorry, I wasn't prying," Edmund told her looking in Jake's departed direction. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I will be. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I came to see someone about a story we're doing for TEMPO. But actually, I'm glad I ran into you. I have something I want to ask you."
"About your article?"
Edmund shook his head. "No. It's about Ryan. To make a long story short, I asked him to stay on at Wildwind with us and he agreed if you'd stay too."
"Live there again? I don't know, Edmund. Ryan and I..."
"Still love each other, Gillian. And it's about time you did something about it instead of going around and around in circles. Maybe being together with family will help you do that. You're going to have to take the next step if you're serious, honey. Ryan and you can't go on like this indefinitly. What do you say?"
"I agree with you, but I like having my own place at Myrtle's." Gillian reponded.
"So keep it- for now. Ryan's doing the same thing with his place. But be there with me, and Alex and Eugenia- she'll be thrilled to have you with her again. And be there with Ryan and make a real step to being back together and think about that child you want to try for again."
She smiled. Edmund was right. They needed to actually move forward now if they were going to get anywhere.
"I had a nice talk with Ryan this morning."
"Oh, about how he's snarled and barked his way through the last few days?" she asked matter of factly.
"He's just confused and upset about you and Mateo. He'll get over it. You can't blame the guy-he really loves you and you can help him to find his way back."
Gillian thought a few moments and said. "I accept your offer, Edmund and thank you. I'll move the rest of my things this weekend back to the Wildwind."
"That's my girl. I'll let Ryan know since I'm on my way back there now. See you at home, then."
They embraced each other warmly, their relationship stronger now more than ever despite Dimitri's passing. Gillian truly looked up to Edmund the way she did Dimitri.
Ryan walked through Liza Chandler's office door at WRCW television studio and looked at his roommate Scott Chandler straight in the eye.
"Scott, good to see you back." he told him smiling. "I need your help in a big way, Buddy. Tonight."
"Hey, Ryan. Glad to see you back on your feet. Help with what?"
"Project Gillian, my friend and can you get Becca to help too, tonight?"
"Ryan what's going on?" Scott asked knowingly. "I don't like that look. That's the kind of look people give right before they drop you into a bottomless well."
Ryan smirked to himself. He was feeling better already. "Let me explain everything, Scott."...
end of part 19
(to be continued...)
Next time: Ryan, Scott, and Becca put their plan into action! Will Gillian and Mateo survive?