Chapter Three: Dinner Date

*STILL 2 WEEKS AGO*

Truck's POV

"I love you."

Gem paused in the middle of her meal and flashed me a cheesy smile. With her fusion lashes fanning her cheeks, she poked her tongue out at me. "You're such a lovey dovey drunk," she teased. "But," she added, "you know I love you way much more. " I shook my head and returned her easy smile. "I'm not drunk," I countered.

With Gem, everything was different. She made me forget who I was when I wasn't with her. She made me forget the awful things I had done. A vivid image of the man's limp body tumbling to the forest floor came alive in my mind. The fact that I grew numb after it happened scared me. I didn't know who I was becoming. The old me would have been sick to my core, but earlier I felt nothing. I remember glancing at Thomas with disgust as he spewed his guts. Dad wore a look of triumph on his face, I was sure my face had mirrored his.

Gem snapped a finger in front of my face. I blinked. She held up her vlogging camera in front of me. She frowned. "Tell my Jewels hi." Plastering what had to be the fakest smile on my face, I waved at the camera. "Y'know, I have to make sure my baby has the best birthday ever this year. So." I paused for added effect and fished around in my pants pocket. Gem eyed me suspiciously, switching the camera from my face to hers. "Comment below what you think Truck got me, guys."

With a ta-da, I presented Gem with a Pandora necklace. The same necklace she had bitching me about a month ago. As I clasped the necklace around Gem's neck, she started up a conversation with her subscribers. Honestly, I didn't mind, I was the one who had introduced Gem to YouTube.

The girl could stand in front of a camera, say nothing and I could guarantee you that the views would rack up close to half of a million. Gem had the kind of beauty that was refreshing and also reeled you in. She was the breath of fresh air that everyone needed. But Gem was more than just beautiful, she was talented, charismatic, and naïve. She trusted you blindly. That was one of the reasons I fell in love with her, she always aspired to see the best in people. And, currently, I was the furthest thing from a saint, but she showed me love like no one else ever had.

Gem had enough looks, money and popularity to be mean but instead she was the complete opposite. Wasn't that enough reason to love her?

"Thank you." Gem gripped my hand tightly across the table. "I love it." Her eyes shone with unshed tears. Why was she acting like she couldn't have bought that Pandora necklace herself? I pressed a kiss into Gem's open palm. "Anything for you, Gem," I vowed.

The waiter whisked in carrying our meals. I had ordered a Soutzoukakia and Gem a Pastitsio, two popular Greek meals. Instantly, we dug in. The happenings from earlier had opened up an appetite within me and besides the food was breaktakingly delicious. The fact that Gem rarely asked me for anything, made me want to go extra hard for her. So, here we were, on a regular Tuesday night having dinner at a Greek restaurant. Nothing was too good for my baby.

The dinner date ensued and an hour later, we tumbled out of the restaurant.

I groped for Gem's hand, her small hand looped through mine. It felt insignificant in my large hand. We walked towards my car.

Gem backed me up against the driver side of the car. Her hands lopped around my neck. I stared deep in her eyes, loving every minute of this moment. "I never got the chance to thank you properly," she whispered hoarsely. I blinked and in one fluid movement, Gem captured her sweet lips with mine.

I released myself in that delicious kiss. I molded her body against mine. Wanting to feel every inch of her body pressed against me. Her tongue slipped to the roof of my mouth and I welcomed her in. She tasted so intoxicating. No wonder I was so addicted to her.

The kiss deepened, when Gem pulled away. Her eyes turned to saucers and I whirled around, wanting to see what had her so petrified.

Imagine my horror when I saw a large white wolf skimming around the other parked cars. Thinking fast, I stuffed Gem in the passenger seat and barely took off, with a brown wolf yapping at my heels. I gripped the steering wheel out of pure fear. Without thinking, I swerved the car to the right, escaping the pack of wolves blocking the parking lot's entrance. The car skidded violently out of control. Beside me I could hear Gem screaming but still nothing registered.

I continued down the road, driving like a demon from hell. Thankfully it was really late, so there was almost little to no cars on the road. I hit down on the brake hard, the car skidded to a halt in the middle of the road. Panting hard, I stole a glance at Gem. Her mouth hung open in shock. My hand circled hers, letting her know without words, that I would never allow anything to happen to her. Visibly, she relaxed a notch.

I was about to start up the car again when a large, tan wolf seemingly from nowhere jumped on the hood of the car. He opened his mouth and a howl echoed. Imagine my horror when wolves emerged from the forest and started circling the car. We were trapped.

My mind immediately started conjuring up an escape plan. I was mid thought when the creature began speaking to me. "Truck." Bewildered, I sat there, frozen in place, forced to listen. "We know what you did earlier, but we come in peace. Hand over Gem and we'll go away." I looked at the huge, tan wolf as if he had just sprouted an extra head. Because no way did he think I would ever give Gem away to a pack of wolves. How absurd!

Suddenly finding the courage, my feet slammed on the brake and the car roared down the road, barely brushing past the tan Alpha. I would rather die than lose Gem.

I didn't stop until I saw Gem's massive house, come into my focal view. I backed my car into Gem's driveway. I turned to her. She still had a hand over her heart and her eyes were closed. I rolled my eyes. She was forever the drama queen.

"Truck," she started up, "What did they want?"

I swallowed.