The Eternity that Follows (23 page)

I felt all he wanted was sex.” Gabriella said, and then continued
her confession. “I was hoping he’d be a gentleman and offer to
take me out to dinner or something.”
“Well he’s just not that type of guy.” Jemma said, not wanting to
come clean on how she convinced Vinny to take her home to get
Gabriella jealous. “I mean you know how many women he’s been
with.”
“Well yes, I know that now. I didn’t know that at the time though.
You know, I actually wanted him all last summer but after he slept
with you. I would never touch him again.”
“Oh so I’m damaged goods?” Jemma said, joking. “I respect that
Gabriella, at least your not like Josephine.”
“It has been over a year Jem, and you said so yourself tonight,
Vinny had turned you down.”
“Yeah but there is a girl code.”
“And you played by it?”
“You turned him down. You may not have known how he was, but
I did. He wanted a girl for the night.”
“All right. It’s the same situation here. Just let it go and let
Josephine get her heartbroken.”
“Fine I’ll let it go. So you wanted him all last summer? He was
out for you, why didn’t you go for it? Was it really cause of me?”
“That and he is way too old for me.” Gabriella admitted, Jemma
laughed.
“Yeah he is getting up there.”
“Lets go inside and have some fun.” Gabriella said, wrapping her
arm around Jemma and walking her toward the bar.
“I’d really rather not see them together.”
“Oh you’ll be fine.”

Joey read Gabriella’s text message and decided to call her
instead. Just as Gabriella reached Mackenzie’s bar door, her phone
started to ring.
“I’ll meet you inside.” Gabriella said, while her phone rang.
“All right, when Joey calls.”
“Hello?” Gabriella said, ignoring Jemma and answering her
phone. Jemma walked inside Mackenzie’s.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Have to what?” Gabriella asked, temporarily forgetting what she
last texted Joey throughout her conversation with Jemma.
“That you’re mad I’m at a beach party.”
“Oh, I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I just would have changed our plans to go there. I love when
bars do beach parties.”
“Sorry Gab. Wait, you don’t go out in these skimpy bikinis the
girls got on in here do you?”
“Well, I don’t know how skimpy they are”
“Hey! I only have eyes for you.”
“I’m sure.”
“Baby?” Joey asked.
“What?” Gabriella said, half mad.
“Forever?”
“Forever.”
“So you’re at Mackenzie’s?” Joey asked, realizing he was a little
annoyed she hadn’t mentioned she would be going there.
“Yeah the girls wanted to come here before Cascades.”
“And did you know that you were going there earlier when we
spoke in our room?” Joey asked, holding onto the word ‘our’ to
remind Gabriella how serious they were.
“I knew it was a possibility.”
“Oh. So you left that out because?”
“Because, I didn’t want to come here and it was just a possibility in
our plans.”
“All right.” Joey said, dropping the conversation, as a girl in a
bikini walked out of the bar where Joey was standing, leaving him
to think about his own whereabouts. The girl threw her arms
around Joey while he was on the phone with Gabriella.
“Your name’s Joey, right? Wow you’re a hottie.” The girls said,
running her fingers through his hair.
“Please don’t touch me.” Joey replied, shaking the girl off and
holding up his hand to show her his ring tattoo.
“Whatever.” Gabriella heard the girl say. Joey turned the other
way, while the girl walked away.
“What was that about?” Gabriella asked, trying not to get mad at
Joey for being so hot.
“I don’t know, some drunk girl.” Joey said, wanting to see
Gabriella right away. “Can we meet up?”
“I’m with my friends Joe.”
“Yeah and no. I want to see you right now.” Joey demanded.
“All right?” Gabriella said, scared to question Joey.
“All right. I’ll have Josh drop me off there.” Joey said, without
waiting for Gabriella’s response.
“He hung up on me.” Gabriella said, out loud to whoever was out
there to listen, but no one responded.

Gabriella decided to go into the bar to meet up with her
friends. When Gabriella walked in, she noticed Josephine and Sara
dancing on the dance floor, and then she spotted Vinny talking to
Jemma. Gabriella thought the situation to be weird. She directed
herself to the bar, next to where Vinny and Jemma were talking, to
order herself a drink. ‘Joey’s just going to have to wait outside for
me until I’m finished with my drink.’ Gabriella thought that was
fair of her because he demanded to see her while she was having a
good time with her friends. Gabriella ordered her drink at the bar,
and then realized, Jemma had gone dancing with the other girls,
leaving Vinny next to her.
“So you wanted me all last summer?” Vinny said, trapping
Gabriella in a conversation as she was paying for her drink.
“Maybe.” Gabriella said, even though she wasn’t in the mood to
talk to Vinny. “Aren’t you here with Josephine?”
“Maybe. Actually I wanted to see you.” Vinny said, looking her in
the eye. Gabriella could tell he was being serious.
“So, your sleeping with my friend just to see me?”
“Well no. I just came out tonight to see you. Besides Jemma’s
plan really didn’t really work now did it?” Vinny asked.

Gabriella showed her confusion by making her face puzzle
up.
“What plan?”
“Well, after you shot me down that night she said if I took her
home and slept with her, you would be jealous, and leave with me
the next time.”
“And how would that get me?” .
“I don’t know.” Vinny said, now the puzzled one. “Why what
could, I have done to get you?”
“I don’t know, maybe ask me out on a date or something. Not just
expect me to go home with you again.”
“I was going to ask you never to leave me that night.”
“Oh really? The same night you brought my friend home?”
“I didn’t know what else to do. Girls don’t shot me down much.”
“Whatever.”
“So you wanted me all last summer? How can I get you back to
that?” Vinny asked, brushing her arm gently.
“Nothing.” Gabriella said, holding up her left hand to show him
her tattoo.
“Oh really? With that kid at the club?”
“Listen what are you doing with Josephine?”
“I guess I’m marrying her.”
“Oh is that a peace offering to what you’ve done to me and
Jemma?”
“Jemma? Jemma’s a whore.”
“Well she’s still got the hots for you.” Gabriella said, going to
walkaway to go join her friends on the dance floor. Vinny grabbed
her arm back. “Don’t grab me.”
“Sorry. So Jemma still have the hots for me?”
“Thinking about changing whom you want to take home tonight?”
“No.” Vinny said. Gabriella could tell he was thinking.
“Thinking are we?”
“Yes. I’m thinking about how you and I never got the chance
together.”
“And we never will.” Gabriella replied, trying to walk away again.
Vinny grabbed her arm again and snapped her back. “Will you
stop doing that?”
“Sorry, Gabriella. I don’t want any of your friends, you’re the one
I want.”
“Bull shit.” Gabriella said, calling his bluff.
“No I’m serious. I come out all the time to Mandala hoping to see
you. I tried taking you home all last summer but you never came
to talk to me.”
“I think you need a lesson on how to swoon a girl.” Gabriella said,
laughing at Vinny’s attempts to take her home all last summer.
“Okay so teach me.” Vinny replied, he then went to kiss her, but
Gabriella pushed him off.
“What do you think your doing?” Gabriella asked, showing her
ring tattoo again.
“You think a ring tattoo will stop me?”
“No. But it sure as hell is stopping me.” Gabriella said, then she
felt Joey place his hand on her back. Gabriella wondered just how
much he saw.
“Do we have a problem here?” Joey asked Vinny.

The bouncer who had kicked him out wasn’t working the
front door so Joey had no problem entering the bar.
“No.” Vinny replied. acting tough.
“Well I have a problem here. Man you just tried kissing my girl.”
Joey said, holding back his urge of punching Vinny in the face.
“Sorry man. I didn’t know.” Vinny said, lying.
“Whatever. I showed you the tattoo twice.” Gabriella said, calling
Vinny out on his lie. The girls had spotted the commotion, and
walked over to see what was going on. Josephine spoke up first,
“what’s going on over here?”
“Vinny’s trying to kiss Gabriella.” Joey said, not taking his eyes
off of Vinny.
“Oh.” Josephine said, then she went off crying, with Sara
following her into the bathroom. Jemma stayed to watch the fight
she hoped would break out between Joey and Vinny. Gabriella
couldn’t help herself,
“Jemma don’t speak to me ever again.” Gabriella said, taking
Joey’s hand to walk away. Joey wouldn’t budge.
“Listen, stay away from my girl. Stay away from Josephine. If
you want this whore Jemma then have her.” Joey said, realizing
Gabriella was more then upset with Jemma. Joey didn’t know the
reasons why, but he couldn’t help but to call Jemma a whore.

Joey then let Gabriella take him out of the bar, as Jemma
tried to pull Gabriella over to talk.
“What’s your problem?” Jemma asked Gabriella. Joey removed
the hold Jemma had on Gabriella’s arm.
“Don’t touch her.”
“Gab?” Jemma questioned.
“You told Vinny if he brought you home and slept with him that I
would get jealous and leave with him the next time? Do you know
how dirty that is to do? You’re a slut. Don’t talk to me any more,
Jezebel” Gabriella said, not mad that things didn’t work out
between her and Vinny because of Jemma, but rather mad that
Jemma would do something purposely to hurt her.

Jemma grew quite and watched as Joey and Gabriella
walked out of the bar. Once outside of the bar, Joey was still
angered by Vinny. It took everything he had inside of him not to
punch him in the face.
“Where did you park?” Joey said, showing no emotion.

Gabriella took a hold of Joey’s hand to lead him to her car.
Joey turned around to face Gabriella as he stopped her from
walking. “Baby.”
“Yes hunny?”
“I love you.” Joey said, with tears in his eyes.
“Baby, I love you too.”
“No. I really love you.” Joey said. He was happy with her that he
saw her push Vinny off, while showing her ring tattoo.
“Yes and I really love you.” Gabriella said, confused, she was sure
Joey would be mad at her. “You’re not mad at me?”
“No. I just saw you push a guy that was trying to kiss you away.
I’m happy with you.”
“I’ll always push them away.” Gabriella said, as she went slightly
up on her tippy toes to reach Joey for a kiss.

Joey and Gabriella shared a deep romantic kiss together.
When the kiss was over, Joey rubbed Gabriella’s tattoo.
“Why aren’t you wearing your ring?” Joey questioned,
consciously aware on his purpose in wanting a ring tattoo over just
rings.
“I am silly.” Gabriella said, holding up her right hand holding her
engagement ring. “I wanted everyone to be able to see my tattoo
so they knew I was serious about someone, and completely,
without question, taken.”
“Oh, I see.” Joey said. “I can’t wait to wear a wedding band.”
Joey admitted, thankful, Gabriella had held up to the promise of
forever.
“Aww baby.”
“Why don’t you call Josephine and see if she needs a ride or
anything?”
“Don’t you think she’s mad at me?” Gabriella asked, confused
because she was the one Vinny tried kissing.
“Well don’t you think she’s mad at Jemma?” Joey asked, pointing
to Vinny and Jemma getting into Vinny’s car together.
“Wow.” Gabriella replied. “Maybe we should go back into the bar
and talk to her.”
“Hey Gab?”
“Yes hottie?” Gabriella said, not being able to help herself from
remembering the girl from the phone.
“Oh don’t bring that up.”
“And why not?”
“Because I thought that I would lose you over something like that.”
“No. You can’t help how hot you are.”
“Is that how you feel about the situation?” Joey asked, with one
eyebrow raised.
“Well, I don’t know Joey. We have to trust each other right?
When where not with one another?”
“Gabriella, I don’t think either of us are going out without the
other from now on.”
“Joey!”
“What?”
“Well didn’t we prove tonight that we should trust each other?”
“I guess so.” Joey said, mentally noting Gabriella wouldn’t be
going out without him from now on.
“You guess so?”
“Well who knows if you would have caved or not.”
“And you, you just had to run out when temptation came your way,
right? You couldn’t handle being at the bar with half naked girls?”
“No. I didn’t want you not trusting me, and in return cheat on
me.”
“Lets leave this conversation, for the bedroom.” Gabriella said,
wanting to comfort Joey she would never cheat, but found it would
be more special while they were being intimate.
“All right lets go.”
“What about Josephine?”
“She has Sara.” Joey pointed out. “Besides you did make her
cry.”
“Hey that’s not fair.”
“Your right. It’s not fair you get to be as sexy as you are. Just get
in the car, gorgeous.”

On the ride home, Gabriella told Joey the whole
conversation between her and Vinny. She told Joey how Vinny had
grabbed her arm twice when she tried walking away. Joey then
shared with Gabriella how he felt uncomfortable being at the bar
the moment they walked in, but Josh assured him they’d only stay
for one drink. Joey also informed Gabriella, he wouldn’t be
having strippers at his bachelors party.

Joey then questioned if Gabriella wished Jemma hadn’t
come up with such a devious plan, ruining Vinny and her's chance
of being together, he wanted to know if Gabriella was upset things
could have worked out differently. Gabriella assured Joey she
believed things happened for a reason, and she was better off in life
without him. Gabriella then explained, even if something more
would have came of her and Vinny, she would had been more then
likely to have left Vinny for him. Joey realized she were right, and
felt no matter how either of them lived their life, they always were
destined for each other.

As soon as Joey and Gabriella reached her room, Josephine
called Gabriella’s phone. Gabriella answered and put the
speakerphone on so Joey could hear.
“Hello?” Gabriella answered.
“Hey.”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I can’t believe Jemma left with Vinny. But you know
what? I don’t care cause I called her boyfriend and told him.”
Josephine confessed to Gabriella. “And I’m not mad at you, it’s
not your fault Vinny is a scumbag.” Gabriella didn’t believe
Josephine wasn't over Vinny just yet.
“Did you hear what Jemma did to me?” Gabriella asked, and then
Joey gave her an ‘why bring it up’ look.
“No. What did she do?”