she really hoped for.
Gemma moved on to washing her hair, and she caught herself humming despite her attempts not to. The sound of the running water would probably drown it out, though, so she decided to go with it.
As she was washing her hair, something tangled in her fingers. She pulled her hand out to inspect it in the ever-brightening morning light. It was a whole clump of her own hair, and Gemma yelped in shock.
She reached up and pulled at her hair. Without her even really trying, another chunk of hair came out.
While she’d never considered herself particularly vain, the sight of her hair falling out was a terrible shock. It wasn’t about the way she would look so much as that she associated hair loss with people dying, like cancer patients.
The shower curtain flew open, and Gemma hurried to cover herself with her arms so she wasn’t standing there so exposed.
Penn stood on the other side of the tub, glaring at Gemma in the way only Penn could glare. It was like her black eyes sliced right through Gemma.
Beyond that evil death gaze, Penn looked stunning, for the first thing in the morning. She wore a black silk nightie that stopped at the middle of her thighs, and her glossy black hair hung down her back.
“Penn!” Gemma shouted.
“Your fucking hair is falling out,” Penn said, her tone going past annoyed to full-on bitchy.
“Yeah.” Gemma swallowed back her fear and tried to cling to her indignation. “I’m also naked. So it’d be great if you could close the curtain and give me some privacy.”
“You need to eat something,” Penn said, ignoring her.
“I’m not gonna eat anything right now,” Gemma said. “I’m in the shower.”
She wanted to reach out and grab the curtain so she could pull it shut herself, but that would mean leaving herself out in the open. As it was, one arm was barely covering her chest while the other attempted to hide her nether regions.
“You are no good to me dead, Gemma,” Penn warned her. “If you don’t eat something, you will die. And then I will be royally pissed. Do you know what happens when I get pissed, Gemma?”
Gemma sighed. “No.”
“I get even.” Penn leaned in toward her and lowered her voice. “That means I’ll go after that stupid boy you like and your ugly sister.”
Gemma lowered her eyes. The cold water was still dripping down her body, and it took all her strength to keep from shivering.
All she wanted to do was protect Harper and Alex. That was why she’d left, why she’d agreed to any of this. But there were still some lines she wouldn’t cross. Even if it meant risking the people she cared about most, Gemma wasn’t sure that she could do it.
“I won’t kill anyone,” Gemma said finally.
“You can’t even attract anyone to kill. You look like zombie Barbie right now.” Penn gestured to Gemma, who was looking pale and ill, with hair still tangled in her fingers. “You need to swim.”
“I don’t want to—” Gemma began, but Penn cut her off.
“That wasn’t a suggestion.” Penn smirked at her. “That was a command, Gemma, and as I recall, you promised to follow all my commands.”
Before Gemma could agree or disagree, Penn grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the tub. She tripped over the lip and fell to the floor, but that gave her a chance to pick up the spaghetti-strapped nightgown she’d slept in. Penn let go of her long enough for Gemma to slide it over her head, then she was pulling on her arm again.
“This has gone on long enough,” Penn said as she dragged Gemma out of the bathroom.
Gemma glanced down the hall and saw that everyone had come out to see what the commotion was about. Lexi and Thea stood in front of a bedroom door. Sawyer looked like he’d just stumbled out of a room, his hair disheveled from sleep.
“Do you need help, Penn?” Sawyer asked as Penn led Gemma down the stairs.
“Not now, Sawyer!” Penn snapped.
His entire face fell. “Sorry, babe.”
“The problem is
Gemma moved on to washing her hair, and she caught herself humming despite her attempts not to. The sound of the running water would probably drown it out, though, so she decided to go with it.
As she was washing her hair, something tangled in her fingers. She pulled her hand out to inspect it in the ever-brightening morning light. It was a whole clump of her own hair, and Gemma yelped in shock.
She reached up and pulled at her hair. Without her even really trying, another chunk of hair came out.
While she’d never considered herself particularly vain, the sight of her hair falling out was a terrible shock. It wasn’t about the way she would look so much as that she associated hair loss with people dying, like cancer patients.
The shower curtain flew open, and Gemma hurried to cover herself with her arms so she wasn’t standing there so exposed.
Penn stood on the other side of the tub, glaring at Gemma in the way only Penn could glare. It was like her black eyes sliced right through Gemma.
Beyond that evil death gaze, Penn looked stunning, for the first thing in the morning. She wore a black silk nightie that stopped at the middle of her thighs, and her glossy black hair hung down her back.
“Penn!” Gemma shouted.
“Your fucking hair is falling out,” Penn said, her tone going past annoyed to full-on bitchy.
“Yeah.” Gemma swallowed back her fear and tried to cling to her indignation. “I’m also naked. So it’d be great if you could close the curtain and give me some privacy.”
“You need to eat something,” Penn said, ignoring her.
“I’m not gonna eat anything right now,” Gemma said. “I’m in the shower.”
She wanted to reach out and grab the curtain so she could pull it shut herself, but that would mean leaving herself out in the open. As it was, one arm was barely covering her chest while the other attempted to hide her nether regions.
“You are no good to me dead, Gemma,” Penn warned her. “If you don’t eat something, you will die. And then I will be royally pissed. Do you know what happens when I get pissed, Gemma?”
Gemma sighed. “No.”
“I get even.” Penn leaned in toward her and lowered her voice. “That means I’ll go after that stupid boy you like and your ugly sister.”
Gemma lowered her eyes. The cold water was still dripping down her body, and it took all her strength to keep from shivering.
All she wanted to do was protect Harper and Alex. That was why she’d left, why she’d agreed to any of this. But there were still some lines she wouldn’t cross. Even if it meant risking the people she cared about most, Gemma wasn’t sure that she could do it.
“I won’t kill anyone,” Gemma said finally.
“You can’t even attract anyone to kill. You look like zombie Barbie right now.” Penn gestured to Gemma, who was looking pale and ill, with hair still tangled in her fingers. “You need to swim.”
“I don’t want to—” Gemma began, but Penn cut her off.
“That wasn’t a suggestion.” Penn smirked at her. “That was a command, Gemma, and as I recall, you promised to follow all my commands.”
Before Gemma could agree or disagree, Penn grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the tub. She tripped over the lip and fell to the floor, but that gave her a chance to pick up the spaghetti-strapped nightgown she’d slept in. Penn let go of her long enough for Gemma to slide it over her head, then she was pulling on her arm again.
“This has gone on long enough,” Penn said as she dragged Gemma out of the bathroom.
Gemma glanced down the hall and saw that everyone had come out to see what the commotion was about. Lexi and Thea stood in front of a bedroom door. Sawyer looked like he’d just stumbled out of a room, his hair disheveled from sleep.
“Do you need help, Penn?” Sawyer asked as Penn led Gemma down the stairs.
“Not now, Sawyer!” Penn snapped.
His entire face fell. “Sorry, babe.”
“The problem is
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