Girl in a Hoodie: Where the Future Lies

Chapter 37

A/N: The cheese rate in this is so high and I have no clue why. Plz don't judge✋😭

Riley's POV:

"What are you doing here?" I question, dumbfounded as my brows rose out of the regular proportion on my face. I felt James's hand peel away from where it had originally been placed on my back and then somehow an even more confused expression fulfils the empty traces of my face, my entire self missing his touch in an instant. I look up at the two doctor's that had restrained him and seemed unsure at the situation so I nod. "It's fine. He's my dad."

"Are you sure?" one of the males ask me. I nod again before both of them let go of him and then hesitantly walk out of the room.

"Y-You have a..." Dad drifts off, but when I follow his gaze downwards it soon becomes clear to me what he was referring to. Although it still didn't make any sense to me why he was here right now. 

I lean down and kiss my daughter softly on her forehead, still trying to restore her tranquillity and for her to get back to sleep like I had been doing before the vast and immediate disruption but I could tell something was definitely up with James's family once an unusual tension had filled the gaps in the room. Ellie's eyes began to close, albeit they didn't cease in fluttering so I ran my thumb over the pale white towel her petite body had momentarily been wrapped in, watching Dad as he tried to take in the newly-given information of him having a granddaughter despite his age currently only being forty-six years.

"I think it's best if we leave you alone," Laci says, breaking the strangely awkward silence. 

She gets up and gestures towards Deborah along with the rest of her siblings and Ian before they all walk out, leaving James, Dad and I accompanying each other, except James seemed to be the uppermost distracted and disheartened by the occurring situation as he sat on the chair closest to my bed with his head in his hands and displaying the gold wedding ring on his second finger, positioned on his left hand. He refused to look at me when I placed a hand on his knee to presumably check what was going on in his mind and all Dad seemed to be doing was look between the three of us; our small family.

Elouise's body coiled in my arms as her limbs curled, her hands resting by each side of her face and her feet crossed over the other but as much as I so dearly wanted to focus on my sweet new-born, I had to focus on James and Dad just as much.

"Jay? What's going on with you?" I ask him in a low whisper. He moves out of his position, turning to look at me for a short moment but shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, Ri. I just need to think for a moment," he tells me. 

He stands up and I murmur a response back but only for him to ignore it, walking out of the room entirely and leaving me with just my dad who is supposed to be in rehab and I shouldn't be in contact with for at least another fourteen months or so, giving me no idea as to why he was standing before me in this current moment of time. He kept his distance though. Like he was scared of me or something.

The feeling was mutual. It's got to the point where he can be so unpredictable that I'm terrified of him, not knowing what his next move, act or reaction to what I say will be. In fact, the only thing keeping me from sprinting out of the room was the precious baby girl I was holding.

"Since when?" I'm asked by him. His voice was rough and hoarse. It was clear he wasn't in the right state. His words slurred and his used-to-be dark hair was greying. I mumble my reply anyhow.

"I found out on August 12th." He nods to some par.

"And you kept it from me?"

I don't answer that.