Gem in the Rough

Chapter 44

I groan as I get back into my Jeep when I leave Stacey's office. We just had our appointment, but my cramps are still insane from yesterday. I'm planning to stay with my dad tonight so we can spend some time together. I haven't seen or talked to him since that confrontation last week. I'm not sure if he knows that I'm still coming today since it's our usual Friday, but I figured I'd just show up, so I had the option to bail if I changed my mind.

Thankfully, I decided to buck up and do it. I need to see him sometime and I'm so ready to put this behind me. It hasn't been very long, and I'll need some time to rebuild our relationship, but it's best to start now. No more putting things off.

I take another pain reliever when I park in my dad's driveway and then stumble out of the car, grabbing my bag from the backseat. It's then that I realize there's a car that I haven't seen before parked on the street in front of the house. I wonder who that could be?

I make my way to the door and knock twice. Then I enter without a thought because that's what I usually do. What I didn't expect is to hear laughter and pots clanging in the kitchen. I hear a female voice and freeze, the door clicking shut behind me. Who the hell is here?

My dad's laugh echoes as he walks into the hallway, seemingly unaware that I'm standing there. His hand goes to his heart when he sees me, gasping in surprise.

"Shit, Gemma. What are you doing here?" His face pales slightly as he speaks.

"Um, it's my usual Friday... I'm sorry if you weren't expecting me. I can, uh, leave?" My bag feels heavier on my shoulder as I shift uncomfortably. He obviously doesn't want me here right now.

"No, no. I just wasn't expecting you to come after, uh, last week. You can definitely stay. I, um," he stumbles over his words, just like I did. I guess I know where I got my awkwardness from. "I wanted you to meet her another way, not like this," he finally admits, running a hand through his hair.

"Meet who?"

Just as the words leave my mouth, a petite, blonde-haired lady comes into the hall from the kitchen asking my dad where a kitchen utensil is. She stops mid-sentence once she sees I'm standing in front of my dad. An "oh" coming out of her throat in surprise.

"Gemma, this is Bethany. She's a friend of mine that...I have been um, seeing. Bethany, this is Gemma."

My dad's face is now anything but pale, a red blush reaching both cheeks.

"It's so great to meet you, Gemma. I've heard a lot about you," Bethany smiles, a friendly vibe radiating from her. That doesn't make it any less weird.

"You, too. I have heard nothing about you." Shit, that was harsh. Her smile falters a bit and I cringe. "Sorry, that was so rude. I'm just caught off guard here. Can you give me a few minutes? I'm going to put my stuff upstairs."

Bethany nods and looks to my dad. I don't wait for a response, I just hop up the stairs by two and rush to my room, slamming it behind me. What the hell did I just walk into?

I take a few deep breaths and throw my bags on the bed, pacing as I sent some text messages. Alice is first.

Me: MAYDAY! Walked in on my dad making dinner with a lady-friend named Bethany. What do I do?

Then there's Kieran.

Me: SOS. Dad has someone over named Bethany. Not sure if I can handle this.

I attempt to wait patiently for someone to get back to me. After a minute I call Kieran. I guess I'm not very patient.

"Gem? You okay? I was just responding to your text."