ISOLATED

c h a p t e r 5 3

Chapter 53

The sledgehammer hits the other wall. The sound echoes through the almost empty building. "Gael, are you going to talk to us, or not?" Jackson asks.

Genesis rushes a hand through her hair. "He wanted to invite his dad to dinner," Genesis explains, "And we asked his mom to come too, but she didn't and his father wasn't very – fatherly."

Dinner went terribly and Gael worked from home the next day, then after dinner, he rushed to their new place and he started working. Genesis alerted the guys so they came in case something would happen.

"That's an understatement," Gael hisses, putting the hammer on the ground and leaning on it, "The man said I ruined his business."

"But it's your business and it's been going better than ever before," Genesis says, "So fuck what he said."

"Stop with that," Gael says, picking up the hammer again and swinging it towards the wall, the big hammer again breaking down more than he probably meant to. "Just stop with the 'fuck what he said', he's my dad," Gael says again, "Just like your parents hurt me. But maybe I'm just not as strong to stop any contact with them."

"But now we will," Genesis says to him.

Hannah and Natalia stand in the back, they came with their husbands. "Come here," Sebastian says and he picks up the hammer from Gael, "You have me now, you have Matt, even your driver is a better father figure than Johnathan ever was."

"It's different," Gael says.

"Look around," Sebastian says, "You built this for yourself. Your dad didn't give you shit, your dad is a fucking piece of shit and you deserve better than that."

Genesis doesn't say anything, scared that whatever she says will make this situation worse.

His gaze meets hers because she's the only one who can say the right thing. She's the only person he needs to hear anything from. Genesis reads the look in her eyes so she breaks her own promise and she walks to him.

"He made his decision, Gael," she says, her voice echoing through the quiet building, "You should now make yours." He pushes his lips together. "Are you going to be mad at him for the rest of your life?"

She pauses.

"Or are you going to realize that we are your family," Genesis continues, "I am your family."

Maybe she sounds more firm than she needs to, but this is what had to be said. She wanted to stay quiet because she knows Gael is still in the high of his emotions. Maybe he won't take it the way she wants him to.

He just stares at her.

"Let's go home," Genesis suggests. It's been too long that he's struggling like this. "We'll keep doing some work here," Jackson suggests, "You guys go home, we'll close up."

James nods agreeing.

Gael takes a deep breath and he looks back at Genesis. "Yeah, let's go," he finally says and he takes her hand. Genesis takes a deep breath and she walks with him to the car, her getting in the driver's seat instead of him.

He doesn't complain.

The only topic his father wanted to talk about during the disastrous dinner was the company and even though Genesis put her best efforts in, Gael was still portrayed as someone who came in to ruin it all. Even when Gael showed him numbers that the company was doing better than they've ever been, Johnathan refused to listen.

Gael stays quiet the entire drive back, and Genesis doesn't turn on the radio to break the silence, because she knows it's one he needs right now.

"Do you need to be alone?" Genesis asks, looking at him when she parks the car in the driveway. "No," Gael answers, "I want to get changed in sweats, then I want to order in whatever's on Doordash, and then I want to watch movies with you until we fall asleep during one."