Switch-Up

Chapter 27- Backseat

Jennifer's POV

"Please, come in." He says and opens the door. I enter and leah comes behind me. "This is Leah." I say and motion to her. He shakes her hand and smiles. "Nice to meet you." He says and flashes his ultra-white teeth at us once again. "This way, we can go out to the back patio for lunch." He says and leads us through the living room. The ceilings are high and there are lots of neutral colors. It's a mix of tans, creams, light browns.... My father clearly didn't decorate this. I see three floors to this house and I don't even know if there is a basement. We reach a set of glass doors and he opens them and we go outside.

Once my eyes adjust to the sun, I see a crystal clear pool with a small waterfall, perfect grass, a jacuzzi, outdoor bar... Everything that you could possibly have in a backyard is here.

We sit down at a table, Leah is by my side and my dad sits across from me. "It's good to see you... You're beautiful, just like your mother." He says. "Thanks." I respond dryly. A man comes out with drinks and sets them down. He offers us wine but leah and I both decline. "Well..." He says. I pause and then I finally say what's on my mind. "You just left... How can you do that? You literally got up and walked out on your two children and your wife. That's basically saying 'fxck you'. Do you know how difficult it was? Growing up without a dad around. Rodrigo had it the hardest-- you left your son to grow up without a father." I say to him. "Jennifer, that wasn't at all what happened. I don't know the story that you have been told or made to believe but you've got it all wrong dear..." My father says and looks at me. "I've got it all wrong? Please do explain." I say with a sarcastic laugh. "Your mother and I... I didn't want out on you guys. Your mother caused it. She was unfaithful, when I confronted her about it she told me she didn't love me. She wanted to end the marriage so I let her. I didn't see a point in holding onto something that was already gone. I loved your mother... I truly did. And you kids... I loved both of you so much. But after we split- your mother changed. She did everything possible to drive me away. And yes, I will take the blame for what happened years later but when we first split up, I tried to see you and your brother." He says. "You're lying. Mom told me you left us and wanted nothing to do with us." I say and feel tears coming. "I am not lying to you Jennifer... I would not lie to you." He says. I look at Leah just because she usually knows what to do to make me feel better but this time I don't know what to do.

I don't say anything. "Where is the ladies room?" I ask in a low voice and don't make eye contact with him. "Down the hall, third door on the right." He says. I nod and excuse myself, leaving Leah there with my father. I go into the bathroom and close the door and then stare at myself in the mirror. I run my hands through my hair and I want to cry and scream and --- I'm so stressed out right now. I don't know what I'm doing... I'm so uncertain of everything.

I let a tear slip out but I quickly wipe it so my make-up own messed up. I take several deep breaths in an attempt to calm my nerves but it doesn't work. I then hear a knock on the door and then see the door open slowly. Leah's face appears around the corner and I nearly lose it. She comes in and closes the door. I don't say anything at first. I just close my eyes and shake my head. "What is happening?" I whisper as she pulls my head down to her chest. "Shhh." She says.

She makes me look at her and I completely shatter. Tears fall rapidly and she makes me sit on the countertop and she stands inbetween my legs. "Jennifer, look." She whispers and wipes my cheeks. "Take a deep breath." She tells me. I do what she says and stare at her, holding back my tears. "What's wrong?" "Leah, everything is wrong. I am so fxcking confused and scared right now. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow, I'm just uncertain of everything!" I say to her and my voice cracks. "Baby, why are you scared?" "Why? Leah- it's not just this. It's not the fact that I just found out the information that I did from my father, it's us. It's everything. I'm so fxcking scared to lose you. I'm scared you won't stay here with me- I'm scar-" I'm cut off. "Stop." She looks down for a moment and then looks back up at me. "Jennifer, yes- you made a mistake but I forgave you. I'm over that now. I'm with you right now because I love you. I'm not going anywhere unless you give me a reason to." She says to me. I nod slowly and I calm down a little bit. "Now, you're gonna have to calm down for a second. Let's go out here and talk to your father and see what is going on. Can you do that?" She asks me. "Yeah..." I shrug. "It thought so." She smiles. I force a smile and she gives me a look. "Nope, I want a real smile before we leave this bathroom." She says and puts her hands on my waist. She tickles my side a little and I laugh and smile at her.

"There we go..." She grins at me. "I love you, Leah." I say and place my hand against her cheek. She nods and mouthes the same thing back to me and I press my lips against hers.

-

We go back out to the back and sit down with my father. "Why'd you want to see me? Us?" I question him. "Why? Because, you and your brother are my children... There is no changing that. I wanted to reach out to you guys years ago but i didn't know how you two would take it... I was terrified that neither of you would see me. I was afraid your mother had told you a story that wasn't true, which obviously she did. But Jennifer... I never wanted to walk out on you and your brother." My dad says.

I just stare at him.... Not see what the hell to do at this point. "Well, you've seen me. I think I should go now. It's too much for me to handle right now." I say and stand. Leah stands with me and I give my dad a fake smile and he stands and leads me through the house back to the front door. "I would really like to see you again Jennifer. Take your time and do what you feel is best for you, but please consider it." He says and puts his hands in his pockets. "I will." I say and place my hand on Leah's back and push her out of the door.

Leah's POV

Jennifer and I are driving back to her condo. "You okay?" I ask her since she's being awful quiet. "I'm alright." She says and flashes me a small smile. "I'm here if you need me, you know that right?" I say and shift my eyes between the road and Jennifer. "Thank you." She says, I can't really tell if she believes me when I say this... But I need her to. We've been through as much as we have in such a short period of time and I want her to know that she can trust me and come to me with anything.

I pull the car over on the side of the road and Jennifer looks at me like I'm insane. I put my car into park and face my body to her. I place my hand on her thigh. "Jennifer, I mean it. I'm here for you. Anything, you can talk to me. You can trust me and I promise you, whatever it is will stay between you and I and I won't judge you." I say. She nods slowly. "Thank you... That means so much to me." she says. "I love you." I tell her. "I love you too." She grins and kisses my cheek.

I pull back onto the road and we continue the drive home, Jennifer stops being quiet and goes back to her usual, giggly self- she plugs her phone in and plays music, singing every single word to the songs at the top of her longs. She dances in her seat and her hair blows around because she has her window down. I laugh at her and try not to get distracted from driving. A slower, more sexual song comes on and Jennifer calms down a bit, but is now giving me looks that are killing me slowly. She bites her lip and then giggles at me innocently. "You're not fooling anyone." I say and shake my head. She grins and puts her hand on my thigh and just rides.

Not even a minute later, just when I think she's settled down I feel her hand inching up my thigh. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I laugh and look over at her. "Mmm- nothing, you just drive." She says. Her hand finds it's way all the way up inbetween my legs and I tense up and bite my lip. She rubs her fingers back and forth slowly and then looks at me. "Don't distract the driver." I whisper. She looks at me and grins. "I think you should pull over again... The back seat needs to be tested." She giggles and climbs in the back as I pull off the side of the road once again.