‹ Prequel: Guilty Pleasures
Status: Complete
An Old Beginning
Chapter 16
“My God, Billie! He’s Mikey's father- it’s not like I left him with a serial killer!”
The two had been arguing about Gerard since they sat down at the table. This came after a very tense car ride in which nothing was said.
“How do you know how he’s going to act with Michael?” Billie challenged, taking a long swallow of his wine.
“Because I know him,” Naomi stated simply. “Because I trust him.”
“Do you trust him more than you trust me?”
Naomi began to get angry as she stabbed at her food. “Is that your business?”
“Considering you’re with me, I’m thinking ‘yes’.”
“Do you really want to be having this conversation, right now? I thought you wanted a night out to relax.”
“I did! That is, until you had the wonder father over to spend the entire day with you.”
“He did not spend the entire day with me- he spent it with Mikey. You’re really going to have to get over your issues, Billie. Gerard is Michael’s father, and that’s the end of it. It’s my prerogative to leave him with whomever I choose.”
Billie sat in silence as he finished his meal. Naomi pushed her plate away, her appetite completely depleted.
* * * * *
Donna Hackett got out of her car when she saw the Mercedes pull into the driveway. She was stunned when the normally happy couple got out arguing about something.
“I hope you don’t think you’re staying here,” Naomi said, slamming her door as hard as she could before walking around the front of the car.
“I’ve got a hotel room booked.”
“Good, you can go there now.”
“Is it a crime to want to check on Michael before I leave?” Billie asked in a mocking tone.
“Bullshit!” Naomi cried, causing Donna to raise her eyebrows as she searched through her purse for her keys, actually just using that as an excuse to stay outside a little longer. “You just want to go in there and argue with Gerard some more! Look, Billie, I’m sorry if my having a past bothers you, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have one!”
“At least I could find someone who hasn’t fucked their high school teacher!”
Naomi's face seemed to turn to stone as Billie realized his mistake.
“Naomi, I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did,” she said in cold tone. “And why wouldn’t you mean it? It’s true.”
“Naomi-“
“Leave me alone, Billie. I really don’t want to talk to you tonight,” Naomi said, turning around to walk away. She caught her mother’s eye, giving her a tight smile before walking around the house to the backyard, wanting to have a few minutes to herself.
Donna watched Billie get back in his car, pulling away before she opened the door to her house. She saw Gerard sitting on the couch flipping through the TV stations.
He got to his feet when he saw Donna. “Mrs. Hackett,” he said politely with a nod in greeting.
Donna realized in that moment the kind of man that Gerard really was. He’d made some mistakes in the past, but he was still first and foremost her grandson’s father, and she could forgive any indiscretions in the past. Especially considering the act she’d just seen played out in her driveway.
“I told you a long time ago, Gerard, to call me Donna.”
His stance relaxed a little as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Mikey's asleep. I just checked on him. Naomi's still not home.”
“She’s home,” Donna said quietly. “It’s probably not my place to say this, but they had a big fight.”
Gerard felt his body flood with different emotions. “Really?”
“She seemed kind of upset,” Donna said. “She’s in the backyard, and I think she may need someone to talk to.”
Gerard gave Donna a grateful smile as he grabbed his jacket. “I think I can manage that,” he said, feeling his heart speed up as he walked toward the backdoor.
He took a deep breath when he got to the kitchen. “Don’t mess this up, Gerard,” he muttered to himself. “This could be your only chance with her.”
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Notice something that is vital to this story? Well two things.. =D
The two had been arguing about Gerard since they sat down at the table. This came after a very tense car ride in which nothing was said.
“How do you know how he’s going to act with Michael?” Billie challenged, taking a long swallow of his wine.
“Because I know him,” Naomi stated simply. “Because I trust him.”
“Do you trust him more than you trust me?”
Naomi began to get angry as she stabbed at her food. “Is that your business?”
“Considering you’re with me, I’m thinking ‘yes’.”
“Do you really want to be having this conversation, right now? I thought you wanted a night out to relax.”
“I did! That is, until you had the wonder father over to spend the entire day with you.”
“He did not spend the entire day with me- he spent it with Mikey. You’re really going to have to get over your issues, Billie. Gerard is Michael’s father, and that’s the end of it. It’s my prerogative to leave him with whomever I choose.”
Billie sat in silence as he finished his meal. Naomi pushed her plate away, her appetite completely depleted.
* * * * *
Donna Hackett got out of her car when she saw the Mercedes pull into the driveway. She was stunned when the normally happy couple got out arguing about something.
“I hope you don’t think you’re staying here,” Naomi said, slamming her door as hard as she could before walking around the front of the car.
“I’ve got a hotel room booked.”
“Good, you can go there now.”
“Is it a crime to want to check on Michael before I leave?” Billie asked in a mocking tone.
“Bullshit!” Naomi cried, causing Donna to raise her eyebrows as she searched through her purse for her keys, actually just using that as an excuse to stay outside a little longer. “You just want to go in there and argue with Gerard some more! Look, Billie, I’m sorry if my having a past bothers you, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have one!”
“At least I could find someone who hasn’t fucked their high school teacher!”
Naomi's face seemed to turn to stone as Billie realized his mistake.
“Naomi, I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did,” she said in cold tone. “And why wouldn’t you mean it? It’s true.”
“Naomi-“
“Leave me alone, Billie. I really don’t want to talk to you tonight,” Naomi said, turning around to walk away. She caught her mother’s eye, giving her a tight smile before walking around the house to the backyard, wanting to have a few minutes to herself.
Donna watched Billie get back in his car, pulling away before she opened the door to her house. She saw Gerard sitting on the couch flipping through the TV stations.
He got to his feet when he saw Donna. “Mrs. Hackett,” he said politely with a nod in greeting.
Donna realized in that moment the kind of man that Gerard really was. He’d made some mistakes in the past, but he was still first and foremost her grandson’s father, and she could forgive any indiscretions in the past. Especially considering the act she’d just seen played out in her driveway.
“I told you a long time ago, Gerard, to call me Donna.”
His stance relaxed a little as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Mikey's asleep. I just checked on him. Naomi's still not home.”
“She’s home,” Donna said quietly. “It’s probably not my place to say this, but they had a big fight.”
Gerard felt his body flood with different emotions. “Really?”
“She seemed kind of upset,” Donna said. “She’s in the backyard, and I think she may need someone to talk to.”
Gerard gave Donna a grateful smile as he grabbed his jacket. “I think I can manage that,” he said, feeling his heart speed up as he walked toward the backdoor.
He took a deep breath when he got to the kitchen. “Don’t mess this up, Gerard,” he muttered to himself. “This could be your only chance with her.”
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Notice something that is vital to this story? Well two things.. =D