My Future Stepmother

Chapter 8

Gabe turned on the lamp next to him.  Grace blinked, the sudden light hurt her eyes.  Gabe asked again.

"Where were you, Grace?"  His tone of voice calmed but serious.

"You scared me, Gabe.  What are you doing sitting there in the dark, anyway?  Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I was waiting for you, I was worried.  We didn't know where you were.  You should've been here hours ago, Grace.  Where were you?  Did something happen?  Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay, dad," she said rolling her eyes, kidding with Gabriel.  "And no, nothing happened.  I just lost track of time, okay?"

"Your sarcasm is not funny, Grace.  You know?  There are machines that are called watches and clocks, you should use one, it wouldn't hurt to use one and it could be very helpful and convenient; and there are these other things called phones..."

"Okay, I get it.  Sorry.  It won't happen again, Gabe."

"I'll ask you one more time, where were you, Grace?  Who brought you home?"

Grace sighed exasperated.

"I was in the library, okay?  I was studying with my friends, then I decided to walk home, I felt hungry and I stopped to eat something and then..."

"Nicole called here to ask if you've arrived home safe, she was worried for you, and then all of us suddenly were worried for you too as you can imagine.  She said that you didn't want them to bring you home."

"Yeah.  I'll talk to her later.  I'm sorry, this is all a terrible misunderstanding.  I'll talk to dad too and George.  I just needed some time alone to think and look what happened."

"I see.  I'm glad that you are fine.  Do you have problems?  Is there something I can do to help?  Usually when people needs some time alone to think is because there's something that's worrying them..."

"I'm fine, really.  I don't have a problem, thanks anyway," she cut him off.

"But if you need me, I'm here, and I'm all ears."

"I know, Gabe, I know.  Thanks."

"Are you hungry?  We ate pizza today, we saved yours in the microwave, in case you are hungry."

"I'm not hungry, Gabe, I'm just tired."

"I see.  Are those new clothes?"

Grace blushed looking at her shirt.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Who brought you home tonight, Grace?"

For some reason, Grace's heart speeded just to think about Julia.  What she should say now?

"A friend, you don't know her, she found me and she brought me home.  Good night, Gabe," Grace said beginning to walk to her room.

"Good night, Grace.  Don't forget to talk to dad; by the way, he is waiting for you in his bedroom."

Just what I needed!

"Okay, thanks."

Grace didn't need another person asking her about her clothes so she went straight to her bedroom to change her clothes before talking to her father.  She put on some shorts and a pink tank top.  She looked at herself in the mirror, she combed her hair with her brush quickly, and she left her shoes in the closet.  She sighed, now she was ready to see her father.

Grace knocked at his door before opening the door.

"Daddy?  May I come in?"

"Grace, sweety, come in.  I was waiting for you."