Grace
I took a deep breath and turned around too Alex to see him pulling at his tie uncomfortably. We were getting ready for the dinner with my mom and her boyfriend. I was still iffy on Robert, but I had to be happy for her if she was happy because she's waited for this opportunity for a while.
Having a teenage daughter and a full time job really closes the window for starting anything. It all came together for me. She didn't go to the firm on her day off. I was suspicious from that point, but didn't question it.
My biggest problem with this was that I didn't want this to end up like my dad. She didn't deserve it, she's such a great woman.
I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror trying to perfect my hair. I straightened out my dress and waddled in place nervously as I turned around and smiled at Alex.
"How do I look?" I asked cautiously. He stopped pulling at his tie and smiled at me. My cheeks burnt when I noticed his eyes travel up and down.
"Hot." He whispered. He tried pulling off one of those fuckboy looks and bit the bad corner of his lip and winced. "Fucking shit." He swore cradling his hands around his mouth. I stifled a laugh and shook my head. He was an idiot, but he was my idiot.
"Ready fuckboy?" I asked holding out my hand. He nodded and opened my bedroom door to see my mom stand back in surprise and smile.
"Oh! I was just about to ask if you guys were ready!" My mom said happily. It's been a while since I've seen her this happy, it made my heart swell. Robert agreed to meet us there and I might've, maybe, tried to procrastinate.
"Yup we are Mrs. Adams." Alex said, my mom's face fell blank before she. smiled and rubbed her hand down his arm.
"Please, call me Rebecca." She said softly and squeezed his hand. He smiled at her, completely oblivious to what just happened.
My mom hated being called Mrs. Adams because it brought up too many memories for her, but Alex wouldn't catch onto what he said. His obliviousness is something I wish I had. Sadly, my perception of reality and just how real it is, is something I've been cursed with.
"Well let's get going shall we?" My mom said pushing us outside of my room and down the stairs. Alex and I got into the backseat, while my mom got into the drivers side and proceeded to start our journey.
The whole way towards the restaurant I held Alex's hand despite the sweat that built up. At one point I pulled away to wipe my hand on my dress, but immediately put my hand back into his. He was my sense of comfort, somehow he just eased my nerves.
"Ready?" It was then that I snapped out of my trance and looked to my right and saw the restaurant out of the car window. Alex opened his side door and helped me out of the car.
"It's going to be fine, I promise." Alex whispered in my ear as I stood up. He shut the car door and laced his fingers through mine as we walked towards the door, where even in the distance, I could make out Robert's figure.
Each step, I felt not only my feet hurt from these torturous heels, my my heart skip a beat from my nervousness, my head spin trying to wrap my head around it, my hands sweat, even with winter approaching. Its funny how I felt this by only walking, but regardless it still felt extremely surreal.
"Grace! So happy you could join! Who's this?" Robert said smiling with his arm nicely tucked around my mom's waist. My stomach twisted as I smiled and looked up at Alex.
"Robert, this is Alex, my boyfriend." I whispered squeezing his hand. Alex smiled a thin lipped smile and held out the hand that wasn't occupied by mine. Robert nodded and firmly shook his hand.
"Shall we go in?" Robert asked. There was the sarcastic side of my conscious that wanted to say something along the lines of I think this freezing weather is delightful, let's stay, but my shy personality screamed Grace don't fucking do it! So I listened.
We all filed in behind Robert, who already acquired our table and led us there, where four menus were already set up nicely, two on each side. Alex climbed in, and I sat on the outside and opened my menu and stared at it. My appetite was gone, replaced with the feeling of panic settling in my stomach, I was full.
"Hi guys! Welcome to Gino's! I'm Carlee, I'll be taking care of you guys tonight, can I start you off with something to drink?" She pulled out a notepad and a pink pen and smiled at us. She was so bubbly. I wish I could be outgoing. I leaned over, into Alex and whispered softly in his ear.
"I want a water." He nodded as he understood as Robert ordered a beer and my mom ordered a Dr. Pepper. Alex ordered a Pepsi and told her I wanted a water. She smiled and walked away to get our drinks as Robert started a conversation.
"Grace, how was school today?" Robert asked smiling at me. I could smell the desperation from across the table. He reeked of it. Maybe somehow he could tell that I just didn't like him, or maybe it was the attitude I was unintentionally giving off.
"It was fine, nothing unusual." I whispered shrugging my shoulders while glancing at Alex who licked over his lip wound.
"That's nice." Robert said back as the waitress came back with a tray of drinks.
"A Coors Light for you," she said while setting a tall glass in front of Robert "Dr. Pepper, and a Pepsi." She continued placing the sodas down in front of Alex and my mom, "and finally a water." She said smiling at me widely. I smiled back shyly and took the glass while I started drinking my water. I'd definitely have to go to the bathroom after this.
"Are we ready to order yet?" She asked tucking the tray underneath her arm and reaching for her notepad.
"Not quite yet." My mom answered quickly.
"Oh that's ok! I'll be back in a few then." Carlee said walking away towards the kitchen. It was quiet all around and I took that as my opportunity to start folding my straw wrapper in small fractions. The silence was something that I valued. Of course though, Robert had to speak up
"So, Alex," Alex looked up from his menu, into Robert's eyes as they made intense eye contact "what are your intentions?" Are you kidding me right now? I looked up from my perfectly folded straw wrapper and kept my gaze on Robert as he continued his mini staring contest with Alex.
"To make her happy, of course." Alex said grabbing my hand under the table. Who does this man think he is? He's not my dad. What gives him the right to interrogate my boyfriend.
"Any plans for college?" Robert asked nonchalantly, like he can somehow pretend that he totally didn't just totally dad me out.
"Um," Alex laughed awkwardly and reached for the back of his neck "not necessarily, I'm kind of just hoping All Time Low works out." Alex said nervously. A sick feeling replaced the panic in my stomach as Robert nodded and took a sip of his beer. I laid my head down into my arms and took a silent breath to try and calm myself.
Yup, those were definitely tears. I watched as one fell onto the floor and scrunched my nose up to try and silently sniffle. I didn't want to ruin the dinner by crying. That was out of the question.
"Ok! Are we ready to order?" Our waitress asked smiling and holding her notepad.
"I'll take the burger and the fries." Alex said closing his menu and rubbed my back, somehow I forgot he was next to me and jerked slightly from the sudden touch.
"How would you like that done?" The waitress asked.
"Well done, please."
"Grace?" I lifted my head and made eye contact with Robert who smiled, I shifted uncomfortably and looked at my mom. I can't do this. This is getting to be way too much. I didn't want to be anywhere near Robert now.
I slid out of the booth and walked away swiftly.
"Grace?!" I heard my mom call.
"Just get me a fucking Mac and Cheese!" I yelled, oh my god I yelled again. Then I remembered that we were in a restaurant and looked at my surroundings and saw people looking at me, others looking down at their plates and ignoring the situation.
I let out a shaky breath and turned away and continued, but instead of going towards the bathroom, I started walking to the exit.
"Alex! Make sure she's ok please!" I heard my mom beg before I pushed open the door and walked out of the restaurant. I was furious, absolutely totally furious. I wanted to scream. I couldn't exactly explain why I was so mad, there were a lot of factors to it, Robert being a really big cause of it.
Look, I know I said I wanted my mom to be happy, but that does not give him an ounce of permission to parade around and act like my father. I've done fine without a father for six months, I can go the rest without a father.
"Grace!" I turned around and saw Alex standing there, heaved over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"You walk fast." He heaved and stood up straight. Was he really that out of shape? I didn't even get that far away.
"That was quite the outburst you had." He said once he regained his breath. I growled and kicked the gravel under my feet.
"I'm angry." I grumbled, clenching my fists slightly.
"What?" He asked leaning closer to me.
"I'm angry Alex!" I yelled for the third time today, for the third time in my life. "I'm so fucking angry!" I enunciated. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought his face to mine as I kissed him roughly.
"Thank you for supporting me!" I screeched as I pulled away. He looked starstruck for a minute before clearing his throat and shaking his head.
"No problem." He said nonchalantly. I groaned and stomped my foot.
"What gives him the right to be my dad?! Huh? He's just some guy my mom is seeing, I don't need him to step in and act like he's been there my whole life! I'm doing just fucking fine myself." I ranted, my teeth were clenched and my fists were curled tightly. "I should break his fucking windshield." I muttered.
"No! Here! Punch me!" Alex said quickly, I gave him a weird look. Honestly, I was so mad that I didn't care, so I didn't think twice as I connected my fist with his left eye as his head snapped to the left, I grabbed his shoulders and connected my knee with his area and watched him crumple to the ground with one hand holding his precious jewels and the other covering his eye.
"I said punch." He squeaked and laid down on his side on the sidewalk as he whimpered slightly. Did I really hit him that hard? I winced and dropped to my knees next to him and examined his eye. It was already starting to bruise slightly and when I touched it he winced.
"Jake's a wimp compared to you." He said. I giggled as he started to recover and sat up a little and kept his gaze locked with mine.
"Thanks?" I said laughing.
"No problem." He held up keys and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Your mom knew you weren't going back in there, she said just drive home, she'll get a ride from Bob." He said trying to contain his laughter. He was so immature sometimes, but he really brightened a tense situation. Even with a black eye.
I sighed and looked at him "I need a vacation." I muttered and helped him up to walk to the car. I took the keys from him and helped him into the passenger seat as he groaned and leaned back.
"I feel bad now, I'm sorry." I said as I sat in the drivers seat and looked at him with a lopsided frown.
"No, don't feel bad. Though, breaking the windshield might've been a better idea." He muttered.
"Wimp." I muttered and pulled away from the restaurant and started driving home.
"Yeah, but I'm your wimp." He said in a cheesy tone and pinched my cheek.
"Stop it! I'm trying to drive, you dork." I slapped his hand away.
"Yeah, but I'm your dork." Alex said making me roll my eyes.
"You're not my whale dick." I muttered, I really wanted to laugh, but my main goal was to not crash my mom's car right now.
"Yeah, but you like mine so it's ok." He said nonchalantly. When did he get so cocky?
"Did you just call your own dick a whale dick?" I asked confused as I looked back and forth from him to the road. He smirked and nodded.
"Yeah, massive and ready to wreck yo bitch." He said doing some weird hand thing in front of his face.
"Hey Alex?" I asked as we stopped at a red light.
"Yes?" He answered batting his eyelashes.
"I'm pretty sure my mom has her bible back there, would you do us favor and slap yourself with it."
An: I don't like how that chapter ended, but we're just gonna go with it ok? Ok. Great.
I havvveeeee to dedicate this chapter to @skjones2399 becAUSE OMFG DUDE YOURE A SWEETHEART!! K? K. GLAD THATS SETTLED!
Don't forget to vote and comment because I love you guys vvvv much ok.
Song of the chapter: Party in the Graveyard by Ghost Town (because who doesn't like a little Kevin Ghost to spice up their day?)