Chapter 32
They all sat in the car in silence, so different from their journey there a few days ago. Gemma was furious with Jeff so she decided to keep her mouth shut incase she totally lost it. Matt & Amy made small talk in the back but neither Jeff nor Gemma were listening to them. Half way home they decided to take a break. They all got out & Matt & Amy went to get something to eat. Gemma leaned her back on the car & folded her arms as Jeff came around & stood beside her with his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"So......you wanna get something to eat...?"
"NO!" Gemma snapped.
"I can go get you something & bring it out here if y..."
"Dont do me any favours Jeff!" She turned her back to him.
"OK.....spit it out!"
Gemma whirled around "SPIT IT OUT!!? Oh I'll spit it out alright Jeff! For starters where do you get off speaking to me like that?!"
"Where the fuck do you get off sleeping with a guy you just met!?" Jeff shouted back at her. Gemma got right up in his face.
"What the FUCK does it have to do with you who I sleep with?!
"I dont know why but I happen to care about you Gemma!"
"Well you have a real nice way of showing it, I mean God only knows what Adam thinks of you after that little show you put on!"
"I DONT GIVE A SHIT WHAT HE THINKS OF ME GEMMA!!" He shouted "JESUS! You sure know how to pick em dont you?!"
"HA! You're a fine one to be giving ME advice on the perfect partner!!"
"Oh great! Thankyou so much for that!" He kicked the car wheel & banged his fists on the roof. Gemma was startled but she didnt back down.
"If Id wanted a fucking guardian angel Jeff Id have brought my Dad along!! Im old enough to look after myself! Im not completely fucking stupid!!"
"NO BUT YOU'RE GETTING THERE!" He yelled.
"Excuse me?!" Gemma's eyes widened.
"Well I mean look at Shane for Christs sake! What were you thinking!?"
"Dont even go THERE Jeff I MEAN IT!"
"What do you mean dont go there!?"
"Dont Jeff, just leave it!"Gemma was shaking now she was so angry.
"Was he THAT good a fuck!?"
"WHY DONT YOU GO ASK M.............." Gemma stopped herself just in time. She couldnt believe she almost blurted it out!
"Guys! Guys!" Shouted Matt as he & Amy ran over to them. "What the fuck is going on here?! We can hear you inside!!"
"Why dont you ask your obnoxious fucking shit head of a brother!!" Gemma snapped & walked away.
Amy ran up behind her.
"Hey! Hey! What's up here? Ive never seen you two like this before!"
"Oh Amy! It's all such a mess!" Gemma started to cry & Amy hugged her. "I dont know what the fuck is going on with Jeff! He is being such an ass over Adam!"
"Ok hun! Ok! Calm down!" She said stroking Gemma's hair. "I think you two need some time that's all!"
"Time for what? I cant do anything right Amy, NOTHING!" Gemma sobbed. Amy led her to a bench & they sat down together.
"Wanna talk?"
"No not really! My fucking head is spinning!"
"Want me to go away?"
"Would you mind? I mean just give me a few minutes & I'll be right there! I'll be fine!"
Amy nodded & walked back to the car.
"Get your sorry ass over there & appologise to her right now!" Amy said as she approached Matt & Jeff.
"What? I havent done anything?"
"NO? Look Jeff are you willing to screw up everything you two have because you're jealous?!"
JEALOUS!? Im no...."
"Just go appologise Jeff!" She turned to face Matt who gave her a puzzled look.
"Get in the car & I'll explain to you!" She said to him as Jeff walked away.
Gemma put her head in her hands & sobbed. She was so confused. On one hand she had Adam who was a really great guy & she liked him a lot, then she had Jeff & She wasnt even sure how she felt about him right now.
"Hey!"
She looked up & Jeff was standing beside her. "Im sorry Gem! I didnt mean it......Im just so wound up....I didnt know what I was sayin!"
"It's not just right now Jeff! You keep doing this to me! One minute everything is fine & the next.......well you're like fuckin Jeckyl & Hyde! I dont know where I am with you & Im exhausted with it all! I cant deal with this shit Jeff! I feel like I dont even know you anymore!"
"Dont say that!" He sat down & put his arm around her "Dont ever say that! Im so sorry!"
They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes, neither of them knowing what to say. Gemma had calmed down but the tears kept comming. Finally Jeff spoke & What he said made Gemma's stomach flip!
"She's fucking Shane isnt she?!"
"WHAT?!"
"Macey! That's what you were gonna tell me wasnt it? She's screwing Shane!" He rubbed his face & looked to the sky. Gemma was shocked but relieved at the same time.
"Look at us Jeff! Look at the fucking state we're in!!"
Jeff gave her half a smile. "Yeah....what a mess!" He looked skywards again. "How did you know? About Shane I mean?!"
"I saw them!"
"Jesus!"
"Im sorry Jeff!"
"It's not your fault!!"
"I.....I wanted to tell you so much....its just that I...."
"It's ok I understand where you're comming from! You must have been going through it a bit then?!"
"Hmmm you could say that! I didnt know which way to turn half the time!"
"Hey listen Im sorry...what I said about Adam, he seems like an ok guy!"
"He is Jeff, he's a great guy! Give him a chance huh? I want you two to get along, its important to me!"
"Yeah." Jeff sighed. "Look what's say we forget about this huh? I hate fighting with you Gem it just feels all wrong! Im really sorry!"
"Sure......but Jeff, look, no more ok? I cant take it...this tension between us, I feel like Im cracking up!"
"I promise. Besides, I have a lot of shit to deal with in about 3 hours, reckon I might need a friend y'know?" A tear rolled down his cheek. Gemma's heart melted. She felt so bad for him, like she wanted to take care of this for him so he'd be spared all this pain. But she knew he was gonna be hurting & it was gonna get worse when they got home.
"Oh Jeff!" Gemma threw her arms around him. "Im so sorry about Macey! Really I just wanna stop this from happening to you!"
Jeff sniffed "I wish you could babe!" he burried his head into her shoulder & cried for several minutes. Gemma just held him & stroked his hair, their was nothing more she could do for him & she felt helpless. Once he'd calmed down he looked up at her, wiped his face.
"It's gonna be ok! I'll handle it when we get back! It'll be fine!"
"Hey, if you need me to kick her ass just say the word babe!
Jeff let out a little laugh. "I might just take you up on that!"
They walked back to the car.
They all sat in the car in silence, so different from their journey there a few days ago. Gemma was furious with Jeff so she decided to keep her mouth shut incase she totally lost it. Matt & Amy made small talk in the back but neither Jeff nor Gemma were listening to them. Half way home they decided to take a break. They all got out & Matt & Amy went to get something to eat. Gemma leaned her back on the car & folded her arms as Jeff came around & stood beside her with his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"So......you wanna get something to eat...?"
"NO!" Gemma snapped.
"I can go get you something & bring it out here if y..."
"Dont do me any favours Jeff!" She turned her back to him.
"OK.....spit it out!"
Gemma whirled around "SPIT IT OUT!!? Oh I'll spit it out alright Jeff! For starters where do you get off speaking to me like that?!"
"Where the fuck do you get off sleeping with a guy you just met!?" Jeff shouted back at her. Gemma got right up in his face.
"What the FUCK does it have to do with you who I sleep with?!
"I dont know why but I happen to care about you Gemma!"
"Well you have a real nice way of showing it, I mean God only knows what Adam thinks of you after that little show you put on!"
"I DONT GIVE A SHIT WHAT HE THINKS OF ME GEMMA!!" He shouted "JESUS! You sure know how to pick em dont you?!"
"HA! You're a fine one to be giving ME advice on the perfect partner!!"
"Oh great! Thankyou so much for that!" He kicked the car wheel & banged his fists on the roof. Gemma was startled but she didnt back down.
"If Id wanted a fucking guardian angel Jeff Id have brought my Dad along!! Im old enough to look after myself! Im not completely fucking stupid!!"
"NO BUT YOU'RE GETTING THERE!" He yelled.
"Excuse me?!" Gemma's eyes widened.
"Well I mean look at Shane for Christs sake! What were you thinking!?"
"Dont even go THERE Jeff I MEAN IT!"
"What do you mean dont go there!?"
"Dont Jeff, just leave it!"Gemma was shaking now she was so angry.
"Was he THAT good a fuck!?"
"WHY DONT YOU GO ASK M.............." Gemma stopped herself just in time. She couldnt believe she almost blurted it out!
"Guys! Guys!" Shouted Matt as he & Amy ran over to them. "What the fuck is going on here?! We can hear you inside!!"
"Why dont you ask your obnoxious fucking shit head of a brother!!" Gemma snapped & walked away.
Amy ran up behind her.
"Hey! Hey! What's up here? Ive never seen you two like this before!"
"Oh Amy! It's all such a mess!" Gemma started to cry & Amy hugged her. "I dont know what the fuck is going on with Jeff! He is being such an ass over Adam!"
"Ok hun! Ok! Calm down!" She said stroking Gemma's hair. "I think you two need some time that's all!"
"Time for what? I cant do anything right Amy, NOTHING!" Gemma sobbed. Amy led her to a bench & they sat down together.
"Wanna talk?"
"No not really! My fucking head is spinning!"
"Want me to go away?"
"Would you mind? I mean just give me a few minutes & I'll be right there! I'll be fine!"
Amy nodded & walked back to the car.
"Get your sorry ass over there & appologise to her right now!" Amy said as she approached Matt & Jeff.
"What? I havent done anything?"
"NO? Look Jeff are you willing to screw up everything you two have because you're jealous?!"
JEALOUS!? Im no...."
"Just go appologise Jeff!" She turned to face Matt who gave her a puzzled look.
"Get in the car & I'll explain to you!" She said to him as Jeff walked away.
Gemma put her head in her hands & sobbed. She was so confused. On one hand she had Adam who was a really great guy & she liked him a lot, then she had Jeff & She wasnt even sure how she felt about him right now.
"Hey!"
She looked up & Jeff was standing beside her. "Im sorry Gem! I didnt mean it......Im just so wound up....I didnt know what I was sayin!"
"It's not just right now Jeff! You keep doing this to me! One minute everything is fine & the next.......well you're like fuckin Jeckyl & Hyde! I dont know where I am with you & Im exhausted with it all! I cant deal with this shit Jeff! I feel like I dont even know you anymore!"
"Dont say that!" He sat down & put his arm around her "Dont ever say that! Im so sorry!"
They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes, neither of them knowing what to say. Gemma had calmed down but the tears kept comming. Finally Jeff spoke & What he said made Gemma's stomach flip!
"She's fucking Shane isnt she?!"
"WHAT?!"
"Macey! That's what you were gonna tell me wasnt it? She's screwing Shane!" He rubbed his face & looked to the sky. Gemma was shocked but relieved at the same time.
"Look at us Jeff! Look at the fucking state we're in!!"
Jeff gave her half a smile. "Yeah....what a mess!" He looked skywards again. "How did you know? About Shane I mean?!"
"I saw them!"
"Jesus!"
"Im sorry Jeff!"
"It's not your fault!!"
"I.....I wanted to tell you so much....its just that I...."
"It's ok I understand where you're comming from! You must have been going through it a bit then?!"
"Hmmm you could say that! I didnt know which way to turn half the time!"
"Hey listen Im sorry...what I said about Adam, he seems like an ok guy!"
"He is Jeff, he's a great guy! Give him a chance huh? I want you two to get along, its important to me!"
"Yeah." Jeff sighed. "Look what's say we forget about this huh? I hate fighting with you Gem it just feels all wrong! Im really sorry!"
"Sure......but Jeff, look, no more ok? I cant take it...this tension between us, I feel like Im cracking up!"
"I promise. Besides, I have a lot of shit to deal with in about 3 hours, reckon I might need a friend y'know?" A tear rolled down his cheek. Gemma's heart melted. She felt so bad for him, like she wanted to take care of this for him so he'd be spared all this pain. But she knew he was gonna be hurting & it was gonna get worse when they got home.
"Oh Jeff!" Gemma threw her arms around him. "Im so sorry about Macey! Really I just wanna stop this from happening to you!"
Jeff sniffed "I wish you could babe!" he burried his head into her shoulder & cried for several minutes. Gemma just held him & stroked his hair, their was nothing more she could do for him & she felt helpless. Once he'd calmed down he looked up at her, wiped his face.
"It's gonna be ok! I'll handle it when we get back! It'll be fine!"
"Hey, if you need me to kick her ass just say the word babe!
Jeff let out a little laugh. "I might just take you up on that!"
They walked back to the car.