Chapter 10
Dad had looked a lot better at the hospital & seeing Michael really cheered him up! I was longing to tell him everything but the place was full of people visiting him & every time I opened my mouth to say something someone else would walk into the room! Eventually Pat, Rhett, Greg & Louise went home & Kellie took Michael to find a candy vending machine! I sat beside dad & held his hand. "You ok hun?" "Yeah.....Dad I need to talk to you about something!". I looked away. "Go on." "Well it's about Michael.." I paused, trying to find the right words, "Gilbert...well he was right....what he said to you about Jeff....it's true." "What Gilbert said? You mean Jeff is......he's Michael's father?!" he shuffled, sitting upright in bed. I nodded. "Yes Dad! He's Michael's father! I'm so sorry for lying to you Dad!" "Well....I...er...." he stopped & let out a breath, "....Gemma all this time....why didn't you say something?!" "I don't know Dad!" I said, telling my story for the 100th time that day, "I was scared! I didn't know what to do! I just panicked I guess....then once I'd told one lie the rest just happened & I didn't know how to get out of it!" "Does he know? Jeff I mean." "He does now!" "And?" "Well it's gonna take some time I guess...I don't know!" "What about Michael? Does he..." "No, not yet! I don't know how to tell him Dad!" He nodded. "I suppose it's never going to be easy Gemma, but the longer you leave it the harder it's going to get, you know that?!" I hung my head. "Come here you silly girl!" He held his arms open & I stood up, leaning over the bed as he held me. "I'm sorry Dad!" I whispered. "Don't be sorry, just get it sorted! Put it right ok?" "Yeah I will, I promise!" ******* Later that night when Michael was tucked up in his bed, blissfully unaware of the problems going on around him, I set off to the Hardy's house. When I got there Matt & Amy were getting into Matt's car, until Amy saw me! She jumped back out of the car, ran towards me & threw her arms around my neck! "Gemma!! Oh God it's so good to see you!!" I hugged her tightly & realised just how much I'd missed her all these years! "Good to see you too Amy, or do I call you Lita these days?!" I smiled. She laughed releasing her grip & looked at me, "Amy please!" she smiled, "Listen Matt told me, about the Jeff thing....I hope you don't mind?" "No, no I guess it's going to be common knowledge before much longer anyway!" "Crazy shit huh?" "Crazy is an understatement!" "Will you have time to have lunch or something, tomorrow maybe?" "I'll make time!" We hugged again & said our 'goodbyes', I watched their car pull out of the drive before heading up to the house. I was nervous as hell! I didn't know what I was going to say to Jeff & I didn't know what to expect from him! He'd already asked to see Michael again which I assumed was a good thing, at least a step in the right direction! As for me.....well I was back at square one! I had to try & hide the fact that I was totally head over heels for the guy & concentrate on the matter-in-hand! Michael was my baby boy, an innocent child & I'd put him slap bang in the middle of a battlefield! Now it was my job to protect him from the bullets!! I walked up to the door & was just about to knock when Gilbert opened it! "Gemma! Go right in! Jeff is just having a quick shower & he'll be right down! You know where everything is so make yourself at home!" "Where are you going? You can stay Gilbert, you don't have to leave!" I said, grabbing hold of his hand. "I'm going to see your Dad," he put his other hand on top of mine, "You don't need me here!" he smiled, "Your Dad, I take it you've told him?" "Yes, this afternoon!" "Good! Well then......this old Gramps is off to visit the other one!" he giggled & hugged me! "Gilbert.... "Just don't expect too much too soon....it's going to take time...ok?" He gave me one last reassuring squeeze & then I stood there & watched him leave me at the entrance to the mine-field! I wandered around the kitchen, decided I couldn't face another coffee & went into the living room. The first thing that caught my eye was a photograph in a frame on top of the bookshelf. I reached up & took it down, it was the photograph of all of us, the night we'd had the bar-b-que! We all looked so young! I smiled when I looked at us all fresh faced & ready to take on the world!! Then I remembered the feeling I had gotten that night, the strange feeling that we'd never be together ike that again & I know now I had been right! Chris & Michael were dead! That was the biggest shocker! I ran a finger over their faces in turn & remembered how they'd surprised me by not telling me Michael & Rhett were comming! I remembered Chris rolling in the dirt, pretending I'd injured him, it made me smile! How things change, all of a sudden, without warning those two were snatched from my life, it was so unfair! As I looked along the line of faces & came to Macey....Man! Macey & Shane! I laughed out loud as I looked at those two! I had been so torn up about them having an affair behind Jeff's back & right now it seemed laughable! I wished it was all I had to worry about!! It had seemed such a huge thing back then.....funny how I ended up being the bitch, the one to break Jeff's heart! Who would've thought it then?! I was shaken from my thoughts by a door slamming & footsteps on the stairs. I looked up at the open staircase to see Jeff comming down, toweling his hair, shirtless! I remember thinking his body looked even better, more toned....more attractive than the night I'd crept out of his bed! I turned back to the photograph, trying to keep my mind on the reason why I was there! He came up behind me, looking over my shoulder at the photograph in my hands & he smelled so good! I gulped & closed my eyes! "Great picture huh?" I could feel his breath, hot on my neck & it gave me goosebumps. "Oh yeah....I'll erm...have to ask your Dad for a copy!" I put the photograph back on the shelf. "Have you seen these ones?" he asked, heading over to the opposite wall. I followed him. "Me & Matt the first time we won the tag team championship!" he said smiling. "How many times have you won it?!" I smiled, looking at the photograph. "Ah...it doesn't matter...that was the first time.....the best time!" "Do you get to keep the belts then?" "We get replica's, they're on the wall in the study!" I laughed, "You HAVE a study?!" "Sure!" he laughed, "We had one built on, for Dad y'know? It has an extra bedroom above it too! We wanted to get him a new house but well, he wouldn't budge....too many memories here I guess! I'll show you 'round later if you like?" "Yeah, I'd like that!" I smiled, "What's this one of then?" I said pointing to another picture on the wall. "Dad took that one at a show in England! We thought it was pretty good so we had it framed for him!" "England huh? Wow! What about this....." my voice trailled off as I came to a photograph of Matt & Jeff standing alondside Edge & Christian! They were laughing, joking around, arms around each other's shoulders...it just hadn't been what I'd expected to see & it kind of took me by surprise! "Oh..." I looked away quickly. "Adam & Jay huh?" Jeff nodded. "So.....how are they?" "They're good." The atmosphere in the room suddenly thickened & threatened to choke us both! Jeff walked over to the couch & grabbed a white t-shirt that was hanging over the back, pulling it on over his head. "I'll...er...put this on then we can go see the study!" He went to walk past me but I grabbed hold of his arm. "Jeff...I'll see the study later!" I looked into his eyes & the image flashed into my head of the night I'd left, the way he'd loved me, how he'd made me feel.......I gulped. "Yeah....." he nodded, "I guess we should talk right?" "Right."
Dad had looked a lot better at the hospital & seeing Michael really cheered him up! I was longing to tell him everything but the place was full of people visiting him & every time I opened my mouth to say something someone else would walk into the room! Eventually Pat, Rhett, Greg & Louise went home & Kellie took Michael to find a candy vending machine! I sat beside dad & held his hand. "You ok hun?" "Yeah.....Dad I need to talk to you about something!". I looked away. "Go on." "Well it's about Michael.." I paused, trying to find the right words, "Gilbert...well he was right....what he said to you about Jeff....it's true." "What Gilbert said? You mean Jeff is......he's Michael's father?!" he shuffled, sitting upright in bed. I nodded. "Yes Dad! He's Michael's father! I'm so sorry for lying to you Dad!" "Well....I...er...." he stopped & let out a breath, "....Gemma all this time....why didn't you say something?!" "I don't know Dad!" I said, telling my story for the 100th time that day, "I was scared! I didn't know what to do! I just panicked I guess....then once I'd told one lie the rest just happened & I didn't know how to get out of it!" "Does he know? Jeff I mean." "He does now!" "And?" "Well it's gonna take some time I guess...I don't know!" "What about Michael? Does he..." "No, not yet! I don't know how to tell him Dad!" He nodded. "I suppose it's never going to be easy Gemma, but the longer you leave it the harder it's going to get, you know that?!" I hung my head. "Come here you silly girl!" He held his arms open & I stood up, leaning over the bed as he held me. "I'm sorry Dad!" I whispered. "Don't be sorry, just get it sorted! Put it right ok?" "Yeah I will, I promise!" ******* Later that night when Michael was tucked up in his bed, blissfully unaware of the problems going on around him, I set off to the Hardy's house. When I got there Matt & Amy were getting into Matt's car, until Amy saw me! She jumped back out of the car, ran towards me & threw her arms around my neck! "Gemma!! Oh God it's so good to see you!!" I hugged her tightly & realised just how much I'd missed her all these years! "Good to see you too Amy, or do I call you Lita these days?!" I smiled. She laughed releasing her grip & looked at me, "Amy please!" she smiled, "Listen Matt told me, about the Jeff thing....I hope you don't mind?" "No, no I guess it's going to be common knowledge before much longer anyway!" "Crazy shit huh?" "Crazy is an understatement!" "Will you have time to have lunch or something, tomorrow maybe?" "I'll make time!" We hugged again & said our 'goodbyes', I watched their car pull out of the drive before heading up to the house. I was nervous as hell! I didn't know what I was going to say to Jeff & I didn't know what to expect from him! He'd already asked to see Michael again which I assumed was a good thing, at least a step in the right direction! As for me.....well I was back at square one! I had to try & hide the fact that I was totally head over heels for the guy & concentrate on the matter-in-hand! Michael was my baby boy, an innocent child & I'd put him slap bang in the middle of a battlefield! Now it was my job to protect him from the bullets!! I walked up to the door & was just about to knock when Gilbert opened it! "Gemma! Go right in! Jeff is just having a quick shower & he'll be right down! You know where everything is so make yourself at home!" "Where are you going? You can stay Gilbert, you don't have to leave!" I said, grabbing hold of his hand. "I'm going to see your Dad," he put his other hand on top of mine, "You don't need me here!" he smiled, "Your Dad, I take it you've told him?" "Yes, this afternoon!" "Good! Well then......this old Gramps is off to visit the other one!" he giggled & hugged me! "Gilbert.... "Just don't expect too much too soon....it's going to take time...ok?" He gave me one last reassuring squeeze & then I stood there & watched him leave me at the entrance to the mine-field! I wandered around the kitchen, decided I couldn't face another coffee & went into the living room. The first thing that caught my eye was a photograph in a frame on top of the bookshelf. I reached up & took it down, it was the photograph of all of us, the night we'd had the bar-b-que! We all looked so young! I smiled when I looked at us all fresh faced & ready to take on the world!! Then I remembered the feeling I had gotten that night, the strange feeling that we'd never be together ike that again & I know now I had been right! Chris & Michael were dead! That was the biggest shocker! I ran a finger over their faces in turn & remembered how they'd surprised me by not telling me Michael & Rhett were comming! I remembered Chris rolling in the dirt, pretending I'd injured him, it made me smile! How things change, all of a sudden, without warning those two were snatched from my life, it was so unfair! As I looked along the line of faces & came to Macey....Man! Macey & Shane! I laughed out loud as I looked at those two! I had been so torn up about them having an affair behind Jeff's back & right now it seemed laughable! I wished it was all I had to worry about!! It had seemed such a huge thing back then.....funny how I ended up being the bitch, the one to break Jeff's heart! Who would've thought it then?! I was shaken from my thoughts by a door slamming & footsteps on the stairs. I looked up at the open staircase to see Jeff comming down, toweling his hair, shirtless! I remember thinking his body looked even better, more toned....more attractive than the night I'd crept out of his bed! I turned back to the photograph, trying to keep my mind on the reason why I was there! He came up behind me, looking over my shoulder at the photograph in my hands & he smelled so good! I gulped & closed my eyes! "Great picture huh?" I could feel his breath, hot on my neck & it gave me goosebumps. "Oh yeah....I'll erm...have to ask your Dad for a copy!" I put the photograph back on the shelf. "Have you seen these ones?" he asked, heading over to the opposite wall. I followed him. "Me & Matt the first time we won the tag team championship!" he said smiling. "How many times have you won it?!" I smiled, looking at the photograph. "Ah...it doesn't matter...that was the first time.....the best time!" "Do you get to keep the belts then?" "We get replica's, they're on the wall in the study!" I laughed, "You HAVE a study?!" "Sure!" he laughed, "We had one built on, for Dad y'know? It has an extra bedroom above it too! We wanted to get him a new house but well, he wouldn't budge....too many memories here I guess! I'll show you 'round later if you like?" "Yeah, I'd like that!" I smiled, "What's this one of then?" I said pointing to another picture on the wall. "Dad took that one at a show in England! We thought it was pretty good so we had it framed for him!" "England huh? Wow! What about this....." my voice trailled off as I came to a photograph of Matt & Jeff standing alondside Edge & Christian! They were laughing, joking around, arms around each other's shoulders...it just hadn't been what I'd expected to see & it kind of took me by surprise! "Oh..." I looked away quickly. "Adam & Jay huh?" Jeff nodded. "So.....how are they?" "They're good." The atmosphere in the room suddenly thickened & threatened to choke us both! Jeff walked over to the couch & grabbed a white t-shirt that was hanging over the back, pulling it on over his head. "I'll...er...put this on then we can go see the study!" He went to walk past me but I grabbed hold of his arm. "Jeff...I'll see the study later!" I looked into his eyes & the image flashed into my head of the night I'd left, the way he'd loved me, how he'd made me feel.......I gulped. "Yeah....." he nodded, "I guess we should talk right?" "Right."