Chapter 68
JESSI
The first thing I notice when Jack and I pull up to the house is my dad’s car sitting in the driveway next door. I wince. I shouldn’t have diverted his calls to voicemail or swiped away all of his texts. But I did, so of course I’m surprised he’s back.
Jack and I get off the bike. “What should I do?” I ask.
He rubs my back. “I can’t answer that. But I can go over and talk to him first if you want, or we can go together?”
I pace around the garage, wringing my hands together. What the hell am I going to say? “No, I should go alone.”
He hugs me. “Okay, baby. Call if you need me, and I’ll be right there.”
I walk over to the house I lived in for six months and open the door. It still feels foreign, but at least it isn’t a garbage heap. The scent of pine polish and laundry detergent air freshener puncture the air.
My dad sits at the ridiculously extravagant table Shannon bought when we moved in, his head in his hands. I glance at the monochrome walls, the color scheme that reminds me of a chessboard. After enjoying the warmth of a real home, this place feels so cold.
“Hey, Dad,” I say as I step closer.
He jumps up and rubs his eyes. “Good God. Where have you been? I’ve called ten times.”
“With Jack.” I try to hide my shaking hands and even out my voice.
He sits back down and runs his hands over his untucked shirt.
His disheveled appearance is a cry for help.
“Sorry I . . . I’m happy you could go over there after everything that’s happened.
Can you believe this shit? They are trying to destroy two kids’ futures.
What the hell reason would they have to do that to the club?
Shannon is ballistic. She’s trying to get a flight home.
” His eyes skim over me. “Jack rides a motorcycle. Do you think he knows anything about motorcycle clubs? Maybe he can talk some sense into the people framing Austin.”
I sit beside him and place my hand on his forearm. “Dad, I need to talk to you. Please don’t interrupt me or stop me. Can you do that?”
Concern flashes across his face. “Jessi, what’s going on?”
“I don’t want to get into the fine details of everything, but Austin and David aren’t the good guys you think they are.
” I purse my lips as his eyes find mine.
“They threw a party the night you left. After I went to bed, David tried to assault me. I fought him off and ran to Jack’s for help.
I panicked and didn’t know what else to do.
Austin charged over. He didn’t believe me and blamed me for everything. Jack stood up for me and protected me.”
My dad’s face turns shades of red and purple the longer I speak.
“Jack gave me a safe place to stay. Austin and David harassed me repeatedly, and that led to Jack putting David in the hospital and Jack getting arrested.”
“I can’t believe all this was happening while I was gone,” Dad says when I pause long enough for him to speak.
“I knew I should have put an end to Shannon’s extended trips.
When I am away, it’s because I’m working to support this family, not to play and forget my responsibilities.
I’ve told her that she needs to be home with you two.
I married her so that you could have stability and support.
I can’t believe it backfired so badly.” Dad doesn’t look me in the eyes, but his voice drips with regret.
“Dad, Austin and his friends jumped Jack.”
Dad deflects, pain and guilt seared into his expression. “Do you think they really targeted the motorcycle club?” he asks.
“I know they did, Dad. I saw the video.”
A storm cloud settles over him. “I don’t understand. How did you see the video? None of this makes sense. Why would they target the club?”
“Dad, let me finish. So, after all that happened, Jack wanted to give them a lesson. He told them that if they didn’t leave me alone, he was going to make their lives hell—and call in favors to make that happen.”
“What do Austin and David have to do with a motorcycle club at all? Why the hell would Jack want to teach them a lesson?”
I shoot my dad a sympathetic look. “Dad, Austin and David are in some bad shit. Really bad. If you don’t believe me, talk to the police. Austin and David have been helping MCs with all sorts of tech stuff—hacking, code development, security.”
Dad’s face reddens as the storm cloud builds. “What?”
“Yep.”
He doesn’t say anything, so I go on. “Jack is in an MC too. And his people know the other clubs that Austin and David worked with. He tried to get them ousted from the club—and succeeded.”
“And then they . . .?”
“Got so pissed that they turned on the club.”
“Why didn’t either of you call me? Why didn’t Jack call me?”
My hands and knees bounce as I get closer to the part that could irrevocably cast me out as Dad’s daughter. “There’s one last thing I haven’t told you.”
Dad slaps the table. “God. What more?”
I take a deep breath. “Throughout this, things changed between Jack and me. We became close. Jack had me move in with him to protect me from Austin and David. Things slowly shifted between us, and . . . Jack and I are together now.”
Dad’s face turns beet red, and he slams his fist on the table. He jumps up with so much force that the chair falls back. “What do you mean together?” He starts pacing. “I know you cannot possibly mean what I think you are trying to say.”
My lip tremble as I hold back tears. “I do, Dad.”
“No. No. He took advantage of you. Did he touch you? I swear to all that is holy, if he did, I’m going to kill him. For God’s sake, I trusted him to look out for you.”
“Dad, stop! We fell in love. He was there when you weren’t. You couldn’t be bothered. He could.”
“That doesn’t mean he gets to manipulate you.”
“He hasn’t. I pursued him. He turned me down over and over because he was worried about my age, but I’m nineteen.
” I steel myself, refusing to back down.
“You can fight this, but you won’t win. I love him and he loves me.
If you want a place in my life, you need to accept us, or you’ll not be a part of our life.
I love you so much, Dad, and I want you in my life, but I’m done being a pushover.
I’m done putting everyone else’s feelings and concerns above mine and doing everything to avoid confrontation.
I’m done stepping on eggshells to not remind you of Mom. ”
He props his chair upright and sits down.
“What has happened to our family? I thought bringing Shannon and Austin into our lives would be a good thing. You needed a motherly figure and a sibling, and I needed a wife. But I clearly fucked it all to hell. I’m so sorry I made you feel like you’re the echo of your mother.
I am so sorry. I’m supposed to be the one to love and protect you, and I have made a mess of it all. ”
“Dad, Jack is a good guy. He takes care of me and loves me, and I love him. I’m going to go home, back to Jack’s, because that’s where I live now. You can find me there if you want to talk more.”
I hug him and walk out before he can say anything else.
When I close the door behind me, my heart cracks.
I’ve never seen my dad so broken, but I can no longer pretend that my feelings don’t matter.
I made myself clear. Now it’s up to him to make peace with the decisions he’s made in his life.
At the end of the day, we can all simply look in the mirror and take accountability for the life we choose to live.
I refuse to wake up one day and not recognize myself or lament the life I created.
I choose to live on my terms with those who matter most to me.
I hold my head high, knowing I am choosing happiness. My life won’t always be sunshine and rainbows, but it will me mine, with Jack and the MC—no matter what.