That Summer Ch. 04

"I wanted to blind side them with everything. Thought it would be better if we did it hear. You get Mark to show?"

"Yeah," Angela said. "I told him and he said he was coming."

"He was always late," Jessica snickered.

"You better get in there Angela," I ordered.

"Just don't screw everything up," she barked as she exited the car.

"What does she mean by that?" Jessica asked.

I thought for a minute. "Just never mind for now. I will tell you later if you really must know."

She looked at me hard. Wondered what I knew that I was keeping from her. Would it hurt her if she knew?

"It's nothing about me or you or us," I assured her.

She folded her arms still unsure about it but let it rest for now. I looked at my phone.

"Time to go," I said. "They are all there."

We both took a deep breath and started into the restaurant. Walked straight in and straight to the table. Ignored the hostess as I was on a mission.

"Hey Uncle John, Aunt Jill," I said before they could recognize it was me coming to join them. "We have to talk."

"Where the hell have you been?" he cried at Jessica as she followed close behind me.

Mark quickly swallowed his bread. "Yeah, what the hell have you been up too?"

"That's what we are here to talk about," I interjected.

"I wasn't talking to you," Mark scorned at me.

"But I am talking to you," I challenged. "You can ask questions in a minute, first we are going to lay it all out for you."

"Ok," he said curious now. He really didn't have a clue.

"Jessica has been with me since she left," I started.

"Knew it," Uncle John slapped his hand on the table.

"What, was there some kind of bet I wasn't aware of?" Mark now snapped. "You could have clued me in."

"Of course there wasn't a bet you idiot," Uncle John now fumed.

"Well, then what the fuck," Mark cried. "You called me to come here so you could apologize to me about everything and now you're insulting me."

"I didn't call you here to say sorry," Uncle John snapped. "I came here to meet Angela for dinner and you showed....."

"Hey!" I shouted. "Shut the fuck up and let me finish." The table fell silent. Hell half the restaurant fell quiet.

I took a breath to settle myself. Suddenly, I didn't know where to start.

"It hasn't been just the past three weeks, it's been off and on for the past five years. The only thing different now is that it's not going to be off anymore. I love her with all my heart and I'm not ever going to stop loving her."

"Holy shit," Uncle John gasped. "So, you two have been dating?"

"What the fuck?" Mark hissed. I still don't think he grasped the situation.

"If you don't like it that's ok," I continued. "We aren't trying to make you like it. If you understand and can accept it then we will have a relationship. If not, I have her, she has me, and we will make it on our own just fine. I want you to be a part of our lives but I don't want you to pretend everything is ok."

"I can't believe this," Uncle John croaked. "I got to get out of here." He stood and headed for the door. Aunt Jill just sat there quietly with a stunned look on her face.

"So, you have been, you know, with him, all this time?" Mark asked while looking at Jessica. Hands making a gesture of sex as he finally started to grasp the situation.

Jessica just nodded.

"I'm going to get your dad," I whispered to Jessica.

"You're fucked up in the head," Mark croaked.

Angela started in on him quickly defending her sister.

"Hey, stop," I shouted at my uncle.

"And do what?" he yelled now. "I can't wrap my head around this. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm not asking you to understand it, I'm asking you to accept it. It may take some time, I understand that but please try and understand it. I love that woman, your daughter, more than anything in the world. Take a step back and think about who is going to treat her better. Me or that misfit you almost had as your son in-law.

"You're just one sick individual," he barked. "Who does that?"

"Why don't you ask yourself that," I quickly countered.

"What are you talking about," he said quieter. Guilty look on his face.

"Don't look so innocent," I said leaning closer to him. "You don't think I don't know about your little fling."

His face turned an ash color.

"Only thing is mine isn't a fling, I love Jessica. Love her more than you will ever know. Spent the past five years loving her silently and I almost lost her. This is the way things are, you can't change the way your heart feels."

My words were falling on deaf ears. His mind was still stuck on my knowledge of his past.

"Look," I shook him a little. "I know all about you. I don't give a shit. I'm not saying anything to anyone. Only person that knows that I know is not here anymore. That woman was smarter than all of us."

"What did she tell you?" he asked.

"Everything," I replied.

"Everything?" he questioned.

"Yeah, all but what I got from your daughter. Found that out on a hunch."

"So you know about....."

"You and Angela, your wife and you and her cousin Steve. Yeah, I know all about it."

"Buts that's different," he cried. "Angela isn't blood."

"But your wife and Steve are," I countered quickly. "And the three of you together, more twisted then what I have going on."

He tried to find words to explain.

"I'm not going to use it against you. No blackmail, that's not my deal. I want you to genuinely understand and accept that your daughter and I are going to make a life together."

Suddenly the doorway of the restaurant was filled with voices as Angela barked at Mark with Jessica close behind her. Mark had seen enough and was out of here.

"I need time," Uncle John relented. "I got to get out of here."

"Sure," I said. "Think about your daughter and her happiness. You know I am never going to hurt her or let her down."

"Enough of this shit," Mark cried. "Just give me the fucking ring back and I won't ever bother you again."

"I don't have the ring Mark," Jessica screamed back. "The ring bearer had them. Don't you remember or were you too drunk?"

"Ahhhhhh!" he shouted. He slammed the door shut and tore out of the parking lot.

Suddenly Uncle John pulled up next to us.

"Jessica," he called to her. "Take a ride with me."

"Should I go?" she asked me.

"I'm not sure but what have you got to lose."

Just a quick kiss and then she climbed into the car. I watched them drive off as I went back to sit in my car. Angela climbed into the passenger seat.

"Well, that went well," she said, timidly trying to start a conversation.

I could only sigh and stare straight ahead. Adrenaline wearing off and the slow motion of events now returning to normal speed.

"I think dinner is over and my mom is going to need a ride home."

"Go get her," I ordered.

She sighed. "So, does Jessica know about my dad and me?"

I finally looked over at her worried face. "No," I replied softly. "Your secret is still safe. Only thing she knows about is that day in the bathroom at Aunt Donna's."

"Oh," she said deflated.

"No secrets between us, her rule. She wasn't mad. I wasn't either."

"Why would you be.....? Oh, she told you the rest."

I nodded. "No secrets," I reminded her. "You want to have the same rules her and I have?"

"Ha, no. Be right back." Left the car to get her mom. Both climbed into the car.

It was a silent car ride to the house. No one was home when we got there. Aunt Jill quickly disappeared into the study. Angela and I sat at the kitchen table and waited. Very small amount of talk between us as we waited and worried.

A few hours later headlights reflected off the wall as they returned home. Relief swept over my worried mind as she came in the front door with a smile on her face. Gave me a tender kiss as I took her into my arms and hugged her tightly.

"Well?" I asked.

"He is waiting for you in the workshop," she smiled. Big smile gave me hope that just maybe we were going to be ok.

"And?" I asked.

"Just go," she assured me.

Cautiously went out to his little workshop. He pushed a seat over to me and motioned for me to sit.

"It's going to take some time for me to wrap my head around everything," he started. "I see how much you mean to her and how much she means to you. You are a much better choice than that idiot but still it's going to be difficult seeing as how you're family."

He sighed now trying to find the words. "I just want her to be happy and if you make her happy then I will accept you two. I need some space to let everything sink in. Go on home for a little while and let everything settle down. I will call you when the time is right"

"Ok," I said. It was all I could say. Had so many questions but held back.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Comments always welcome.

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