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He scoffed. “Now that’s a lie. Come and tell me everything.”
He led me into the den and I took a seat. He gave me the dad look and I crumbled immediately. I’d never been able to keep anything from him.
I sat down in one of the long backed chairs by the fireplace. I always thought of these chairs like mini thrones when I was a kid and the fireplace was never going. It was simply too hot in Sydney and the house had ducted air conditioning so there was no point. I’d be so secure in the fact he would never start a fire in it that I had hidden some important love letters from boyfriends when I was a kid in it, and also my stash of pot when I had started to rebel. That brought back memories.
Patrick sat down on the other chair and crossed his leg over his knee. “Now tell me.”
“We fought over something so stupid, I don’t even know why I got so upset but I did and then she stormed out. I tried to apologize but she hasn’t responded.”
“How bad could it be?” he asked. “What did you say?”
“She ran into her ex, you know the one I was seeing and the marriage I broke apart. I told you about that before.”
“You didn’t tell me that was who she was,” he said. “But whether or not you did doesn’t matter, that was obviously a bad marriage for her. She’s free now because of you.”
“That’s how she sees it too but I just feel jealous of him. I feel jealous because their relationship would be accepted but ours isn’t.”
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes telling me everything I needed to know.
“It’s me, isn’t it?”
“No,” he said with a smile. “But you just showed me what the real problem is. You’re not jealous, Gennie. You’re scared. You’re scared of showing the world of the woman you love but you’ve never been scared before. You’ve never cared what society thought of you.”
“I don’t want to lose her to some guy.”
“And what makes you think you will?” he asked me simply.
I didn’t know how to answer that. It was a fear I hadn’t really realized I was harboring until just now.
“Maybe you’re worried she won’t choose you but I think we both know you don’t need her to be happy. The very thing everyone wants in a relationship isn’t to be needed. It’s to be wanted. Do you want her?”
“Yes. Of course I do.”
“Good, then fight for her. Show her that it's her you want, and to be rid of the negativity of the social scene. Who cares if they freak out? Aren’t you there to ruffle some feathers? You always had been in the past or have you forgotten the scene you caused at my charity ball when you were nineteen.”
I tried to hide the smirk but I knew it was there. I’d had a particularly harsh week when that had come around and my friends were no longer my friends but still coming to the charity balls that my father was holding. I’d rocked up in a tiny two piece, well some would call it a dress which is what I did that night, but it was really just lingerie, and stole about three boyfriends from them in one go.
Now that had been fun.
Where was that courage now that I needed it so much?
“You’re right.”
“Of course I am.”
I rolled my eyes at his insane sense of self-righteousness.
“But how do I get her back?”
“What have you done so far?”
“Texted, tried calling a few times.”
“Hmm, well she does seem stubborn but don’t forget she came here looking for you when you ghosted her—is that right? Did I say that right?”
I nodded, smiling.
“Oh good, it’s so hard to keep up with you kids and the lingo.”
