When I turned around, Gianna waited with a scowl on her face. “Are you done?”
“For now, unless he wants to come back for more.” Shaking off the anger, I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s gonna be alright. I’m sure your mother can be reasonable about this.”
“Doubtful,” Gianna muttered.
As if on cue, Julie entered stage left from the living room. Gianna tried to back out of my embrace but I held my arms tightly around her while steadily meeting Julie’s shocked gaze.
“Please tell me what Josh said isn’t true. Please tell me you two haven’t been sneaking around behind our backs.”
Gianna’s spine straightened as she backed out of my arms. “Mom, quit being so dramatic. You make it sound so dirty and seedy.”
“It’s wrong! You two are stepsiblings! You aren’t supposed to date!” Julie was about to lose it, if she hadn’t already.
“We’re related through marriage. It’s not like we’re blood-related. We didn’t even know each other until recently,” I pointed out.
Julie turned towards me, eyes flashing. “I don’t want to hear your attempt to defend it, Caleb. I welcomed you into my home and this is how you repay me? By defiling my daughter?”
“Dammit, mom, quit making it sound like that. Caleb cares about me and I care about him. Plus, no defiling has taken place.” Gianna then unthinkingly added, “Yet.”
I groaned inwardly. That was not a smart thing to say right now.
Julie’s face turned red with anger as she practically frothed at the mouth. “This is going to stop right now! I’ve already called Scott and he’s on his way home. Gianna, go to your room. Caleb, wait in the living room for your father to come home. I’m going to go start dinner. This will all be settled shortly.”
Gianna let out an exasperated sound and ran up the stairs. I did as my wicked stepmother ordered and sat on the couch. This should be interesting. Twenty minutes later, I could hear my dad pull into the garage. When he came in through the garage door, I heard Julie already bitching at him about me.
My dad entered the living room with Julie at his heels yapping like a dog. “Tell him to stay away from my daughter, Scott.”
My dad looked tired and stressed. “Caleb, is this true?” He already knew it was true. He found out about it weeks ago, but maybe he didn’t want Julie to know he’d been keeping it a secret for us.
Standing up so we were all on equal footing, I tried to explain. “Yes, but it’s not the way Julie describes it. She makes me sound like some sort of sexual predator. I’m serious about Gianna. We haven’t even had sex yet,”
Julie got in my face. “Yet? That’ll never happen. Gianna is too good for you! Before you came along everything was perfect. It’s probably your fault she quit cheerleading and broke up with that wonderful boy, Josh.”
Now I was pissed. “My fault? It’s your fault she quit cheerleading! Ask her yourself. And as for that prick Josh, why don’t you invite him over for another talk and ask him about how he tried to force himself on her? Or about the time that he banged her head against a brick wall and knocked her out?”
“I don’t believe a word you’re saying,” Julie stubbornly denied.
I looked to my dad. “You don’t actually think I’m going to break up with Gianna just because Julie wants me to?”
I could tell my dad was confused by the whole situation. “No, I don’t think you will.”
“Make him!” Julie screamed, having definitely lost it.
“How do you suggest I do that, Julie?” my dad asked her. If she didn’t watch it, his temper would rise too.
“I don’t care how you do it! He’s your loser son! You deal with him!” Julie stalked back to the kitchen.
My dad followed her and I let out a relieved sigh. It was good to have that crazy bitch out of my face. My dad and Julie were still fighting loudly in the kitchen when Gianna peeked her head into the living room. “Is it safe?”
I held out my arms. “No, but come here anyways.” She rushed over and sat on my lap. Wrapping my arms around her, I tried reassuring her with a kiss.
Julie and my dad stormed back to the living room. Julie zeroed in on Gianna on my lap and went ballistic. “Gianna, get away from him!” Julie tried forcing Gianna off my lap, but Gianna was holding on tightly to my neck.
“Deal with it, mom! You can’t make us break up!” Gianna yelled.
“No, but I can make him leave!” Julie hollered back.
My dad would only be pushed so far. “My son has a right to be here!”