Page 58 of The Déjà Glitch

“No. Patrick is stuck on standby in New York still. I went by myself.”

“Oh?” Her surprise was nearly tangible. Gemma’s dislike of visiting her father alone was no secret. “What prompted that?”

Temptation to spill the whole sordid story to her mother, one of her confidantes, rose inside Gemma like a pressure that needed releasing. But she knew in the same way that if she told Patrick about the time loop, he’d try to hitchhike home out of concern, that her mother would get in her car and drive straight to her from Phoenix. She didn’t want anyone worrying more than they needed to, or perhaps taking her in for an involuntary psych evaluation.

“I was in the area and it seemed like the right thing to do,” she told her mom. “It didn’t turn out how I’d hoped.”

Lynn paused for a moment, and Gemma wondered if she was censoring her response. Though in her defense, her mother had never been one to verbally bash their father in front of her children. Her methods were subtler. Like burning pop albums and clipping him out of old photos. “Unfortunately, not surprising with your father,” she eventually said.

The resignation in her voice hurt Gemma’s heart. “Did you ever forgive him, Mom?”

“For what?”

Gemma shrugged, though she couldn’t see her. “All of it. Any of it.”

Lynn released a mighty sigh that sounded decades deep. “Gemma, I loved your father once upon a time, but I was able to find happiness with someone else that I never would have found if I had stayed married to him. I had to let go of what was between us, the good and the bad, in order to find it. So in a way, yes.”

Gemma knew she was referring to Steven, her partner of fifteen years, who was for all intents and purposes Gemma’s stepfather, though they’d never married. Divorce was one scar Roger Peters left on Lynn that she wouldn’t risk repeating.

“Do you think he deserves it? To be forgiven?”

Her mother sighed again. “The ways your father hurt me are not the same as what his actions did to you and your brother. I had the choice to leave, to find a different partner. You, unfortunately, can’t choose a different father. What you decide to forgive him for is entirely up to you.”

The answer annoyed Gemma, and it seemed to be everyone’s go-to response. But the truth was, as much as he angered her, she wanted to forgive her father. Patrick was right, of course. It would be better than living with all the anger and resentment. But letting it all go was so much easier said than done. Every time she got close to even starting to forgive, he’d go and do something wildly selfish that pushed her back ten steps and reminded her why neither ofthem were ready—her to give and him to receive. She honestly wondered if it would ever be possible.

“When do you expect your brother?” her mom asked in a change of subject. The topic of her father was unpleasant for both of them.

This time Gemma sighed, sounding just like her mother. “I don’t know. No time before this evening by now if he’s even able to get on a plane.” She tried not to hit theifwith any emphasis.

Her mother hummed in consideration, oblivious to the fact that Patrick might never make it on a plane and spend the rest of eternity playing gate roulette in New York. “Well, hopefully he makes it soon since it’ll be a short trip.”

Gemma’s phone buzzed with an alert that her rideshare was approaching. “What?” she asked her mother, half distracted but suddenly aware of something important. “What did you say?”

“What?” Lynn asked in a contrived innocent tone as if she’d realized her mistake and wanted to cover it up.

“You said it would be a quick trip,” Gemma said, not giving her an inch and feeling her annoyance with her brother return. “Mom, did you know that Patrick is moving?”

“What’s that?” Lynn said, but not directed at Gemma. She’d leaned away from the phone and called to someone out of earshot. “Okay, just a second, Steve!” she sang. Her voice came back louder. “I have to go, honey. Steve needs me. I’ll see you guys next week. Let me know when your brother lands!”

Gemma rolled her eyes at her mother’s obvious attempt at avoidance. Clearly, Patrick had told everyone he was moving but her. She silently vowed to put him in a headlockwhen she saw him and hold him there until he apologized for making her the last to know.

“Bye, Mom,” she said, and ended the call.

Although it had felt good to talk with her mother, all the family drama left her not wanting to be alone. She would not go back to Jack’s, her father was as disappointing as ever, a six-hour drive to Phoenix didn’t sound like a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, and her brat of a little brother was still stuck on the other side of the country.

That left her with one person to lean on.

CHAPTER

11

Gemma climbed intoher rideshare and pulled out her phone and texted Lila.

Total disaster with my dad. Where are you?

She sat back against her seat and stared out the window. She could only imagine the theories running through her driver’s mind as to why a distraught young woman had left a Hollywood mansion and climbed into his car. At least he had the decency not to ask her about it.

Lila responded with a sad face and a location.