Dear Ex-Girlfriend (Lesbian, Girlxg... - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

The Morgan's came from old money. Cold, hard, cash. In their earlier days at Bear Creek, I learned that they had enterprises in different states, connections, supporters. Lyndon Morgan was just the tip of the iceberg. His siblings, the Morgan brothers, were bankers and businessmen. And whoever else settled in other continents had quickly become the kingpin of whatever venture he was making. I was hopelessly in love with their youngest.
The guard on the front gate took one good look at me that afternoon and pressed a button. The iron grated as it swung, screeching like fingernails digging in my flesh. I stepped in. "Mr. Morgan is waiting for you in his office," the guard said.
"Okay." I stared at the Greek-styled mansion in the distance. Genesis had been indifferent about it, but I wasn't. Years later and I still felt conflicted. I liked it because of Gene. I hated it because it was stifling. My legs moved to take me there.
Inside, another guard pointed me to the grand staircase, saying, "The Governor is having a brief meeting. You can stand outside his door and wait. Someone will assist you."
"Okay," I answered again, before continuing on.
Genesis had never told me how she personally felt about the guards. At least not out loud. She never complained if she was bothered. She never said if she was lonely. But judging from her subtle cues, I guess she was.
Whenever a security member would call her phone, she'd get this desperate look on her face which would only disappear when she'd stare at me again. She was so happy when Dindo was relieved from following her. Speaking of which.
I paused in the middle of the stairs. A tall, bald, and formally dressed guy was making his way down. He didn't stop when he saw me though, but had continued going about his business, which was probably what I should do too.
"Why are you doing this?!" A shout came from the Governor's office when I got there. A secretary or guard wasn't standing by the door. It was closed. But I knew who it was. "I am sick and tired of this, dad! I wish I wasn't born into this family!"
The reply was too muffled. I didn't hear what Mr. Morgan had said.
"She's not perfect, you know!" The shout came again. "She's human, just like me, and if you don't want to acknowledge that, then fuck you!" I jumped out of the way when the double doors opened. Gaby, face white as a sheet, noticed me and glared. "What are you looking at, punk?!"
My day was nothing but horrible. I didn't want to pick a fight any more than she wanted to stay.
I moved out of the way and pressed my lips together. "Smart choice," she said as she hurried to leave. Gaby didn't give me a second glance back.
"Destiny Jones, come in." The Governor's deep voice beckoned from inside the office. I turned away from Gabrielle to the even bigger predator. He was staring outside the window, hands clasped on his back. "Close the door," he instructed.
I swallowed and pushed the door behind me after entering. The Governor had always made me feel like the way the house did, caged and backed in a corner. No wonder even his eldest picked a fight with him.
"Take a seat, Destiny. We have a lot to talk about."
The leather chair facing his desk was my only option. I had sat on it when he turned around and headed to his own throne. The king of Bear Creek Falls. He was a blonde Grizzly.
"Why did you ask me to come here, sir?" My voice was strangely low.
His fingers came together on the table. "Would you like water first? Soda?" He leaned back when I shook my head. "How's school?" he asked.
"The fair has opened earlier," I answered. "But I'm sure you knew that."
He nodded once. "You're a smart girl."
"Not smarter than Genesis."
"Not smarter than Genesis," he agreed.
The Governor and I didn't have much to talk about aside from his daughter and my mundane life, so only a few seconds passed before my eyes started to drift around his office. Like the first time I'd been here, it was clean, pristine, and everything where it should be, except for one thing. My hands tightened on the armchair. "Is that?"
He followed my stare. "Ahh, yes." I could see his beam from the corner of my eye, a poor impersonation of Genesis' jaw-dropping smile. He stood and headed for the grandfather clock. "Your father made this, yes? He has a good touch."
My insides clenched when the governor reached the clock and smoothed his hand on the newly varnished wood. The familiar scent came rushing back, but what he was doing was making me recoil. "I didn't know you ordered it," I said.
He shook his head. "I didn't. But your father offered it to me last night. He called." The Governor stopped running his fingers on the wood and fixed his gaze on me. I couldn't read what was going on in his head, but it was definitely not this. "I can help you," he said. "For Genesis."
"For Genesis?"
His steps were long and quick. The Governor was back on his chair before I knew it. "A father will do everything for his daughter," he said. "And didn't I tell you that I think of you as that? My own flesh and blood?"
I placed my shaking hands on my lap. My fingers were beginning to hurt from digging my nails on the leather. "Yes, you did, sir. I remember you saying that when we were having breakfast."
"Good." He shifted his attention to the picture frame not far from him on the table. Just one reach and the photo of his perfect family was in his grasp. "Beautiful, isn't it? I want Genesis to be happy. And for her to be happy, you have to be happy, yes?"
"Sir—"
"Because you're best friends, right? You understand what I'm saying, don't you, Destiny Jones?"
"Mr. Morgan if you can please—"
The picture frame was placed down. He was standing up for the second time, going around the table, kissing the top of my head. "Belonging to my household is never easy," he whispered. "If you want my protection, you have to abide by the rules. Our meeting is adjourned, Miss Jones. You can tell my daughter you're getting back with Mr. Gonzales. They'll both be pleased to know that he won't be sent in jail."
My legs were wobbly when I rose and turned to the door. The Governor headed to the grandfather clock. He owned everything around here, from the smallest to the biggest thing.
A sob built up at the back of my throat when he glanced at the watch dad made, but I held it long enough to walk to the exit. "Give my regards to Jones," he said, right before I closed the door.
The shadows of dusk had coated Bear Creek when I went to the street. The abandoned property between my house and the mansion was passed, then my own home. But I continued walking.
After a while, Bertha's bakery shone like a beacon in the near distance. And though the glass doors were closed, and there were still blocks till I reached it, the cinnamon scent of the rolls invited me to come over. But I didn't stop there too. I continued walking, not pausing for anything or anyone, until I reached the comfort of the forest.
Why? The first questions started to pop up. Because we were different? Uncommon?
My pace quickened, slowed, then quickened again. My hands were balled on my side. My backpack might as well be a decoration over my shoulder. Because right there, right then, I felt disjointed, like I was watching my life from afar and one push would make me float away. I stopped only when I reached the ruins. A light flickered open.
Soon after, the beam of light trailed to a backdrop. There was a mini-theatre the height of my waist. A red curtain was pulled back. The painted scenery showed a hill, a sun, and a rainbow. And then Girl and Boy were dangled downward, made to walk.
The hands that controlled them from behind shook. Whoever was hiding at the back of the makeshift stage giggled. "I have no idea what I'm doing." Genesis' voice was light from laughing. "But Destiny had been so sad the past couple of days. I asked Mr. Jones to help me set this up last week in secret. How is he, by the way?"
I didn't answer as Boy and Girl walked to and fro the stage, never quite going anywhere, looking too clumsy for their own good.
Genesis spoke again. "You didn't call after I went home last night. I was so worried. You didn't even notice I took our kids." Boy and Girl jiggled. "What's up with mama?" Gene said in a small voice. "She's not telling us something." My chest tightened when Genesis' peeped from the stage. She had no idea, did she? "Destiny?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Why are you crying?"
I only realized the wetness on my cheek when she asked. The puppets made a clunking sound when they were dropped and left. Genesis rushed to me.
"Is it your dad?!" she said. "Is he okay?! What happened?!"
The questions made me shake. How do I tell her?
"Gene?"
"What?"
I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled at her. "Dad's okay," I said. "There were problems with his supplier, but it's alright now. This is just me being stressed." I took Genesis' hand before she could wonder too much, then pulled her to the stage. It was perfectly small, perfectly made. We sat and stared at the mini-creation. "You've done a great job. I like it."
"Thank you." The gratitude didn't reach her voice, and her face, while covered by the glow of the flashlight she'd set-up on a rock, was dark and hesitant. Genesis cradled my cheek. "What is it?" she said. "You're still not telling me something."
My breaths sounded like pierced balloon. How do I lie to her?
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if the two of us get out of here?" I said instead.
Her brows knitted. "What do you mean?"
"Leave Bear Creek," I said. "There's just a few months left before we turn eighteen. We can be on our own. What do you think?"
Genesis' eyes narrowed. I knew she knew about my diversion, but she chose not to ask as she shook her head. "I don't know, Des. I haven't thought much about the coming months."
"You should." I stared at the stage. "We won't be kids forever. It's you who said that change should be embraced. We should start planning about our future."
"What do you suggest?"
"We start by saving." My hands found the grass, short and smooth against my palms. I clenched my fingers around them. "I try to salvage what grades I have, then we move. We try to live a life in the city."
"You hate the city," she said.
"I love anywhere there's you."
Her hand went to my legs. "What's going on? Why are we talking about this?"
Those questions again. So many questions. Why couldn't she just take what I was telling her and accept them for what they were?
I jerked away from her. "We're talking about this because it's important," I insisted. "Don't you want to have a future with me, Gene? Is this the place where you want to raise our kids?"
The worry on her face transformed to confusion. She reached out for me again, but I was having none of it. "Are you mad at me?" she whispered. "What did I do? Tell me so we can fix it."
I gritted my teeth. "It's not you, okay?! Do you, or do you not want to have a future with me?! Just answer!"
Genesis squeezed her eyes shut and slowly breathed out. I was not like this. We both knew that. She looked calmer when she opened her eyes again, so much different from what I was feeling. "My life is with you, Destiny Jones. I would go anywhere you ask me to. But first you have to tell me what's bothering you."
"No." My tone was clipped. Couldn't she see that this was hurting me? Couldn't she just drop the issue already?
Genesis shook her head in dismay and bit her lip. "If you're not going to tell me, then I think I need to go. You've been so secretive since last week. I'm starting to freak out."
My eyes swam with tears when she moved to get up. I couldn't let her go. She might never come back.
I grabbed her shirt. "Don't hurt me!" I whimpered. "Please don't hurt me."
Pain and confusion washed on her face. She didn't understand.
"I would never," Gene mumbled. "Is. . . Is that what you think of me?"
I shook my head and tried to communicate my feelings. But how do I say that her dad was wrecking my life without making her leave? I didn't want her to choose. I would hate her if she did that to me. But the thing with Gene was she'd do it in a second if she knew it would be for my own good. She'd done it before. She would do it again.
"Please don't hurt me," I said again, but this time I was pulling her up, away from the stage, from the light and from the grass. I guided her to the blanket that we've kept for years.
"Des. . ." Genesis' hands wrapped around my waist when I started to kiss her neck. "What are you doing?"
"I love you, Gene."
She gasped when I bit her skin, then moaned when I moved lower. "Are you sure?" she whispered.
"Yes."
Though I couldn't tell her directly what was troubling me, tonight she'd know that this love, whatever we had between us, couldn't be snapped in two by force. Not by anything. Not by her father.
Genesis' lips were trembling as our mouths came together. She was fire. I was candy. Her flames licked my skin until we molded into each other.