Chapter 251

“Fucking hell,” Gemma sighed once you were out of the apartment and walking down the hall. Sabrina and Becks weren’t at the elevators, so you assumed they had headed down already. “I hate her so much.”

“It’s fine, it’s over,” you assured her. “And remind me never to make you mad.”

“You couldn’t,” she said with a smile, squeezing your hand.

“That’s the honeymoon phase talking,” you laughed. “Seriously, eventually we’ll get into a fight of some sort.”

“I know,” Gemma sighed. “But I also think we can fight without being pissed or pissy at each other. We can be stubborn, and maybe even a little mean if we let things get too far, but we’ll never be stupid. Mean and stupid is what leads to really bad things.”

“Maybe we should come up with a ‘No Lawyering in the House’ rule,” you chuckled. “You know with three of us, arguments might end up needing research time, discovery and an impartial judge.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Gemma laughed. “God, John. You know how to defuse me. I’m barely even feeling pissed at her anymore.”

You bundled her up in your arms, hugging her tight as you both waited for the elevator. “Gemma, I love your fire and I never want you to lose it.”

She hugged you back hard and sighed. “I take back what I said earlier,” she said. “I’m going to wilfully forget everything before you and me and Sabrina.”

“While I appreciate that, I still want to meet your parents and your cousin Birdie, so maybe not everything,” you said.

“You know what I mean, love,” she said with a roll of her eyes and a grin.

“I do,” you said.

Downstairs, Becks and Sabrina were waiting at the curb and had already ordered an Uber which was on its way. “Even if Joy ruined the party for us, we’re not wasting how hot we all look,” Sabrina said after giving you a hug and a kiss. “We’re going drinking.”

“I know a pub that should be good,” Becks said. “Casual but classy.”

“Sounds perfect,” Gemma said.

“Did you give her hell?” Sabrina asked.

“Enough,” you said. “Though not far enough that she could legitimately do anything.”

“Good,” Sabrina nodded and grabbed Gemma’s hand. “I was a little worried that you were going to actually punch her teeth in, darling.”

Gemma cracked a smile, then realized what Sabrina had called her and scowled. “We agreed that was only for the videos.”

“Hey, if you girls can tease me by calling me Daddy whenever you feel like it, I think ‘darling’ is totally fair game,” you said.

“Yes, Daddy,” all three of them said, and then broke into a fit of laughter.

“God damn it,” you sighed.

Inside the Uber, you sat in the front and the girls piled into the back. You were only half listening to the conversation they were having, but partway through the drive your phone buzzed and you fished it out.

“Um, Mosche says that the party got weird after we left,” you said to the girls. “Tasha went to talk to Greg, who wanted to complain to her about us. She told him what we told her, but Joy had already gotten to him first so he didn’t believe everything. Now the party is split between people who are listening to Joy and people who are avoiding her.”