Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
Something resembling fear crossed Elio’s eyes. He took numerous steps forward, trying to close the gap between us. But my one, single, step back caused him to stop short altogether.
His features grew strained. He pinched the bridge of his nose and bit back a curse.
“I did it to keep you safe.”
I refrained from rolling my eyes. Oh, where had I heard that one before?
I slowly shook my head and started to pull the pins out from my hair. “You and I both know that there’s a lot more to it than just that. You say you’re just wanting to protect me, but I can do that myself. And what I don’t want is to continue fighting. I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to bed.”
I turned my back on him without so much as speaking another word. What more was there to say, honestly?
“Cat!”
“We can talk about this another time… maybe.”
Our day had started out so wonderfully, but some disturbing shadow in my mind told me that none of it was as it seemed. Had Elio taken me to the art museum because he thought I’d enjoy going? Or did he merely see it as a way of distracting me into overlooking the true business behind this trip?
Was everything just one big cover-up to pacify me?
The more I thought about it, the more my head ached. But nothing could compare to the pain that I had swelling inside of my chest.
‘And here I am… right back where I started.’
*Elio*
Despite my best attempts to get to sleep last night, I only managed a faint doze, jerking awake at several points just to see if Cat was truly still beside me. She was, and unlike me, each time I looked, she was fast asleep.
Turned to the wall, hair strewn behind her, I could only glimpse the fall and rise of her back as she breathed, hearing the soft snore she let out once in a while and letting it lull me into another restless sleep, only to do it all again in an hour or two.
So, when I woke up earlier than I would ever choose to get up, I decided just to give up on a good night’s sleep. I watched Cat sleep, eyes weary and body exhausted, listening to her breathing as the morning rays breached through the blinds in the windows.
There was a harsh chill in New York, at least compared to the normal temperatures of LA, and I noticed goosebumps along her arms. Not wanting her to be cold, I gently pulled the comforter up over her shoulders so only her hair peeked out through the lump of fabric.
Several times I wanted to reach out, to cross the distance between us and pull her into my arms like we normally slept. It felt lonely to see her but not be able to touch her, to hold her, and give her warmth that way.
But I didn’t.
I feared that she was still angry. She’d slept in the same bed with me even after our fight probably because we got a room with one bed, and not even she was cruel enough to make me sleep on the floor or the armchair by the window. But still, I took that as a hopeful sign that she wasn’t too angry with me.
I was firm that I was right. All I wanted was to keep her safe for as long as possible, and that meant keeping her out of the loop sometimes. It wasn’t an issue of trust, because God knew I trusted that woman with my life. Instead, it was to make sure she doesn’t get pulled down because of me, or like Leo said, would be someone to bail me out if things went sideways.
I hoped she would see my side, no matter how impossible that seemed. We were both stubborn creatures, and neither of us was willing to give in easily.
Eventually, six o’clock rolled around and I knew that if I wasn’t going to sleep, It would be better to get ready for the day. We were flying back later in the day due to Cat having class tomorrow. I hated ending our trip like this—in a fight with no resolution—but it was inevitable that she would find out.
She wasn’t stupid. I knew she was wickedly smart. But I had been hoping to keep it a secret for a little longer, at least until the trip was over, but the cat had come screaming out of the bag and once it had, I couldn’t stuff it back in.
I rolled out of bed, grabbing my suitcase and carelessly grabbing a handful of clothes. I headed for the bathroom, a sigh on my lips as I took one last glance at the peacefully sleeping woman in our bed.
At least one of us got a good night’s sleep, I thought as I stepped into the shower. The hot water beating down on my sore muscles was a relief, and I probably stayed in there for a little longer than I normally would, just letting the water run down my back.
I stepped out of the shower, throwing on my clothes until I reached what I had thought was a shirt. It turned out I had grabbed two different pairs of pants and I groaned to myself.
I left the bathroom shirtless, and I was a bit surprised to see Cat sitting up in bed, bleary-eyed but awake. There was a pile of clothes at her feet, and I knew she had been waiting for me.
“Hey,” I said calmly, trying not to show how much my heart was thudding in my chest.
After our fight yesterday, Cat hadn’t said a word to me, and I was hoping at least we could talk about something today. The silent treatment had always been the worst punishment for me.
Much to my chagrin, she was quiet, just staring at me indifferently.
“The shower’s all yours,” I said, hopefully, trying to break the ice. “Water’s still hot, I hope.”
My attempt at a joke went on deaf ears, and whereas Cat would normally tease me for it or groan at how bad it was, she just quietly nodded.
“Thanks.”
That was the only word she said as she got out of bed, clutching her clothes. She slipped past me to the shower and on instinct, feeling guilty and all shades of bad, I reached out to catch her hand with a soft, “Hey, about last night—”
My eyes widened as Cat fully dodged me, not even glancing at me as she stood in the doorway. I heard her breathe out a sigh, a technique for remaining calm I had noticed she used a lot. My hand, useless in the air, trembled. Never had she dodged my touch… never.
“Cat—” My voice shook.
“Forget it.” She said coldly, and then she shut the door in my face.
I stood there blankly long after I heard the shower start, staring at the floor as I ran her actions over and over in my head like a bad movie I didn’t want to see. But this wasn’t fiction.
This was the reality I lived in.
And the woman I loved wouldn’t speak to me.
I finally turned away, limbs feeling heavier than usual and the colors a little less bright as I clumsily threw on a shirt, hastily buttoning it up as I took a seat on the edge of the bed, not even thinking anymore.
It wasn’t until I heard the shower stop and Cat came out fully dressed that I realized that this wasn’t what I wanted. Cat was my world, and I wasn’t going to accept this coldness.
“I can’t take this anymore,” I said firmly to Cat, my eyes focused on her figure as she stuffed things back into her suitcase.
Her back stiffened and I could tell she was listening, but she didn’t say anything.
“Cat, we have to talk about this.”
She turned around a frown on her lips and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall. “Fine then. Talk about what?”
I swallowed, forming sentences in my head at break-neck speed. “I didn’t mean to make you think I don’t trust you. It’s not about that because I trust you with my life—you are everything to me, Cat. I just want you to be safe, and the best way to do that is to make sure you can’t be tied to the… unsavory parts of the… business.”
“Right,” Cat responded shortly. “Then let me ask you this.”
She pushed off the wall, coming to stand before me with an impatient look. “Do you want me to be involved in this with you?”
“Of course I do.” I got to my feet, reaching out for her, but she side-stepped me for the second time this morning and I couldn’t deny the hurt I felt.
She looked me straight in the eyes, with no sign of any emotion other than an expectancy for answers. I let my hand drop to my side.
“But it’s not that simple, Cat. Don’t you get it? I need you to be safe. What we’re doing is dangerous, and getting you involved any further would mean incriminating you too. I can’t allow that.”