Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 725 : Almost Perfect

*Caterina*

Sleeping late was the greatest gift to mankind. I snuggled up into my blankets, happy and content like a purring kitten for the first time in weeks as the sun slowly rose higher and higher into the sky.

Elio had long since left me with a simple kiss on my forehead and a reminder that he’d be back for dinner while I was half-asleep before I was alone... alone and comfy.

I stretched my limbs like a lazy cat under the sun, curling up deeper into my blankets as I shut my eyes for a longer nap. I knew I would have to get up eventually, but not now. Morning classes were officially over for me, and my first class today wasn’t until after lunch.

I woke up slowly in stages as I came up from dreaming to resting and finally, I couldn’t rest any longer. I slowly pulled myself up to sit, covering my bare front with the blanket as I yawned and rubbed the crust from my eyes.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, checking my email and messages before deciding I would text Anna.

‘Want to ride with me to school?’ I wrote out.

True to Anna’s personality, it was barely even a second before she replied with an enthusiastic number of emojis and exclamation points.

‘Of fucking course! Plus, I’ve got so much to tell you about my date with Elijah! It went so well!’

I chuckled at her, knowing she would talk my ear off once I picked her up. I finally climbed out of bed to get ready for my class. I still had a few hours, and I knew Anna did, too, so I decided to take a long, hot shower.

I decided to go with a pretty bright yellow floral sundress today. Spring was coming, and the temperatures had started to ramp up already.

I strapped on a pair of heeled sandals, packed my school bag, and then made myself a sandwich before I headed out for the day. I made sure to text Elio that I was leaving for school and what time I would be back before I locked the door.

I was in love with the cherry red optima that Elio had surprised me with after my car had broken down. Tired of me stealing his cars and having to adjust the steering wheel and seats every time he got inside, he finally caved and bought me my own.

I had told him I was saving up to buy it, but he insisted as he always did. Now I was saving up to repay him. I would’ve had to get a loan out on it anyway, so paying him was the same thing.

Luckily, I was just as insistent as him. I was sure he was probably funneling my money back to me somehow, but it made me feel less like I owed him.

I got inside, throwing my backpack onto the passenger side as I started it up. Like a dream, she

gently started up and I was off. With the windows down and my favorite songs blaring through the speakers, I truly felt like today was the best day I’d had in a long while.

It was perfect.

Well, almost... except for the black car with tinted windows following me along every road. It was at a distance but absolutely noticeable, especially every time I had to glance in my rearview mirrors. I sighed, knowing it was inevitable since Elio had specifically arranged for them to follow me every time I left the house, but it was still unnerving, and frankly, annoying.

It didn’t take long to get to Anna’s apartment. I pulled into her parking lot, checking to make sure the guards hadn’t followed me in and luckily, they had parked down the street in a restaurant parking lot. I could still see them and they could see me, but it didn’t look like they were hovering around me.

Once I was sure Anna wouldn’t be suspicious, I texted her that I was there, and she came bolting out of the apartment building with a huge grin. Her huge backpack haphazardly thrown over one shoulder jingled very loudly as her dozen keychains and buttons slapped against each other.

She finally reached the car, breathing like she’d run a marathon. She opened the back seat, throwing her bag in there and not caring about the heavy crash.

I gave her an incredulous look as she got into the front seat, pushing my backpack into the back next to hers.

“You’re a mess,” I told her with a shake of my head, starting the car as she buckled up.

“You know it.” She winked as I pulled out of the parking lot. “So, Elijah, right? He is so sweet. Like I swear just being in his presence could give me cavities—that sweet. Oh, and that boy may look innocent, but goddamn, does he know how to use those lips—”

“I’m glad you had fun,” I chuckled.

“I did,” she said proudly, but then she frowned. “There was something weird about it though. At first, he kept asking me about you. I kept trying to change the conversation to get to know him better but somehow, he kept bringing up you. It didn’t feel like he was doing it on purpose either, just unconsciously. I thought maybe it was because you were what we had in common. Anyway, eventually it died down... once his mouth had other priorities.”

She winked at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“So did you find out more about him?” I asked, curiously.

“Not really,” Anna crossed her arms, tilting her head. “He was very... reluctant almost to speak about himself. Like if I asked him what his favorite color was, he’d just say something like, ‘Most people say blue or red is their favorite color,’ which like, yeah, but that doesn’t answer my question. So, I didn’t really find out much, to be honest. At least he doesn’t seem to be a creep or stalker.”

“I guess that’s good?” I said questioningly, giving her a weirded-out glance.

Anna shrugged. “Still, I like him. There was good chemistry, and he seems like a good guy—someone who won’t go abroad, cheat on you, lie to your face about it, and have said the girl he cheated on you with call you up months later and claim she’s pregnant and that I was ruining her life because the said guy isn’t taking responsibility. At least he doesn’t seem like that kind of guy.”

I winced at her nonchalant shrug, like all of it was just the story of some random person on the street or a TV drama but no, that was reality and even more disturbingly, her own life.

Her previous boyfriend, Daniel, was a piece of shit.

And despite taking it all like a champ, I knew she had been deeply affected by it, which was why I was so happy she showed such an interest in Elijah.

But I felt hesitant. Because what if my instincts were right? What if Elijah wasn’t who he said he was, and Anna got hurt this time?

No matter how well things seemed to be going, I hoped that she didn’t get hurt again, no matter how impossible of a task that seemed.

To get rid of my plaguing doubts, I sent a quick text to Elio when Anna wasn’t looking, asking him to look into Elijah. He sent back one as soon as we arrived in the parking lot.

‘Thanks for reminding me. I’ve been meaning to look into him, but I forgot. I’m on it now.’ 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

We arrived at school an hour early. It was only a general education class that we shared, but the professor took punctual attendance very seriously. Half the grade was just attendance, and there was no way we were going to fail such an easy class.

The professor was an old grumpy man who had to be in his sixties or seventies at least. He was very old-fashioned and stood by the doorway as we passed. With a clipboard in his hand and a scowl on his face, he pursed his lips as we passed by, giving us a dark look as he used a Sharpie to scratch off our names.

I thanked him quietly while Anna stuck out her tongue at him once his back was turned. There were still quite a few students not there yet, so I didn’t worry too much about it. We took our seats, chatting until class started and the professor happily announced that four of his students didn’t show up today and would get a fail on their quiz.

Ruthless geezer, I thought with a shake of my head.

The class was boring, and Anna immediately dozed off, head in her arms with a book propped up on her desk to make it look like she was studying. I doodled aimlessly on my notebook, already knowing all of the material anyway since the professor only ever recited from the book we’d already read.

By the end of class, I could barely keep my eyes open, but I had managed to draw a dragon out of squares. I woke up Anna, waiting for her to gather up her stuff before we headed out. Luckily, this was our only class today.

“So, what do you wanna do?” Anna asked chipperly as she bounced beside me down the hallway. “We could go to the mall and have a little shopping spree. Or what about that new movie that came out?”

“The zombie movie?” I gave her a weird look.

“Duh. I’ve seen every zombie movie to date. I’m not missing this one,” Anna said firmly. “Or we could—” She cut herself off, a look of anger flashing across her face as she halted in her steps. She glared over her shoulder and then said, “Excuse me while I beat some stalker’s ass.”

I barely had time to blink before she yelled out, “Hey, assholes!” and took off down the hallway.

I paled as I noticed exactly who the “stalkers” she was referring to were. My two guards, attempting to look casual in T-shirts and jeans, were hovering just down the hall, and both tensed up as Anna chose the shortest one, getting in his face with a snarl.

“Why the hell are you following us, huh? Think we’re an easy target? Well, think again, asshole!”

“I’m not. You’re imagining things, little girl,” my guard said cooly.

Luckily, he knew who she was and hadn’t brought out his gun. Anna wasn’t a threat, or so I thought.

Anna’s eyes narrowed at him. “Don’t think I won’t kick you in the groin if you try to follow us!” she hollered.

I ran over. “Hey, hey, It’s not like that, I swear! Anna—”

I tried to pull her away, but she wasn’t budging, squaring up to face the guy fearlessly.

“Anna, he’s with me!” I yelled.

“What?” That snapped her out of it, and she turned to me with a frown. “With you? What the hell are you talking about?”

I glanced around us. Dozens of eyes were staring at us. “Not here,” I hissed to her quietly, “Come with me.” I grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her out of there.

“What the hell, Cat? You have guys following you now and you didn’t tell me? What the fuck is going on?” Anna shouted all the way.

I sighed, spinning around to face her once we were outside.

Anna frowned, crossing her arms, and I could see the suspicion and confusion in her eyes. At this point, I knew what I had to do.

She was too smart to let it go or to believe some lies or half-truths. I had to tell her. She deserved to know anyway.

“Look, not here, Anna. This conversation deserves a meal and maybe some wine, my treat,” I told my best friend with a sigh.

I only hoped she’d still be my best friend after all this was over.