Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
I winced, preparing myself for a little bit of her truth-hurts routine.
“Gio is not in the wrong. It is a good thing that he is looking into Salvatore because it can’t hurt to find out what his motives are.”
“Is it so hard to believe that he might just want a relationship with me?” I sat up, my eyes shining with all the hurt I’d felt. “Am I so unlovable that it’s impossible for him not to have ulterior motives?”
“Don’t even go there, Olive,” Dahlia growled, sending me an irritated glance. “You are extremely loved by so many people and sure, it’s possible that… man–” She spat out like it was a curse word. “–is telling the truth. Maybe he really does just want to be in your life and make up, but you can’t know that for sure. Nobody can!”
“But–”
“No buts!” She hushed me, and Elio unturned to look at us with wide eyes, startled by her statement. She sent him a soft glance. “Sorry, munchkin. Here.”
She leaned over to pull the lever of his toy and his attention was sucked back in as it cried out “Il gatto dice Meow!”
“Meow!” he repeated happily, clapping like a seal as he laughed.
Dahlia sighed and turned back to me with a softer glance. “If he is in this for the right reasons, then great. All the merrier. But if he’s not–” She sighed, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight. “If he’s not, then at least you’ll know. You won’t be blindsided and have Elio and Gio be put at risk with you. Because that’s what you have to think about now. Sal isn’t important. The important ones are your husband who loves you to bits and your son whose annoying toy is driving me nuts.”
She sent said toy an irritated glance as it landed on Meow again and Elio threw his hands above his head, toppling onto his back as he broke down into giggles.
I smiled at my son, even though I felt like my heart had been stabbed with shards of glass. She was right–Elio was the most important thing.
Dahlia nodded at me reassuringly and then stretched her arms above her head as she said, “I have to go take a shower! I’ve got a date. See you later, munchkin.”
She climbed to her feet, rubbing the curls on his hair before she left, shutting the door behind her. This left me and Elio and the toy.
He stared at me, his wide, innocent eyes hard to ignore as he crawled over to me, landing his little bum right in my lap, and then dragged his toy over as well. He gazed up at me expectantly, the toy clutched in his hands, and offered it up to me.
I sighed, resigning myself to my fate as I gently pulled on the lever. It rotated and we both watched with bated breath before it cried out, “La mucca dice Moo!”
“Moo!” I shouted just as Elio did as well and I grabbed him into my arms, holding him like a teddy bear as I fell onto my back, pulling him with me and he howled with laughter. He happily snuggled into my arms, his giggles fading as he yawned.
He was getting tired now and I hummed softly, running my hands through his curls as I thought back to everything Dahlia had said.
I didn’t really know my dad–Sal–not truly. Maybe he was honest, maybe he wasn’t. But there was one person who might know whether he was telling the truth or not.
I fished my phone out of my back pocket, trying not to move Elio as he laid on me like I was his pillow. I opened up my phone, flipped it to the speaker phone, and laid it beside me. It picked up in the second ring with a groggy, “Hello?”
“Hey, Mom,” I said casually.
“Hey, baby. How’s everything?”
I hummed. “I wanted to ask you a few questions… about Dad.”
She fell silent, just like she had the few times I had tried to bring him up before she headed back to the States. It was just like whenever I had asked about him as a child, but I was an adult now and I deserved answers.
“What about him?” She sighed, giving up.
“Did you know he got involved with the mob?”
“Yes,” she answered unhappily. “I knew, but I never got involved with it until I got pregnant with you. That’s when I started begging him to stop. I told him it was getting too dangerous but he just couldn’t. He said he liked the chaos–the danger and the power that it brought him. It was more important to him than I was.”
Doubt crept into my heart. I thought I had just made up my mind about him but now….
No, there was no way. I ignored the thoughts, stuffing them away into the back of my mind as I pushed onward.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth that he left to protect us?” I asked, preparing for the worst.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” She sighed. “Could be, but… your father was a dangerous man when I knew him, Olivia. Looking back on it now, I realize how obsessed and conceited he truly was. He testified against his best friend to the police so he could get away scot-free. His only loyalty was to himself. I find it difficult to believe he’s changed, but I honestly can’t say. He could be a different man than he was then. It’s not impossible. Just be careful with him, baby.”
“Okay,” I murmured quietly, my mind thrust into turmoil.
She said goodbye, hanging up, and I stared at the ceiling.
Elio let out a soft snore and I shut my eyes as I thought back to my childhood. All those times when I was a little girl and I had wished on stars at midnight for my father to come back, to give me a reason for why he wasn’t there–it was the only thing I dreamt of.
I really wanted this all to work out but as I slipped into unconsciousness, I also had to admit to myself that wishful thinking wouldn’t keep my family safe.
*Giovani*
“Un altro!” the chorus of a dozen rowdy men yelled as they slammed their empty beer bottles onto the table.
I watched it rattle under my hand with an unimpressed look, the dishes clinking and clattering together from the sheer force of the slam.
“Idiots,” I said under my breath as I watched one of the men grab another by the head and give him a noogie, boisterous laughter ringing throughout the private room I’d paid for. Good thing too, otherwise, we’d have definitely gotten some complaints.
The poor terrified server girl stared at us from the corner with an open mouth, taking in a dozen men in their twenties to fifties and drinking like there was no tomorrow.
“Remind me to give her a huge tip.” I sighed, glancing to my right as Gabriele was currently counting the nearly thousand dollars he’d just won from the men on a rigged bet with a cunning smirk on his face. “Or better yet, you pay for it.”
“No way,” He glared at me, holding the money to his chest like it was precious. “This is going for my vacation fund.”
“Please, if you really wanted a vacation, you could take one at any time.” I rolled my eyes, grabbing the iced tea I’d so delicately ordered and taking a sip. Like Olivia, I’d been keeping the alcohol to a minimum so we could both stay sober for Elio. I could protect my family better with a clear head. The tea wasn’t great, but what could I expect from a place that specialized in bar food and alcohol?
“It’s about the principle,” Gabriele said arrogantly, then smirked at the sour look on my face.
I sneered down at the relatively untouched plate of flatbread in front of me. I reluctantly took a bite of the flatbread, the cold food not appetizing in the least and the taste even worse–boring and bland. Even the food here was mediocre.
Whoever chose this miserable restaurant was getting fired tomorrow.
I swallowed, chasing it down with the iced tea and finally giving up on the meal. As I did, Gabriele glanced at me with an amused look.
“I told you you should’ve gotten their spicy vodka rigatoni. It’s a homemade specialty,” Gabriele boasted, gesturing to his plate that looked like it had been licked clean by a dog. “Delicious.”
“That’s alright.” I glared at him. Even the house special in that place was suspect.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “But you can stop glaring at everyone as if we all dragged you here without your consent. It’s not our fault you’re sober, old man.”
“You’re the same age as me,” I bit out, crossing my arms.
He grinned, slicking his hair back from his face, “But I’m in better shape.”
“Sei un idiota,” I huffed, turning back to the men.
“E tu sei un demone,” Gabriel retorted without a conscience.
