Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 295 -

*Olivia*

The chill of the night swept across me as soon as I slipped out of Giovani's room. The cold was permeating, but it didn't bother me as much as it had before.

I felt bad leaving Giovani, especially with those sad eyes he'd given me, but I knew I did the right thing. We both needed time to clear our heads and figure out what we wanted.

If our relationship was going to work, we needed to be on the same page, and at the moment, we just weren't.

I tip-toed across the bare floorboards, wishing I had brought my slippers. Just when I made it to my room, I heard the creaking of someone else's footsteps from down the hall, where Alessandro's and Tallon's rooms were.

My mind went blank with panic as I opened my door and slipped in, shutting it quietly. I heard a door opening down the hall just as my door closed.

Inside my room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped nobody saw me because I didn't have a valid excuse for being out of bed.

Again.

I crept into bed, sliding under the covers as I grabbed my pillow and held it tightly in my lap. I was still awake for the moment, despite the growing comfort of being in bed.

I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, which had 2:43 flashing at me in red lights, highlighting just how late it was... or early, depending on how you looked at it.

I did some quick calculations in my head about what time it would be in the States. I nodded to myself and grabbed my phone, unplugging it. The battery was fully charged already, so I opened the lock screen and dived into my contacts.

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over 'Mom' before I shook my doubts away and pressed call. The phone rang once and then twice before I finally heard a soft "Hello?" from the other side.

"Mom." I smiled in relief, already feeling better. Just hearing her voice was enough to lighten my spirits.

"Olivia? Isn't it late over there?" my mom asked.

I could imagine the way she would be frowning at me, with disapproval forming on the edges of her lips. Even thinking of the way wrinkles would form on her forehead as she stared me down was nostalgic.

I'd missed home a bit more than I'd thought.

"Yeah, sorry, I just couldn't sleep," I said quietly. "I was hoping you could help me clear my thoughts about something."

"Is there something wrong, honey? I heard that Dahlia was safe," Mom said.

"She is," I told her. "She's in the hospital, but they said she's doing well. There's a long way to a full recovery, but she'll be okay."

"Oh, that's good." Mom breathed a sigh of relief. "So what's troubling you, baby?"

I smiled at the endearment. No matter how many times I had told her not to call me that when I was younger, she had always insisted that I was still her baby and always would be. Dahlia used to tease me about it until I found out she still called her dad 'Daddy.'

She'd always been a daddy's girl.

I'd always been closer to my mom, to be honest. My biological father had taken off when I was young, and I didn't remember anything about him. She always seemed like it never affected her, telling me stories about him and how similar we were.

But I had caught her crying a few times when I was little. I always wondered why he left us behind, even thinking it was my fault when I was little. But eventually, I grew up and realized it had nothing to do with me or Mom. He left because he didn't want us, simple as that.

I was happy when Mom married my stepfather. She seemed much happier with him, and he was good for her. Kept her control issues down and mellowed her out, despite how much younger he was. "Hey, Mom," I asked hesitantly. "Are you happy with Steven?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I waited anxiously for her answer.

"What is this about, Olivia?" she asked, concerned. "Is there something you're not telling me? I thought you and Steven got along great-"

"No, Mom. It's not that. Steven's great," I assured her. "I just... does it ever bother you that you and Steven have such a big age gap? It's almost twenty years, right? Does that ever cause problems between you two?" "Olivia," she said softly, "age gaps don't matter with adults. So long as they both consent to the relationship and are of legal age, there isn't any problem with it. I love Steven, and he loves me. Do we have differences in opinions and like different things? Of course, we do. There are a lot of things I can't relate to him about because he's younger, but that doesn't mean we don't get along or we fight about it."

"But... doesn't it bother you that there are some things you can't agree on? He's less mature than you, so doesn't that get on your nerves?" The words went flying out of my mouth, my own anxieties portrayed on them, and I regretted it as soon as I said it.

"Olivia," Mom said sternly. "What on earth is this about? Steven and I are great. Why are you-" She paused, the phone going dead silent, and I was so startled, I pulled the phone away from my ear to check if we were still connected. We were, of course.

"Mom?" I asked worriedly.

I flinched when she suddenly squealed right into my ears like a schoolgirl talking about a crush.

"Oh my gosh, you met someone didn't you?" she babbled out, clearly excited. "Is he older than you? Is that why you're worrying about all this? Oh my gosh, my baby is in love!"

"No, Mom," I laughed, only feeling a tiny bit guilty lying to her. "I was just wondering."

I had never been in love before. I wasn't even sure what it was or if it even existed like others said it did. I saw the way James and Becca were and my mom and Steven, but sometimes, it felt more like a play to me than actual real life. I wasn't in love with Giovani, and even if I was, I had no clue how to tell that. I liked him, and I was attracted to him, but love? It was way too early for that.

"Aw." Mom sounded disappointed through the phone but quickly regained her pep. "Well, if that's what you're wondering about, I'll tell you. Do you think James and Becca are happy together?"

"Yes," I answered right away.

There was no doubt in my mind they were happy. The number of times Dahlia and I had walked in on them publicly smooching was enough to scar me for life, and Dahlia, too. Luckily, Tallon found it sweet, if a little bit gross. "Do you think me and Steven are happy?" she prompted.

"Yes," I nodded.

The huge smile on her face when they got married was one of the best things I'd ever seen. She'd never smiled like that before. The age around her face just seemed to melt away when she was with him.

It helped that Steven was a very affectionate person, I'd learned. They gravitated toward each other when they were in the same room without even realizing it.

"Good." My mother sounded bright and happy over the phone, and I could imagine her big smile now. "So if Steven and I are happy and James and Becca are happy, doesn't that answer your question?" "Not really," I frowned.

"I forgot how dense you can be, Olivia," my mom said, a bit of sarcasm coming through the phone.

"Hey," I said defensively, but I knew she was right. I was only beginning to realize after this trip how truly oblivious I could be.

"Age doesn't matter when the relationship is strong. As long as the two people are happy, then there is nothing else that matters, Olivia," my mom said quite passionately, but then her voice lowered, a sly tone to it. "And if you are happy to replace yourself in love with someone older than you, you shouldn't let anyone stop you, okay?"

The effect of her words were instantaneous. I gripped my pillow, a smile curling up my face as a warm, fluttery feeling burst in my stomach.

I always thought I never needed permission, that I made my own decisions regardless of what anyone else thought, but I was more anxious about this than I first realized.

I was worried about Dahlia replaceing out then Tallon and Alessandro. I was worried about what everyone else thought except for me and Giovani.

Mom was right. The only people who could stop me from being with Giovani was me or Giovani. If we were happy, then nothing else should matter.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, my voice wavering with emotion.

"Of course, baby." She chuckled. "Now, how are you doing with all this craziness?"

"Well-" I hesitated, then I decided it was better to just come out with it rather than get arrested for assault against shrubbery.

Like a Band-Aid, Mom always used to say, I'd just rip it off.

"I finally found out what James and Becca used to do for a living," I told her with a soft smile, "Kinda crazy stuff."

"Oh, I heard!" Mom laughed. "James was discussing it on the phone with the nice man over there, Giovani was it? Apparently, they had to spell it out for you. I told him that was my girl for you, dense as a black hole." "Mom," I whined, my face flushing at the thought. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Honey, I signed an NDA as soon as I started working with them. I legally could not tell you anything. I can't tell you how many times I had to clean up after James before you kids saw something you weren't supposed to. It honestly shocks me you didn't catch on quicker."

"Yeah, well, sorry for being a black hole," I grumpily replied.

"I'm just teasing, dear," Mom chuckled. "But it is getting late, and you need to get some sleep. I can tell time just as well as you, and it's way past your bedtime."

"Okay, Mom," I laughed. "I'll try."

"No, try-you will," she said sternly, a strong sense of nostalgia filling me at the order.

"Yes, Mom." I nodded obediently, even if she couldn't see me. "I love you."

"Love you, too, baby. Goodnight."

"Night," I said.

I waited until I heard the phone call end. I sighed, placing my phone on the nightstand as I collapsed into bed.

I felt free in a way, like the pressure I'd been carrying had been lifted off me. I wondered if this was how Atlas would feel if he had someone help him hold up the world. With a smile on my face, I curled up into my bed and quickly drifted off.

I finally slept-without any nightmares this time.