Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 317 -

*Olivia*

I woke up with less of a hangover than I had thought I would have, a small blessing. I was glad not to have a pounding headache, but I was starving. Instead of taking the time to get properly dressed, I pulled on some sweats that I had left lying on the floor beside my bed and wandered downstairs. I was too hungry to care who saw me looking like shit.

When I got to the kitchen, I found Dahlia and Tallon already awake and in the middle of breakfast. Had I really slept that late? I guessed that explained why I wasn't feeling too hungover; I must have slept right through it. "Would you like some, signora?" Maria asked me.

"Yes, please, thank you," I said while selfconsciously brushing my hair behind my ears. Something about being served while looking like I had just rolled out of bed made me feel like I didn't belong. I regretted letting my stomach do the thinking instead of just taking the time to get dressed.

As if to further mock the fact that I looked like I had recently been hit by a Mack truck, Tallon and Dahlia were both looking polished and put together. Even in spite of her cast, Dahlia had managed to put on full makeup with a cute sundress that made her look effortlessly beautiful. I sat next to her, trying to force the comparisons I was making between the two of us out of my head. It was never a good idea to start comparing looks with a best friend.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, wanting to know if I had a chance of seeing Giovani this morning. Our little make-up and make-out session last night had left me wanting more. I was glad I had chosen not to sleep with him, but today I realized that I was hungry for more than just breakfast.

"Alessandro and Giovani left some time before dawn this morning," Tallon said, not offering any more information.

I tried not to look too disappointed.

Maria set a plate with a freshly baked chocolate pastry in front of me then turned around to begin cleaning up the kitchen. I nodded gratefully and began to shovel it in as fast as I could. Manners be damned... hangover hunger had turned me into a monster, and the only way to get rid of it was to eat. I practically moaned as the chocolate melted on my tongue.

Ignoring me, my best friend sighed loudly. "I think I'm going to die of boredom," Dahlia sighed dramatically before flopping her head forward onto the counter.

I ignored her, too, and focused on my plate.

"Be careful with the dramatics; you're going to reopen your wound," Tallon said dryly.

I chuckled at the two of them. There really was nobody else who made me feel so much at home as they did. My pastry mostly gone, I was finally returning to normal.

"No, I think she's right, Tallon," I said. "Dahlia might be bulletproof, but she's not boredom-proof."

Tallon rolled his eyes, refusing to justify my ridiculous statement with an answer.

"Exactly!" Dahlia took what I had said and ran with it. "I'm NOT boredom-proof, and I'm going to die. Oh, Tallon, won't you take us out for an adventure? Please? If it will keep your darling sister alive?" She proceeded to whine in an annoying wordless way that she had perfected as a child.

I looked on in amusement, wondering if it would work as well now as it did when we were kids. Sure enough, after just a few seconds of her irritating whimpers, Tallon held up his hands in defeat.

"Fine! Fine, just stop that! We can go for a drive. But if anything happens, I'm telling Gio it was your idea."

"Yay!" Dahlia jumped up and clapped her hands before wincing when she hurt herself. She must've momentarily forgotten her sitches.

Tallon glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. "Were you planning on wearing that? I mean, no judgment or anything, but we are in Italy."

"Tallon! That's rude!" Dahlia exclaimed, shoving him in the shoulder before turning to me and actually noticing what I was wearing for the first time. "Okay, actually, Olive, he's not wrong. You've got to change."

I threw my head back and laughed. It was so nice to forget about my issues with Gio and Alessandro and just enjoy my friends.

"Alright, alright," I said as if they had worn me down. "I guess I'll go change so I can be presentable. I'd hate to embarrass you."

Without missing a beat, Tallon responded, "You think the clothes matter?" I turned and looked at him and he grinned at me, obviously teasing. "Okay, we leave in fifteen."

I shook my head. Someday I would have to remind him that other girls might not understand his sense of humor. He was going to get himself into real trouble with a woman who wasn't as understanding as me.

Fifteen minutes later, we were driving through the gates of the compound in Tallon's car. The windows were tinted so nobody could see in, but Dahlia begged Tallon to roll them down so we could feel the breeze.

He obliged for a few minutes, then rolled them back up, citing safety concerns. Although he kept his tone of voice light, I could tell that he was genuinely worried. I wondered how much of it was due to actual threats and how much of it was just paranoia after Dahlia's kidnapping.

We drove for about twenty minutes, just reminiscing and laughing about our favorite childhood memories. I was settled in the backseat, taking in the gorgeous view of the city. I didn't think I would ever be able to fully understand just how I had managed to get lucky enough to live here.

"I know what we need. Let me take you to my favorite gelato shop. It's just one street over," Tallon said.

Dahlia and I both cheered. We would never get tired of authentic gelato.

At the gelato shop, I was overwhelmed with the flavor options. Since I had already had chocolate for breakfast, I decided on a scoop of lemon. The sweet woman who ran the shop said that I had made a great choice, and I felt pleased, as if I had passed some sort of test. I knew it was silly, but I loved receiving praise of any kind, even over something as small as choosing the right ice cream flavor.

Once we all had our gelato, we walked down the sidewalk to do some window shopping. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. There was the slightest breeze that tugged at the bottom of my dress and made the ends of my hair flutter around me, but the sun was shining warmly on my face.

It was the type of weather that made anything feel possible, and paired with the fact that I was literally walking around Italy with two of my best friends, I didn't think the day could get any better.

We wandered in and out of a few of the shops. Every so often, something would catch our eye, and we'd drag the other two over to it. Dahlia was particularly enchanted by a display of dainty jewelry, each of the gems so tiny they just looked like small pinpricks of light as the bracelets and necklaces were moved around.

With a smile, Tallon bought us matching bracelets from the display. They were made of dainty yellow gold chains with rainbow gems spotting them. I absolutely loved it. As soon as he paid, we put them on each other and admired them in the sunlight.

"Thank you so much, Tallon. You didn't have to do that," I gushed.

"I wanted to. You both have been through a lot since you've been here, but I want you to remember the beautiful days too. Now, you'll never forget this day," he said simply. His cheeks turned slightly pink as we both squeezed him into a bear hug.

"Oh, Tallon, you are such a softy," Dahlia laughed.

After a few hours of wandering, we decided to have a picnic in the park. We went to the local alimentari and picked out cheese, homemade bread, and a bundle of grapes. The park had a hill overlooking a small pond, so we decided to set up there. Tallon said it was a good place to sit because he could keep an eye out all around us. He happened to have a large blanket in his trunk that we could sit on. I raised my eyebrows at him when he pulled it out.

"What exactly do you use that for, mister?" I asked jokingly, definitely NOT wanting to know the answer.

"For stargazing of course," he answered.

I couldn't tell if it was one of his jokes or if he was being serious.

We settled onto the blanket and Dahlia began doling out chunks of cheese. We had forgotten to get a knife or even napkins, so we were stuck tearing it off in chunks and popping it into our mouths. I was certain there was no way we would be able to eat all the cheese we had bought, but Dahlia kept insisting on grabbing more and more, and neither Tallon nor I could seem to tell her "no" right now, not when we were still so happy just to have her back. She could eat what she wanted to, but we were both afraid she'd get a stomach ache if she overdid it on the rich cheese.

It reminded me of when we were kids and used to sneak snacks out of the kitchen when it was too close to dinnertime. We would raid the pantry and then run out to the garden to hide behind the rose bushes and enjoy our miniature feast. Of course, our mothers always knew exactly what we had done when just an hour later we refused to eat dinner, but they never seemed to care too much.

"Remember that time we were sliding down the bannister at the house, and when Dad caught us, we thought he was going to yell at us but instead he slid down the bannister too?" Dahlia said.

I laughed. It was one of my favorite memories of James from our childhood. I had been a little bit scared of him growing up, but when he did that, I realized that the serious way he carried himself was just a facade.

"I can't believe he didn't break his neck," Tallon said around a mouthful of cheese.

"I can't believe we didn't break our necks!" I responded.

"A little danger makes life more fun," Dahlia said.

Tallon and I both shuddered.

"I'm just glad we've all made it in one piece," I said. "I'm so happy that we've stayed close all these years."

"Me too," Dahlia sighed. "I love you both."

"I love you both too," I responded.

We both turned to Tallon, waiting for him to say it back to us, but he was staring off into the distance, a concerned look on his face.

"Earth to Tallon." Dahlia poked him in the shoulder and he turned to her.

"Um... what?" he said.

"Well, we were just professing our love for each other and for you."

"Oh, right." he smiled. "I love you both too, even if you can be pains in my ass."

"We are not pains!" Dahlia said indignantly before shoving him.

I laughed at them both. It was just like old times.

Finally, we were so stuffed with cheese we weren't sure if we'd be able to walk back to the car. Dahlia kept begging Tallon to carry her, but he refused. At first she insisted that her bullet wound was acting up, but when she realized we were going to leave her behind, she made a "miraculous" recovery and somehow beat us back to the car.

We had been driving for about five minutes in amicable silence when Tallon said, "Did either of you see that guy who was watching us?"

My blood felt like ice in my veins. I hadn't noticed anything like that. I cursed myself for being so unaware of my surroundings. How was I going to keep myself safe if I didn't notice these things?

"I didn't," I admitted. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Me neither," said Dahlia

"That's alright," he said. "It's not your fault, I was watching out for you both. But when we get back, I'm going to have to give Gabriele a call."

We rode the rest of the way in silence, a feeling of dread stifling all conversation. When we got back to the compound, Tallon left to call Gabriele. Dahlia and I stood there looking at each other uncomfortably.

"Olive," she murmured, as if worried that whoever was watching us this afternoon could somehow hear us now. "I feel really scared."

I reached for her and pulled her into a gentle hug. I kicked myself for being so selfish and only thinking of my feelings. I could only imagine what would happen if someone took me, but Dahlia had actually lived it. "Should we leave Italy?" I asked her, desperately hoping she would say no, but preparing myself for her to say yes.

I didn't want to leave Gio, but I needed to keep my friend safe.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't want to let them have power over me. But at the same time, I don't ever want to go through something like that again."

I nodded and started to lead her to her room. We both needed some rest, but just before we got to her room, we heard yelling.

My heart sped up as I recognized Giovani's voice and then heard a loud thump.