Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 1001 : Cheers

*Bianca*

Three months later

“Cheers!”

Through the clinks of the beer glasses, the wide smiles, and the laughter, I sat there smiling as I watched my three best friends in the world celebrate. I shifted on the uncomfortable bench seat I had to myself while the other three downed their glasses of foamy crafts, each with a delectable smell that hit my nose.

“Ha!” Amara sighed as she set down her drink while Taylor immediately turned around to signal for three more glasses. Isabela’s nose and cheeks were pink already, a grin sliding across her lips as she stared hungrily at the fancy cake in the middle of the table.

“You know,” I said with an ironic smile, “Most people don’t choose to celebrate their friend’s pregnancy by getting drunk at a bar. For obvious reasons.”

“To be fair, we’re only celebrating your completion of normal classes, not the actual pregnancy,” Isabela corrected immediately. “But yes, it’s not common.”

“This was the only place open since we all had night classes,” Taylor defended, though he did crumble a bit under my piercing look. He swiveled around in his chair to face the waitress as she refilled their glasses, pretending he didn’t see me.

“Oh come on, we got you a fruit mocktail,” Amara said, gesturing to the mug I’d taken only a few tiny sips of. It was good but not the specialty of the brewery they’d chosen. “And this place is banging, you know.”

I glanced around the ‘banging’ brewery which was empty except for our little table in the middle of the room. The servers hovered around the bar and kitchen, staring at us openly. Of course, Leo had gotten his hands on the plans and though he hadn’t been able to attend due to work, he’d still bought the place out for the night.

None of them seemed bothered by it though.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at the antics of my friends. Taylor, who was flirting with the waitress to get them a few free beers, Amara happily drank down anything given to her and Isabela as she openly eyed the cake.

They were a mess. But they were my mess.

Once the appetizers came along, I felt a sharp pang from my belly. I laid a hand over where I’m sure my spleen had been only a few months ago, glaring down at the spawn in my belly. I’d tripled in size from when I was only five months along, and now I felt like a beached whale in the sand.

I leaned against the stone wall, sighing at how uncomfortable it felt. Sometimes I swear the baby had four little feet all kicking different organs at the same time.

“Still driving you nuts?” Amara asked, curiously, eyes sparkling as they did whenever she thought of the baby. She was more excited about the little demon than I was. “I still have dibs on throwing your baby shower, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re the only one who volunteered anyway,” I chuckled, rubbing my belly. It was a habit I’d grown fond of doing, somehow it always made the little one in my belly calm down. And any time they weren’t kicking my bladder was a win in my book.

With all the stuff that happened with the Angels, it was inevitable that my baby shower got pushed off. Leo had been incredibly busy the past few months cleaning up the remnants of the damage. I understood but it did make me feel a little bit lonely not to have him here with me.

I snacked on some of the appetizers, chatting with my friends as they drank beers like it was water. I was just about to call it a night. My back ached from carrying so much extra weight and I’d secretly slipped my shoes off my swollen feet.

Isabela had passed out, her fourth beer left unfinished as her head laid flat out on the table with no sign of movement.

Taylor and Amara were having a contest by drinking the around-the-world shot platter- beer mixes from a variety of countries. Taylor shuddered as he picked up Iceland’s, blanching as he read the little card that said ‘made with sheep-dung smoked whale’s testicles’.

“Do it,” Amara challenged, looking green in the face but determined as she held her own shot of ‘Scotland’s’. I wasn’t sure what was in it but considering it was named ‘Snake Venom’, I had a pretty good guess.

Either way, this was not going to be pretty.

“It’s getting late, I should probably-” I tried to escape, smiling tensely as I got up from my seat.

“Don’t you dare!” Amara warned with a glare. “We haven’t even cut the cake yet!”

“I made the cake!” Isabela blurted out, jolting straight upwards from the table with a wide grin. She’d been here before any of us and I was pretty sure she’d had a few other things beforehand considering how red her face was.

“Right...” Taylor nodded and then slowly reached out to pat Isabela on the head. “Good job.”

“Yay,” She muttered, slumping over until her forehead crashed back onto the table.

“Okay, then. Let’s do it,” Amara snapped back to the contest immediately, her competitive spirit on fire as she and Taylor glared at one another. “One. Two. Three!”

They both drink at the same time and I winced in pity.

Almost immediately, Taylor turned a bright purple color, struggling to swallow the beer in his mouth and he went so still I worried for a moment he might keel over and just die right then and there.

Amara on the other hand swallowed her beer but her entire body trembled. I could even see goosebumps rising along her arms, her hair standing up with friction as she and Taylor stared at one another in pure regret.

Taylor swallowed though, opening his mouth only to let out a puff of air. Neither said a word, just silently putting the shot glasses back on the table with traumatized looks.

I shook my head at their dumbassery.

“That was almost worth coming tonight,” I smirked, crossing my arms.

“Agreed,” A silky smooth voice called out from behind us. One I recognized immediately as my fiance.

“Leo!” I beamed, as I saw him appear. He had a smirk on his handsome face, looking at Taylor and Amara amused as they shrunk in embarrassment at his pointed looks. He chuckled, striding over to me with purpose. He leaned over my chair to kiss me on the lips, small and chaste. It didn’t convey nearly how much I had missed him over the past few months.

He grabbed a chair and pulled it beside me.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” I said, laying my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around my waist. I sighed in relief from the extra support.

“I got off early so I thought I’d come by to pick you up. I didn’t know I’d see such a great scene,” Leo laughed, especially as Taylor and Amara glared at him.

“Jerk,” Amara muttered under her breath as Taylor just groaned, slamming his head into the table along with Isabela. I heard him give a loud belch and then shudder afterward.

“Ew. Whale testicle burp,” Amara scrunched up her nose, sliding towards Isabela.

“Luckily, there’s this tasty-looking cake to wash it down, right?” Leo grinned, teasingly at Taylor who just shook his head hurriedly, not willing to even raise his head.

Leo cut me and him a piece. I smiled as soon as I took a bite. The perfect combination of sweet and fluffy, it seemed to melt in my mouth with how soft and spongy it was. I hummed happily, taking another bite.

“This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted,” I said happily. Taylor and Amara sent me happy looks while Isabela slowly picked up her head to give me a fuzzy smile.

“That’s good,” She mumbled.

“Hm,” Leo hummed then leaned over to me with a playful smirk as he gently flicked his thumb over the corner of my mouth, picking up a bit of icing I’d missed as he slowly and teasingly licked it up. “Not nearly as sweet as you taste.”

“Leo!” I blushed a bright red as my friends laughed and I stabbed the cake with the fork, all of it coming in one piece as I shoved it into Leo’s open mouth. He choked on the cake, giving me wide eyes as I smugly glared at him.

“Oh, I got to get a picture of this,” Amara immediately snapped up his camera, and Leo glared at him as he tried to swallow down the rest of the slice of cake.

Taylor then pushed over one of the shot glasses with a smirk. “Here, something to help it go down.”

I laughed, my cheeks flushing as Leo took the bait, almost gagging on the beer and frosting mixture.

It was getting late though and Leo and I wrapped up the rest of the cake, making sure my friends had ridden home since they’d been drinking before we left. I sighed as we stepped outside, dropping my shoulders as I stretched my aching back.

We weren’t even standing outside for a minute before I received a video call on my phone. Leo crowded me to his side, looking over my shoulder as I answered. My entire family was crammed on the screen with my mom in the middle.

“Congratulations, Bianca!” They cheered happily for me and I grinned widely at the sight of them. Everyone fought over themselves to tell me how much they missed me, bombarding us both with questions. Leo was less overwhelmed after spending time with them in Italy and masterfully answered anything they came up with.

Mom made sure to remind me about the plans we’d made. She insisted on flying over in about half a month so she could be here when I gave birth and help for the first few months after the baby was born.

“I’m so excited for my grandbaby,” Mom said, her eyes sparkling with happiness and I loved how vibrant she looked. Even with her gray hair, she was still young in my eyes.

“We are too, though we still need to find a name we can agree on,” I chuckled, rubbing my belly.

“Well, I won’t hold you any longer. You take care of my baby, you hear me, Leo?” Mom said, sternly, easing up once Leo nodded firmly. “Love you both. Bye!”

“Bye!” I waved goodbye to the family. I couldn’t begin to describe how happy I felt. I felt like everything was finally falling into place. We were in a place of peace and safety, the baby on the way and our future right there at our fingertips.

“Let’s get you home, then,” Leo smiled, laying a kiss on my forehead.

“‘Kay,” I mumbled, suppressing a yawn as Leo led me back to his car.

Of course, things never went that easily.

As soon as we got buckled up and ready, our peace was disturbed by the tone of Leo’s phone as it rang. I stiffened, knowing immediately what was about to happen. Disappointment filled my mouth as I glanced at Leo.

He answered, looking just as tired as I was. I didn’t listen, turning to stare out the window as he replied in curt answers. The tightness in his throat let me know that what I was fearing was right. He hung up, plunging us into silence for a few good minutes.

“I have to go back to work,” Leo said quietly.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.” I sighed, glancing over at Leo as we pulled into the compound. I wasn’t happy in the least about the development. I missed him so much but there was nothing I could do about it. I gave him a half-hearted attempt at a smile.

“Come home soon,” I pleaded. He nodded, giving me a short kiss before I got out of the car by myself. He waited in the driveway until I was safely inside the house and then I watched through the window as he pulled out and drove away.

Out of breath already, I settled down on the couch in the empty and dark living room, feeling like the house was much colder without him here. I rubbed my belly, hoping this wasn’t an omen to come. That this wasn’t what our lives would be like. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

I can only hope this loneliness won’t last much longer.