Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 927 : Memory Lane

*Bianca*

Leo hesitated outside the bedroom door. He was probably waiting, assuming I’d give in and let him in. I didn’t. I needed to be away from him so I could think for myself. To hear my own thoughts instead of his or Taylor’s.

Once I finally heard Leo’s footsteps fade away, I hurried to grab my cell phone out of my handbag. I pulled up Mia’s contact number and hit the call button.

“I know you might be feeling upset,” she started, answering on the first ring.

“You could have at least given me a heads up that you sent Taylor!” I expressed.

“I was just looking out for you, Bianca. With everything that has been happening over there with Michael, all the close calls with you already, I couldn’t take a chance of something happening to you,” she continued to explain herself.

“Trust me, my dear cousin, I know how dangerous it is to be in a relationship with, not only a man in the mafia, but a leader in the mafia. I wanted to make sure I had a way of knowing you were protected in the instance that Leo could not fulfill his duty to protect you himself,” Mia went on.

I listened, trying to make myself understand where she had been coming from. She was just concerned for my safety, I told myself.

“I hate to say this, but you’re in over your head right now, just like when you got together with Matteo, despite my warnings,” she said firmly. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”

I may have made a mistake when I had gotten involved with Matteo, but hearing her say that had caused me to grow frustrated. Everyone around me seemed to want to make decisions for me instead of asking my opinion. Asking me what I wanted!

“All right,” I replied, feeling slightly defeated. “Well, thank you for wanting to protect me. I’m tired. I’ll talk to you later.”

I hung up the phone and tossed it onto my bed. My body followed suit, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. My head fell into the palms of my hands.

Mia, Leo, and now Taylor, all wanted to decide my next move for me. As I sat there, I realized that I wasn’t sure what I wanted my next move to be.

With Leo still unaware of my pregnancy, it only made things more complicated.

I lifted my head up and shook away the heavy thoughts. It was late and all I truly wanted in that moment was to close my eyes and sleep.

I walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a matching pajama shirt. Rather slowly, I slipped off my clothes and pulled my pajamas on. Gingerly, I climbed into bed and pulled the blankets up overtop of me.

Sleep, however, took its time arriving. Even when I did fall asleep, I kept waking up and not being able to fall back asleep right away.

By the time morning came, my eyes felt puffy and heavy. It was as if I hadn’t slept a single minute.

More than one yawn had escaped me before I tiredly climbed out of bed. Without changing out of my pajamas, I headed out of the bedroom. Leo must have slept in his office again, I had thought to myself as I walked out into the hallway.

As I walked down the staircase, a charcoal smell filled my nostrils. I scrunched my nose as I walked into the kitchen.

“What’s that smell?” I asked aloud before my brain registered Taylor standing in front of the stove.

Taylor smiled cheerfully when he saw me and raised the spatula that had been in his hand, in the air.

“I’m cooking breakfast. It’s supposed to smell like that, isn’t it?” He laughed, scraping burnt eggs from the pan.

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

My eyes glanced towards the maid that was taking the pan from out of his hand. She did not look happy as she muttered something under her breath.

A chuckle was freed from somewhere inside me and I had thought to myself that it felt good to laugh.

“Ah, well,” Taylor said, shrugging as he walked over to me. “Shall we go out for breakfast?”

“Definitely not,” I replied quickly, not feeling up for an outing.

He nodded his understanding and held up his finger. “One second.”

Taylor walked over to the maid and said something to her in a hushed tone before returning to me.

“What did you say to her?” I questioned curiously.

Taylor smiled and raised his eyebrows. “She is going to cook us some proper breakfast as long as I do the dishes.”

I nod my head approvingly. “Just the dishes, huh?”

“Well, she tried to pawn the vacuuming off on me, too, but you know, I really hate the sound of a vacuum,” he laughed.

I joined in his light laughter. “I hate that sound as well.”

“Shall we sit outside while we wait? It’s pretty nice out,” Taylor suggested.

“Sure,” I shrugged. “Has Leo been down at all?”

“Yes,” Taylor said, as he opened the back door that led out to the patio. “He came down about an hour or so ago and said he had to leave.”

Taylor and I sat down on the lounge chairs.

“That was it? That’s all he said? No details?” I questioned as I wondered where he would have run off to without telling me.

“Nope. He didn’t mention where he was going,” Taylor assured me. “Though, if I had to guess, he probably went to meet with Franky.”

I nodded my head, keeping my eyes on my fiddling hands. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Can I say something?” Taylor asked as his face grew serious.

“Sure,” I replied.

“Leo did ask me not to say anything to you about this, however, you are far more important to me not to say anything,” he started.

“Um, all right,” I said quietly, dragging out the sound of the words.

“I do think it would be better for you to come home to Italy to be with your family,” he admitted. “At least until Michael is taken care of.”

I looked away from him and stared at the palm of my hands.

“Now, that being said, it’s entirely your choice and I will respect and support whatever your decision may be,” he said comfortingly.

I hadn’t been expecting him to say that. With Mia and Leo, they had just told me what they wanted me to do, but they never made it seem like it was my decision. They never seemed to care about my opinion.

“I appreciate that, Taylor,” I replied, kindly. “To be honest, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.”

He nodded his head, appearing to understand completely. “That’s alright. It’s a lot to think about and it’s a hard decision, to be sure.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed, lightly. “It is.”

Taylor gave me a small heartfelt smile and turned his body away from my direction. He leaned back against the lounge chair and stuck his face out towards the morning sun.

I followed suit, feeling the rays of the morning sun warm my cheeks. It was true, I had a lot to think about. I had a lot to figure out.

There was a part of me that did want to go back home, at least, for a little while. I was in constant danger here and if it hadn’t been for Taylor, would I have gotten away safely when Liam tried to kidnap me?

My hands found their way to my stomach, and I couldn’t help but wince. I wasn’t the only one to think about anymore, I had a baby to protect, as well. I shuddered at the thought of what could have happened to me if Liam had taken me.

I knew Leo already hated the idea of me wanting to go home to Italy, but it might be what was best for a little while. Who knew how long it would take to bring Michael to his demise?

Was Leo truly going to expect me to be trapped inside this house until then? That would be no way to live my life. He’d have to understand that. Wouldn’t he?

“Hey, do you remember that one day on the playground when that chunky boy with the black hair was picking on you about your pigtails?” Taylor randomly said.

He kept his eyes closed while he soaked up the sun.

I tried to think back to the day he was referring to.

“Maybe,” I replied, searching through the file of old memories in my brain.

“You have to remember!” He said, now turning his head to look at me. “I came over and told him his hair looked like seaweed.”

I laughed as I remembered now. “Oh my goodness! Yes, I do remember that.”

Taylor laughed and leaned back in his chair. “That day I had told you that I would always protect you.”

He had said that to me and we were only kids back then. However, now, years later, here he was, still protecting me.

“Seriously, Taylor, I can’t thank you enough for saving me like you did,” I told him, feeling truly grateful.

“I will always save you, Bianca,” he assured me.

We sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.

“I mean, even though you had turned me down when I had confessed my love for you in high school, I’ll still protect you,” he teased, lightly nudging my arm.

I rolled my eyes playfully. I did remember that night back in high school when he had told me he loved me. I hadn’t felt the same and I remember I had felt bad that I didn’t. It had just been that I had only ever seen him as a good friend.

“Don’t worry, I’m over it. I have since moved on,” he chuckled. “However, on a serious note, all I want is for you to be happy, Bianca.”

“Well, thank you, Taylor. I truly appreciate that,” I told him, feeling grateful for having him here.

However, I couldn’t help but be a little suspicious of his true feelings towards me. Though, I easily ignored it as I thought of Leo. I knew I needed to come up with a decision on what I wanted to do.

Although, I knew I needed to have a conversation with Leo about it first. No matter what I decided, Leo would have to know about it. Even if he didn’t approve of what I wanted. At the end of the day, this was my life and only I should be allowed to control it. No one else.

I loved Leo, but everything was so complicated right now. And Taylor had a point, all I wanted was to be happy, too.