Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 974 : Sharp Eye

*Bianca*

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any busier...”

Leo looked up from where he was hastily pulling on his pants. He had his toothbrush in his free hand, using it to scrub at his teeth. His hair was sticking up in various places but I knew he would be smoothing it down in his car before getting to the warehouse.

I just woke up to find Leo in this rushed getting ready state. I supposed I was lucky to wake up at all before he left. He’s been getting home obscenely late and leaving before I got up. I would have been worried he wasn’t coming home at all if it weren’t for the notes he left me to explain that he had been there. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“I’m really sorry,” he said before hurrying into the bathroom to rinse his mouth out. When he returned, he was already tying his tie and grabbing his bag. He looked around wildly before spotting me on the bed again. He looked a bit regretful as he bent down to press a chaste kiss to my forehead. “I love you. Be safe today.”

Before I could say anything else, he was out of the door. I stared at our bedroom door for a moment, listening to the sounds of him grabbing various things before leaving the compound.

It seemed like lately we weren’t able to find even a few minutes of alone time together, which was driving me absolutely insane since I still haven’t managed to tell him about Darion paying off Professor Bennett.

Although the morning sickness was mostly gone, I was still extremely fatigued due to my pregnancy. I heaved myself out of bed with difficulty, forcing myself to get ready for school. I might not be able to tell Leo about Darion but I had been keeping an eye on him since the incident.

It was annoying how charming Darion was. I understood Leo’s griping about him even more now, especially since my fiance recently upped the guy’s training, requiring Leo to spend even more time with him.

Darion was very popular. I always saw him surrounded by other students. He tutored others once in a while but I could tell it was just another way for the jerk to inflate his own ego. I didn’t understand how he was able to help others with their studies when he was constantly cutting classes.

There was something about Darion that gave me the heavy suspicion that he was up to something far more heinous than paying off a professor so he can skip class. It was written all over the way he moved and spoke. Until I knew for certain though, all I could do was watch him.

“Class dismissed.”

I blinked and looked up in shock, shaking my head to clear it. I just spaced out for the final part of the lecture. I looked down at my sparse notes in dismay before packing up my notebook and pens.

Darion was messing with my head as well. I was going to have to tell Leo soon. I felt guilty for keeping it from him but then reminded myself it was only because I haven’t had the chance to talk to him alone for more than a couple of minutes.

If it turned out Darion wasn’t plotting anything, I didn’t want to get Leo worked up over nothing. He had enough going on as it was.

I slung my bag over my shoulder before deciding to head home to work on a paper I had due at the end of the week. With everything going on, I was starting to put my studies on the back burner and I couldn’t let that continue for a second longer. In case I did decide to work after my baby was born, I needed to be ready.

I was on my way to the parking lot when I spotted Amara sitting on a bench by the library. I smiled, intending to head over to her and offer to give her a ride home when I stopped in my tracks. She wasn’t alone.

Darion was sitting beside her.

I blinked hard as I looked at them sitting together like they were good friends. I narrowed my eyes when Darion reached up and pushed some of Amara’s hair away from her face, sweeping it over her shoulder.

My fingers clenched at my sides when Amara blushed and giggled at the gesture.

What the hell was going on? I had never seen the two together before this and they were already acting like they were a couple. It made my stomach twist with nerves.

It was just some misunderstanding, I said inwardly as I forced myself to walk toward the two.

Darion spotted me first. I think he sensed me somehow. The way he turned his dark eyes on me caused a shiver of distaste to run through me.

Amara was grinning like a lovesick teenager at him before she blinked in confusion at his look. Her eyes rose until they met mine and her smile widened and she waved me over.

“Bianca!” she called excitedly, jumping to her feet and tossing her arms around me. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to the bench where Darion was still sitting. “This is-”

“We’ve met,” I said, cutting her off sharply.

Amara blinked at me in surprise. “Oh,” she said, looking between me and Darion.

“We have a class together,” I supplied in a much lighter tone, shooting Darion a warning look. “How do you two know each other?”

Darion tilted his head at me, partially in confusion but also in amusement. He smirked at me. “What is it?” he asked, clear challenge in his voice. “You’re glaring at me, you know.”

I would have liked to do much more than that but I knew I wouldn’t get away with slapping that smirk right off of his face. Instead, I took Amara’s hand and started to tug her away. “C’mon, Amara. I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

“I’m not going back to my dorm yet,” Amara protested, digging her heels into the ground. She gave me an odd look. “What’s going on, Bianca. Is everything okay?”

Darion gave me a mocking look. “Yeah, Bianca,” he said, his voice a low purr. “Is everything okay?”

I gritted my teeth together hard before turning to pin him with what I hoped was an intimidating stare. I pointed a finger at him. “Stay away from my best friend, Darion,” I ordered. “I mean it. Whatever you’re planning-”

“Bianca!” Amara said in shock, narrowing her eyes and getting in between me and Darion. “Calm down! Darion was just being nice. He’s inviting us to a college party so that I can make some more friends and make connections.”

I cursed inwardly. Of course, Darion was using his charm to make Amara fall for something like that. My emotions were raging as I imagined even more of my loved ones having to deal with this jerk.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Amara,” I told her. I shrugged. “I mean, you haven’t even been here that long. Do you really think it’s a good idea to start partying already? Maybe you should take some more time to get settled.”

Amara’s jaw dropped. “I am plenty settled,” she told me, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “Of course, maybe you didn’t realize it but I have been here for more than two weeks now. I’m doing well in my classes and even if I wasn’t, you don’t have the right to tell me what I can or cannot do!”

I flushed, realizing that people were starting to stare because of the way Amara’s voice was rising quickly. “Amara, I’m just worried about you,” I said, trying to keep my tone level. “I swear, I’m just looking out for you! I’m not trying to cage you in or anything.”

My words didn’t calm Amara down at all. If anything, they made her even more livid. “Well, I don’t need that either,” she snapped. “It’s been so dull since I got here. I thought we’d be going out more. I get that it’s because you’re pregnant but I need to go out and live a little!”

I reeled as if she had physically struck me. Not many people knew I was pregnant and now random students were hearing about it.

Amara’s eyes rounded as she realized what she just said. She stepped toward me. “B, I’m so sorry. I-”

Darion gaped at me, standing up from the bench. “You’re knocked up?” he demanded loudly in amazement.

Several students began to snicker and point fingers at me. My whole face flamed with shame and I ducked my head, wrapping my arms around myself protectively.

“B, I’m so sorry!” Amara repeated, putting a hand out toward me.

My temper flared and I shoved past her. “Do whatever the hell you want!” I snapped before storming off, trying to drown out the laughs sounding off behind me as I started to run.

I was almost to my car when my wrist was snatched. I gasped and prepared to pummel the person with my backpack only to whirl around and meet Taylor’s gaze.

His eyes widened at my wild look but he just put his hand on my shoulder. “Let me take you home,” he said, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument.

I was suddenly exhausted and more than a little stressed so I nodded, allowing him to lead me to his car, knowing that one of Leo’s guys would pick up mine from campus later on.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, you know,” Taylor said after we started driving and I was quiet for several minutes.

I remembered Amara’s anger and slumped back in my seat. “I’m not so sure about that,” I said. “You probably didn’t see the way Amara looked at me when I tried to pull her away from Darion.”

“You did the right thing,” Taylor said in a comforting tone. “You were just looking out for her. And she tried to apologize at the end of that, right? She’ll come around.”

I flinched. “Maybe,” I said. I sighed heavily. “She has a right to be mad at me. I freaked out when I saw her with Darion and didn’t really handle it very well. I should have been calmer.”

“I would have freaked out too in your place,” Taylor told me. “Any sane person would have. I’m telling you, Amara will realize you were just being a good friend.”

“Thanks, you’re probably right,” I said, although I really wasn’t so sure but Taylor was right about one thing and that was that I shouldn’t dwell on it anymore.

I needed to focus on what I needed to do now. Darion was targeting my friends now and as much as I wanted to run to Leo to get his help, I knew I still needed more proof that Darion was actually up to something.

I just needed to keep a sharp eye on the bastard so that I could stop him before he did something.