Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 83

A few hours later, I stand in the cool white space of my bathroom, staring at my freshly-showered reflection in the mirror. I'm wrapped in a towel, another one twisted around my hair, and I can't stop...looking at myself.

Wondering if I'm...different somehow.

I drop my towel and pull the other from my head with a frustrated sigh, turning and trying to get a look at my naked body in the mirror from different angles, working to truly see...

But then I give up, glaring at myself in the mirror a little bit. Because I know that I don't look different - not really, not at all. Because that's impossible.

But I do know that, inside...I am different. Things have changed - I have changed. And I don't know at all how I feel about it.

Everything just feels so...strange. And new. When I had left the house this morning, I was one person and now...am I someone else? My body keeps reminding me that things are different too, with a low ache between my legs a constant reminder of how I spent the afternoon. And my thighs keep shaking a little, just tiny tremors, probably because I had my legs wrapped around Kent's waist all day, and I was using muscles I haven't had to use before...

I blush, thinking about it, and then I scowl at myself in the mirror for blushing and pull my robe off of its hook, tugging it over my arms and knotting it tight around my waist.

Honestly, I'm a mafia mistress now. A real one. Shouldn't I be beyond embarrassment?

A knock comes at my bedroom door and, eager for the distraction, I move to it quickly. I don't have plans for the evening - but did Kent...?

When I open the door, I'm surprised but not displeased to see Jerome standing there, looking bored. I give him a happy smile and he opens his mouth to say something, but then he freezes after he takes one look at me.

"What?" I say, taking a step back, my hands flying to anxiously twist the ends of my wet hair. "What's wrong?"

"Oh my god," Jerome whispers, leaning forward and grinning at me. "You actually did it, didn't you?"

I freeze - no way - there's no way he knows so fast-

"Oh my god, you totally did!" Jerome hisses, gleeful, "You actually boned Lippert! -"

"Jerome!" I gasp, looking out into the hallway, frantic. "What the - are you serious - how did you?!" Then, desperate, I tug him angrily into my room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Fay, please, I'm dying," Jerome laughs as he stumbles across my floor, his voice half whisper and half glee. "Please, you have to tell me everything -"

"I'm not telling you anything!" I hiss, giving him a little shove so that he falls back against the bed. "Even if there were anything to tell - I'm not going to - I mean, I wouldn't -" I blush now, pursing my lips, realizing that...well, that it's no good. Jerome sits perched on the end of my bed, leaning forward, grinning at me as if it's Christmas morning. "Come on, Fay, I won't tell anyone - I can keep a secret!"

"We're not girlfriends, Jerome!" I huff at him, "this isn't a slumber party - I'm not telling you my deepest darkest just because you ask!" I cross my arms but I can't help smiling a little. Honestly, I am dying to talk to someone about it, and I do like Jerome. "Oh, it's not a slumber party?" Jerome asks, smirking and raising his brows. "Like the one you had last night with my boyfriend? Really, Fay, you do like to have Lippert men in your bed -"

"Ew!" I say, dashing forward to smack him on the arm. "You of all people should know that it's not like that between me and Daniel and - wait -" I freeze, my arm raised to smack him again. "Did you just did you just call Daniel your boyfriend?" Now it's Jerome's turn to blush. "No - I mean, it was a slip - we're -"

"You're what?" I breathe, dying to know, leaning towards him.

"Quid pro quo, Miss Alden," Jerome snaps, quickly pulling himself back together and retaking control of the conversation. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

I stand up straight, folding my arms over my chest studying him. "Fine. You tell me first."

"No way you go -"

"No!" I interject, laughing. "You tell me, or I'll make Kent fire you -"

"Unfair!" Jerome cries, jumping to his feet. "You can't leverage your sugar daddy's -"

"I can do as I please! I -"

We're both silenced, suddenly, by a hard knock at the door, both of our heads spinning towards it. I'm faster than Jerome, though, using this to my advantage. "You know that's Daniel, right?" I say, smirking as I reach for the handle. "Maybe we should just...let him in? See what he thinks?"

"No, Fay -" Jerome says, his face worried. But I just grin at him and whip open the door, turning to face Daniel with a wicked grin.

That falls immediately from my face.

Kent is standing there, his arms folded, glaring at me. And then his eyes flicking dangerously to Jerome, standing behind.

"Sir," says Jerome, putting his hands out where Kent can see them, like he's being questioned by the police. "I'm sorry sir - I meant to get her for you, like you asked - but we got distracted -"

"Distracted by what?" Kent says, his voice slow, even. Perilous. I take a step away from Kent, freaked out by the violence on his face. "What distracted you, Jerome?" Kent asks again, taking a step into the room, his eyes flicking to me once as he prowls closer to his prey. "What distracted you so much that you came into Fay's room? Alone? And shut the door? When she's undressed?"

"Please," Jerome begs, quailing a little under the force of Kent's stare. "I promise - it was nothing - we're - we're friends -"

Kent doesn't acknowledge a word that Jerome says, just continues to stalk closer to him until their faces are inches apart. "Get the f**k out, Jerome."

Jerome immediately flinches away, nodding and dashing for the door, clearly scared - perhaps even for his life. He doesn't even look at me as he goes. I watch Jerome's form disappear out my door and down the steps, shocked and freaked out myself. Then I turn back to Kent, my eyes wide. "What the hell is going on, Fay?" Kent asks, arms crossed, glaring at me.

"Nothing," I insist, staring at him, shocked. "Seriously, Kent, there's nothing going on between me and Jerome, there can't be, he's -"

And then I stop realizing...

Realizing that Kent actually doesn't know. That he wouldn't be this jealous, this enraged, if he knew that the bedroom that Jerome is actually secretly visiting is...Daniel's.

"Kent," I say, crossing the room to him and putting my hands flat on his chest, looking up into his face. "Seriously, you've got to believe me - there's nothing going on between me and Jerome. He's my friend - one of my only friends, in this house." I bite my lip at him, knowing - well, knowing that that's worked in the past. Hoping it works again. "Please - just trust me. It was an innocent visit."

I can tell by the stony nature of Kent's face that he doesn't quite believe me. I frown a little, confused. Why - if we just slept together hours ago - if he just took my virginity - why would he think I was sneaking Jerome up into my room for some kind of tryst? "You'll have to forgive me for doubting your fidelity, Fay," Kent sneers. "Especially considering that your boyfriend is downstairs. Waiting for you. To take you on a trip."

I blink at Kent, totally confused.

Then I take a step away, anxious. Is this...is this some kind of trap?

"Kent," I whisper. "What are you talking about?"

Kent cocks his head to the side, studying me, but I look at him with honest confusion on my face. He assesses me for a moment and then nods toward the door. "Come and see for yourself," he says, stepping towards it. I follow, eager to understand, padding after him in my bare feet until we're both standing at the top of the steps. I'm still looking up at Kent, though, when he stops and gestures down to the first floor.

And then I look and my mouth falls open.

Because Ivan is standing there, smirking up at me.

"Are you ready, Fay?" he asks, all brash assurance. "Time to go."