Chapter 194

“I feel guilty.”

Staring at my phone while Christian called me and ignoring his calls on purpose made me feel like a horrible person. I needed him to learn his lesson, but I also wanted to hear Siena’s voice. It had already. been a few hours, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

It would only be for one night.

I would call him back in the morning.

“You look way too good in that dress to worry about him.” Isobel rolled her eyes. We made plans to go out, and I just went along with it.

“What are you so afraid of?” She asked. “Are you scared he’ll yell at you?”

YesP That was one thing he was good at.

“Do you do this to Beau often?” I changed the subject. I had not realized how embarrassed I was until Isobel made that comment. It was actually strange how I had to adjust to Christian’s lifestyle and fit myself to his standards.

“Yes, it has to be done to teach him a lesson.” Isobel smiled while she applied her lipstick. It was so easy for her, but that was because Beau saw her as his equal.

“Really?”

“Yes.” Isobel nodded. “And he’ll forget his lesson for a while, but after a few weeks, you have to repeat the same thing.

“It’s different for me. I have a child.” I chuckled. I didn’t want to pick fights, but I felt like I had a good reason this time. I could only do so because Siena wasn’t around, but I had no to repeat this in the future.

“True.” Isobel sighed. “And that’s the very reason why you can’t let him boss you around like that.”

She made a valid point. Perhaps if I would’ve shown him who’s boss from the first time I met him, none of this would’ve happened. Maybe if we communicated like humans instead of robots from the first time we met, he would’ve understood my feelings.

“I know Dario wouldn’t do stuff like this,” Isobel teased me. I wanted to get angry, but she was right.

If I would’ve told Dario I missed him, he would’ve said the same thing in a split second.

Then again, Christian was different, and I had already accepted that. I knew he loved me, and I knew he missed me. I just wanted him to be honest about his feelings. “Isobel, maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.” I doubted my decision.

“Boring!” Isobel called out. I was afraid to back down and took a deep breath. I wasn’t scared to go to the club, but I was worried because I hadn’t answered Christian’s calls. He knew I was not in danger because I did text Dario and my brother, so he knew I was ignoring him on purpose.

Beau hadn’t even asked about Isobel because he was probably used to her silly games, but Christian wasn’t. I turned around to look at my dress while guilt washed over me.

“Come on, don’t worry about it,” Isobel spoke. “Christian needs to learn his lesson, and if he thinks he can yell at you. I’ll put him straight”

“Sure.” I spoke sarcastically. It was all so easy for her because she was usually the one who was doing the velling, while I was the one who got yelled at.

Isobel was busy with her makeup while I grabbed my phone and stared at my lock screen. It was a picture of Siena, who was as innocent as possible and didn’t do anything. “I’m sorry, Siena,” I sighed.

“She can’t hear you,” Isobel spoke while I gave her an embarrassed look.

“What are you guys doing? You look pretty!” Faith suddenly burst through the room. Luna and Olivia stood behind her. “We’re heading to the club. Do you want to come?” Isobel asked.

“Of course we do!” Luna smiled as she made her way over to Isobel. “What are you going to do at the club? You’re pregnant?”

“So. Isobel shrugged. “Am I not allowed to have fun because I’m pregnant?”

Luna seemed startled by her response and let out a laugh. “Yes, but not without me!” She commented, and that’s how the evening was slowly turning even worse than expected. The others had agreed to come along and got ready while I was still having second doubts.

I was a horrible mom. How could I go out and party when I didn’t even know how my baby was doing? I grabbed my phone and was unsure of whether to call Christian or not, so I dialed the number which cante right after.

“Serena?” I heard Dario’s voice. “You’re alive!”

I sighed as my hearted beated out my chest and was eager to hang up the phone before I suddenly got a change of mind. I would never have a normal conversation with him if I kept on doing this and I had only called him for one simple reason.

“Yes, I’m alive!” I told him. “How about Siena? Is she alive?”

Dario let out a laugh while my heart melted just by hearing his voice. What was wrong with me?

“Siena is doing fine, and she’s as cute as always, but Christian, on the other hand.” Dario chuckled.

“I heard you’ve been ignoring his phone calls, and he’s pretty pissed.”

“How pissed?”

“Fuming.” Dario confirmed. “I can give him the phone right now if you want-

“No!” I stopped him. Christian did not have the right to get angry, not when he was the one who told me to have fun in the first place. “I just want to check in on how Siena is doing, that’s all.”

“Well, Siena is doing fine.” Dario spoke. “So, do you have plans for tonight?”

I focused my attention on the girls who were being extremely loud and laughed at his question. I made my way outside and sat down on a bench so I could talk to him in peace. “Yes, we’re going to the club,” I told Dario.

“And does this have anything to do with Christian?”

“I keep telling him how much I miss him and Siena, and he doesn’t seem to care at all!” I released my frustrations “He was so desperate to get rid of me so that he could take care of his uncle on his own–”

“It’s not like that.” Dario defended him. I suddenly liked it better when they were not friends.

“Christian carri about you a lot, and he wants to keep you safe.”

“So you’re sticking up for him?”

“No, of course not!” Dario clarified. “I’m on your side. I’m always on your side because I…” He sighed. “I’m on your side. Serena.”

“Good.”I chuckled. It would be a lie to say that I wasn’t curious about what he would tell me, but I decided to let it rest. “Christian must be shaking, right?” I asked. “The thought of not knowing where I am must freak him out, right?”

“I don’t think so.” Dario breathed. “I don’t want to start anything, but someone like Christian wouldn’t send you to Panama without an extra set of eyes, once again…I don’t want to start anything.”Dario confessed.

So he was spying on me? The situation was only getting worse and worse. “Serena, I shouldn’t have told you that–

“It’s okay. I got you!” I reassured him. I could tell that he wasn’t meant to say that, so I decided to shut my ears on the matter and pretended not to hear anything. I would deal with the situation myself.

“So, where’s my picture?” Dario asked after an awkward silence. I cleared my throat as I thought about his request. “What picture?” I played along. I could hear Dario’s laughter and felt my cheeks flush.

“You know what picture.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

Dario released another laugh. “It’s so easy to tease you, Serena. I’m just playing around.” He spoke.

If he hadn’t told me that it was all some game, I would’ve thought otherwise.

“Wait a second.” I sighed as I prepared myself to do the unthinkable. I wanted to provoke Christian, and hearing he was spying on me made me even more pissed. I was going to give him what he deserved.

I scrolled through the pictures until I reached the bikini shot and sent it to Dario. “Check your phone.

There’s your picture!”

It was silent for a few seconds, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable. What if I had grossed him out? What if I had made him feel uncomfortable?

“You know, it’s not too late to break up with my cousin.” Dario suddenly laughed. I froze up at his sudden words. and was unsure of what to say. “I’m just playing with you.” Dario chuckled. “You look good.”

“Good.” I sighed, relieved. “Good,” Dario repeated. The feeling in my stomach was beyond explanations. and I did not know what it meant. Whenever I spoke to Dario, I would get these crazy butterflies in my stomach and they confused the hell out of me.

Was I attracted to him? Yes.

Even though he was not that deserving of my love at the moment, I was in love with Christian and did not even want to think about loving another man. “Dario, can you promise me something?”

“Can you please watch Christian for me? I need him to be safe.”

My words were sincere, but it was also a way of convincing myself that I cared more for Christian than I thought I did. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect him.” Dario spoke. “I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“Serena, can you promise me something in return?” Dario asked. “I need you to promise me that you’ll have the time of your life because you deserve to have fun.” Dario encouraged me.

For some reason, it felt better to hear it from his mouth than from Christian’s. I was so angry with Christian, while they were the exact words, but the difference was that it had left a completely different. impact and it made me wonder.

Was I falling in love with him?