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I showered and changed into a pair of ripped jeans, a plain white tee, and my battered Converse. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and kept my makeup to a minimum, only dabbing a little lip balm across my plump lips. As I hurried out of my room, I saw Chad leaning against the wall of the corridor wearing his usual attire and a soft smile. His dirty blond hair fell over his eyes as he still wore it in the same overgrown style that he had for the past however many years.
“Where might you be off to?” He pushed off the wall with his foot, stopping me in my tracks.
“I’m off to meet Robin and Tay. Why do you need to know?” I frowned, already knowing the answer.
“No reason.” Liar.
“Are you sure you’re not on babysitting duty?” I raised my brow as his smile soon vanished.
“Your father asked me, I’m sorry.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he matched my stride down the corridor.
“You don’t need to apologise, I get it.” I let out a sigh, one deeper than I thought. “He’s your boss. What he says, goes.” I hurried down the staircase with Chad hot on my heels.
“But you’re my friend, and you have been for as long as I can remember.” There was an emotion in his voice, one I couldn’t decipher.
“Flower, where are you two off to?” my father called from his office at the end of the corridor.
I told Chad to wait for me downstairs as I entered my father’s safe haven. I closed the door behind me as he curtly nodded his head towards the chair opposite him.
“I’m not staying, I’m on my way out to meet Robin and Tay.” I stood rooted to the spot, hoping he wouldn’t turn whatever this is into a full-on conversation.
“Ah, say hello to the girls for me!” He treated the girls like family since they were almost here all the time. “What are you three planning on doing?”
“You mean what are us three and Chad doing?” I crossed my arms and pursed my lips.
“Don’t be like that. You won’t even notice he’s there.” He ran his slender fingers through his hair in irritation. “Anastacia, it’s for your safety. You have a tendency to do things you aren’t supposed to.” That might be so, but he didn’t always need to assign me a chaperone.
“We are going to buy our dresses for the engagement party you insist on throwing. I don’t think much will happen at a dress store, do you?” I let out an exasperated sigh.
“You never know. There are enemies everywhere, maybe even more so now that you are engaged to Lorenzo.”
“Brilliant. An even larger target has been slapped on my back, thanks to that dick.” I turned on my heel and headed for the door.
“Anastacia, please stop with the language. It won’t change anything.” He stood and rounded the desk.
“Well, if it doesn’t change anything, then it doesn’t matter what language I use or what I call him, does it?” With a slam, I shut the door and walked towards the garage, Chad following me.
“So, you really think he’s a dick?” Chad laughs as he turned on the engine.
“Isn’t it obvious? You saw how he acted last night. What is there to like about the guy?” I placed my feet on the dashboard.
“Can you get your feet down please; it makes me uneasy thinking of what would happen to you if we ever crashed.” He removed my feet as I slowly placed them in the footwell.
“Thank you. Now, dress shopping?”
“You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself.” I giggled.
“Considering you rarely listen, I’ll take small victories where I can.” He kept his eyes firmly on the road as we weaved through traffic towards the dress store. “So, explain to me why you need a new dress if you despise the man?”
“Do you really think my mother would allow anything less?” I scoffed, and Chad chuckled, knowing what I meant.
We arrived at the dress store, where Robin and Tay were already waiting outside for me. I glanced over at Chad, and I already knew what the answer to my question would be.
“Is there any way you can wait in the car?” I turned to face him as the leather of the chair crunched beneath me.
“Ana, you know I cannot do that. Your father’s orders.” He paused for a brief second. “You know what he will do to me. I could end up like Artem or worse. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go alone.” He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.
He was right; it wasn’t worth thinking about what my father could and would do to him if he didn’t do as he was instructed to. Even though he saw Chad as another son, he wouldn’t think twice of harming him. I jumped out of the heavily armoured Range Rover and caught up with Chad.
