All Chapters of 365 Days With My Dad’s Bestfriend: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

ELENAThree weeks passed, and the routine of the modern art school became my only shield.Every morning at seven, I left the luxury penthouse on 12th Street and walked the blocks to the campus. I kept my head down.I didn't ride in Dominic's black sedans, but I swiped his black card every Monday at the campus bookstore to buy fresh charcoal, premium turpentine, and heavy cotton canvases. I didn't care if the notifications hit his phone. It was the price he paid to keep me away from his son.In the studio, I stayed silent. Maya sat at the easel next to mine, her hands always covered in clay or plaster.She was loud, normal, and talked constantly about her roommates or her student loans. I just listened, nodding when necessary, using her chatter to drown out the memory of the penthouse.Julian was always there, too. Over those three weeks, he didn't demand anything from me. He was just a steady presence in a green canvas jacket. He would drop a cup of black coffee on my taboret without

ELENAI sat on the edge of the sofa in the middle of the living room. The cheap red wine was entirely gone, leaving nothing behind but a sharp, throbbing ache between my eyes.My mind was completely clear, and that was the absolute worst part. Lately, I found myself reaching for a glass more and more often, just to drown out the silence of this high-rise, but tonight, no amount of alcohol could numb the cold panic tightening in my chest.I looked down at the coffee table. The small cardboard box, sitting right there, contained a pregnancy test.I hadn't touched it since I bought it four hours ago from the pharmacy down the street.I was late. Two weeks late. Every single time my eyes drifted back to that box, my stomach felt like it was filling with lead, and my hands started to shake uncontrollably.What would I even do if it were positive? What was the plan? I didn't have a job. I didn't have a normal life anymore. I was hiding out in a luxury building on 12th Street, living off a g

ELENAOnce the shock of that negative test finally settled, Julian didn't leave."You're shaking, take it " he said, pulling a massive, heavy gray hoodie out of his backpack."Thank you," I muttered, pulling it over my head. It completely swallowed me, the sleeves hiding my hands.Julian sat on the stool right next to mine, his long legs stretching out against the metal railing. He didn't push for details about how a girl from Ohio ended up drawing highly inappropriate portraits of her father's closest friend."Honestly? I used to think you were just incredibly arrogant," Julian said suddenly, letting out a short laugh.I turned my head to look at him, totally surprised. "Arrogant? Me?""Yeah. In the studio," he said, turning his body to face me."You’d sit at your easel, completely closed off, ignoring every single person who tried to say hello. Maya and I literally thought you looked down on the rest of the class.""I wasn't being arrogant, Julian," I said, looking down at the fabri

ELENAJulian didn't step back. He stood right in front of me, his broad shoulders completely blocking Dominic’s view of my face.Dominic’s dark eyes slowly shifted, finally acknowledging the boy standing in his way. A low, dangerous smile touched the corner of his mouth, but his eyes stayed completely dead."Step aside, kid," Dominic said, his gravelly voice dropping an octave."You have no idea who you're talking to, and you definitely don't know who you're protecting. This doesn't concern you.""I know exactly who you are," Julian said, his voice entirely steady. He didn't flinch, and he didn't lower his gaze."And I know she said she isn't going with you. So you can state whatever it is you want right here on the sidewalk, or you can get back in your car and drive away."Dominic let out a short, dark laugh that made the hairs on my arms stand up. He took a slow step forward, his massive frame towering over Julian, trying to use his sheer size to break the boy's resolve."You've got

ELENAFor the first time in as long as I could remember, the morning didn't start with a panic attack.Instead, it started with Julian loudly banging a metal pot in my kitchen at eight in the morning, singing completely out of tune.I blinked open my eyes, groaning as I pulled the heavy gray hoodie over my face to block out the light. The apartment smelled like burning butter and strong coffee. I rolled off the couch, my limbs stiff from spending the last three days straight hunched over my canvas, and walked into the kitchen."What are you doing?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep.Julian was standing at the stove, wearing a ridiculous neon green apron that he must have bought at the dollar store down the street. He turned around, holding a spatula like a trophy, a massive grin on his face."Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," he sang at the top of his lungs, completely ignoring how terrible he sounded.I froze, my jaw dropping."How did you know it was my birthday?""I sa