My Alpha Daddy: Claimed By My Best Friend’s

Flora Bennett was not anticipating to walk into anything that night. She went to the apartment of Ryan Carter, just to deliver the watch on which he had been hinting weeks. Their argument of the previous night was still lingering in her mind and she wanted to straighten out things–at least, she thought she did. With her spare key she walked in. The living room was dark, and she was able to hear voices in the corridor. Her immediate attention was drawn to a soft laugh, which she recognized, and which was sharp. Her stomach tightened. Selena. Ryan’s “best friend.” Flora’s heart skipped. She got closer, and then stopped as she glanced through the door of the bedroom. Selena was sitting on top of Ryan in the bed, loosely haired and her body was in contact with his. Her waist was being pulled by Ryan. Their lips touched each other, lingering and slow. Flora’s throat went dry. She swallowed hard. “Baby… you are too good,” Selena said. “She does not even know what you like.” Ryan groaned. “Stop talking about her.” “Why?” Selena teased. “You do not mind sleeping with me when you are with her.” Flora’s hands curled into fists. “I am just with her because she is a good girl and mom only talks to me because of her. Mom is not even talking to now we have a fight, but I am tired. I will no longer be able to continue pretending that everything is okay. I do hope this relationship had not occurred at all in the first place,” Ryan said as Selena ran a hand in his hair. Selena bent over and kissed him a second time. “Stop talking about her hm? She is spared the privilege of spoiling our time. I will somehow make mom like me. Then you’ll break up with her.” Ryan didn’t argue. Flora’s chest tightened. Flora was fed up, standing there, and watching all those, her man cheating with his best friend. She picked up the gift bag that she had come with and turned her back and silently walked away before they saw her. She dashed down the stairs and out into the road and drove into her car. She began to turn on the engine, and her hands were trembling. She was still able to see them, hear them, experience the betrayal that was in her heart. She laid her head on the steering wheel and made attempts to breathe. Her phone had vibrated in her hand. The name Lily appeared on the screen. She dialed. One ring. Two rings. Voicemail. “Okay, that is fine,” Flora said to herself. “I’ll figure this out myself.” Flora was numb by the time she got into a cab and drove out of the city center. She didn’t go home. Home implied questions that she did not want to answer. She didn’t want to explain. She did not want people to see her in this way. She instead found herself in the club she and Lily occasionally frequented on Fridays. The music beat in her heart, the lights flashed and people crowded round her. Flora went straight to the bar. “Shot of tequila,” she said. The bartender had raised an eyebrow. “You sure?” “Do you want to live?” she muttered. He handed it to her anyway. She tossed it back. Another. Another. At length she ceased to count. Her head was light, her legs were warm, her thoughts were foggy. She took another shot every time Ryan came to her mind. At length she fumbled out of the club into the cold night, straining her eyes. She had a vision and was on the verge of dropping as she attempted to get a cab. Again she reached to her phone and tapped Lily. Still no answer. “Ok,” she said to herself, trembling. “I’ll just go there.” She reached the house of Lily a few minutes later, the light in the porch faintly shining. Her hand shook as she knocked. She was to have opened the door, annoyed, but loving, Lily. Rather the door opened to the sight of Marcus Steele, the father of Lily. Her forbidden and secret crush. This man awakened something in her unlike in other older men. She should not feel something towards her best friend’s father. Flora froze. “Oh… hi, Mr. Steele.” Marcus’s eyes widened. “Flora? What are you doing here? It’s almost midnight.” “She’s… not here?” Flora stammered. Marcus shook his head. “She is on a weekend out with her mother. Why are you out this late?” Flora leaned on the doorframe. “A little… drunk.” “You ought not be out like this,” said Marcus, moving aside. “Come inside.” Flora tripped over him and fell into the living room with his arms around her. The house was slightly warm and silent and smelled of laundry detergent. Marcus led her to the couch. “Sit before you fall.” She sank down, with clasped knees. He watched her carefully. “What happened?” Flora laughed weakly. “Ryan… he… he cheated on me.” Marcus did not respond on the spot. He just nodded. “I see. I’m sorry.” Flora rubbed her eyes. “I thought he was different.” “People are not necessarily what we think,” Marcus said. Flora looked at him. “Why does that sound like experience speaking?” “It teaches you something in marriage,” he said. She snorted. “Your former wife had a reason why she left you.” Marcus gave her a look. “Did Lily tell you that?” “Maybe.” Flora shrugged. Marcus leaned forward. “Why didn’t you go home?” “I did not want my mom to ask questions. Lily did not pick up and I… came here.” He studied her. “You’re shaking.” “Anger… humiliation…” she whispered. “You must not be humiliated by the fact that one other was unfaithful,” he said to himself. Flora swallowed. “Can I ask something?” “Sure…” came his hesitant reply. And, unconsciously, she bent over. He didn’t stop her. The initial kiss was a doubtful one, pushing the limits. Then it wasn’t. One thing led to another. Her hands gripped his shirt. His hands rested on her waist. It was no longer making sense to her screaming and moaning his name. Several hours later, the eyes of Flora opened. “Oh my God,” she said, putting her hand over her mouth. “What did I do?”