Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 165: Tell Me How To Fix This

Clairessa's POV

My voice cut through the room, stopping Gabriel in his tracks.

"No... I didn't," I choked out, my chest tightening, hands trembling at my sides.

"This was a stupid plan. One I never should've gone through with—”

He turned around slowly to face me-but I kept going.

“But don't stand there acting like you're innocent. You cheated on me, remember?"

His eyes darkened, pain flashing before it drowned in fury.

"Don't you fucking-" He stepped forward, his voice tight with rage.

"Liar," I spat, stepping into the fire between us. "I walked in on you and Nicole. Naked. In your bed. Don't stand there pretending you ever gave a damn about me... about us."

"I was drunk, Clairessa!" he exploded. "I didn't even know how I got home! Nicole told me I kept calling your name all night-like a pathetic mess. Over and over again. She didn't touch me. Nothing happened."

I shook my head, unable to erase the image burned into my memory. "You expect me to believe that? That you just conveniently ended up naked in bed with her by accident?"

"I don't give a damn what you believe," he growled. "I know the truth."

"Oh, so now you're the victim?" I scoffed. "And yet somehow, you're the one who ghosted me. Stood me up. You couldn't even face me afterward."

For a moment, something shifted in his face. The fire dimmed, and what broke through wrecked me—soul-deep pain.

"You know what's funny?" he said, voice barely above a whisper, raw and frayed. "Nicole came to my office the day I got back from that business trip-with a photo. A photo of you kissing a man. Who I've now come to find out is my son. Adrian."

My breath caught. My mouth opened, but no words came out. It had to be that day in my office-when Adrian showed up uninvited, kissed me without warning.

Nicole had been there. She must've snapped the photo without us noticing. God only knows what she told Gabriel.

It all made sense now. Why he ghosted me. Why he never showed up to dinner. Why he shut me out.

"I thought it had to be a lie," he continued, chest rising and falling hard, like every word was being torn from him. “I told myself there was no way you'd betray me like that. Even after I saw the photo, Clairessa, I still went to that restaurant. I wanted to hear your side. I wanted to believe in you."

I panicked. I went to Club Cave instead. In a bid to drown it all out, I drank until I couldn't think straight. And that's when Nicole showed

me slowed. I saw it now-his truth. His pain. His brokenness. And the guilt hit me like

He wasn't lying.

He never was.

time... I hated him for something he didn't do when I was the

day. He begged me to take him back-I told him no. Then out of nowhere, he kissed me, and I pushed him off. I didn't kiss him back. I didn't

he cut in coldly. "It's about the lies and

the gifts in your office that day weren't for Jess's birthday. They

swallowed hard. "Yes. They were

shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. "You see it now, don't you?

I whispered. "I lied. I was selfish. But the truth is that I did it because I didn't want to lose you, and I didn't know how to fix what I broke. I was scared- terrified,

lie to

I pleaded, my voice cracking. "I know

this. Just

at me like I

this one

to tell me the truth-if Nicole hadn't shown me those pictures? If I hadn't walked into the house I haven't

ten years... and found you wearing

eyes dropped. I couldn't look at him. "That night-the dinner-I was going to tell you

letting me fall for you. After

your eyes," I whispered, finally meeting his gaze. "The way you're looking at

you could stomach worse when it suited you," he spat. "You knew this was

admitted, my heart in pieces. The first night we met-that pull we felt-it wasn't

dark laugh.

I am," I said, chest heaving. "But I'm insanely

everything—my pride, my peace, even my heart-just to

locked with mine, intense

regret the lies,"

a single moment we shared.

one kiss, not one

like

somewhere... with you."

He didn't speak.

he stepped forward-slowly-closing the