My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 78 One Last Time

Evelyn

His fingers traced along my spine as our bodies remained entwined under the duvet, the warmth of our skin mingling to make up for the times they had been apart. I gazed up at him, reaching out to brush back a few stray strands of hair that had concealed his sharp, green orbs-the very ones I had fallen for on the first day.

"What are your plans after leaving?" I asked, my thumb lightly grazing his stubble.

"I suppose I'll return to Italy for a while. We know Samuel is taking Clara on a two-month trip to Paris, so things should settle down by then. There are also some upcoming business-related issues; it turns out Chloe has purposely slept with one of the investors, and she mentioned he might withdraw his funds, which kinda proves that she'd been planning to blackmail me for a while, even before getting here. We'll need to handle that, whether it's over the phone or face-to-face," he said, taking my hand and kissing its back. "But hopefully, in around six months, I'll have everything sorted out."

"She did what?" I was shocked. Could this woman be any more shameless?

A chuckle escaped his lips. "Is it really that surprising? She has always been an opportunist, Evelyn. And don't worry, I don't think a one-night stand is enough to make an investor pull out of a profitable business. Trust me; I've been there."

He has been there?! This man....

"Such a dog," I slapped his chest, a chuckle escaping my lips as well. "You make it sound like one-night stands are your specialty."

"They were, before you," he grinned before leaning down to plant a kiss on my lips. "But after you, I think I'm ready to be a family man."

"You'll have to put up with me for the rest of your life, then..." I teased, "Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"

"Sacrifice?" He laughed and pulled me on top of him, my body now resting over his. As my hair fell to the side of his face, I watched him inhale its scent before he tucked it behind my ear. "That's an absolute privilege. If I could, I'd take you to the marriage office right now and make it official. Fuck, I am obsessed with you!"

"Silly," I smiled, placing a tender kiss on his lips, then at the corner of his mouth, and the other corner before giving him a quick peck on the nose, "You know you're just so...adorable sometimes?"

up my cheeks, "Still, I wanna ask you a question too,

gasp escaped my lips, and

Evelyn," he whispered, pulling me closer, and burying his head in my neck as he inhaled my scent. "I just want to stay with you and go nowhere, even if your father kicks me out. But I know I can't..." He sighed, "To do things right, we have to spend some time apart. Even though I admit your father is super annoying, he's still my buddy and always will be. I also don't want to take you away from him in

kissed his temple, holding him close, my fingers brushing through his hair. God, I was going to miss him terribly! "Maybe it'll take some time, but

my eyes. He cupped my face with his hands and kissed

too short, and now we

***

the doorway, feeling utterly rooted in place as he packed his things. My

couldn't even begin to

times had

but deep down, I knew this had to be done. To mend the relationship between Dad and him, to regain my father's trust, and to preserve

separation. It was excruciating.

Utterly fucking painful.

to lift my spirits, whether through his silly jokes or his silly attempts to put a smile on my face. But how could any of it work when both our hearts were throbbing

how much distance could hurt when

faint smile played on his lips, concealing as much as it could to shield me from the depths of his own inner turmoil these six months, or if we turn to be unfortunate more, were going to be more painful than I'd already imagined it to be, "I know you have a thing for wine, he let out a chuckle and picked up his phone from

Primitivo, or Amarone della Valpolicella? Oh, Pinot Grigio is excellent as

back when you return." A sob

stepped over to me, his hands encircling my waist, and he bent down to pull me into a warm hug. "Time flies, Evelyn. You won't

chin rested on his

mad as

didn't want

have to go?" I clung to him tightly,