My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 145 Words

Evelyn

As the sunlight filtered through the curtains, dancing with the breeze that gently stirred them, I found myself lost in a battle of distractions. With each crunch of a chip, I attempted to drown out the relentless thoughts of that infuriating man, burying myself in the pages of a book. Yet, even the storyline of my chosen novel failed to captivate me, paling in comparison to the chaotic drama of my own fucking life-a tragic fucked-up movie that audiences would devour when the characters would go through shit, feel like shit and maybe even look like shit!

Fuck this.

I am going to move forward, leave him and his memory behind once and for all that's final.

"Caroline didn't want to be with Edward, yet she knew he held the key to her heart, igniting a fire within her that no one else could replicate a spark destined to burn eternally," I read aloud, my jaw tensing with each word.

It seemed the universe conspired against me, even influencing my choice of reading material—a cruel reminder of what I was desperately trying to escape.

With a frustrated growl, I slammed the book shut and sat up, a wave of agitation washing over me. As I headed to the bookshelf in search of a distraction, a sudden knock shattered the silence of the room.

Who was it now?

"Come in," I muttered absentmindedly, my fingers grazing over the spines of various books until I settled on a thriller. There was no chance this genre would trigger thoughts of him; if anything, it would fuel my imagination with psychotic fantasies of revenge-a thought I'd shamelessly entertain. I would kill him, slowly and painfully-yes!

"Well, what have we here in the early hours?" Clara's voice echoed, drawing my attention away from the shelf.

"Just losing myself in a book, Clara-trying to make productive use of my time," I replied, flopping back onto the bed in my usual manner, legs raised as I sprawled across the mattress. "Finishing a book might provide a sense of accomplishment, don't you think?"

bed, her eyes skimming the cover of my

the first few pages. "No

meaning behind my words. She knew me too well to overlook that. No doubt, her arrival, especially at this hour, hinted at a conversation related to Jacob's stay, a maneuver orchestrated by Dad to soften the blow of his impending apology. I was pretty sure he'd be here once Clara gave him

Evie?" Clara's voice pierced the silence,

"Go ahead, Clara."

a moment, gathering her thoughts before plunging into the heart of the matter. "Do you truly

such a

found myself hesitating, emotions swirling like a tempest within me, my pulse quickening

want him

profound ache-I wanted to revel in these emotions, make them permanent even, to shut him out indefinitely. But what if my feelings changed in the

couldn't allow that to happen. Allowing him back in would only invite further heartache-he'd break me again.

Clara," I finally admitted, a weary sigh escaping my lips. "I don't want him in my life anymore-I've closed the chapter that includes

Clara nodded understandingly,

hand in hers, offering a comforting, squeeze at was as though she sensed the monumental effort it. took for me to

she flashed me a soft smile. "But I want to tell you one thing. I know you're not pleased with Jacob staying here, but believe us, we only agreed because he truly wanted it. He's determined to make things right with you, to make you stay. doesn't want

to make

him stay, we've given him an opportunity to

he's still Dad's best friend, and just because things didn't work

may have been,

that he's loyal

no need for