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?"

the edge of the bed, her eyes

flipping through the first few pages. "No point in sticking to the same

softening of Clara's gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the underlying 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

Evie?" Clara's voice pierced the silence, drawing

"Go ahead, Clara."

the heart of the matter. "Do you truly

anticipated such a blunt interrogation, but now I

swirling like a tempest within me, my pulse quickening with each passing

want him out

by anger, hurt, and a profound ache-I wanted to revel in these emotions, make them permanent even, to shut him out indefinitely.

that to happen. Allowing him back in would only invite further heartache-he'd break me again. For

don't want him in my life anymore-I've closed the chapter that includes Jacob. He's no

Clara nodded understandingly,

squeeze at was as though she sensed the monumental effort it. took for me to voice

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

to make amends. The

to find happiness, without any regrets. So, by letting him stay, we've given him an opportunity to earn your trust back and given you a chance to reconsider your decision-a chance that both of you deserve. We never want you to regret anything, Evie. Ever. I hope you can understand and

sour, he's still Dad's best friend, and just because things didn't work out between Jacob and

may have been,

he's loyal and

there's no need for