My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 236

Evelyn

Time slipped by faster than I could grasp. Before I knew it, Monday was already here again. Even though time moved quickly, I barely noticed-because all I did was lie in Jacob's arms, soaking in these precious moments with him. Watching him heal, day by day, from his own wounds and trauma.

The ordeal with Tyler had left a heavy scar on me. Sometimes, my mind would forget how it ended and instead replay the terror that came before the fear that had gripped me tight. My heart would pound wildly, and I'd cling to Jacob, listening to his steady, calm heartbeat, slowly finding my own peace again. He was my peace-my shelter in the storms, the breeze when I couldn't breathe.

Sometimes I wondered how no one had seen the scared little boy trapped inside Tyler. How no one noticed the cracks until they shattered so badly that he could no longer hold himself together—until his brokenness spilled over in destructive ways. After all, he too was a human....living alongside humans. How come not even one fucking soul see it?

To be honest, I was still afraid. Not because I thought it would happen again... but because it had happened. It actually happened.

And it could have ended so much worse.

If Tyler had truly been the monster he tried to make himself out to be-if he had the will to pull the trigger-then everything would have been lost.

But I was still here. We were still here.

"I talked to Joey," Jacob murmured, his hand tracing gentle circles on my back as he kissed my forehead. "He's taking care of Tyler. Since the police complaint was never officially filed, Joey handled everything with the CCTV footage. Tyler's out of the media spotlight for now, and Joey's keeping him under close supervision. He's even considering bringing Tyler onto his team."

"Oh really?" I nestled closer against him, breathing in his warmth his scent always comforting like home. "That's... actually really good. I was hoping for something like this. I think we can trust Joey to do what's right."

life. Honestly, if I'd had even a glimpse of what he was struggling with... maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe losing that

at him, voice gentle. "It's okay. Don't blame yourself for any of it. None of us knew. Sometimes pain and secrets run so deep -deeper than anyone can see. Not all of us wear our hearts on our sleeves." I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "You did everything you could. That's what matters." Jacob closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply. "I'm just so grateful you and Sienna are safe. I don't think I could have forgiven myself if anything had happened to either of

until we grow old and frail." I chuckled softly. "Though I have to say,

a ghost and haunt you long after I'm gone," he teased, nuzzling my nose and

"Hey, that's cheating."

raised his eyebrows and then, in an instant, pinned me beneath him. His knees trapped me gently between his legs. His hands rested on either side of my head as he grinned down at me. "You call this

of course

my cheek, slow and tender, "You-ruining the peace of a perfectly happy man, a man who thought he had it all figured out,

closed my eyes into his touch as his

know what else was cheating?" he whispered, voice low

my head, heart

simply thought it

fun holiday just

made me fall head over heels for

even

anymore without you-when

became a task if

was cheating.