My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 79 Just Like The First Time

Evelyn

I woke up feeling weary and tired. My eyes were still swollen and red, a testament to the fact that I'd spent the whole night crying, despite my friends' company, which, in the end, I had refused and kicked them out. Jacob wasn't here... that thought alone was painful.

And even if I set it aside, just the mere consideration of how I was going to face Dad made my condition ten times worse. I had, without a doubt, hurt him deeply. He had done everything he could for me throughout his life-dedicated it to my well-being, and here I was, causing him such pain. Jacob had told me to handle it calmly and let Dad vent his anger on me if he wanted to-if that was the way to lighten up his mood, I'd not complain. But following Jacob's advice wasn't going to do it all I had to shoulder some blame as well.

Fuck! I should have just told him about this long ago, before things had escalated to this point. But my fears got the better of me, and they had messed things up terribly. Fucked me up. Real bad.

It still hurt to remember how I had stood on the balcony and watched Jacob drive away in his car. And when he glanced back, knowing I was watching, and flashed the softest smile... At that moment, I wished I could have run away with him.

But I loved my dad. I didn't want to do anything that would hurt him. It didn't matter if I suffered for a while; if it meant sparing my dad from pain and betrayal, it was worth it. He didn't deserve a daughter who didn't care about him and his wishes.

He had sacrificed so much for me, and I could at least... sacrifice a few months for him. The fact that he would ever approve of this, however, gnawed at me from within.

I finally made my way down the stairs. It was yet another surprising day when I had woken up early. To be honest, I had barely slept at all. How could I? Second thoughts were already tormenting me.

What was I going to say to Dad? Argh!

It was true that I had initially chased after Jacob, losing my composure just at the sight of his handsome face. But there was another side to the truth, one I had kept hidden even from myself I had been in love with him since I was twelve, perhaps even earlier. How could I tell? I couldn't. I hadn't realised it until I found myself drowning headfirst in the whirlwind of passion and desire, the storm of our sinful emotions and attractions.

I pulled my hair back into a messy bun, stifling a yawn.

I wasn't sure if I was going to face Dad today or not, but for now, I needed to sneak some snacks for myself and retreat back to my room. Tomorrow was the wedding, and I couldn't risk saying something that would ruin it all.

So, tiptoeing, I cautiously made my way to the kitchen, my eyes scanning for any prying gazes, although I doubted there were any. But just as I entered the kitchen, I saw it-my dad standing at the stove, making pancakes, and Clara sitting on the counter right beside him.

Fuck me and my luck!

My body froze, my eyes widened, and I almost thought of turning back. But then I noticed the smiles on their faces, both my dad's and Clara's. Wait....This didn't match the situation. Not that I was complaining, but seriously, what was going on? What could brighten their mood to this extent? Jacob's departure couldn't be the reason, judging by how much he mattered to my dad, and Clara, knowing my distress, could never smile under such circumstances.

So, what the fuck was going on?!

Before I could decide to turn around and leave the situation for a while to process, my dad's gaze shifted to me, and that was it. I froze. I froze like an ice sculpture. Like A fucking snowman, well, snow-woman.

The smile on his face waned, but he casually said before going back to flipping the pancakes, "The chocolate syrup is on the shelf, go and get it. We've made your favourite pancakes."

This was far from normal. Not so regular if compared to the mess all of us were tangled into.

I needed someone to explain this to me.

My eyes shifted to Clara, unable to hide my bewilderment, but aside from a smile, she didn't offer me any clues. It was either me who had gone crazy or these two. It had to be one of those two reasons.

Maybe I had gone crazy and all of it was my imagination.

For a brief moment, I looked for an explanation or a hint from Clara, but she, too, appeared strangely normal, just like my dad. The abnormality lay in their overly normal behaviour despite the huge mess Jacob and I had created.

What was happening? Please someone tell me.

"What? Aren't you hungry?" My Dad arched an eyebrow. There was definitely something wrong with him!

"No... it's not like that!" I finally blurted out, feeling utterly dumb, as if they were getting something, and I wasn't.

I scurried to the corner, reaching for

the bottle on the shelf before walking towards them and standing right beside my dad. Despite my bewilderment, I could feel my

stomach twisting and tel

the

sight of the pancakes. Dad knew how to make them perfectly, especially when he had Clara by his side.

Noticing my hungry gaze at the pancakes, a chuckle escaped from Clara's lips. "Those are for you, Evelyn. You can eat them."

My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but I could see my dad stifling a smile.

Wait... was he not angry with me? He was supposed to scold me, give me lectures, and explain what I had done wrong. Why was he acting so normal?

God, I felt so foolish, but I couldn't just accept this as fact. My dad, the king of dramatic reactions, not displaying a single hint of negative emotion over this serious matter-this was as unnatural as the sun rising in the West.

I was going insane from within.

"Yeah, I know, but..." My words got caught in my throat. Should I just ask or continue to play along with this 'normal' situation? It didn't feel right, but maybe it would make sense at some point.

"But, what?" Dad asked as he took a bite from the sandwich Clara had been eating until now. He appeared so oblivious to everything that had happened—no, he wasn't oblivious, he was actively behaving like this.

But, why?

Fuck. This was confusing.

"Are... are you not mad at me?" I finally blurted out, nervously rubbing my hands together.

A few seconds of silence stretched between us, and I noticed Dad and Clara exchanging a glance that seemed to convey so much, yet I couldn't decipher any of it.

Then Dad finally spoke up, "You

mean about your whole boyfriend thing?" He asked, chewing on the sandwich, casually as ever, as if that 'boyfriend thing' didn't include his best friend, "Do you think I should be mad at you? If you want-I can do that," He playfully ruffled my hair, a smile spreading across his lips.

Okay... he was clearly not mad at me. But still, this was fucking confusing. I was too shocked to even speak and even torn between whether to be happy or get suspicious like a motherfucking detective.

"I mean..." I struggled to form a coherent sentence, "You're supposed to say something or "

Suddenly, a very familiar voice

interrupted-the same voice I'd heard on the very first day we

arrived for Dad's wedding with Clara, right here in the kitchen, after

long years. It was as smootheContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

as silk, washing away all my restraints. My entire body froze, my heart racing in my chest, and the room Suddenly felt devoid of oxygen.

"Good morning, guys."

My head whipped around, my eyes widening, and my lips parting in a gasp. His green eyes met mine as he flashed a very familiar smile, one that made my heart race. Holy shit! He was here.

Jacob was here!

"Hello, love," he smiled, walking over to me and planting a kiss on my forehead, soothing all my nerves in an instant, "Did you sleep well?"

Every cell in my body went into shock. Part of my consciousness believed it was a dream, but the touch of his lips on my forehead was too real to be dismissed. This couldn't be a dream.

No this had to be one!

No, shit! I wasn't.

So, what did I miss?

Forget it all! What on earth is actually going on?!