My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 33

Evelyn

These past few minutes had to be the most excruciatingly awkward moments of my life. The room fell into a deafening silence, and the intense eye contact between Jacob and this woman named Chloe Spoke volumes and yet revealed nothing at the same time. There was an undeniable tension, evident from the way his jaw clenched and anger flickered in his darkened green eyes while he stared at her.

Could she be an ex-lover? A relationship gone sour, perhaps? That seemed like a plausible explanation.

For the briefest moment, Jacob looked at Dad, raising his eyebrow in a way that felt almost threatening. I noticed Dad awkwardly shifting in his spot, shooting a glare at Clara, who still appeared clueless.

So, was it true that Dad hadn't invited Chole? Most likely, yes.

Since Clara and I handled most of the invitations using Dad's old diary, which contained the names and numbers of his old friends and colleagues, Dad probably had only a faint idea of the guests we'd invited.

"Jacob..." A sigh escaped Chole's lips. Unlike him, her eyes were soft, almost affectionate, as she gazed at him. "It's been a long time."

She released her hold on the suitcase and took a step toward him, her arms extended as if to hug him, but Jacob moved away, gesturing for her to stop.

"Don't pretend we're friends, Chole," he added, his face stern, though bitterness seeped through every word.

She stopped, the smile on her face fading. "I know," she said, clearing her throat as she stepped back. "I was just surprised to see you. That's all."

"Well, I'm surprised too that you showed up," he replied, walking past her. "And even more surprised that my so-called friend decided to invite you, knowing how much you screwed up. Pretty fucking ironic, isn't it?" He shot another bitter stare in Dad's direction as he ascended the stairs.

I witnessed Dad exhaling a defeated sigh, clearly unsure of what to do next.

"I have known him for a long time too, Jacob," Chole's voice trembled as she spoke, and Jacob came to a halt.

"Oh, really?" he replied, emitting a low chuckle as he looked back, leaning against the stairway. "I suppose that's convenient. You can fill in for me at Samuel's wedding now because I'm done. I didn't come all the way here, leaving my work and duties on hold, to attend his wedding and functions he decides to arrange on his own whims, just to deal with this mess."

My eyes widened, and I held my breath. It was almost impossible to keep quiet and not shout—Why the hell would you go?

But I knew, it wasn't my place to speak. It just wasn't.

Because there were no curtains separating us, nor were we behind closed doors. And god, it hurt me.

"What? You're leaving?" Dad asked, shock written all over his face—perhaps, he hadn't expected Jacob to react this way.

"Look, Jacob... if it's because of me that you're leaving, then don't..." Chloespoke, her voice quivering. "I can leave if my presence bothers you so much."

"Isn't it obvious that you're the reason?" Jacob's expression contorted with incredulity, “Why ask when you already know? And don't even try to put on that act. You wouldn't have come in the first place if you actually wanted to leave— you made the choice to be here, fully aware of everything. Don't tell me that you expected me to skip my friend's wedding."

"No, it's not like that. I admit that I knew you'd be here, yet I came, but I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin it for you. I'll leave."

"Since when did you start caring about what you ruin or not? That's new. Anyways, you don't need to leave, Chloe. You were invited, so you should stay here," he shrugged. "I'm sure you'll have a great time, and that's all that matters to you, right? Anyways, I'm done. So, goodbye." With that, he walked upstairs without glancing back.

An awkward silence enveloped the room, and not a single word was spoken.

Damn, I wanted to go to him. But I couldn't... because what existed between us was wrong. Yet, why did it feel so right every time we were together?

Whether anyone had noticed or not, beneath Jacob's bitter words, there was more pain than resentment. It was evident that this woman had hurt him deeply, and the guilt in her eyes remained persistent.