My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 7

Evelyn

Frustrated and overwhelmed, I leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to calm myself down. I took a deep breath, attempting to push aside the swirling emotions that threatened to consume me. I couldn't deny the truth, though. My feelings for Jacob ran deep, and his obliviousness to them only intensified my frustration.

Oh, how I loathed it! His enigmatic ways. His riddles and ways of overlooking the very things I wanted him to understand.

It was solely intentional, a calculated choice. He was not a damn child to be clueless about the fact that I have liked him for years and I still did. I was fucking obsessed with him and this dude simply couldn't care less to give a fuck about that.

Enough was enough! I was done.

Fuck Jacob Adriano!

"Guess there's one thing you can't..." The bitch inside my head interjected, maliciously aiming to worsen my already frayed mood with her offensive remark.

"Well...to hell with you too, you little snake!" I snapped back, silencing the conversation inside my head.

God! I hated these mood swings and my life even more!

I was well aware that I was overreacting, yet I couldn't help myself. One moment, he'd shower me with flirtatious charm, and the next, he'd transform into a bloody philosopher.

Bloody devil!

In a fit of frustration and anger, I snatched a cold water bottle from the fridge, slamming the door shut, hoping it would quell the boiling rage within me.

Attempting to twist open the bottle cap, I found myself engaged in a ridiculous battle with a minuscule piece of plastic. Yes, you guessed it—this damn thing refused to budge. Once again, I strained to open the stubborn bottle, but it remained resolutely sealed.

Am I this weak and stupid?

"Perhaps you are, or else who'd consider banging her dad's best friend?"—That bitch dared to speak again.

My attention wavered, now fixated on yelling at that inner voice, until I heard heavy footsteps drawing near.

I knew who it was so I did not bother to glance back to reconfirm.

He approached and positioned himself beside me, but I refused to meet his gaze. I found it to be unreasonable to engage in a conversation with him.

Instead of acknowledging his presence, I redirected my attention to the next seemingly impossible mission—opening the bottle cap. It became my sole focus, my own personal Everest.

I could sense his eyes fixed on me, observing my every futile attempt.

"Let me help you," he finally offered, after witnessing several minutes of my fruitless struggle, attempting to reach for the bottle.

"No, I can handle things on my own," I snapped curtly, swiftly withdrawing the bottle from his grasp.

I could have sworn I heard him stifle a chuckle, an infuriating cherry atop my kingdom of useless anger.

"If you're here to mock me, then kindly leave," I seethed through clenched teeth, still refusing to meet his eyes and unwavering in my determination to conquer the task at hand.

"Evelyn... I wasn't laughing at you," he said, his voice softer than ever.

Fuck it!

"I don't believe you!"

"Fine. I confess I did laugh," he sighed, "Now will you please look at me?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"I have more than just one reason to keep my distance, Jacob," I said, my voice not remaining as loud as it was at the start, "Because, let's face it, you never seem to understand anything."

"And why do you say that?" His voice grew quieter, a hint of seriousness colouring his words.

"I am not saying it for no reason at all. I say it based on what I've observed," I asserted, feeling a surge of courage urging me forward, "You have a talent for avoiding reality, while I prefer to confront it. So, it's better if I stay away from you... to...," I paused for a second, debating whether or not I should say the next words, but then my courage kicked in, "To keep you out of my thoughts once and for all." I let out.

I had no clue what kind of response I was anticipating from him. Maybe silence, or perhaps something entirely different. However, what Jacob said next was beyond my wildest expectations.

"And you expect me to believe that distancing yourself from me will make you forget about me? That you'll somehow, miraculously accomplish what you couldn't achieve all these years? Get me out of your mind when I am all you can think of?"

Holy...!

Those questions obliterated every other thought from my head. The intense heat seeped into my skin, causing my determination to slowly crumble whilst he simply watched.

He knew. He knew it all.

Without explicitly stating it, his words, within the solitary boundaries of these questions, were all the answers, clear and unmistakable.

The bottle cap miraculously twisted open, the sound of it echoing through the silent kitchen. Perhaps it opened due to the conflicting emotions that had caused me to apply extra force. But at that moment, I no longer had the desire to drink anything anymore.

"So you knew it all along... you knew... that..." I couldn't finish my sentence as he cut me off.

"Yes, I've known it since the very moment your eyes began to speak volumes, your feelings. It was the instant you started to look at me differently, the way you would hurriedly avert your gaze to avoid exposing your emotions— I knew it, I knew it from the day you laid your eyes on me," he admitted, his voice drawing closer.

I could feel his breath gently caressing my exposed shoulder, the delicate strap of my black midi dress providing minimal coverage.

His presence felt predatory, yet there was an undeniable allure to being his prey. Never had I imagined that being pursued could feel so intoxicating.

"Then yes, I want to believe that staying away from you will help me achieve what needs to be done," I spoke, my emotions becoming a tangled mess as I answered his previous questions all at once, "Especially since you have such a talent for overlooking signs and disregarding everything."

Without looking back at him, I turned, intending to make my way toward the exit. However, I did not succeed.

In the blink of an eye, my feet were no longer on the ground. The cold marble surface of the counter greeted my skin as my back slammed against the wall, and an involuntary gasp left my mouth.

It took a moment for me to register that Jacob had lifted me effortlessly by my thighs, placing me on the counter. Now, as I became acutely aware of how close we were, my heart pounded relentlessly, showing no mercy.

His hips were dangerously brushing against mine as he stood between my thighs, his hands settled on both sides of my waist and they pulled me, even more, close so that my body collided against his rock-hard chest.

That was it.