My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 71

Clara

I exhaled a plume of smoke into the night air, leaning against the balcony railing as my gaze drifted upward to the dark canvas of the sky. The phone remained clutched in my other hand as I flicked the ash from my cigarette into the waiting ashtray.

Stress was never a good thing for me— a relentless adversary that always seemed to have the upper hand. I neither had the option to retreat nor the freedom to move forward.

I attempted to call Samuel, but my man had abandoned his phone in the room. His original mission was a simple one: fetch two beer bottles from the kitchen. Yet, judging by the time that had elapsed, it was evident— he was a full-blown adventure.

The beer though, was a feeble attempt of mine to divert his thoughts. He was much more interested in thwarting Evie's plans for the evening, whether by calling her directly or, failing that, reaching out to her friends. And if all else failed, he would resort to tracking her down himself.

He was seething, a rare occurrence for Samuel. He was typically unflappable, but today, Chloe had succeeded in pushing him to the brink. I wished I could tell him the truth and reveal that woman's intentions, which cut far deeper than her words implied. But I knew I couldn't.

That bitch hurled insults at Evie, all the while convinced that no one would grasp the true meaning behind her twisted words.

If only we were alone, without the prying eyes of onlookers, I would have torn Chloe to shreds.

No one, literally no one had the right to speak to our Evie in such a manner, especially not a self-obsessed, low-life, manipulative woman like Chloe. Samuel had even contemplated asking Jacob to send her packing. His anger was fueled by more than just her return, it also had to do with Jacob getting back with her, and I didn't inquire further because I understood that he knew far more history than I did. The whole college love story shit that Jacob and Chloe had shared had left deep scars, both individuals suffered at some point, to be honest, just one, the very one who was now causing havoc in Evie's life— putting her through shit.

I had to restrain Samuel, because if I hadn't that would have only escalated the situation. I didn't trust Chloe one bit, not with her intentions. If she decided to spill something that would make life harder for Evie, it would only worsen the situation, and the last thing I wished was to see Evie suffer more.

But I couldn't fully trust Jacob's intentions either. Why had he pursued something he knew he could never fulfill? Why make empty promises to her?

I knew Samuel, and I knew his ability to read people, to see into their hearts. Jacob had been his best friend, so how had he transformed into the kind of man who would take advantage of Evelyn?

None of it added up, and no matter how hard I tried to make sense of it, I couldn't shake the guilt of keeping this hidden from Samuel all this time. It wasn't right, I knew that, but I couldn't risk everything unraveling.

The grandeur of marriage ceremonies and meticulous plans meant nothing to me now. I didn't care if any of it went up in flames. All I cared about were Evelyn and Samuel, and right now, to protect one, I had to deceive the other.

This was such a fucking mess.

As I delved deeper into my contemplation, the door of the room swung open abruptly. I glanced up and saw Samuel entering, but there were no beer bottles in his hands. Instead, a peculiar expression played on his face, distinct from the usual calm I associated with him.

Something was off.....

"Hey, you're back. Have we run out of beer?" I inquired, making my way back into the bedroom, and pushing aside the flowing white curtains.

He didn't respond immediately; instead, his gaze shifted skeptically to the half-finished cigarette in my hand, a trail of ash descending slowly to the floor.

Oh, damn! How could I have forgotten to dispose of it?

"You rarely smoke, Clara," he remarked, stepping closer, "It's only when you're stressed. What's bothering you, Clara?" His tone held an undertone of suspicion, even accusation, but lacked genuine concern.

Jesus! This was not good.

I hastily discarded the cigarette, attempting to brush it off with a forced laugh. "It's just nerves. Don't tell me you didn't have a similar situation a couple of days ago," I deflected, avoiding his penetrating gaze. I walked past him, pretending to straighten the bedsheet and rearrange the pillows proving that I was the stupidest person on the earth.

Why, though? Because they were already perfectly arranged.

Argh! I hated myself.

"Yeah, I did, but I'm confident our situations aren't quite the same," he chuckled, his hands slipping into his pockets. "So, are you going to tell me the truth, or should I start? I can do that if you're willing to erase the last bit of trust I have in you."