My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 91

Evelyn

"I can't believe it's him," I chuckled softly as I looked at the picture. "He doesn't look fifteen at all. Even his height was... too small."

"You see it too, right?" Rosaline flipped to the next page of the album, her smile never fading. "Here, see, this was when he won his first basketball trophy. Look at the smile on his face, così adorabile."

"Aww... Jacob was such a baby," I mused, unable to hide my smile.

"Don't 'aww' me," he groaned, making an attempt to snatch the album, but Enzo stopped him as he plopped down beside him on the couch.

"Why so frustrated, my boy?" Enzo laughed, handing him a glass of wine, and offering one to me as well. "Evelyn deserves to see your childhood pictures, non è vero?" (Translation: Isn't that true?)

"That's not childhood, Dad," he scowled, almost trying to hide his embarrassment. "That's a deformed teenage period! Totally screwed up."

"Hey, you looked cute," I spoke up. "I admit your height was a little too... short, but I wouldn't say there was anything else bad about it. Look at you..." I raised a picture of him holding a cricket bat. "You look so precious."

"Cute, il mio sedere," he rolled his eyes, and Enzo slapped the back of his head, immediately earning a groan from him. (Translation: Cute, my arse.)

"Che cazzo!" (Translation: What the fuck!) He looked at Enzo in bewilderment while I tried to hold my laughter. No matter how manly he had become, I loved and absolutely enjoyed the sight of him being treated like a child by Rosaline and Enzo.

"Be grateful for how you looked because if you had seen my pictures, you'd have hung yourself with something," Enzo tsked, sipping on his wine. "I didn't gain any height until I was nearly seventeen. Everyone used to call me 'fatso,' but you, you at least looked cute."

"Where are the pictures, by the way?" Jacob's interest suddenly shifted as he looked at Rosaline.

"He burned them," she chuckled, "He was too embarrassed about it, and, to be honest, I can't blame him for that decision."

"You were that ugly, Dad?" Jacob now looked at him.

"Unfortunately, yes," Enzo released a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Here, Evelyn...see this picture," Rosaline flipped to another page, plucking out a picture of Jacob wearing a dress.

Oh my god! Holy shit!

"What?!" A laugh slipped past my lips as I looked at it. Someone had even smeared lipstick on his pretty lips. "Why did he dress like that? Did he have a thing for girly stuff?”

"Mom, I don't think you should do this to me, put those pictures back!” Jacob stood up, frustrated, but Enzo pulled him down so that he would be seated in his place once again.

"Bianca forcefully dressed him like that," Rosaline chuckled. She clearly loved looking at these pictures. "He's even wearing eyeliner, see..." She pointed to his eyes, and I could see the misshapen lines on both of his eyelids.

"Well, Jacob, your green eyes are really popping," I whistled softly as I looked at Jacob, who only scoffed.

"I'll email Samuel today to get some of yours, Evelyn. You're having too much fun with this."

"I don't care, even if I have any terrible pictures, you've already seen them," I shrugged, scrolling through his pictures as Rosaline gladly showed me more, completely ignoring Jacob. "So for now, I'll look at yours and enjoy."

"Mom, when are you going to stop?"

Lord. It was so easy to get on his nerves.

"Not anytime soon," she shook her head before plucking out another picture, “See this one, it was on his sixteenth birthday. You see his red eyes and cheeks? He was crying because he missed his mom..." her voice softened, and so did her expression.

The smile on my face faded. I didn't know why my hand shook as I held the picture and examined it. His eyes were full of tears, and his nose was red.

Gosh….

My gaze shifted to Jacob, and I could see that his smile had also vanished. Enzo cleared his throat, attempting to be the only one in the room who didn't get emotional.

Jacob had been through a lot at a young age.

He didn't deserve any of it.