My Dad's Bestfriend

Evelyn

The evening unfolded, setting the stage for a casual barbecue on the patio. Mason and Eliot had taken up the roles of chefs, with Mason offering his help, albeit in a manner that made me wish he hadn't bothered. Outside, the air carried a chilly bite, the grass beneath my feet teasing my skin with its gentle tickle. Jacob's gaze seemed to linger on me persistently, subtle yet undeniable. This felt good. Atleast, distracting enough.

Jacob, Clara, and Dad had joined us just half an hour earlier, settling comfortably on the patio. It had been Jennie's suggestion to invite them, and they graciously accepted, offering a few guidelines to navigate our somewhat chaotic cooking session.

Slipping on a loose white shirt over my bikini, leaving a few buttons undone, and allowing my messy hair to fall over my shoulders, I took a seat beside Cameron. He lit a cigarette, the smoke curling lazily as his blue eyes met mine. The simple act of him placing the cigarette between his lips brought forth memories of Jacob doing the same countless times and a shiver ran down my spine as the memories attacked my mind. Glancing across at Jacob, seated opposite Dad, I found him staring back at me, unnerving me almost instantly.

Those moments, those memories he'd given me they were etched into my mind, impossible to erase. They were the most beautiful moments of my life, and yet, I couldn't help but resent the fact that they were gifts from him-the same person who fucking shattered my heart into a million pieces.

I needed to forget him. At any cost.

As Jacob poured himself a glass of whiskey and raised it to his lips, his gaze still remained locked with mine. I felt my throat getting dry at the sight. Those lips had been on my nipple earlier this morning...and countless times before that. They had been on every part of my body-every single inch of my skin.

"Shit, Evelyn, get a grip," I muttered to myself, clenching my jaw and balling my hands into fists as I tore my gaze away from Jacob.

"Care for a drag?" Cameron's voice broke through the tense silence, drawing my attention away from Jacob.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "I'd rather not risk invoking Dad's wrath and ruining the party for us both."

"Well, I can't exactly blame him for being protective. It's only fair if he catches me leading his daughter astray," Cameron said with a smirk, taking another drag and exhaling a plume of smoke into the air. "Evelyn, who's that hot guy?" Anabelle piped up from beside me, her gaze fixed on Jacob.

"Yeah, he's...god, he's ridiculously handsome," Ruby added. "Is he a relative of yours or something?"

Something about their question ignited a bizzare storm within me, stirring my blood into molten lava that seared through my veins, igniting a blaze of rage within me. The feeling itself irritated me but I couldn't shake it off.

"A hot guy?" I scoffed incredulously, feigning disdain, "What about him could possibly be considered attractive? He's a total zero in my book. And no, thankfully, he's not a relative-I don't have any ugly family members."

"Ugly? Are you serious?" Anabelle's voice held a note of disbelief, as though my statement was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. "He's easily one of the most attractive guys I've ever seen." "If you think he's attractive, then you've clearly been looking at sloths," I retorted sharply.

"Fine, maybe he's another of the sloths," Ruby conceded, "But we need to know his name because right now, that 'sloth' looks very, very delicious."

"Gross," I grimaced at their words. "Get a grip, guys. You've definitely seen better."

"Nope, he's definitely up there," Anabelle insisted. "Now, can you please tell us his name?"

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, torn between the desire to strangle her and the need to maintain composure. A part of me wished they'd agree with my assessment of his appearance that he was unattractive. But deep down, I knew that was wishful thinking.

"Jacob Fucking Adriano," I spat out his name, the bitterness evident in my voice.

"So he's Italian," Ruby whistled lowly. "Fuck, Evelyn, suddenly the barbecue doesn't seem as appetizing."

"Because you're hungry for something else," Anabelle teased, and they shared a high-five.

"Guys, seriously, can we dial it down a notch?" I interjected, my frustration mounting. "He's old enough to be your dad, for god's sake."

"A hot daddy, then," Anabelle moaned, prompting laughter from Ruby and even Cameron, who was trying to suppress his snicker.

"You have quite the entertaining group, Evelyn," Cameron remarked, drawing my attention to him.

"I seriously don't understand what

they see in him," I groaned in

frustration. I mean, really-there's ༥ nothing special about him. He's just an overconfident, annoying, rude asshole, and yet my friends are practically drooling over him.

Unbelievable!"

"I get that you think he's totally ugly," Cameron chuckled, "But if I may ask why do you hate him so much?"

His question caught me off guard, causing my hands to feel clammy and my throat to tighten.

Why did I hate him?

Did I even hate him?

Perhaps not. I couldn't bring myself to hate him, no matter how hard I tried. But I was certainly making the effort, though I wasn't sure if I'd succeeded even a little.

"I just... I just don't like him," I shrugged, attempting to brush off the question. "He's irritating."

"Does he rat you out to your dad or something?" Cameron asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"No, why would he?" I replied, puzzled by the suggestion.

"Because he certainly seems like your dad's close buddy and it's only natural that he'd tattle on you if you get into trouble."

"Fair point said, lowly, "But no. I don't like him because I don't like him-that's it. Sometimes, though, there are just people you don't click with for no apparent reason. He's that one person for me."

"I see," Cameron hummed, extinguishing his cigarette with a deliberate stomp. His gaze returned to me, intense and unwavering. "But you like me, right?"

His question caught me off guard, my cheeks flushing with warmth at his words.

"W-what?"

"I am pretty sure you heard me."

Yes, I did.

"Um, I—"

Before I could respond, he leaned in, tucking a loose strand of hair behind

vel.net

my ear. Oddly, as his fingers brushed against my skin I felt nothing at his touch-just an emptiness. He made me nothing. Nothing at all.

"You don't have to answer right away," he said softly, flashing me a gentle smile. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

I nodded, taking a deep breath, but I couldn't shake the sensation of Jacob's eyes boring into me, burning with an intensity I couldn't ignore.

Fuck. It was going to be tough resisting Jacob, even tougher to resist my feelings for him.