My Dad's Bestfriend

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. "I'm sorry, guys. I didn't know this would happen," she choked out. "I wouldn't have come if I had any idea. I should leave."

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that she actually did have an idea, yet she came anyway. Perhaps she wanted to get close to Jacob again? Otherwise, why would she look at him that way? "No, Chole. Wait," my mother intervened, reaching for her hand. "You don't need to go. Jacob will calm down after some time; we all know him. He's just heated up at the moment, and I'm sure he won't leave. You know how much he cares for Samuel. He wouldn't do that."

Gosh, my mother and her habit of acting great!

"Still, Danica. I don't think I should stay," Chloe let out a quiet sigh. "It'll be uncomfortable for him."

"I won't deny that it might be uncomfortable for him, but you should stay. After a while, you two might become friends again, who knows? Everything takes time to heal, so give it some time. Everything will be alright. Besides, it's been years. You both should be moving on now."

"I understand, but..."

"Chloe, I will talk to Jacob," Dad finally spoke, his voice determined. "I will find a way to handle this, and to be honest, I never wanted to put you two together because I knew it could be a mess. But let bygones be bygones. You should go to a room and freshen up. We'll talk later."

"Yeah, come with me, Chloe. I will show you your room," Clara offered, flashing a small smile.

"Okay, fine."

My mom followed them, heading to her room, leaving only Dad and me alone in the hall.

"Is that his ex?" I blurted out the question as soon as the opportunity arose.

"Yeah," Dad replied, dropping onto the couch with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "The only ex, apparently."

"What? He's only dated once in his life?"

"Well, not in that way. She was the only one he was ever serious about."

"Their relationship ended on a bad note?"

"That would be an understatement," Dad sighed, "Jacob went through a lot because of her and her mood shifts. In a word, she only used him, no matter what she says right now or how much she regrets her actions. The damage she has inflicted can't be undone. She put him through a lot, and it's not easy to forget, let alone forgive."

It all made sense now-why Jacob didn't wish to be in a relationship, the tattoo he covered up, those scars on his hand, and his reluctance to open up. All of it traced back to her.

"Why don't you go and talk to him? You have to explain it to him. What if he leaves because of her?" I urged, concerned for both my dad and Jacob.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to face him, Evelyn. I'm sure this was the last thing he had expected. God, I didn't even plan on inviting her, but it slipped out of my mind, and perhaps her number got on the list mistakenly. This is terrible."

"But you need to talk to him. Staying silent will just create a wall between you two, and I'm sure you don't want that. Why not solve things before they get out of hand? You two have been friends for years, I think he will be willing to understand."

"I think you're right. I should talk to him," Dad finally decided and stood up, however, after a few steps, he paused and turned back to me.

"Would you... perhaps like to come with me?"

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor, "Sorry?" I stammered, trying to grasp the unexpected request.

"Well, Jacob gets pretty violent when he's pissed, and I'm afraid that he might end up beating me up since I screwed up," Dad confessed, scratching the back of his head, "At least, if my daughter's there, for the sake of my respect, he might not hit me. I don't want to be seen all red and covered in bruises on my wedding day."

"Oh, it's totally alright," I blurted out quickly, hoping not to seem suspicious. "I'll come with you."