My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 78 One Last Time

Evelyn

His fingers traced along my spine as our bodies remained entwined under the duvet, the warmth of our skin mingling to make up for the times they had been apart. I gazed up at him, reaching out to brush back a few stray strands of hair that had concealed his sharp, green orbs-the very ones I had fallen for on the first day.

"What are your plans after leaving?" I asked, my thumb lightly grazing his stubble.

"I suppose I'll return to Italy for a while. We know Samuel is taking Clara on a two-month trip to Paris, so things should settle down by then. There are also some upcoming business-related issues; it turns out Chloe has purposely slept with one of the investors, and she mentioned he might withdraw his funds, which kinda proves that she'd been planning to blackmail me for a while, even before getting here. We'll need to handle that, whether it's over the phone or face-to-face," he said, taking my hand and kissing its back. "But hopefully, in around six months, I'll have everything sorted out."

"She did what?" I was shocked. Could this woman be any more shameless?

A chuckle escaped his lips. "Is it really that surprising? She has always been an opportunist, Evelyn. And don't worry, I don't think a one-night stand is enough to make an investor pull out of a profitable business. Trust me; I've been there."

He has been there?! This man....

"Such a dog," I slapped his chest, a chuckle escaping my lips as well. "You make it sound like one-night stands are your specialty." "They were, before you," he grinned before leaning down to plant a kiss on my lips. "But after you, I think I'm ready to be a family man."

"You'll have to put up with me for the rest of your life, then..." I teased, "Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"

"Sacrifice?" He laughed and pulled me on top of him, my body now resting over his. As my hair fell to the side of his face, I watched him inhale its scent before he tucked it behind my ear. "That's an absolute privilege. If I could, I'd take you to the marriage office right now and make it official. Fuck, I am obsessed with you!"

"Silly," I smiled, placing a tender kiss on his lips, then at the corner of his mouth, and the other corner before giving him a quick peck on the nose, "You know you're just so...adorable sometimes?"

"That's not the kind of compliment you should give a man who made you come thrice even a few moments ago," he chuckled causing a blush to creep up my cheeks, "Still, I wanna ask you a question too, how can you be so fucking sexy all the time?" he traced his hand from my shoulder to my spine, before he cupped my butt.

A soft gasp escaped my lips, and my eyes widened, "You'll never change!"

"I don't want to. I don't want to change, Evelyn," he whispered, pulling me closer, and burying his head in my neck as he inhaled my scent. "I just want to stay with you and go nowhere, even if your father kicks me out. But I know I can't..." He sighed, "To do things right, we have to spend some time apart. Even though I admit your father is super annoying, he's still my buddy and always will be. I also don't want to take you away from him in a way that would hurt him. We can't be selfish."

I exhaled a small breath, the ache in my chest remained there just like it had been-I didn't want him not even an inch away from me let alone miles, "I know," I kissed his temple, holding him close, my fingers brushing through his hair. God, I was going to miss him terribly! "Maybe it'll take some time, but we'll be together very soon. And when that happens, I won't let you out of my sight, not even for a second. You are mine. Only mine."Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

"And you are mine too, Evelyn. I don't want any stupid jerk around you while I'm away," he said, now looking into my eyes. He cupped my face with his hands and kissed my lips. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I understand," I giggled before letting myself fall into his arms again.

God...six hours had always been too short, and now we had only one.

***

I watched, standing in the doorway, feeling utterly rooted in place as he packed his things. My heart had never fucking ached so much. He was... leaving.

I couldn't even begin to count how many times had wished to stop him, but deep down, I knew this had to be done. To mend the relationship between Dad and him, to regain my father's trust, and to preserve the harmony in all our relationships, we had to endure this painful

separation. It was excruciating.

Utterly fucking painful.

He made every little effort to lift my spirits, whether through his silly jokes or his silly attempts to put a smile on my face. But how could any of it work when both our hearts were throbbing with pain? Beating at the same pace of ache and anguish?

Why had no one ever warned me how much distance could hurt when you're in love?

"Tell me, what kind of wine should I bring for you from Italy?" he asked as he zipped up his suitcase. A faint smile played on his lips, concealing as much as it could to shield me from the depths of his own inner turmoil these six months, or if we turn tobe unfortunate more, were going to be more painful than I'd already imagined it to be, "I know you have a thing for wine," he let out a chuckle and picked up his phone from the bedside table. "Sangiovese? Prosecco,

Franciacorta, Chianti, Primitivo, or Amarone della Valpolicella? Oh, Pinot Grigio is excellent as well. Or should I bring all of them? Maybe a hundred bottles?"

A melancholic smile broke through my tears. "Anything you prefer. But you have to bring...the same Jacob back when you return." A sob threatened to break free, but I held it back, though he had already heard it halfway.

His eyes locked onto me, and his gaze softened at the sight of my tears. He stepped over to me, his hands encircling my waist, and he bent down to pull me into a warm hug. "Time flies, Evelyn. You won't even realise when six months have passed. And the moment you do, I'll be right before your eyes."

"If you hadn't been so foolish, we could have spent more time together, you idiot," I blurted out, tears soaking his shirt as my chin rested on his shoulder, "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson when you get back here. I can't even properly be mad at you!"

He chuckled, but I could sense he was battling tears, as I'd seen them earlier, "Alright, love. You can be as mad as you want at me when I return. But for now, you have to stop crying, okay? It's almost time for my flight."

I didn't want him to go....

"Do you really have to go?" I clung to him tightly, doubts swirling in my mind.

"You know I have to, baby," he sighed and gently pulled away. Cupping my face in his warm hands, he used his thumbs to wipe away my tears. "You are strong, aren't you?"

My chin quivered on its own, and just as I was about to break into tears again, he spoke up. "Before you cry, let me tell you these tears don't suit your pretty face. They look horrible," Leaning in, he brushed his thumb over my chin before giving me another tender kiss.

"I will miss you..." I looked at him, my eyes glistening with tears as I clutched onto his jacket. "I will really miss you, Jacob."

"I will miss you more, baby," he sighed, stroking my hair. "But as I said, I'll be back before you even realise it. I love you, and I'll do everything to make it up to Samuel and bring you back."

I nodded, hiccupping, before I cupped his face in my hands. He was so beautiful. How was I going to survive without him by my side?

"Promise me you won't change your mind again... because if you do, Jacob... I swear to God, I am going to fucking die, I am—" He placed his finger on my lips, silencing my next words.

"I won't change my mind. I promise, Evelyn," he flashed a soft smile, but it wasn't just the smile that assured me; it was his entire presence. The way his gaze remained fixed on me as he uttered those words-it was like the universe itself whispered to me that no matter what, this man would never belong to anyone but me.

"I love you, Jacob." I pressed my body against the doorway and brought his lips to mine for one last kiss.

We poured all our passion into that one kiss. He kissed me deeply, our bodies melding in a way that they refused to be pulled apart, even though time was short. We both knew that we had to part, and with a heavy heart, we broke the kiss. Jacob suppressed his tears, looking at me, while I let mine

flow freely.

I wish I could tell anyone how much this hurt....

With just one glance at me, he took a deep breath and turned away, walking with his suitcase. He didn't look back, and I didn't want him to. Because both of us knew that if he turned back, neither he would be able to leave, nor would I let him go.