My Dad's Bestfriend



Evelyn

As the words left his mouth, I froze on the spot. My eyes widened, my throat dried up, and I stared at him, unblinking.

How did he know? The question echoed in my mind, rattling me to my core. Had he just figured it out now, or had he known all along and chosen not to say anything? A flood of questions bombarded my thoughts, leaving me speechless, unable to react, caught in a web of silence and confusion. I had no words. No reaction. No way ahead of me to get myself out of this state where silence had gripped me like a vice. Strong and painfully. Cameron stepped inside, his expression unreadable as he stood in front of me.

"How... how did you know?" I finally managed to ask, the words bitter on my tongue. Guilt gnawed at me. I'd hidden this from Cameron all along, and there was no excuse for it-what I'd done was wrong, and there was no way to justify it. Neither did I want to justify it.

Cameron remained silent for a moment, then let out a small sigh. He gently grabbed my hands, his unreadable expression softening into something that eased the ache in my chest. “I've known from the start, Evelyn."

His words took me aback.

Of course, Jacob had been protective of me he'd shown signs, intentionally dropped hints, made things obvious-but Cameron wasn't supposed to know anything about our past because it was actually fucking unusual. I'd assumed he might guess that Jacob was just a close family friend, someone overly concerned with my well-being. But never, not for a moment, had I thought Cameron would suspect the truth about the relationship Jacob and I had shared.

I mean, for God's sake, who would guess that I'd dated my dad's best friend? It wasn't normal-it was far from normal.

So then... how did he figure it out?

Cameron's words hit me like a ton of bricks. The guilt that had been gnawing at me now felt unbearable, and it was even harder to meet his eyes. "How...?" My voice was barely a whisper as I looked at him, my guilt weighing heavily on me. I knew I'd done wrong, hiding something so crucial from him when he was doing everything possible to make things work between us. He deserved better-he deserved the truth from the very beginning. God, I felt like a terrible human being.

"It was always too evident, Evelyn," he said, his hold on my hand soft and soothing. "Jacob's eyes spoke volumes, but it wasn't his actions that made me realize it. It was your reactions. You always looked at him the way I wanted you... to look at me."

"Cameron..."

"You don't need to explain anything, Evelyn," he interrupted, flashing me the softest smile as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. His calm, understanding, and caring behavior only made me feel more guilty. "I understand.”

I would never be able to forgive myself. Ever.

"It's not about you understanding, Cameron," I sighed, feeling the weight of my actions. "It's about me hiding things from you when you were doing everything possible to make it work. I lied to you, Cameron... I used you." The words tasted bitter on my tongue, and I felt like the worst person on earth.

"No, you didn't," Cameron assured

me, his voice gentle and soothing. "I knew all along. I'm not a child to be fooled or used, Evelyn. I knew what you were up to, and I played along because wanted to be with you.

Whether you were trying to maket

Jacob jealous or distract yourself, I found a way to be with you. Your hesitancy and the secrecy you held about your past made it evident to me. So don't think that by doing all of this, you've hurt me in any way. You didn't. I want to be with you, Evelyn, and I plan to stick around until the day you might finally change your mind. It was my choice, Evelyn. You didn't use me-I let

myself be used. It's on me."

"Don't do this, Cameron..." The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them. "This only makes me feel more guilty."

"Trust me, Evelyn. Everything I've

said is true. I didn't tell you just to

make you feel better. There isn't a

iel

single lie in what I've said-just trust me," he said, his grip on my arms gentle. knew what you were doing was an attempt to forget him, to make him jealous, maybe even get back at him. And there's nothing wrong with that. We all make foolish decisions at this age, and that's okay. It's just part of who we are. Making mistakes isn't bad as long as no one gets hurt."

"But I hurt you. I kept you in the dark. I hid the fact that I'm still madly in love with my ex, and deep down, I know it's impossible to love anyone else

the way I loved him. Jacob is my past, Cameron. I don't want to go back to him, but I can't imagine a future without him. That's the problem-it's innoveldrama

me, in my heart. I'm sorry, Cameron. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done this to you just to make my ex jealous."

"No!" Cameron interrupted, his voice

et

firm. "You didn't hurt me. Let me make this clear, Evelyn. It's on me. I knew what was getting into. I pursued you knowing I might be fighting a losing battle. So no, you didn't hurt me. But there's one more thing need to say," Cameron continued. "I'm not giving up on you. Not yet. I've liked you for a long time, and though it's too soon to say I love you, what I feel is more than just liking. So I'm not giving up. I'm going to do everything I can to win you over."

I was at a loss for how to respond.

Inside, I felt torn apart. My heart felt like it was being split in two. The emotions, the decisions ahead, the situation-it was all so confusing, daunting, and exhausting.

It wasn't that I didn't feel anything for Cameron...

Because I fucking did.

But what I felt for him didn't even begin to compare to what I felt for Jacob. It was like comparing a single drop of rain to the vastness of the universe.

"I don't want to hurt you, Cameron," I said, my voice trembling as I struggled to hold back tears, my gaze falling to the floor. God! Why did I drag someone as good as Cameron into the mess of my life with Jacob? He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to fight for something he rightfully deserved. He deserved to be loved-someone like him absolutely deserved that. And I wasn't sure I could ever give him what he deserved.

"Evelyn, look at me," he said softly, cupping my face in his hands. "I understand the situation I'm in. Whatever happens, I won't blame you. I know you love him, and I know it's hard to imagine someone else in his place. All I'm trying to do is find a place in your heart. If I succeed, that's wonderful. If not, I'll respect your decision, and we'll stay friends. Don't overthink this or blame yourself for anything, okay?"

For some reason, this was the moment I started to calm down. Maybe it was his constant reassurance, or perhaps a part of me had finally accepted that no matter what I did, I'd end up hurting someone.

"Promise me that no matter what my decision is," I began, my voice breaking, "we'll stay friends."

A soft smile spread across his lips as he leaned in and kissed my forehead. "Yes, beautiful."

But even as his words reassured me, they did little to quiet the turmoil within me.