My Dad's Bestfriend



Evelyn

Bottling up my emotions, desires, and the twisted dreams my heart dared to whisper despite what it went through-dreams I deemed too bizarre, too dangerous for the future I craved-I stepped out of the room and agreed to go out with Cameron. No trauma, no doubts, no pain. That was the life I envisioned for myself, so here I was, sitting beside him, my safe choice, our feet sinking into the cool lake water. The bench, which Cameron described or I would say guessed as specially designed for this—soaking feet and relaxing-did little to calm the chaos in my mind.

In my memory, this bench used to sit a foot away from the water. I vaguely remember coming here as a child, back when the lake seemed smaller, more innocent. But time and rising water had expanded it, so now, the bench sat at the perfect level for someone to sit and let the water gently touch their feet. I suppose, in different circumstances, it might have been calming.

But my mind was a battlefield. Instead of peace, I was drowning in a whirlpool of what-ifs and regrets-the choices I should have made, the ones I didn't, and the ones I knew I'd be forced to make soon, even if my heart screamed in protest.

If I had to rate this little outing, I'd give it a generous two out of ten. The two were solely because of Cameron, and maybe that sounds harsh, but in my current state, even those two points felt like a lot.

Truth is, I didn't leave the house just because Cameron asked and to say I did...well, that would've been an absolute fucking lie. There were two main reasons: first and more important, I needed to be anywhere but near Jacob, to escape and maybe, just maybe, find some sliver of peace—a task I was hopelessly bad at. And second, it was Cameron who asked. Cameron, the guy who had been endlessly trying to be the best thing for me, did everything he could to pull me out of this abyss.

I couldn't deny his efforts. Cameron was a good guy, and somewhere deep down, I think he knew he was fighting a losing battle yet he was still not giving up. He had to know that my heart was still shackled to Jacob. Everyone knew how hopelessly, foolishly in love I still was with him. Cameron wasn't blind. He was sharp-painfully aware.

But I had no right to break Cameron's heart.

I wouldn't break his heart.

Not ever.

“Does it still feel cold?” Cameron asked, his voice soft, almost teasing. His blue eyes sparkled under the pale glow of the moonlight, the colors shifting like an endless ocean. Maybe, if I hadn't first fallen for the stormy green in Jacob's gaze, I might have drowned in the sea of hues swirling in Cameron's. But I never allowed myself to look that deep. Because the eyes that had captured me had unraveled me were the same shade of green Jacob carried. Eyes that held secrets deeper than any forest. And I had lost myself in them long before Cameron stepped into my life. Maybe in a parallel universe, it was Cameron I'd fallen for.....not Jacob Adriano.

But, in that universe, would Cameron break my heart the same way Jacob did? I didn't know. Maybe not or maybe yes. I truly didn't want to think about it because there were already a shitty amount of thoughts that circled my poor, stressed and overworked mind.

To answer his question truthfully, I shifted my feet in the water, momentarily taken aback by how warm it felt now. "No," I said, surprised at the difference, "It doesn't feel cold anymore."

"See?" He chuckled softly, a sound that seemed to float on the stillness of the lake. Reaching out, he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I told you. When you give things time, they stop feeling so impossible. Fear steals from us, Evelyn. It takes more than we realize."

His gaze drifted to the shimmering water, reflecting the scattered stars like pearls floating on the surface. Something in his words tugged at me, a deeper meaning hidden beneath his usual easy charm. There was a quiet sadness in him tonight, something I hadn't seen before.

"You really believe that?" My voice came out quieter than I intended, the weight of his words pressing against me.

"What?" He asked, sounding clueless but I knew he actually wasn't. He probably wanted to utter the question by myself.

"That fear can steal so much?" I cleared my throat, trying to avoid the tremor.

He turned back to me, and this time, his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, Evelyn," he murmured, his voice gentle as he took my hand in his. His thumb brushed slowly over my skin, sending a ripple of warmth through me. "Fear takes away the best things in life. The adventures we're too scared to chase, the moments we don't think we deserve, the chances we miss... and the people we care about most."

el.ne

My chest tightened, his words sinking deeper than I wanted to admit. Was he talking about Jacob? About us? Did he know how tangled my feelings were, how fear had woven itself into everything? Cameron wasn't usually this introspective, this raw. Tonight, though... he felt different More serious. As if he, too, was standing on the edge of something he wasn't sure how to name.

"What are you really trying to say, Cameron?" I asked, the question slipping out before I could hold it back. I didn't have the energy to pretend I wasn't confused, or that I didn't feel the weight of the unspoken between us.

fet

His smile softened, and then he leaned in, pressing the gentlest of kisses to my forehead. "What I'm saying is the truth,” he whispered, his lips barely brushing my skin. “Now it's up to you, Evelyn, to decide if you're losing what matters because you truly want to or

because fear is making the choice

for you."

His words echoed in the quiet night, and I froze. I finally understood what he meant. And the truth of it hit me like a wave. Cameron had seen through me—through the walls I'd built, the denials I clung to. He had uncovered the fear I'd been too terrified to face.

How did he read me so clearly? Or maybe, had I been that obvious all along?

I wanted to ask, to question how he saw what I had been trying so hard to hide. But before I could find the words, Cameron slowly stood, the moment slipping away like sand between my fingers. "It's late," he said softly, his gaze still gentle. "We should head home."

Without another word, I stood and followed him, my heart heavy with everything left unsaid. But his words lingered—like a quiet storm waiting to break.noveldrama