Page 86 of Bound By My Father's Best Friend

“I didn’t expect him to be at Radiant last night. He told me that he would be with you.”

Evelyn’s expression softened. “We were planning on staying at my place for a bit, but … it’s kinda messy on my end right now.” She looked around and chewed on the inside of her cheek. “If I had known you were there with Heather, I wouldn’t have suggested Radiant.”

“It’s okay.”

She frowned. “Is there anything I can do? Should I try talking to him again?”

I blew out a long breath. “You don’t have to get in the middle of this. If he wants to lock himself in his office”—like a baby and not have a real conversation with me—“then let him stay there. He’s pissed—and rightfully so.”

After a curt nod and a sympathetic smile, she returned to her desk. I grabbed some coffee from the break room and checked my phone to see if Heather had messaged me yet. I didn’t want her crying all day at my place.

A calendar event reminder popped up on my phone, and I groaned.

Meeting in two minutes. Second floor.

Once I stirred some sugar into the coffee to keep me the hell awake, I grabbed a notebook from my office and headed to the elevators. Just as I stepped into the hallway, I jogged to an elevator that was closing and slipped my arm between the doors.

The elevator doors slid back open, and I stepped inside, only to freeze when I spotted Jacob standing in the corner, dark bags underneath his eyes. When he saw me, he tightened his jaw and glared ahead.

Fuck.

The doors closed, leaving us alone, and the silence stretched on and on between us. The air was charged with unsaid words and heavy tension. I cleared my throat, needing to get this out for Heather’s sake.

“Jacob, we need to talk.”

Jacob snarled, “I don’t know what there is left to say, Hector.”

I bit my tongue before I said something out of line. “Look, I understand you’re angry, and you have every right to be after what you walked in on last night. But Heather has been texting you all night, wanting to talk.”

Jacob’s eyes blazed with intensity. “Don’t pretend you care about my daughter.”

“I do,” I said honestly.

“If you truly cared, you wouldn’t have let this happen behind my back!”

“I do care about her, more than you might want to believe,” I said, hand tightening into a fist. “But you’re not the only one hurting here. Heather is hurting, too, and she needs both of us to act like adults and find a way forward.”

“Move forward? You fucking broke my finger last night over this!” he shouted, holding up his hand to show me the finger bandaged. “You were face-fucking my daughter! You think this can just be brushed aside?”

“I broke your finger becauseyouwere pointing it at Heather like she deserved it,” I said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think that this should be brushed aside, and I’m not going to beg for your forgiveness for loving your daughter when you haven’t.”

“When I haven’t?!” Jacob exclaimed, the doors now wide open on the second floor.

When neither of us left the elevator, the doors shut again.

“You’re asking me to accept what you’ve done?”

My lip twitched. “I’m asking you to put aside your anger and consider what’s best for Heather. She’s torn. She’s been crying all night. She’s gotten less than three hours of sleep because she’s worried that you’ll never be proud of her.”

Jacob flared his nostrils. “You have no right to tell me how to handle this.”

“Then, start acting like a man and not a stubborn child who’s throwing a tantrum!”

I wanted to hold it all in, but Heather was being more of a damn adult than he had been. He could’ve texted her back, told her that they’d talk later, that it was late, that she should get some sleep.

“Get your head out of your ass and talk to your daughter. Tell her you love her,” I growled, hitting the Open Door button. “If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me. Not her. She deserves to feel loved by you. Not hated.”

CHAPTERFIFTY-ONE

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