All Chapters of FALLING FOR MY BEST FRIEND'S FATHER : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Marcus hesitated. "I'm falling in love with you." Marcus's voice was steady now, sure. "I've been falling since the day you stepped into this house. Every day, a little more. And it terrifies me because I've never felt anything close to this before.""I'm falling in love with you, too," Emma breathed. "I have been since that first night. When you talked about your dreams, your fears, your hopes for the future—I started falling and I haven't stopped."Marcus pulled her into his arms, holding her like she was something precious, something he couldn't bear to lose. Emma buried her face in his chest, feeling his heart thunder beneath her cheek."I'm scared," she whispered against him. "I'm scared of the future, Marcus.” Marcus looked at her eyes steadily. “I'm forty-two years old. I've spent so long building my career, proving myself, and being independent since my wife left us. But lately, all I can think about is settling down again. Finding someone to build a life with. Having a famil

Emma's reflection in the window glass looked different now. Stronger. More certain.She'd given Marcus what he asked for tonight—she'd left when he told her to. But that didn't mean she was giving up. It didn't mean she was walking away from this feeling, from this connection that had turned her entire world upside down.If Marcus needed time to wrestle with his conscience, fine. If he needed to hide behind morality and impossibility, she could wait. But she wouldn't stop fighting for this. For them.Because some things were worth fighting for, even when they seemed impossible.*Especially* when they seemed impossible.Tomorrow Lily would arrive, and Emma would have to wear a mask, pretend everything was fine. She'd smile and laugh and be the best friend Lily had always known. But underneath that mask, she would be planning. Waiting. Watching for the cracks in Marcus's armor.He could tell her to leave. He could cite morality and impossibility until he was blue in the face.But Emma h

Lily walked in, Emma's expression concerned. "Hey. You okay? You've been quiet today.""Just tired," Emma lied automatically."Em." Lily sat on the bed, patting the space beside her. "I know you said it was just school stuff, but... I feel like there's something else going on. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"Emma's throat tightened. If only that were true. If only she could confess everything, the attraction, the almost-kiss, the rejection, the pain that was eating her alive from the inside out.But she couldn't and she doesn't want to mention it. Lily was the one line she wouldn't cross, the one person she wouldn't hurt. Even if it meant carrying this secret forever."I know," Emma said softly, sitting beside her best friend. "I promise, I'm okay. Or I will be."Lily studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay. But Em? Whatever it is, whoever hurt you. They're an idiot. You know that, right?"Emma managed a genuine soft smile. "Yeah. I'm starting to realize tha

What if Marcus had been right? What if she'd made a mistake? What if she'd just walked away from the only thing that had ever felt this real, this right, this inevitable?And as she sat there in the darkness, listening to the sound of Marcus's door closing down, Emma realized with devastating clarity that the torture of avoidance was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the torture of almost.In his room, Marcus stood at the window, staring out at the city lights as Sarah's voice droned on in his ear about birthday preparations and catering options. But he wasn't hearing a word she said.All he could think about was the look in Emma's eyes in that kitchen. The way she'd trembled when he got close. The way she hadn't been able to tell him she didn't feel what he felt.The way she'd run from him when Victoria called.He'd been seconds away from kissing her. Seconds away from throwing away everything, his engagement, his professional reputation, his carefully controlled life, for one

Emma pretended and turned slowly. "Sorry," Emma said automatically. "Just tired." She doesn't want to admit the real problem.Her phone buzzed. Against her better judgment, Emma checked it.Marcus: I can't stop thinking about last night. About what almost happened. Emma's breath stopped. She shouldn't respond. She should delete the message, block his number, and ignore him from the house as much as possible.Instead, her fingers moved across the screen:Emma: I don't know what you are talking about."Who's that?" Lily asked, trying to peek at Emma's phone with playful curiosity. "You're blushing. Is it a guy? Oh my God, Emma, do you have a secret boyfriend you haven't told me about?"If only Lily knew how close to the terrible truth she'd just stumbled."No boyfriend," Emma said, her voice steady even as her world crumbled around her. "Just... a friend from class."Another lie. Another betrayal. Another brick in the wall of secrets separating her from the only real friend she'd ever