All Chapters of Falling For My Father's Best Friend: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I can’t wait for this fucking day to be over.The thought sat behind Noel’s ribs as he walked back to his seat with a forced smile in place. The dean had shook his hand like they were old friends while handing him the certificate. Cameras kept flashing while applause rolled through the auditorium. But Noel didn’t feel happy. He had no idea why.Law school graduation was supposed to feel like freedom. He wasn’t so sure of that anymore. The law degree was supposedly ‘In the bag’ and yet, all he felt was the familiar knot that always lived in his stomach. He just wanted to go home.Noel found Benjamin easily in the crowd. His dad’s face was lit up with that proud, exhausted smile that always made Noel’s chest ache. The same smile that said I gave up my youth for you and I’d do it again. At least, that was how Noel interpreted it. It didn’t help that it was mostly true.After the caps had been tossed and the crowd started thinning, Benjamin pulled him into a hug that smelled like the sam

Gabriel had spent years perfecting control.He had built it brick by careful brick the day Noel turned eighteen and suddenly wasn’t a kid anymore. He had reinforced it every time Benjamin mentioned his son in passing. He had armored it with professionalism, distance, and the constant reminder that Noel was his best friend’s boy. Off limits. Untouchable. Absurd to even think about.And in one single day that armor was cracking.He stood at his office window and watched Noel walk past without so much as a glance in his direction.No eye contact. No nod. No sarcastic little remark about the carbonara from last night. He simply refused to acknowledge Gabriel’s presence and it was chipping away at his self control.He’s ignoring me.The thought looped like a bad circuit. Gabriel didn’t know what he’d done. Yesterday he had been exactly what Noel seemed to want—professional and distant. He’d used Laurent instead of Angel. And had given him real work instead of special treatment because he’d

Gabriel guided Benjamin down the hallway with a hand lightly at his elbow. The motion was steady enough that Benjamin followed without resistance and didn't notice that Gabriel was applying a bit of pressure. The door to Noel's room stayed shut behind them. Gabriel kept his expression even, the way he always did when something unexpected or weird happened all of a sudden. And Gabriel had no other term to define what had happened other than unexpected and awkward. Benjamin glanced at Gabe. Once they reached the stairs, “Gabe, is everything okay? You looked—” “Nothing is wrong.” Gabriel's voice stayed low and even. “He's fine. Just give him a minute.” Benjamin hesitated on the top step, concern still visible on his face. But Gabriel's tone left little room for much doubt. They went down together. The house was quiet in that early hour of the morning. The usual scent of coffee had not yet started or filled the air. Gabriel moved into the kitchen first, rolling his sleeves a little high

Gabriel and Benjamin left the house without Noel. Gabriel checked the street once as he unlocked the car. Noel was nowhere in sight. He did not go looking. Benjamin settled into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. “He’s still not back. Are you sure we shouldn’t wait a little longer?” “He needs the space,” Gabriel said and started the engine. “He’ll show up at the office when he’s ready.” Benjamin looked out the window. “You saw his face at the table. He’s angry.” “I know.” Gabriel kept his eyes on the road. They drove the rest of the way in relative quiet. Noel walked without a clear direction at first. The conversation from the kitchen kept turning over in his head. He muttered under his breath when a delivery truck cut too close to the curb. “Watch it.” He only noticed the time when he reached the usual bus stop and saw the empty bench. The bus had already gone. The next one would make him even later. He kept walking and spoke to no one in particular. “Fine. I’ll get

Noel stood frozen as Gabriel’s fist came down again. Damien tried to cover his face with both arms, but Gabriel did not slow. The second punch landed against Damien’s forearm with a heavy sound. The third caught the side of his head and knocked him sideways into the desk. Papers scattered. A chair tipped and crashed onto its side. Gabriel’s face stayed calm between each strike. His eyes were focused and empty of anything Noel recognized. He looked like a man performing a task that simply needed finishing. Noel’s hands started shaking. He had known Gabriel almost his entire life. He had seen him angry, tired, sharp with clients, and disappointed. He had never seen this. This version of Gabriel did not shout or curse. He simply kept hitting, as if Damien’s body was the only problem left in the room that still required solving. Noel’s mind scattered in every direction at once. Damien was going to die. The thought repeated in his head. Damien was going to die right here on the floor of th