Bringing Home Mr. Wrong (Bringing Home Trouble)

Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

John

The world seems to tilt on its axis as Frank's words reverberate through the room, each syllable laced with accusation and disappointment. My heart clenches at the anguish in Camila's eyes, her hand trembling in mine as she faces her father's wrath.

"Frank, please," I try again, my voice rough with emotion. "Just let us explain. This isn't some fleeting fling. Camila and I... we have something real."

Frank's eyes flash dangerously, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Real? You're twice her age, John! She's barely out of high school, for God's sake. How could you take advantage of her like this?"

"He didn't take advantage of me!" Camila cries out, stepping forward, her chin lifted defiantly even as tears streak down her face. "I'm an adult, Dad. I made my own choices. I chose John, and I'll keep choosing him, no matter what you say."

Pride and love swell in my chest at her fierce declaration, but it's tempered by the gutting realization of how deeply we've hurt Frank. This man who's been like a brother to me, who trusted me with his only daughter. I never meant for it to happen this way.

"Camila, sweetheart, maybe you should let your dad and I talk privately for a minute," I suggest gently, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

She looks at me uncertainly, her hazel eyes swimming with a tempest of emotions. After a long moment, she nods, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek before slipping out of the room. The skin tingles where her lips touched, a bittersweet reminder of all we stand to lose.

Frank watches her go, his expression unreadable. The silence stretches between us, taut and suffocating. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and eerily calm.

"How long, John?"

I swallow hard, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "A few months. But my feelings for her...they've been growing for longer than that. I tried to fight it, Frank. I didn't want to betray your trust. But I couldn't deny what was in my heart."

Frank laughs, a harsh, mirthless sound. "Spare me the romance novel crap. You should have walked away the second you realized you had feelings for her. She's barely more than a kid, John. She doesn't know what she wants."

"With all due respect, I think you're underestimating her," I counter, an edge creeping into my voice. "Camila is smart, and strong, and capable of making her own decisions. What we have...it's not some teenage crush or a midlife crisis. It's real, and it's worth fighting for."

Frank shakes his head, a vein throbbing in his temple. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. After everything we've been through together, John. The years of friendship, the shared memories...and this is how you repay me? By seducing my daughter behind my back?"

The accusation cuts deep, twisting like a knife in my gut. "That's not how it was, Frank. I would never intentionally hurt you or Camila. But I can't change the way I feel about her."

"Well, you'd better start trying," Frank growls, jabbing a finger at me. "Because if you think I'm going to stand by and watch you ruin my daughter's life, you've got another thing coming."

"Ruin her life?" I echo incredulously. "Frank, I love Camila. I want to build a future with her, not destroy her future."

"And what kind of future do you think you can offer her?" Frank demands, his face mottled with rage. "You're old enough to be her father, for Christ's sake! She deserves someone her own age, someone who can grow with her, not some washed-up old bachelor chasing after a younger woman."

Each word lands like a physical blow, and I flinch despite myself. "You don't mean that, Frank. You're upset, and I get it. But don't take this out on Camila. She doesn't deserve your anger."

"Oh, I'm just getting started with her," Frank seethes. "She's going to learn that actions have consequences. It’s me or you."

Panic claws at my throat, desperation bleeding into my voice. "Frank, please. Don't do this. Camila needs you. We both do."

But Frank is already turning away, his shoulders rigid with barely contained fury. "You have until the end of the week to end things with her, John. Or I swear to God, I'll make sure you never see her again."

With that, he storms out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the windows. I sink onto the couch, burying my face in my hands as the weight of his ultimatum crashes over me.

Lose Camila, or lose Frank.

How am I supposed to choose between the woman I love and the man who's been like a brother to me? The thought of a life without Camila at my side is unbearable, a yawning chasm of emptiness and regret.

But the prospect of losing Frank's friendship, of fracturing the bond we've shared for decades...it's equally devastating. He's been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember, the one person I could always count on, no matter what.

But I already know I’ll choose Camila. I’d choose her a thousand times over. She’s my heart and soul.

I’m not a crying man, but now I let the tears come, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs as the enormity of the situation sinks in. Outside, the winter wind howls mournfully, a haunting echo of the turmoil raging in my heart.