Sexting My Ex’s Dad (Forbidden Silver Foxes)

58. Elio

58

ELIO

I sit behind my desk, fingers pressed tightly against my forehead as I try to push away the rising frustration. My mind replays the betrayal over and over, the way Massimo had played me for a fool for so long. The thought makes my chest tighten with anger.

Massimo had been close, too close. I had trusted him—trusted him like a brother. The man who had been by my side for years, always present, always loyal… or so I thought. Now, I can’t shake the realization of all the little things that I hadn’t noticed. I feel humiliated. The constant manipulation, the secrecy, and now the consequences of trusting someone who was, in reality, nothing more than a liability.

Not only had he had an affair with my wife – but he’d tried to kill my girlfriend.

She’s not my girlfriend anymore.

My gaze drifts to my computer screen where Owen’s social media page is open, a photo of Stella smiling among friends catching my eye. It’s been weeks since I last saw her, and I can’t help but ache at the sight of her happiness without me. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been looking at my son’s social media more than I should, constantly checking for updates of her and being disappointed when it’s something else.

But in this post…she looks beautiful…I wonder if her and Owen are dating yet? I’ve noticed that her calls and texts to me are getting fewer and farther in between.

“She’s better off without me,” I whisper to myself, trying to convince myself that it’s true.

I close my laptop and let out a deep breath. I need to stop thinking about her. I force my attention back to the paperwork on my desk…all the work I have to do.

My phone starts ringing, and it’s her name popping up on my screen…as if I weren’t struggling enough to get her off my mind. I press the big red button and wait as she leaves me a voicemail…what number would that be?

My fingers hover over my phone, itching to listen to her voicemails again. I’ve played them so many times that I can almost hear her voice without pressing play. With a heavy sigh, I give in to the temptation, tapping the voicemail icon and bracing myself for the familiar heartache that always follows.

“Hey, Elio.” Her voice trembles as she speaks, each word laced with desperation. “I don’t know why you’re avoiding me. I just… I want to know you’re okay. I’ve been trying to reach you, but you’re not answering. Please, please just talk to me. I… I love you. I need you.”

I close my eyes, letting the words wash over me like a bittersweet wave. The simple phrase – I love you – twists my heart into knots, a painful reminder of the distance I’ve put between us. But I can’t respond, not when I know that I’m not the man she deserves.

The cool metal of the phone in my hand seems to mirror the chill that’s settled in my heart. I let out a shaky breath, knowing I shouldn’t listen to another message, but finding myself unable to resist. My thumb hovers over the screen for a moment before pressing play.

“El...Elio, please,” Stella’s voice comes through, even more broken than before. The raw emotion in her tone is like a punch to the gut. “If you think I blame you, I don’t. I still want all of you if you’ll just let me. Give me a call, okay?”

I’m sorry Stella, but I can’t.