Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 155: The End Of Us Clairessa's POV Gabriel's jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn't quite name.

He turned to Tina, who had slipped on a robe, and gave her a look that sent a chill through me. "Wait foroutside." Of course, she obeyed like a loyal little pet, slamming the door behind her and locking us both in.

He had the nerve the audacity to ask her to wait. Like I was the one interrupting something special. Like I was the problem.

He turned back toslowly, his expression darkening into something harder, more detached. "Clairessa, you've taken it too fucking far," he warned, then took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling as he tried to regulate himself.

He tried to play it calm, but it was too late for that. "If you can't be reasonable, maybe we should-" "So now you're kickingout?" I exploded, my chest heaving. "Because I caught you with your ex? The one you swore you were done with?" My throat tightened, and the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. "You lied. You said she meant nothing to you. But clearly, she's still yours." "She's not mine," Gabriel said through clenched teeth, dragging a hand down his face, weariness etched into every line.

"I drank too much. I can't remember everything from last night. I'm just trying to figure it out. But I can't think straight with you yelling-" "And by the way," he added, his voice quieter now, "I would never kick you out. I'm Just asking you to calm down. Let's talk-really talk without all this shouting.

Without saying things we'll regret in the end." I laughed sarcastically. "Now you're worried about us hurting each other? maybe what you really care about is your precious ego-the one that can't handle the truth of who you really are." His eyes narrowed as he paced slightly. "I refuse to argue with you when you're like this. You're clearly emotional, and there's no reasoning with you right now." That flipped a switch inside me.

A surge of molten fury rose from deep within. "So now I'm just the emotional woman, right?" My voice rose with each word. "You're caught half-naked with someone else, and I'm the one being irrational?" "That's not what I'm saying-" "No, Gabriel. Don't you dare. Gaslighting and manipulation? That's a new low, even for you and you bloody know it!" I shouted, my voice cracking with the pain burning in my chest.

"Don't use such horrible words to describe me," he snapped, his temper flaring. "Especially when they're not true." "Then tellthe truth," I demanded. "What's your excuse? My ex said he cheated because I didn't give him enough sex. So what's your reason? Was I too innocent? Too inexperienced? Not enough for you?" Every word cut like glass, bleeding with the fear and anguish that I wasn't enough -that no matter what I gave, I'd always be replaced.

"You've always been enough for me," he said, his voice full of raw honesty. But I knew better.

He stepped toward me, lifting a hand to brush my cheek, trying to wipe the tears from my face.

I jerked back. I couldn't stand his touch.

"Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I've never wanted anyone else. No one comes close. I would know, because-" "Liar!" I screamed, silencing him. My voice cracked-just like my heart. "No one else comes close, and yet I walk in on you with her-naked! What do you call that? Love? Loyalty?" "I didn't plan this-" "Oh, how convenient," I snapped. "You didn't plan to betray me. She just stumbled into your bed? Givea break." "Maybe... At this moment, I can't vouch for you. But what I do know for sure is that you're just like every other man-unable to keep it in your pants, just like my ex. Don't pretend you're smodel of discipline, Gabriel. You have no You know that's not true," he rasped, cuttingoff. "I've built my life on discipline, on control. But last night... I was vulnerable. I let my emotions cloud my judgment because I was hurting." Hurting? I stared at him, repulsed. "Well, this is my version of hurting. We're done. I never want to see you again." My voice dropped to a strained whisper. "It's over. We're over." The way his face changed-it was as though I'd physically struck him.

"You don't mean that. You can't just walk away from this... I know how it looks. I'm sorry, Clairessa, but this isn't just on me-" "Then whose fault is it?" I demanded, my voice tight. "Please, enlighten me." He wrestled with himself for a moment, then the words spilled out.

"You. You're the reason for all of this. Whatever secret you're hiding-it pushedto this." I blinked, shocked by how low he was willing to go to justify his actions. "You're insane," I hissed. "You're seriously blaming me? What secret are you even talking about?" "I can't talk about it, not until I understand and have all the facts." He looked away, avoiding my gaze as though the weight of the truth was too much to face.

"This... this is just you trying to manipulate the situation," I spat, disbelief lacing my words. "And now you want to play the victim?" "Fuck... Clairessa," he gritted out, his voice heavy with frustration.

"That's not what's happening. I don't need to play the victim. I never have.

I'm saying this because I have reason to believe you're not as innocent as you've always claimed to be. I doubt you ever were." And just like that, I shattered.

Tears poured down my face. Pain tore through my chest like a thousand splinters.

"I thought I knew you," I sobbed. "But you're everything I was afraid of." "I hate you," I muttered. "I hate you." I kept repeating it, as though trying to make myself believe it.

I turned and stumbled toward the door on unsteady legs breached for the handle. choking on sobs-only to bump straight into Tina. Her smug little smirk slappedharder than any blow.

I stopped, turned just enough to make sure Gabriel heard every word.

"You know what, Gabriel?" I said, loud and clear. "Maybe I should go out, drink with srandom guy, then show up crying about how I was drunk and vulnerable. How would you like that?" "Don't even think about it," he growled, stepping forward. "Because if you do, I swear-I'll find him, I'll find you, and I'll make sure neither of you forget what happens when you cross me." I looked him dead in the eyes, daring him to say it again. "Who the hell do you think you are to threaten me-after everything you've done?"

"I'm your man," he growled, his voice filled with possessiveness. You'l always be mine, Clairessa-until I say we're done. Not before, not after." There was a tthose words would've mademelt. Madeache for him.

Now? All I felt was fury.

"No," I shot back, my chest tightening with a raw, aching emptiness. "Not anymore. And I say we're done. That means it's over." Just as I was about to walk away, his voice stoppedin my tracks.

"Tell me," he urged, the desperation in his tone obvious. "Have you ever cheated on me?" I turned around, more disappointed than I thought was possible. "How could you even think I would-?" My voice dropped. "The answer is never. Don't you dare try to dump your guilt on me." I just- "No," I cut him off, unable to stand another word, another lie, another manipulation. I was done. My patience had run out.

"I caught you cheating, Gabriel." My voice trembled. "And now. you want "And to flip it on me? Makethe cheater so you don't have to face the monster in the mirror?" He said nothing.

Because there was nothing left to say.

So I walked out.

And this time-I didn't look back.