The Man I Could Never Have

I fell in love with my father's best friend when I was sixteen. It wasn't supposed to happen. He was older. Wiser. Untouchable. The kind of man who ruffled my hair, called me kiddo, and never once looked at me the way I desperately wanted him to. So I buried my feelings. For six years, I smiled through family dinners, birthday parties, and holiday gatherings, pretending my heart didn't skip whenever Marcus Whitfield walked into the room. It became my greatest secret. One I swore would die with me. Until the night my parents changed everything. "We need to talk to you about something." My mother's voice cut through the quiet clink of silverware. I looked up from my plate and found both my parents watching me with identical expressions—careful, hopeful, almost nervous. A strange feeling settled in my stomach. "What happened?" My father exchanged a glance with my mother before clearing his throat. "My company is opening a new regional office in Singapore." My eyes widened. "Dad... that's incredible." It wasn't just another promotion. He had spent years chasing this opportunity, working late nights and missing weekends because he believed one day it would finally happen. Now it has. A genuine smile spread across my face. "I'm so proud of you." His shoulders relaxed. "Thank you, sweetheart." My mother's smile returned, but only for a moment. "We'll be leaving in six weeks." The excitement faded. "So soon?" She nodded. "It'll probably be two years. Maybe three." I tried not to think about what that meant. My final year at university was here. I couldn't simply pack my life into a suitcase and follow them across the world. "There isn't enough time to arrange everything," Mom continued. "And moving you in the middle of your program wouldn't be fair." Silence settled over the dining table. Then I already knew what they were about to say. Because there was only one person my parents trusted enough. Only one man who had always shown up for us without hesitation. Only one man my heart had never learned to forget. "I'm staying with Marcus," I said quietly. My father's eyebrows shot up. "You already figured it out." I managed a small smile. "It wasn't exactly difficult." He chuckled. "I barely finished asking before Marcus agreed." Of course he had. Marcus had never once refused my father anything. "You know how he is with you," Dad said warmly. "He's always treated you like you were his own daughter." The words landed harder than they should have. Like his daughter. If only Dad knew. If only he knew that every time Marcus smiled at me... Every time he rested a hand on my shoulder... Every time he reminded me to drive safely or asked if I'd eaten... I had to remind myself that none of it meant what I wished it meant. To him, it was kindness. To me... It was everything. "Then it's settled," Mom said with obvious relief. "Marcus has already prepared the guest suite. You'll have your own entrance, your own space. You probably won't even see him that much." I lowered my gaze to hide the smile threatening to escape. Probably won't see him that much. If only she knew. For six years, seeing him had been the highlight of every holiday. Now I was going to live under the same roof as the man I'd spent years trying—and failing—to forget. That thought should have terrified me. Instead... It filled me with hope. For the first time in years, fate wasn't pulling us apart. It was placing us together. And maybe... Just maybe... This would be the only chance I'd ever get to make Marcus Whitfield see me as more than his best friend's little girl.