The Night She Changed Everything

Later, much later, when the guests had left except for Pedro, who often slept on the couch after heavy dinners, he had knocked softly on her door. She'd let him in, sitting on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest.

"Sofia... I'm sorry. Really. It was stupid. Emma and I... we'd been drinking, and..."

He sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding her eyes. "It's our little secret, okay? I'd rather you not say anything to your father. He'd be angry if he found out I did that here, under his roof. This is his sanctuary, you know."

She'd nodded, mute. "Okay."

He'd placed a hand on her shoulder innocent, paternal and left. But that night, alone in the dark, Sofia had replayed the scene in her mind. His cock. His moans. And for the first time, she'd touched herself thinking of him.

From what she'd heard afterward, Pedro and Emma had split up shortly after. An explosive fight, accusations of cheating ironic, given Pedro's divorce from his previous wife. Emma had disappeared from the equation. So why was she calling now? Why did Pedro seem so annoyed, but not surprised?

Sofia snapped back to the present, forcing a smile as Ellie told her a story about his semester at UC San Diego. Diego chimed in every now and then, teasing Ellie about his math grades. "Still as bad as ever, huh?" Ellie laughed, but his eyes kept drifting back to Sofia, full of an admiration she pretended not to notice.

"What about you, Sof? Got any plans for this summer? Maybe we could go surfing together, like before?"

She nodded absently. "Yeah, why not."

But her gaze kept sliding toward Pedro and Javier, who were still joking about Emma. "She's chasing you like a ghost, compadre!" Javier said, laughing. Pedro shook his head, but there was a shadow in his eyes. Sofia wondered if Emma knew something. If she was calling to win him back. Or worse, to cause trouble.

The barbecue evening stretched late into the night, laughter mingling with the crackle of dying embers and the distant sound of waves lapping at the beach below. Sofia had gone upstairs with a feeling of oppression in her chest, as if the air thick with secrets weighed heavier than usual. Emma's call still lingered in her mind, an unwelcome ghost reviving images she preferred to forget or at least, tried to forget. But instead of letting herself drown, she decided to distract herself. Summer was for that, right? Distractions, forced laughter, nights that erased the days.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand as she walked into her room. It was the W******p group called "Summer Squad," a stupid name Mia had invented years ago, back when they were all pimply teens spending their vacations hanging out on the beach. The message came from Lena: "Yo losers! Party at Jonathan's tonight, villa is insane as usual. Who's in? Mia, Carlos, and I are already on the way. Eden and Mike say they're bringing the beer. Sofia, Ellie, you guys in?"

Sofia smiled despite herself. Jonathan was that rich kid they vaguely knew son of a real estate developer who rented out monstrous villas every summer on the coast, just for the fun of throwing parties. Not really a friend, more of a useful acquaintance, the kind who threw legendary parties without worrying about consequences. These parties were a tradition this time of year: blasting music, lit-up pool, and a crowd of young people from surrounding vacation homes. Mia, Carlos, Lena, Eden, Mike her inner circle, the ones she'd shared teenage secrets with, stupid laughs, and minor heartbreaks.

She typed quickly: "Hell yeah, we're coming. Ellie's with me. Be there soon!" Then she sent a fire emoji for the vibe. Replies flooded in: Carlos with a ridiculous dancing GIF, Mia with "Finally! I have so much to tell you about this guy from college," Eden with "Get your asses here, the pool is heated!" and Mike adding "And bring ice, or we'll die of thirst." The collective excitement infected her a little, chasing away Emma's shadow for a moment.

Ellie replied in the group a few seconds later: "Yeah, we're heading out soon. Sofia, I'll wait for you downstairs?" She rolled her eyes he was so predictable, always jumping at the chance to spend time with her. But still, it was Ellie. Harmless, almost endearing in his awkwardness.