All Chapters of My dad's bestfriend: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The suitcase lay open on the bed like a gaping mouth, and Sofia tossed clothes into it without really looking. An olive-green bikini she'd only worn once last summer, a white cotton dress too short to be decent, three García Márquez novels she'd reread for the third time, a spiral notebook already half-filled with notes that had nothing to do with literature anymore. Her movements were mechanical, but her mind had been spinning in circles for weeks.Six months.Six months since she'd seen Pedro.The last dinner was back in December. He'd stopped by the house one rare rainy night—Javier had invited him over to "celebrate nothing at all," as he put it whenever he just wanted to drink mezcal with his compadre. Pedro had arrived with a bottle of añejo tequila and that wide grin that carved two parentheses around his mouth, the one that always made the room feel brighter. Sofia had hung back, pretending she had to finish an assignment, but she'd caught every syllable of his low voice, ever

Sofia hesitated a second on the threshold of the sliding door, her heart still pounding from what had happened in her bedroom. The cream dress she'd put on fell softly over her hips, brushing her bare thighs, and she felt both vulnerable and bold. Outside, the evening air was warm, thick with the smell of sea salt and crackling charcoal. The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, as if summer itself wanted to stage what was about to unfold.Pedro was there, just as she'd imagined, leaning over the grill. He'd put on a faded gray T-shirt thank God, or maybe not but he was still barefoot, his hair slightly disheveled after a day of puttering around. He was flipping the steaks with metal tongs, flames licking the meat in an appetizing hiss. Javier stood beside him, beer in hand, telling some story about a difficult client at work. Diego and Ellie were sitting on the lounge chairs a little further off, laughing at some stupid meme on Elli

Sofia set down her phone and headed for the bathroom attached to her room. She flicked on the harsh mirror light, inspecting her reflection. Her black hair was still slightly wavy from the car ride; she brushed it quickly, letting it fall loose over her shoulders. Makeup: a swipe of eyeliner to intensify her dark eyes, a little mascara, and a nude lipstick that made her full mouth pop without overdoing it. She wanted to feel beautiful, desirable not for Ellie, not for the friends, but for that inner sensation that had been simmering since she arrived. For Pedro, maybe, even if she refused to admit it out loud.For the outfit, she chose a tight black dress, short on the thighs, with a modest but flattering neckline. She'd bought it on a whim at college for a student party she'd ended up skipping. She twirled in front of the mirror: the dress hugged her curves without being vulgar, but enough to make her feel like a woman. She slipped on flat sandals, practical for walking on sand if ne

But his voice sounded hollow. She sensed something there, a discomfort she hadn't anticipated. She'd thought the kiss would make him happy, even proud. Instead, he seemed wounded, as if she'd used him for the game, as if that moment hadn't meant as much to her as it did to him.Some of the group had noticed too: Mia had exchanged a worried glance with Lena when Ellie stood up; Carlos had murmured to Mike, "He didn't like that..." But Sofia, still riding her adrenaline high, hadn't seen it. Or hadn't wanted to.The walk back to the house felt longer in the dark, weighted by the silence that had settled between Sofia and Ellie. The stars glittered above them like mute witnesses, and the distant, ceaseless sound of the waves paced their steps on the still-warm sand. Sofia felt the salty air prickle her skin, a mix of residual excitement and a twinge of guilt she couldn't quite name. The kiss with Ellie impulsive, hot, almost too real swirled in her mind like a spiral. She glanced sideway

Pedro sighed, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "The same as always. Apologies, promises. But ever since my wife cheated on me... everything is chaos in my head. I can't trust anymore. Emma was a mistake. She was too young, too unstable. And I was just... lost."His words hit her. She saw the pain in his eyes, the deeper lines around his mouth. She stepped closer, placing a hesitant hand on his arm. "Hey, Pedro... you're not lost. You're strong. Look at everything you've been through: the divorce, your son, your friendship with Dad. And you're still here, protecting all of us."He laughed bitterly. "Strong? Sometimes I feel like an old boat taking on water."She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "An old boat? Come on, you're more like a luxury yacht. A little banged up, but still turning heads. And Emma? She seems like a leaky life raft. You did the right thing getting rid of her."Pedro looked at her, surprised, then burst out laughing a real laugh, deep and freeing.