Lahat ng Kabanata ng My dad's bestfriend: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Sofia waited on the porch, her crossbody bag knocking gently against her hip with each nervous step she took back and forth. She'd put on a pair of sunglasses to hide the traces of her restless night her eyes still a little swollen, her pale complexion betraying the hours spent tossing and turning in bed, haunted by memories she wished she could erase. The lingering smell of breakfast coffee still hung around her, a bitter reminder of that morning when she'd fled the table, pretending to take a call to avoid the looks especially Pedro's, that unfathomable mix of confusion and interest that had left her bewildered.In her head, thoughts swirled like a swarm: *He's seeing Brooke tonight? How can he move on so easily? And what am I to him? A passing mistake, an impulsive kid to console and then forget?*The hum of an engine pulled her from her spiral. Mia's little red car appeared at the end of the street, honking cheerfully as if to chase away the invisible clouds above Sofia's head. Mi

Sofia set her bag down on the entryway console, her keys clinking against the polished wood. She hesitated a second on the threshold of the living room, hoping to slip by unnoticed, but Diego turned his head, his bright smile illuminated by the screen."Hey, the queen is back! Come watch with us, it's that movie with the explosions and the guys running around in suits. Classic Friday night."Ellie, sitting cross-legged on the rug, looked up at her. His gaze was neutral, almost cautious since the party, he'd kept a polite distance, as if he sensed she was carrying a weight he didn't understand. Javier, for his part, just gave a friendly nod, not taking his eyes off the screen."You okay, *mija*? Have a good time with Mia?"Sofia forced a smile, her lips tight. "Yeah, it was cool. But I'm wiped. I'm going to bed early. Goodnight."Diego raised an eyebrow. "Already? You didn't even eat the leftovers.""Not hungry. Goodnight, guys."She turned on her heel before they could insist, climbin

Pedro parked his old Jeep on the shoulder of the coastal road, just in front of the illuminated entrance of the villa where the party was in full swing. The engine coughed one last time before dying, leaving behind the distant tumult of the music heavy bass that vibrated down to his bones, mixed with the laughter and shouts of a crowd already well drunk. He sat in the driver's seat for a moment, hands gripping the worn leather, staring at the windshield without really seeing it. Night had fallen like a thick veil, dotted with stars that seemed mocking, indifferent to his inner torment.Why had he come here? To forget, of course. To drown in alcohol and distractions that surreal evening with Sofia, that moment when everything had tipped into the forbidden. He'd spent the afternoon tinkering in the garage of the vacation house, hammering nails with pent-up fury, as if each strike could erase the images haunting him: her lips on him, her tearful eyes looking up at his, that mix of vulner

Sleep had been a precarious refuge, a thin veil that had torn at the first light of day, leaving Sofia grappling with a whirlwind of thoughts that refused to settle. She opened her eyes again to a room bathed in bright light, filtering through the poorly closed shutters, casting irregular patterns on the pale walls. Her body was heavy, numbed by the hours spent tossing and turning, haunted by persistent images: Pedro with Brooke, their bodies entwined in a dance she'd only seen on a screen, but which consumed her as if she'd witnessed it in person. She stretched, feeling the rumpled sheets cling to her damp skin, and glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Almost noon. She'd certainly slept a long time a forced sleep, almost an escape from the reality waiting for her downstairs.She sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair, and took a deep breath. The room still carried a trace of yesterday's perfume, a bittersweet reminder of her outing with Mia. The conversation with he

Pedro's phone, lying on the sink, vibrated insistently, its screen lighting up in the dim bathroom. The ringtone, mundane and intrusive, froze them both, as if the outside world had forced the door open to drag them brutally back to reality. Sofia blinked, confused, her body still arched toward him, but Pedro stiffened instantly, his expression shifting from raw desire to icy horror. He stepped back, residual water streaming down his torso, and pushed open the shower door with a brusque motion, stepping out into the bathroom, leaving Sofia alone under the stopped spray, breathless, exposed, her heart pounding fit to burst."Fuck..." he muttered, grabbing a towel to cover himself hastily, his gaze avoiding hers. He moved toward the sink, snatching the phone with a trembling hand. The screen read "Javier" that simple, familiar name that landed like a sledgehammer, a relentless reminder of everything that made this moment forbidden, impossible. Pedro didn't answer, letting the ringing di