“It’s not like that,” I try to protest, but if there’s one person who will always see through your bullshit lies… it’s your mother. And mine can read me like a book.
“You’ve never missed your father’s birthday.”
“Ma, I know but?—”
Both her hands lift, motioning me to stop.
“Let me finish. I’m not saying that to guilt you. I know that if you are missing being here for his birthday, it’s because it’s important.”
“It is.” I leave it at that. The more I think about not being here, the guiltier I feel.
“You care for her. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be going.”
My breath hitches, words suddenly escaping me.
She cradles my chin the same way she used to when I was younger and needed to be comforted when my mind would run wild, not allowing me to be caught up in the moment.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen my baby happy. You deserve it. Let yourself be happy.”
“I know,” I reply.I’ll try.
CHAPTER 23
TOMÁS
One Week Later
Sarina hasn’t stopped fidgeting since we boarded the place. First, it was her cracking her knuckles. Now she can’t seem to find which leg is more comfortable crossed on top of the other as she switches its positioning nonstop.
I place my hand on her leg, trying to relax her. Finally, she stills. “Let me guess, you’re not a fan of flying?”
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “The flying part I’m fine with. It’s the destination that is putting me on edge.” Shifting in her seat, she inches her body closer to mine. If I didn’t know any better, I’d guess by the way she is tilting her head that she wants to rest it on my shoulder, but for some reason, she decides to hold back.
“I’d rather poke pins in my eyeballs than go home.”
“Aww, come on, don’t do that. You’d make me sad.”
Turning her attention to me, her gaze narrows on mine. “Why’s that?”
The air feels trapped in my lungs, burning my throat as I part my lips to speak. “Because.”
“Because isn’t an answer.”
I try again. “BecauseI like your eyes,” I settle for, instead of scaring her off with what I really wanted to say.Because I like you.
A visible blush spreads across her cheeks, paired with a mischievous smirk, the combination has my heart skipping a beat. “Thank you,” she breathes.
“Of course. Those ocean eyes are the first things I noticed about you.”
“Are you sure it was my eyes and not the fact that I was biting on a grown man’s arm?” she asks through a laugh that sounds like a Band-Aid, concealing how she truly feels.
I’ve wanted to ask her so many times since that night, who that man was. Now would be the perfect opportunity. However, as I work up the courage, my opportunity vanishes when a sea of onyx hair falls on my shoulder as her head rests on my shoulder.
“Hmm?” she hums, breaking the euphoric bubble her presence gives me.
“Can you blame me? That whole scene got my attention. But those eyes you want to poke with pins, they stole it.”
“You talk to all your fake wives this way?”
