Love Like Her (Against All Odds #3) - Claudia Y. Burgoa Page 0,7
my food, I answer, “Dad’s husband.”
“The reason why your parents divorced?”
“I’m the reason why Dad and Dan broke up and my parents had to get married,” I clarify. “My parents were in a loveless marriage because they were trying to do the right thing.”
“It was their love for you,” he states. “I assume they are happy now.”
“I’m not sure about Mom, but Dad has been happy since he got back together with Dan,” I respond, taking a spoonful of soup.
“So, I guess Dan has been trying to find ways to include himself in your life since he’s not really your parent and you only visit them on holidays,” he states.
That’s a great theory, but it’s not close to the truth.
“No. I lived with Dad every other year,” I clarify. “But I guess you’re right. Dan tried to be like the fun parent. He’s always playing the reasonable one against Dad’s strict rules—or Mom’s nonsense.”
I tell him how it was growing up with my family. It’s hard for people to understand how I survived moving from one country to another—adjusting to different schools and systems. It wasn’t that hard. When I was in San Francisco, Dan homeschooled me. He’s a journalist, an author, and a freelance writer. Working from home allowed him to follow the curriculum that the Canadian schools followed.
The actual problem was Mom. She moved from one town to another when I was in San Francisco. I never knew where I’d be living once I headed back with her. For some reason, she always needs to switch her landscape and find new friends.
Mom and Dad are complete opposites. She’s a nomad. Dad is pretty sedentary. When I look at my parents, I wonder if I’m going to end up like Mom, in love with love. Or like Dad, finding the love of my life and settling in.
“Is this why you’re obsessed with soulmates? You want your children to have a more normal life?”
“Wow, that’s deep. I’ve never thought about it. I have two loving parents.” I stand up and take my empty dishes to the sink, then turn around and lean against the counter. “Three if you count Dan. I like to see people happy. If they’re single, I want to know why they are alone. Are they chasing love, or avoiding it?”
Dan says I’m too mature for my age. He can’t understand how I can be reckless and introspective all at the same time.
Eros studies my face and smiles.
“Are you chasing love or avoiding it?” he asks.
“Neither,” I respond automatically. “I’m too young to entertain the idea. If some guy declares his undying love for me, I might run the other way.”
“So, there’s an age to finding your soulmate?”
“It’s hard to know when you’ll meet the person you’re meant to be with. I’m open to the possibilities, but in the meantime, I like to have a taste of life.”
“You believe there’s one person for everyone, but you don’t want to find yours just yet,” he concludes.
“Yes,” I say with conviction as I’m about to wash the dishes.
He sets his dishes in the sink and says, “You cooked, I’ll do the dishes.”
It seems fair, and I’m too tired to hold a plate. I might break the dishes, and what if they cost an arm and a leg?
Once he’s done, Eros asks, “Are you ready to head to bed?”
I nod, still a little hesitant about how this night will turn out. When I spoke to his sister, she was super friendly. “Listen, I’m sure it’s scary to have a guy approaching you and trying to help. My brother is safe. He’s like a big puppy. Also, he worries a lot about people. You could stay at the airport, and he’ll stay with you until your plane takes off. It’d be best if you two go to a dry, warm, and safe place to spend the next two days. I promise you’ll be safe with him. If there’s a problem, you can reach the doormen. They are there to help you in case of an emergency. You’re safe.”
She talked so fast it made me dizzy. I decided to stay at the airport, and if the guy wanted to do the same, I wouldn’t be bothered. I was hesitant to accept the invitation and stalled for hours. Chatting with him made the time go by so fast, I never realized it was so late. I’m sure Dad and Dan are going to kill me for accepting this guy’s invitation. I also think