Better With(out) You (Sequel to Second Thoughts)

Twenty-One

(By the way, guys, thanks for 1K on this book! It's had more reads and votes than Second Thoughts but we all love the inclusion of EPL ballers and not having the whole book be depression, so this means a lot!)

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It was one day not too long after Sergio and his family had gotten back to Spain after visiting Laura that he blurted out and admitted to Pilar what his parents had kept from them, but what he had figured out from Laura.

"My parents took the boys to Manchester to see Sarah."

It was a moment that Sergio took without any thoughts. He just blurted it out as the thoughts of it kept creeping up on him. The boys were so happy that day when they got back to Laura's house, and what Laura had made him figure out was confirmed. Without Pilar around, Sergio confronted his parents about it. Of course, that was not easy for Sergio to do. He loved hearing that his boys were very happy to see Sarah. She was great with them. She was another important adult figure in their life, but Sergio was insecure about Harry Maguire. 

So many times did Marco and Junior point out how nice and tall the Englishman was, and how nice he was to their Tia. Sergio forgot how many times Marco told him that "the big man" kissed Tia Sarah. It was so fascinating to the little one considering he had never seen his aunt with a man like that before. They didn't know all of the drama or the issues, so everything was perfect to the little boys. They got to spend a day with their Tia and got to meet the man that their grandparents told them they could call Tio. Sergio had never seen the boys that happy in awhile, and it hurt that there were circumstances that were preventing them from visiting the couple again.

Of course, the expression on Pilar's face when Sergio blurted out the truth was hurt. It was no surprise Paqui had lied to Pilar that day about where they were taking the boys. It was no wonder they had been gone the whole day either. "You parents did what now?" she asked in disbelief as she stopped everything that she had been doing. Nodding slowly, Sergio let out a long sigh. "Neither of them told me, but I figured it out. I had to ask them about it, because it ate at me." 

Pilar was more curious to know. It was such a shame that that girl was still causing problems even when she was happy. Sergio was irritable and filled with regret half of the time, and Pilar hated it. It was clear that Sarah didn't need Sergio in her life, which Pilar was still glad about, but it was clear she was a part of the family and Sergio wanted that relationship with her again. Pilar really hated that part of it. She hated that her children constantly asked about their Tia, but she wanted her family to be happy. 

"And that's why our children were so happy when they got back?" she asked as she tapped her nails on the counter top. Sergio nodded once again and shrugged. "They've always loved her, you know." he pointed out. Pilar hated that too. As much as she wanted Sergio and her kids happy, she was still angry about the fact that Sarah completely ruined her reputation and made her look like a complete fool. She was in between a rock and a hard place with everything. 

"And I'm guessing they met her little boy toy too?" she assumed. Sergio then raised his eyebrows and nodded. That comment rubbed him the wrong way, but at this point, he was never really surprised. "I wouldn't really say he's a boy toy, but more like an actual significant other." Sergio admitted a bit reluctantly. Of course, it disgusted Pilar to hear him talk like that, but she wasn't going to show that. She was curious, and she wanted more details. She would not really get a chance to see what was going on with her enemy up close, but neither did Sergio, so she wanted to know the amount he did. 

"She has really moved on, huh?" she questioned as Sergio gave her an unreadable expression. He then nodded slowly and shrugged once again. "My parents told me that it's beautiful what they have." he explained with a bit of a blush on his face. Pilar knew that the blush was from the guilt Sergio was feeling. His parents, especially his mother, had made him feel guilty for everything he, more so Pilar, did to Sarah. She was thriving now, and all his parents wanted to do was rub it in, because it showed that Sarah did not need him in her life.