Break My Heart

Chapter 12. How Could You?

Luis's POV

Not that I peeked in on her on purpose, but when I heard my mother talking to her, I couldn't resist. Remi stood before a tall mirror in the room she was staying in—just across the hall from mine, in a house my parents owned in Jamaica. Mom stood behind her, putting a necklace on her. 

"You don't have to—" Remi started and stopped. She swallowed hard and stared at the necklace with a guilty expression.

"Are you kidding? Mothers love giving their kids things. Besides, it matches your dress wonderfully, don't you think?"

"But it's yours, and maybe Madeline would have liked to wear it."

"Oh, Lu and I gave Madeline a couple of things to wear that go good with her wedding dress. That is very selfless of you, though. You're such a sweetheart."

I kept a fair distance from the door as I gazed into the room, not wanting to be caught spying on them. I knew it was wrong to listen in, but my curiosity always got the best of me which is probably how I wound up with a fake girlfriend in the first place.

Mom turned Remi around to look at her. "I see what he sees in you. . ." Mom trailed off.

Remi stared at her, baffled. "What's that?" she asked and fidgeted nervously with the necklace my mother put on her.

I leaned in closer, curious to hear the answer myself. 

"Well, you're beautiful—no doubt of that. It's more than that, though. You're the opposite of him. You tie him down in ways he never thought possible. You two are different in the ways that it matters, and that keeps things interesting. Luis is easily bored, which is probably why he didn't have girlfriends before you. Those girls were either easy for him to figure out or too much like him. Sometimes what we need is someone different in our lives to show us a different way of living. Luis is goofy, whereas you are serious. He's careful, and you're a bit reckless. He has no insecurities, but you do."

Remi bit her lip and looked away. Agitation clouded her eyes. What Mom said bothered Remi because Remi hated being reminded that she has insecurities. 

"Am I wrong?" Mom challenged.

Remi sighed and shrugged. "I suppose not, but do you really think I'm the reckless one?"

Mom laughed. "I think in many ways you are more reckless."

Remi gave a small smile and blushed. "Okay, maybe in some ways."

"You complete him in ways that other girls just don't."

"How do you even know all of this? What makes you think that way?" Remi wondered.

Kat smiled and rolled her eyes. "You should have seen his dad and me in our younger years. God, the way we fought." Kat threw her head back and laughed. "Lu drives me crazy mad sometimes."

Remi pursed her lips. "He does?"

"Yes."

Realization flashed in Remi's eyes. "But you still. . .  love him."

"Yes, I do," Mom said with a smile. "And he knows why." Mom let out a chuckle under her breath.

Yuck.