Written in the Stars

CHAPTER 11

Helena opens her eyes and, for a few seconds, feels like she's waking up somewhere else, at another moment in her life. It's a moment from a few days ago, to be exact. Perhaps because it was the day she would be returning from this trip. She raises her left hand, making sure it's just a sensation to feel the weight of her 18-carat gold ring, perfectly chosen by her for her wedding day. She closes her eyes, caressing her finger while letting her mother's words sink in. Indeed, Helena didn't want to end up like her mother, and she had agreed to go to Parati just to rub the email in the face of the audacious clerk. Of course, she also wanted to reflect on how to reverse the situation, but now... Now, it didn't make any sense. She would change the situation, and then what? Marry Leandro and pretend that nothing he said affected her? Ignore that this trip had affected her? Conceal that Bruno was stirring something in her in two days that her fiancé couldn't do in years?

"What?" Helena exclaims, sitting up abruptly at that mental realization. She rubs her eyes and whispers to herself, "You're crazy... You love Leandro, you love Leandro... You love Leandro..."

She takes a deep breath, gets up from the bed, and then her room spins as a sharp pain takes over her head. Yes, the effects of the liquor are now taking hold of Helena, who sits back on the bed with her eyes closed. It doesn't take long before her room's doorbell rings, worsening her headache even more. She crawls towards the door, opening it with a grumpy expression. On the other side are her mother and her brother.

"Good morning, sunshine," Marcelo says, laughing at Helena's hungover face.

"Lower your voice," Helena requests, holding her head.

"You see, Marcelo. This is what happens when you don't listen to the experience of your elders."

"This looks more like a hangover," comments Marcelo, chuckling.

"Ahá Ahá," Helena says, making a face. "What do you want?"

"We're going for breakfast, won't you come?" Regina asks. "It seems not, right?"

"I just woke up..."

"I can see," says Regina, staring at her daughter. "Take a shower, change your clothes, have black coffee, and go to that bicycle shop to cancel the package you got. Claim that you were drunk and out of your mind, which is true. Because only being drunk could have made you get a seven-day package."

"In fact, I was sober when I did it, so..."

"Helena, I'm not joking," Regina interrupts, irritated.

"Fine, Mom," Helena replies, taking a deep breath. "Anything else?"

"For now..."

Helena doesn't even wait for her mother to finish speaking and closes the door of her room in her face. The blonde walks back to her bed, where she falls asleep.

***

Bruno stares intently at the clock, unable to concentrate on the questions of the two tourists in front of him. Lucas even helps by pointing out the packages to the women, trying to compensate for his friend's indifference. Gabriel notices the situation at the counter and then approaches his friend, concerned.

"Bruno, is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for Helena to arrive. I'll continue my service with her."

"Really? So, did you convince her to pay for your services?" Gabriel asks, already imagining how Bruno managed to convince Helena.

"It was the opposite, actually. She convinced me to give her the week for free," Bruno responds, awkwardly.

"Are you kidding me?"

"It's true. My services will be exclusively for Helena for seven days, or rather, six."

"Bruno, we turn a blind eye to you flirting, charming customers, and even getting involved with them because it brings a financial return," explains Gabriel. "But a whole week for free... What's the advantage? What will you gain from this?"

"Good morning."

Bruno turns around, ignoring Gabriel's questions, and finds the source of the voice – Helena, entering the shop. She's wearing a flowery dress, her hair down, sneakers, and looking beautiful, in Bruno's eyes. However, that's not the outfit Bruno expected Helena to wear today, which puts a wrinkle of concern on his forehead. He decides to approach her.

"Good morning," Bruno replies to Helena. "I've prepared some great trails for us today... Where's your outfit?"

"Bruno, I..."

"Yes?"

She interrupts her sentence and bites her lip, nervous. This was the moment she was supposed to say that she came to cancel the package and not pursue the adventure, as her mother requested. After resting, Helena allowed herself to agree with her mother. She didn't come to Parati to be wandering around with Bruno; she came to cancel the package, heal, and then do everything to get back together with Leandro. But why couldn't she say that to Bruno? The guy was standing right in front of her with a goofy smile that brought peace to Helena's heart and made her give up speaking. Why couldn't she control the situation? It was straightforward... She just had to say she didn't want it anymore.

"Say it, Helena," Bruno urges, getting Helena's attention. "What's wrong?"

"My outfit must be in one of the washing machines at the inn being cleaned to get rid of the smell of cachaça that was on it," Helena lies, awkwardly. "So I don't think the ride will happen."

"We sell outfits here," Gabriel informs, being the excellent salesman he is.

"I can't afford it," Helena argues. "But when it's ready, I'll let you know."

"Negative," Bruno refuses, examining Helena from head to toe. "I have an ideal outfit for you, and it's free."

"What?" Gabriel asks, widening his eyes, nervous. It's not enough that Bruno is offering the service for free, and now he's giving her a cycling outfit – it's too much for the young friend's heart. "Bruno, hold on."

"Don't worry; it's not from the shop," Bruno reassures, looking at his friend. Bruno turns to Helena and continues, "There's just one condition: you must come with me to a place... on the back of my bicycle."

"I don't know..." Helena says, nervous. She wants to say yes, but just the thought of the sermon her mother would give her...

"Say yes," Bruno asks, holding Helena's hand.