I LOVE YOU
912 Words
I opened my eyes. It was another day.
Another day in the house of this strange acquaintance.
I didn’t know his intentions, but… he always had a soft, fragrant blanket to offer me.
He covered me. Put socks on my feet.
Who does that?
Outside, it was still raining heavily.
The rain felt connected to everything I was feeling inside — it brought it all to the surface.
I looked down and saw my feet covered by colorful striped socks.
Where does he get these things from?
I realized that during all these days, I had never left the suite.
I stayed in bed, sometimes in the bathroom.
What could be in the rest of the apartment?
A wonderful smell of roasted coffee began to fill the air and stole all my attention.
KNOCK, KNOCK!
"Only come in if you're holding a nice cup of that coffee!"
"What do you think?"
He said, walking in with a wooden tray holding coffee, toast, some fruit, cheese bread, and cream cheese.
“Wow, strawberries?”
“Your favorites?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s what I think when I hear someone say ‘WOW’ while looking at strawberries.”
We laughed together at those comments.
“Thank you...”
“For what?”
“You know… for... everything.”
“It’s nothing. Actually, I enjoy your company.”
“What company? I don’t even leave the bed. I practically don’t exist.”
“You do exist. And I know you’re here, and that’s why your company matters. And Ária’s too.”
Ária was his cat. An elderly, very fluffy, gray cat — extremely affectionate.
“I love Ária too. Look how she rubs against me.”
“She doesn’t like almost anyone — just you. And me, of course. Well, no more stalling. Please eat.”
“Aren’t you going to stay and eat with me?”
I noticed him flinch. He wasn’t expecting the invitation.
“Alright. If it helps you eat, then it’s worth it.”
We kept laughing and talking while eating what he had prepared for breakfast, as thunder cracked the sky outside.
He told me a bit about what he did.
He was a composer.
That explains why he was so good at the piano.
But he also played other instruments.
I was excited to hear him play.
---
“And this guitar? Do you play, Pedro?”
“Yes. Not so much now, but I used to play well. I’ll play a serenade for you.”
He said that while lifting me up in his arms and playing with my hair.
We looked at each other closely, and his big eyes locked onto mine.
There was a hint of… emptiness in them.
But he radiated warmth and love.
And I loved being in his arms.
“Oh no. Not now.”
“What is it, Paola?”
“It’s my dad. He’s calling me. I can’t answer but I also can’t ignore it. I have to go.”
“Wait, wait. Can I talk to him?”
“We’ve talked about this, remember? It’s a terrible idea.”
I quickly got dressed, slipped on my work boots, ready to go down the stairs...
“Paola, I want you.”
“You have me, Pedro.”
“No... I want you here. Every day. With me. Waking up with you, seeing you, lying on my chest. Protecting you. Taking care of you.”
He hugged me, and didn’t want to let go.
“I want that too… but now I have to go, you know that. Please…”
“I love you.”
I froze in that moment.
He had never said that before — not like that.
It was... everything to me.
“You love me?”
“I love you, Paola. So much.”
My eyes filled with hope, and we kissed passionately.
We ran down the stairs just in time for me to catch the bus across town.
He stood outside with a loving, longing gaze.
We pressed our hands against the window — his on the outside, mine on the inside — and even with the glass separating us, I felt his touch.
That sweet touch.
I loved him.
I was willing to cross the world to find comfort in those arms again.
To everyone else, he was a serious guy — tough, difficult, insensitive.
But with me, his walls crumbled.
It was just us.
He was sweet.
He was caring.
He loved me.
He learned about the things I liked just so he could talk to me about them.
He told me everything about his daily life and how excited he was about taking the college entrance exams.
He sent me photos and videos from inside the helicopter.
He promised me a helicopter ride.
I was on cloud nine.
Everything was good with him.
Our conversations flowed naturally.
His mother adored me — we became friends.
His friends liked me too.
He was very determined.
He wanted to succeed in life, no matter what it took — and I supported that.
He was driven.
I wanted to be there to see him win — and to help him get there, of course.
But... I got a little distracted with my own studies and missed the registration deadline for one of the entrance exams.
A mistake that should never have happened.
I was distracted.
I had disconnected.
That should never have happened.
- Writer
