03

As he entered the living room and saw me standing, he frowned. I didn't need to know him my whole life or be a genius to know he was upset.

"What are you think your doing?" he asked as I saw him. Seeing her expression and hearing the tone of her voice I felt the blood leaving my body and I felt fading.

"I. . . , I have to go" I say stumbling, as my body allowed me to speak.

"No, you're not going anywhere," he spoke with determination.

"What?" I asked, doubting what I had heard.

Did he just say what I think he said?

I swallowed hard as it slowly began to approach me. For a painful moment I feared he'd do something wrong to me. Again, I'm in panic.

When we were about a metre away, he stopped before speaking in a calm, gentle voice—: You still can't walk well, wait a little and then you can leave.

I took a breath.

"B-but. . ."

"But nothing" He cut my babble off. "Well, if you don't want to stay here, then let me take you home so I'll be more comfortable that nothing bad happens to you" he suggested, but I wasn't sure of it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I let out a sigh when I couldn't. I opened it again and this time I said—: O-okay.

I just want to get out of here, anyway, I don't feel well, everything's so confusing, I don't understand anything, I just want to go.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" He asked, not understanding my answer. I nodded. "Well, come on then," he said, taking my forearm helping me walk.

Damn it! That feeling again.

"Wouldn't you rather I carry you?" said inquirer.

"Uh, no. I can walk" I smiled shyly to convince him. He nodded without saying nothing and helped me walk to his car, which was parked on the sidewalk outside his house.

He helped me get into the car and then put on my seat belt as if I didn't have the ability to do it, as if I were a little girl who needed his care.

I felt a shudder when he fastened it and his hands touched my belly.

I don't know if it was my imagination or if it really took a while with his hands in this area.

Finally, he closed the co-driver's door to go to the driver's door and get into the car. He started the engine and made it roar before starting it to get out of the fractioning.

"What's your address?" he asked.

"Ehm, I'll tell you on the way" I smiled shyly at what he nodded.

I told him that because, honestly, I didn't know my address. Yeah, I know how to get to my house, but I don't know the name of the street.

On the way to my home, Harry was talking about trivial things, talking from the weather to his personal tastes, I guess he did all this to make me feel more comfortable with him and stop seeing him as a stranger, and I must admit that he did it well, to the point that I began to answer his questions about my personal life quite naturally, although at the same time I felt at risk from divulging information.

I could notice in these minutes that he is a pretty nice person, he is kind, respectful and cute, he was always attentive to what he answered and at no time was rude, nor did he make me feel uncomfortable again, I guess he understood that his kidnap jokes are not funny.

"That uniform seems familiar to me, what school do you attend?" He asks me, sounding curious, taking me out of my thoughts.

"To Seven Kings" I replied as nervousness raged in my voice for having mentioned so lightly and without thinking twice the name of the school I attend, but he did not seem to notice it. Or maybe I did and I was just ignoring it.

"Really?" He gave me a quick glance. I nodded "I went there too" he declared enthusiastically.

"Really?" I inquired.

"Yes, I used to live nearby so my parents decided to let me go in there" he smiled. "I was a disaster, especially in math" he remembered with a funny expression.

"Did you find math difficult?" I asked in amazement "They're really very easy, I don't understand why people see them as complicated... Oh, here's a right turn" I rushed to say.

"Here?" he inquired, pointing towards the street. I nodded to what he turned to the right.

He sighed before returning to the conversation—: And yes, now that I'm in college they complicate me more" He grinned with boredom. I laughed low and noticed how he looked at me with a smile at my action.

"Actually they are very easy, it is only a matter of paying attention and practicing" I say, because it is true.

"Do you understand them?" He asks, staring at me. I don't know what to say to that, I don't know if to tell him the truth, I don't want to look presumptuous or think that I'm a nerd.

But. . . Why do I have to care what's he thinks?

After thinking about it for a few seconds, I end up nodding. He just nods and then everything is quiet.

When I thought it was all over and the conversation would never come back, he said the following: "Could you help me with that?"

"With what?" I asked, somewhat curiously and with a slight hesitation in my voice.

"Would you give me math lessons?"

"Me?" I inquired, not believing in my ears what they heard. He nodded to what I swallowed hard. "Um. . . I don't think so"

I don't think my knowledge will help him at all. Yes, I know mathematics, I understand concepts, theories, I know how to handle and solve a mathematical problem perfectly, but what I know and what my teachers teach me at school is not the same as what the teachers teach a college student. What he sees must be more advanced, I don't think I can help him with that.

"Why?" he asked, somewhat confused and curious.

"I don't think what I know will help you," I explained, because I really do.

"Why not? I need advice, and you told me you knew math, didn't you?" I nodded, although I don't think he has noticed because his eyes are focused on the road. "Well, then that's all you need to do, understand it, because I honestly don't understand anything"

"I-I don't know' I made a face as I nervously moved my hands over my lap. "I don't think it's okay" I say what I think.

I'm only fifteen years old, I don't think it's normal to give advice to a university student, it's something very little seen, not to say impossible Other than that, he's a 24-year-old man, he's already an adult, it's frowned upon for a girl of almost sixteen to go to a single man's house and just give him math advice, maybe they think things they're not and I don't want to get involved in that, I don't want any trouble. I can't be alone with him, I don't even know why I accepted his offer to take me home or his offer to heal my wound. I shouldn't have said yes, I don't even know him.

"Why shouldn't it be all right? You'll only teach me math, there's nothing wrong with that" he says, but he still doesn't convince me that this isn't right. "You just have to accept, you won't lose anything. . . on the contrary, you'll gain a lot" He said stopping the car at a red light.

What did he just say? What do he mean with "you'll gain a lot"? I don't understand it.

"Right, but, what will I have in return?" I asked, looking at him. I need to know what's he mean.

He looked back at me, I could see the fun and he toyed with his eyes, something I didn't like at all to be honest. There was something about him that didn't give me much confidence.

—You teach me math. . . , and I teach you other fun things, little girl.