Chapter 2

Three months earlier.

ISABELLA

I was just starting my second semester of my career in psychology, arriving at the university, stealing glances around me as always, determined and pretending that I had the world at my feet, a mask I had created to hide a very shameful and sad reality that none of the people who look at me envying me, wanting me or even hating me could imagine thanks to the perfect image of coldness and distance that I have created over the years.

I was walking to head towards my first class of the day, when I saw him, the only man who stole my attention just by looking at him, he transmitted an aura of having everything under his control, an incredible security and with a beauty and body that complemented everything else, who could ignore him? Definitely if there was a person that was not me, nor anyone else in this university, since all the women around watched him with the desire to devour him and the men looked at him with some suspicion, and how to blame them? He looked like the perfect man who can come and take everything that belongs to you and you won't be able to do anything to defend yourself, looking quite tall, maybe a head and a half taller than me, with a muscular, toned body and a narrow waist, gray eyes, with slightly full lips and a strong jaw, he also had a low trimmed beard, short brown hair and all this was complemented with a black turtleneck sweater with rolled up sleeves revealing a pair of his strong forearms and gray dress pants with a black belt, impossible to go unnoticed looking like that. So much so that as much as I wanted to avoid it I let myself be carried away and my mask of coldness fell when I stared at him almost hypnotized by his beauty and he looked back at me, but he saw me differently, I don't know if I imagined it but I felt as if he was the hunter and I was the prey, I had to back away quickly to avert my gaze and get rid of that feeling, after all, he was probably a teacher and I didn't know him and I didn't want to meet him either, even though my body was screaming to get closer, but I was a rational girl who listened to her mind which was screaming 'danger'.

So I continued to my first class of the day, trying to keep my thoughts away from those gray eyes that catch you and the sensations it awakens in me, I entered the classroom and sat in one of the first seats ignoring everyone around me, I didn't like or had much time to try and meet new people, I already had my only friend and two friends I knew since high school and that's enough for me, I had to concentrate and finish my career as soon as possible.

"Hi Isa" pronounced Caroline with a beautiful smile where her dimples stood out sitting next to me.

She was really beautiful, she was tall, with a perfectly proportioned and beautiful body, with her chocolate colored hair and her almond eyes.

"Hi" I greeted her smiling back, after all she was my only friend.

One of the few people I had let into my life and get to know me a little more than the rest, her and her boyfriend Mike I had known since elementary school and Andrew my other best friend I met in high school and I was thankful to know them, they were great, funny, kind and gentle people. Thank God they broke through the barriers I put between me and everyone else, because at this point I don't know what I would do without them.

"Guess what, I think I just saw the love of my life, he's beautiful yet intimidating" He said in a low tone, with a flirtatious smile.

When I heard this I could guess perfectly who she was referring to, as Caroline doesn't get attention from just anyone, after all she has a great and very handsome boyfriend who loves her and she loves him.

"Does he have gray eyes and is he dressed in a black sweater? If that's him, he's definitely intimidating."

"Wait, even you thought he was intimidating? Wow now I'm really scared of him" she said with a shudder and a playful smile.

"Better stop talking about him, how are things going with Mike?" I asked opening my notebook, to divert the topic away from the man I wanted to get off my mind.

" Well we haven't seen each other in two weeks since we both went on trips to different places but we should see each other today, how about you come and have lunch with us?"

"Forget it, I don't want to interrupt your precious couple time when you haven't seen each other in weeks and my dad arrives on a trip today."

After telling her that she just grimaced and we waited for the teacher in silence. When I finished my classes I left for home as soon as possible in case my dad arrived early, I didn't want him to arrive and not find me already at home.

When I arrived, my dad was still not home, so I had lunch with Mirtha and I distracted myself watching TV, when it was time for dinner and I heard him arrive, so I got out of bed to go down to the dining room where surely Mirtha would already have all the food ready, because my dad hated to wait.

"Hi dad" I greeted him with a forced smile as I entered the dining room.

"Hurry up and sit down and eat at once" he said with a slightly annoyed tone, so I just nodded and sat down in front of him.

The meal passed quietly after that and we didn't talk anymore, he and I spoke very little if it wasn't to scold me or give me orders, he barely spoke to me and I didn't want to talk to him much either, so when I finished I retired to my room relieved.

The next morning I woke up and got ready to go to the university praying that my dad had already gone to work so I wouldn't meet him so early, but I knew I wasn't so lucky when I found him in the dining room eating his breakfast and reading the news.

"Good morning" I greeted and he just gave a nod and continued eating, so I just took a coffee and a toast to leave, when I was already leaving the dining room he stopped me.

"You have to be early, I don't want to wait too long for lunch" he said leaving the cup of coffee on the table waiting for my confirmation of understanding.

"Okay" I said giving him another of my fake smiles and finally leaving the dining room, it was no longer necessary for him to remind me, that was my routine, I knew that as soon as I finished my last class I had to go home as soon as possible, to be at peace I had to always obey, I could not put anything at stake when things between us are tense and the only thing it takes for something to go wrong is a mistake on my part.

My life since I was a child, when my mother left, has been like walking constantly on broken glass, I always have to be careful where I step and it is so unbearable and exhausting, that sometimes the only thing I want is to forget about everything, stop keeping up appearances and live, not thinking about my father, nor about finishing my career or saving money, simply about nothing or maybe only about someone, because since I saw him I have not been able to get his gaze out of my mind and I like that thanks to his instruction I have not been so tense.

I like that thinking about those eyes, it takes me out a little of the stress and the constant fear that I feel every day, it is a strange novelty to my life because I had never felt physically attracted to anyone, but that man attracts me and a lot, he has something in him that unsettles me, I do not know if it is all his beauty, his powerful aura or the way he looks at me, that nothing else should produce fear in me, but it is not so with his look causes other sensations that I find it hard to understand.

And that at the same time terrifies me to discover, I don't have time for these things, I know I can't get unfocused from my objective thinking about this man and wanting to get close to him, it's something I can't afford and that my dad wouldn't allow me either, but it's so alluring that I feel like a moth going straight into the fire to end up in flames.

Because what I think I saw in his eyes was a strange mix of emotions, but they weren't good, which is quite strange because I've never seen it before in my life. Or could I be imagining it all? Am I being neurotic? Most likely, my brain is creating these illusions to make me understand that I shouldn't go near him.