Chapter 5

Camila Sáez

I looked at my cell phone every moment, waiting alertly if a message from Leonardo arrived, that man had gotten into my head in an amazing way that I never imagined could happen, and that is that from a moment we went from being complete strangers to knowing each other more than our own families.

“Relax, Camila, I'm sure it's nothing, he must have arrived at the university, he will talk to you when he can” I kept telling myself over and over again to see if I believed it and to put an end to that fear that he would suddenly stop talking to me.

Damn fear that doesn't let me think things through, I think there have been hundreds of times Leonardo has told me how beautiful I am, but I still don't believe it, not to mention that he has never seen me in person and that makes me doubt the sincerity with which he says it.

Message Leonardo: “Hello”. he had written.

Message Leonardo: “I was a little busy with university projects, but I'm over it. You have me all to yourself for what's left of the vacations”. he added, I smiled at what he had said, I didn't want to take too much into account those last words, I didn't want to be the one who imagined things that were not.

Message Camila: “Hi, I missed you already”. I mentioned, but I was immediately regretting the last words I had said, I didn't know how she would react to what I had said, but I hoped she would do it in a good way.

Message Leonardo: “I missed you too”. he replied attaching a heart emoji. I smiled for not coming off as the stupid one of the year.

Message Leonardo: “But I can talk to you now and you have me all to yourself, unless my father makes me work in his companies”. he added.

Message Camila: “Um. But I don't think I will always do it”. I wrote, I was thinking about my days without talking to Leonardo and they would literally become very long.

Message Leonardo: “Don't worry, I would look for a way to talk to you”. he replied. I was scared of the idea of being emotionally dependent on that man, but I couldn't deny that his words and the way he makes me feel has made me feel too good.

Message Camila: “You're the best, Leonardo”. I answered smiling at the screen, how to think something different, if he always did that, he looked for any possible way to see me smile, and a person like me, with all my insecurities, appreciates those gestures, which many times are few, because no one realizes what we really feel.

Message Leonardo: “And you the most beautiful”. he mentioned, he wasn't here, seeing me, but it was as if he had said that looking me in the eyes, my cheeks reddened as if I were a tomato.

Message Camilla: “If you say so”. I replied smiling, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Two months later.

I was going to see Leonardo, it turned out that the university that had accepted me was the same one he was attending, coincidence of life, wasn't it? I couldn't help but put on that stupid smile every time I thought of him, it was as if my whole body gave out the reality, I liked Leonardo... I really liked him.

I got off the bus, I looked around, I had never been in this place, all this was totally new to me, I knew Leonardo, many times I had seen him in video calls, but he was not here and my mind started to play with me, as it always did. What if he regretted it? What if he did not arrive? Could it be that it was the way he meant that he wanted our relationship to end? I didn't know.

“Hello”. I heard that voice behind me, I looked in the direction he was talking to me, his tone was completely masculine, my body froze, I tried to answer, but my voice didn't come out of my mouth either, I smiled shyly thinking that it would solve my situation.

“Ho… hello”. I tried to say as best I could, which caused me embarrassment, which in turn caused my cheeks to redden. He smiled and came closer, I didn't know what he wanted to do, what if he wants to kiss me?

“Let's go to my house, it's getting very hot here, the sun is burning”. He mentioned after kissing my cheek, an act that caused me to almost melt, I didn't know what was wrong with me, I mentally prepared myself for this encounter many times since we planned it, but nothing compared to reality.

“Okay, but won't your parents be upset?”. I asked fearful of the answer, she is the only person I know in this city, besides I could not return yet, I told my parents that I was coming to a call from the university to meet her and things of that nature, although it was not all false, because I would know the place where I would study.

“Don't worry, I'll take care of that”. I didn't know what that meant, but well, I trusted him, if I didn't I would have never come to this place, I wanted to think a lot of things, but I don't know if I wanted to get my hopes up, or if I was ready for another failure.

Adrian has been distant since I told him I was coming to this place, I guess the part that bothered him was when I told him that a boy would show me the university, but we had made it clear that our relationship was just friends, almost like brothers and that wasn't going to change.

“What's on your mind?”. he asked. “Don't you like the company?”. he mentioned again, obviously it wasn't the latter.

“I like it very much. I was just thinking about how huge this city is, besides I don't even know where I am”. I commented, obviously lying.

“You have me to guide you, I'll be your compass, at least for this year”. He mentioned smiling and taking my hand, why does he do it! My heart began to beat hard due to the nervousness I felt and my hands, as usual, began to sweat ruining the moment.

“Thank you”. I said trying to take my hand away so it wouldn't get wetter than usual, but he didn't want to do it. You're stubborn! Your hand will be worse than wet paper! “Leonardo, how much longer?”. I asked trying to avoid the subject, I wanted to find some way to remove my hand, my whole body was sweaty, besides my cheeks were still red.

“Just a few more minutes”. he mentioned. Some cars slowed down and he had to take his hand away to pass the vehicle's gear and be able to brake without something happening to him, Thank God! I dried my hands, I tried not to let him notice, but come on, obviously he did. “We're here”. He added as he turned down who knows what street, I hadn't even been paying attention.

“Um, I think I'm more nervous than before”. I revealed causing my body to become inert again, why did these things happen to me! He smiled and got out of the car, he turned around to where I was and opened the door, I thought these things only happened in the movies, but I'm wrong.

“Relax, nothing will happen, my mother has been waiting for us, she knows about us”. He mentioned, for a moment the word “we” sounded in my head as if it was something much more than friends, but then reality hit my mind, he and I are just friends.

“I understand”. I answered trying to control what I had provoked myself.

We entered the house, his mother welcomed us right away, I didn't know if they would like my presence, after all they had never seen me before, something that can cause distrust to anyone.

“Hello, dear”. Leonardo's mother mentioned. “My name is Martha”. she mentioned. She smiled and I nodded.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Martha”. I answered, she smiled and then Leonardo took my hand again.

“What manners”. She mentioned again. “Nobody had told me ma'am, I guess around here everybody thinks they have enough power that they have already lost the most important thing, respect”. He added, I didn't know what that meant.

“Yes, mother. Camila is a special woman”. Leonardo mentioned, I guess they understood each other. The mother suddenly burst out laughing.

“Of course she is, to get my son out of the miserable life he was leading, you have to be more than special. By the way, thank you for that, my dear, I owe you too much”. I don't understand what she meant.

“Thank you, ma'am, but I don't know what you mean by that”. I said, being as sincere as possible. I wanted to understand what was going on here, but I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

“Before I met you he went out every night, there were times he wasn't at home because he was with his friends going from party to party, and the worst thing is that he went from bed to bed with different women, but you came along and that changed”. I was perplexed, I had no idea about Leonardo's life.

“He had never told me anything like that”. I said looking at Leo, many times I had thought of telling him that way, but I had never done it.

“It was one of my secrets, but my mother revealed it to you”. said the boy who didn't take his eyes off me.