CHAPTER 4.

Matteo heard the voice on the other end of the line and his heart began to beat wildly, like the drumming of drums. A cold sweat ran down his spine. He made his first attempt to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat.

"Matteo, are you there? Can you hear me?" the woman asked in a tone of anguish.

The man cleared his throat and finally found his voice.

"Helena... I'm here," he sighed, sensing that the words he was about to utter would be difficult to say, and so they were. "However, I thought everything was very clear between us last time. I asked you not to call me again. Why are you insisting?" His initial intention had been to avoid any contact with her, but now, having her so close, he felt tempted.

A sob was heard on the other end. He remained silent, caught in an internal struggle with himself. One part of him urged him to hang up the call, and another to listen to her, because her mere voice brought back wonderful past events and unleashed numerous feelings within him, which he had kept locked away for a long time.

A snort of helplessness escaped his lips, just as his mind conjured up the past. He closed his eyes as he allowed himself to be flooded by the memories.

"Matteo, my love, where are you taking me?" the girl asked, smiling, as he guided her with her eyes covered by a blindfold.

"To see a beautiful place; it's an earthly paradise."

He took her by the arm and guided her for approximately a kilometer, before reaching a waterfall. The girl suspected where they were when she felt drops of water splashing on her and heard the sound of them falling. He removed her blindfold, revealing her stunning eyes. She broke into a wide, excited smile, a result of the surprise at seeing the beautiful landscape. Immediately, she turned, still laughing, took him by the neck, and began to kiss him.

Matteo wrapped his arms around her waist as she pressed closer to his body, their mouths devouring each other passionately, while he felt his erection growing within his pants.

"Make me yours, Matteo!" the woman exclaimed in a pleading tone.

Without any loss of time, he began to strip her of every garment that covered her body, leaving her completely naked in front of him. He moved her away slightly to observe every curve of her body; he couldn't help but feel aroused by the sight, her whitish skin gave him the impression of being in the presence of an angel, especially due to the golden effect of her hair falling like sunbeams.

"Do you like what you see?" Helena inquired in a flirtatious tone.

Matteo’s eyes darkened; he couldn't help but feel excitement course through him from head to toe. Without a verbal answer to her question, he took off his clothes, including his shoes, picked her up, and carried her to the waterfall. They immersed themselves in the water, as the falling water struck their bodies.

He pulled her close, holding her by her buttocks, pressing her against his sex. A soft gasp escaped the girl's mouth. Matteo leaned down, capturing her nipple with his mouth. Desire exploded within him; he sucked and nibbled, while she rubbed against his body. Finally, unable to wait another minute, he turned her onto her back, spread her legs slightly, and entered her vaginal cavity from behind, where he began fierce thrusts until both exploded in a torrential orgasm.

He returned to the present, hearing the woman's voice, who had remained completely silent during that time.

"I need to see you. I won't be at peace until I have you face-to-face and tell you so many things that were left unsaid between us," Helena stated, not hiding the distress in her voice.

"We've already said what needed to be said. I have nothing more to add; our time has passed," he replied with apparent coldness, though inside he was a pulsating mass of emotions. "I'm a married man, Helena. I'm no longer available to you. Please, don't make this any harder for either of us. We can't reclaim the past."

"Please, Matteo, I have the right to see you face to face, to have you listen to me in person, to close this chapter without regrets or blame, neither yours nor mine, to let you know why the explanations came too late. At least, I believe that's my right. We both deserve it for the years we spent together, and especially me, because you judged me without letting me defend myself," the girl declared, with a note of nostalgia, thus appealing to Matteo's conscience, who ran his hand through his head in a gesture of frustration and finally gave in.

"Alright, we'll meet for just a few minutes. Where can I find you?" he asked, unable to stop feeling anxious, as he took out paper and a pencil to jot down the details.

"I'm at Place Roma, on Via di Monte d'Oro, 30, Rome, RM, 186, near Piazza Navona. I'm in the Master suite," the woman replied.

"Can we meet at the restaurant?" he asked with discomfort, as he didn't believe himself capable of being alone with her.

"For what we need to discuss, I prefer to be in the comfort of my suite. I'll wait for you," she stated, cutting off the call.

He looked at the paper in his hand and the picture frame with his wife's photograph. He felt his heart clench, shook his head, and to try and ease his conscience, he turned it face down on the table, as he had the impression her gaze was watching him accusingly.

He stood up, took his suit jacket, left the study, and paused in the hallway, debating whether to go see Galata, his son, or attend the appointment with Helena. However, he knew that if he went to his son's room or to see Galata, he wouldn't be able to leave. So, he took one last look and left without looking back.

He got into his SUV and drove silently to the address Helena had given. He couldn't shake off that mix of unease and remorse. He tried to dismiss the feeling, but it was impossible; they were clearly there.

After half an hour, he saw the hotel. He lingered nearby for a moment, hesitating whether to enter or not. Finally, he decided to take the plunge once and for all, as the saying goes, "better to get a bad thing over with quickly." Upon arriving at the entrance, he handed his car keys to the valet and walked into the lobby. When he announced himself, the information desk allowed him entry and sent him with a bellhop; it seemed Helena had called, leaving instructions for him to be allowed up.

He reached the floor where the suites were located. The bellhop indicated Helena's suite and left. Meanwhile, he walked slowly to the door. As he raised his hand to ring the doorbell, it opened, and the woman appeared. For a few minutes, they stood in silence, observing each other. It seemed as if time had stopped and the world had ceased to exist. It was just the two of them; no one else existed.

"Matteo!" she exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth as her eyes began to well up with tears.

"Helena!" was his simple reply, as his body trembled like leaves on trees buffeted by the wind.

Matteo felt a growing emotion inside him, coursing from head to toe. His body tingled, and despite wishing with all his might to embrace and kiss her, he held back, because in his mind, a pair of gray eyes looked at him reproachfully.

Just at that moment, someone was taking photographs of that encounter, especially when the woman, unable to control herself, threw herself into his arms to hug him. Despite his strong desire to see her, Matteo did not return the embrace for several seconds, remaining static, only feeling her embrace him and cling to his chest, perceiving a special warmth in his heart.

Finally, he placed his hands on her back and returned the embrace, sighing with emotion. She took him by the waist and led him walking into the suite's living room.

"Please sit down," she said, gesturing to the sofa, while she tried to compose herself. She walked to the bar located at one end of the room. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked.

"A double whisky. Helena, I don't have much time. Tell me, what did you want to talk about? Please, let's make this quick so I can go home," he replied with unease, because the internal struggle he was experiencing at that moment was too strong, and he feared he wouldn't come out victorious.

"I just wanted to see you. I needed to talk and make my reasons for not having returned sooner. I wanted to clarify things face to face."

"As I told you when we talked through messages," she began to explain, her gaze lost in memories. "That day when you saw Gerónimo kissing me, it was he who took advantage of my distraction and kissed me against my will. For a moment, his attack surprised me, which is why I remained static for a few seconds. When I heard you coming, I pushed him hard, but you had already turned and ran off. I went out to look for you and my foot twisted; I ended up rolling down all the stairs, not only unable to walk again for a long time, but I also hit my head hard and lost my memory."

With every word Helena uttered, Matteo felt not only moved but also guilty, imagining her going through that entire situation while he turned his back on her, believing her a traitor and rebuilding his life a couple of weeks after ending that relationship with her. The man couldn't bear his unease; he got up from the sofa and walked to the bar to pour himself another drink.

"That can't be true, Helena. Why did no one tell me anything?" he asked, not feigning his anguish.

"Because Gerónimo made my family believe that you and I had ended our relationship months ago because you had behaved very badly with me, and that at that moment he was my boyfriend. That's why they didn't try to look for you or call you."

"However, his great love didn't last long either, because six months later, when they informed him of my inability to walk again, he fled in terror. I spent more than seven years of my life recovering. My memory returned a year ago, but I still couldn't walk, which is why I didn't want to look for you. I didn't want you to be tied to a woman who probably could never walk," Helena mentioned, holding back tears.

"All this time, I have lived my most terrible moments, and for the last year, only the immense desire to find you again and tell you what happened has sustained me, because it wasn't just not being able to remember and not being able to walk, but that same day, in that accident, I also lost our child, because I was six weeks pregnant."

Matteo's painful expression was evident. For a moment, he remained static, battling the swirling emotions within him.

"It can't be true, Helena! God!" he exclaimed, unable to contain the gnawing guilt inside him. "I didn't know, Helena..." He couldn't help but let out a choked sob. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I swear to you, if I had known your situation, I would have rushed to your side to support you, take care of you. I would never have left you alone, and things would have turned out differently."

Tears began to roll uncontrollably down the man's face. It had been a long time since he had felt anything, since he had been disturbed by any emotion, because for years he had maintained an ironclad shield around his heart, so as not to suffer again from betrayal. And now, everything had turned out to be a lie, because there had never been betrayal or deception, and in the end, it was he who had failed Helena.

Seeing him that way, she approached and gently wiped his tears, while he raised his hands and dried hers, holding her cheeks.

"I am so sorry, Helena! Forgive me," he sobbed, feeling he owed her so much, because while he rebuilt his life with another woman and dedicated himself to trying to be happy and forget the love of his life, she had been suffering.

"It's alright, my love. You didn't know anything, and I have nothing to forgive you for. I hold no grudge against you. How can one hate who one loves? And for you, Matteo, I can only feel love."

He stared at her, moved by her words, and without him expecting it, she closed the distance between them and united her lips with his.