CHAPTER 9.

"Damn, what am I doing!" Memories of when he met her began to flood with him.

It was at a party hosted by his mother's family in Barcelona. She attended with some friends, but not as a guest; she was working as a waitress at the party. He was talking with some friends when he made a sudden movement. She was passing by with a tray of canapés, and it immediately fell to the floor, causing a disaster that ended with the girl's dismissal. To compensate her, he invited her to change and stay at the party, even lending her a dress belonging to his sister Alondra. In the end, they spent the entire night dancing, and she stole his heart until that day when he saw her kissing Gerónimo.

Helena had been very strange in the last weeks before their separation—evasive, always distracted, and even during those days she hadn't wanted to make love with him, when before she never refused. At that moment, simply touching her would make her jump, looking for an excuse.

When he confided his fear to Leandro, the latter mentioned having seen her having a very close meal with Gerónimo that same day. That's why, despite having already said goodbye to her, he rushed out like a madman to confront them. His friend tried to stop him, asking him to wait until the next day to talk to them, but he didn't. Helena was the only one capable of turning his cold temperament into a powerful volcano.

When he saw the scene of her kissing, he had to clench his hands to his body to avoid approaching and ending both of them, but he didn't want to stop to that. He had never fought over a woman, and he wasn't going to start then. He simply turned around, and although he heard Helena's shouts, he ignored them, leaving her life forever. Until now, when she reappeared to turn his perfect world upside down.

He took out his cell phone to send a message to Galata, but it was dead. Besides, he planned to stay a couple more hours and then return home to his family. He just hoped Galata hadn't woken up.

Without meaning to, he couldn't help but stop and reflect on his two relationships, the only ones in his life, with Helena and Galata, and try to define his feelings for each of them, because he couldn't deny it, his first love still moved him, filled him with tenderness and a desire to protect her. Deep down, he wanted to spare her any suffering. As for Galata, he wanted to wake up next to her every day, spend hours talking, feel her skin.

"Damn! Now what?" he asked himself, amidst that storm of memories and sensations. In the end, sleep overcame him, and he fell asleep in the chair.

Two hours later, he woke up startled and disoriented to hear screams. After a moment, he saw Helena with wide, distraught eyes staring at the door, letting out terrified shrieks. Her face showed clear terror as she huddled against the headboard of the bed, pointing at the door and speaking in a completely hysterical voice.

"He's there! Make him leave! I don't want him to touch me!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"There's no one there, Helena, you're safe, nothing bad is going to happen to you," Matteo expressed, trying to calm her with his words.

He got up and approached her, which agitated her further. She began to hit him, even scratch him, without mercy, and kick him. She was out of her mind.

"Get away! Leave me alone! Let me go!" her voice grew hoarse from her screams.

He found it necessary to hold her firmly, while trying to calm her by embracing her.

"Please, there's no one there anymore. Calm down!" he said sweetly, stroking her back.

Little by little, she calmed down. Matteo ended up lying on the bed with her on his chest, while the woman's body still trembled with soft sobs, and he comforted her. Time passed, and he fell asleep, forgetting his intention to return home before dawn.

**

Galata opened the front door, and there was Leandro, smiling, leaning his arm against the doorframe.

"Hello," he exclaimed, his voice trying to sound sensual.

"Hello, Leandro, come in," Galata greeted, opening the door wider to let him pass. But upon his entry, she didn't close it, leaving it ajar. "Matteo's not here," she mentioned, hoping that would prompt him to make his visit brief.

"I know he's not here, but I haven't come to visit him, but you," his tone of voice was strange, which aroused suspicion in the young woman.

"Do you know that my husband didn't come home last night? Do you know where he is?" The words tumbled out of her mouth, uncontrollably.

He shrugged and looked at her with compassion, feigning an expression of struggling to help her while also not betraying a friend.

"Galata, this is difficult for me. I care for you and appreciate you very much. However, you must understand my position. Matteo is my best friend, and what he tells me I cannot reveal because he tells me in confidence," he stated with an expression as if he were deeply troubled.

"I understand, although I can't continue in this torment. It's torture to imagine him with that woman. He left me to go after her... that hurts here!" she said furiously, hitting her chest hard.

Leandro took her hand to prevent her from hitting herself.

"I'm just going to tell you one thing: Helena is back, and Matteo still loves her. You must be prepared; they will get back together. You won't be able to do anything because he is determined to have her and be happy with her. Between duty, which is you all, and love, your husband has decided to choose love, and she is his great love, the one he has never been able to forget and never will. The sooner you understand that the less you will suffer, Galata."

The man's words were like sharp daggers mercilessly plunged into her heart. Galata's chin trembled, uncontrollably, she was about to cry.

Just at that moment, the living room door swung wide open, and a feminine voice was heard.

"I've never liked false friends. They pretend to be loyal but never miss an opportunity to stab those who have trusted them in the back. Rather, they are scavengers, waiting to see who falls so they can devour them," the girl snapped, her eyes gleaming with fury, as the man averted his gaze and looked at her with absolute hatred, as if he wished to destroy her with a single glance.