22

"Mommy! "He exclaims and I bend down to receive his kisses" I missed you so much.

“I missed you too, son.

I smile and caress her cheek.

“Carol is in the kitchen?

"Yeah.

"I'll go see her.

I head to the kitchen, where I find my friend staring at her phone.

"Eva" notes my presence.

"What are you doing?

“I talk to Harmony.

Harmony! He could ask for help from her. After all, she was the one who used to take care of Louis before.

"Why do you have that face? “She asks, smiling.

“I have to accompany Mr. Hills on a trip to Los Angeles.

"The Angels? "seat". And what is the problem?

"It's just... I know it's a short time, but I'll need someone to stay with Louis for two days and I...

"Hey, don't worry" he interrupts me. “I have vacations, I asked for them at work. I can keep the little one, it doesn't bother me.

"I do not want to bother you...

“Technically, you don't bother me. I'm supposed to live here, besides, I have nothing to do, I'll just be here. I can take care of Louis, trust me.

“I fully trust you, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you.

“You don't overwhelm me.

"Safe? It's what, with your pregnancy...

“I am only in my first trimester of pregnancy. I have some nausea and dizziness from time to time, but I feel perfect, Eva.

"Alright.

“But when my short vacation is over I won't be able to stay as often.

“I know, I was planning to talk to Harmony.

“Good idea, don't forget it.

I shake my head.

"I'll make dinner" she warned him.

"Do I help you?

He stands up and I try to convince her that I can, but she ends up making dinner with me. Carol is a very pushy person.

“Aren't you going to tell me about your work? She “questions her.

"What do you want to know?

"I don't know, is everything okay?

"Perfect.

A shudder runs down my spine at the memory of Mr. Hills's intense gaze today. It left a bitter taste in me. The way he approached and...

I have to stop.

We make dinner, sit down and proceed to eat. Carol goes to bed a little earlier than usual with the excuse that she feels more tired and we stay at the table.

"Dear...

"Yeah?

Her soft gaze could soothe any torment.

“Next week I will have to travel, therefore I will not come home for two or three days.

"No?

"No. Aunt Carol will stay with you in my absence. I'll be back soon.

"Alright.

She smiles at me.

We have dinner, I wash the dishes and I accompany him to her room like every night. Getting used to his presence has been easier than I thought, I don't want anything or anyone to take it away from me again. We have to be together. He is my other half and I don't know what he would do if he wasn't in my life.

He leads me to my room and I go into the bathroom. I turn on the shower, strip off my clothes, loosen my hair and get under the shower, letting the water soak my body. My blood pressure has reduced significantly after Louis's operation, I feel more...calm. Still, I can't forget that Jonas is here.

Whenever I'm happy, something has to go wrong. It stresses me out and there comes a point where illusions, goals and positivity cease to exist. Something always has to go wrong.

After rinsing my hair and body, I get out of the shower and stand in front of the mirror as I towel dry my hair. As for my physical appearance, I have never considered myself the -big- thing. I look normal, ordinary. My hair is straight, my lips are small and my nose is small, I like it a little.

In my adolescence, I felt precious and unattainable, perhaps because at that time my self-esteem was not so zero. After the incident with Jonas, I hated myself, I despised myself and I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without feeling that there was a stain on my body, that kind of stain that only you can see, but which is invisible to others, the kind that marks you forever. always.

I do not consider myself precious or unattainable, nor do I consider myself -ugly-. I'm thin by physical build and I have curves that I don't know how the fuck I managed to keep since my teens and after giving birth. I guess it's genetic, my mother has them too and it was only me who inherited them.

Carol always told me that she should show off my curves a little more. The truth is that I am not very interested in doing it.

I go back to my room, brush my hair and get dressed. Finally, I turn off the lights and plop down on the bed. My head explodes from the pain and I decide to sleep with a blank mind to calm down my stress a bit.

*

This last week went by so quickly that I can't even fully remember it. I spent a lot of time at home with Carol and Louis, I felt good, it's something that little by little becomes more present in my life, ignoring the presence of Jonas. I never saw him again, which makes me desperate and a little unnerved, since he always has a plan.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but knowing that he's here and I haven't seen him again yet is a bit suspicious. The idea of leaving my house knowing that he is here with me terrifies me. I can't just live my life for a psychopath. It's risky, yes. But how could I scare myself and just stay locked up? I would if I could, but I can't, not now.

I'll just settle for the fact that he hasn't contacted me or noticed any suspicious movement that at least I've seen.

Now, it's Monday, the day of the trip to Los Angeles and I couldn't be more nervous. Traveling with that man... I don't know what awaits me. I very much hope that this trip will pass in the blink of an eye. I don't like the presence of this man, less his attitude and his look.

It's almost eight in the morning and I'm in the limousine that is driven by my boss's driver, bodyguard or whatever. His name is Matthew.

He seemed kind to me. He is a man of few words.

Half the ride to the airport is silent, even though we do have a few short conversations that must last about thirty seconds or less. I asked him a little about him, how long has he been working for Mr. Hills, for example, to which he replied three years.

I rest my eyes for a short time, as I snap them open when I feel the limo pull up. I look at the runway where a private jet sits, and Matthew opens the doors for me.