35

EVER

I felt weak, to be honest. At other times, I would have wanted to bash my knuckles until they were sore, boxing relentlessly until the pain in the center of my soul subsided, but no, I didn't even have the energy for that. I felt strange, like a different person, and I understand why. I had never carried so much weight within me before. I feel torn apart and I don't know how to lift my spirits a little higher. I feel like a damn coward because it's been two days and I haven't been able to go after her, I can't even face her. I hate myself when I remember the sadness in her eyes as she looked at me because yes, I treated her like an idiot, behaved like a complete animal, and it hurts because she's my beautiful girl, the light of my eyes, and I've hurt her.

"What are you doing here?" When I came out of the bathroom after spending an hour under the shower, I was surprised to see him standing by the balcony of my room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"We need to talk."

"I don't want to see you at all, you know? How did you get up here?" I questioned him.

"Your mom let me in. Have you forgotten that we used to be like best friends?"

"Until you dared to insult your sister! My girlfriend!" I got agitated just remembering it.

"And I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. At that moment, I was blinded because the truth was hidden from me for a long time. I was selfish, and she's my sister... the girl of my eyes. Understand that I felt excluded from her life when she didn't tell me about you guys," was his reply.

"She was the girl of your eyes, now she's mine, Michael. And you have no idea how terrible you looked in my eyes. You disrespected her, you were about to call her a 'Whore' for being with me, and I hate that word because it doesn't suit her. I expected a different reaction from you, I never imagined you'd be so immature. I swear, if it were up to me, I would have told you straight away, but she didn't want that. She gave you time to heal, she didn't want you to feel like she was completely happy to start a relationship with me when you were struggling. She was empathizing with you. And you? Your sister was the only one who supported you, who cried for you when you were in jail, who stood by you through it all. And you? You hurt her deeply when you found out I was her boyfriend. You were cruel, not just to her, but also to me. I saw you as a brother, damn it."

"And I know, I know. I was a complete idiot. I feel empty without her, without her sweet messages, without her scolding, without her tenderness, without her advice... but understand me, I felt jealous of you. You have to forgive me and help me so that she forgives me. I finally understand that if she chose you, it's because you're worthy of her, Eleonor is a whole woman and it's hard for me to accept that. My little sister has a boyfriend now, forgive me for making you feel bad, for making us fight, drift apart, and forget our respect. I violated our codes and tried to paint you as the bad guy in front of her. You also deserve Eleonor. You two complement each other and you seem right for taking care of her, no one will do it like you. You're like my brother, Ever, and siblings fight, you and her are greatly missed. You have to forgive me, please."

ELEONOR

"Aren't you planning on going out today?" Mom entered my room without even knocking.

I didn't want to answer her. I've been giving her short responses for the past two days.

"No."

"I'm your mother, did you forget that?" It annoyed me so much when she threw that in my face.

"You'll be my mother again when you apologize to Mrs. Lucía for acting like a complete inhuman, trying to humiliate her when she has the same advantages as you or even better ones," I spoke to her without looking at her.

"How can you care more about another person than me?"

"Don't play the victim, and yes, right now I care more about Lucia than you. You made me experience embarrassment that I'll never forget! Understand? I was humiliated in front of that polite woman. When I went to her house, she treated me like a princess. And you know what? I can say she has more class than you, Carmelia." Her eyes widened.

"Everything for a man?"

"Yes! Everything for Ever. Because I won't stop until you understand that he's the guy I like!" I raised my voice.

"And what on earth do you see in him?"

"Everything! He's fantastic, Mom. And I'm not just talking about his looks; it's not just his tattoos or his bad-boy aura that attract me. I love the way he treats me, the way he looks at me, the way he talks to me. He brings me so much peace, makes me feel secure in myself, and makes me happy. He seems like the most honest and genuine person in the world because he doesn't lie to me. He treats me like his treasure, his most precious girl, his everything. There's no one else who makes me feel the way he does, no one else who radiates such peace and harmony as he does. And you know what? He inspires me. I'm fascinated by the way he makes me think about the person I want to become... he inspires me to want to write, to envision a world together... with Ever, I have my own love story, like the ones I read all the time. Whether you like it or not, I'm his girl, the boxer's girl. So, you better start thinking about how to apologize to his mother. This Christmas, I won't be single, and both she and Ever will have dinner with us. Oh, and you'll also apologize to Ever. You'll learn to respect, not to judge anyone, and not to think you're better than any other human being. Especially not to voice opinions before getting to know someone."