36

ELEONOR

The house was quiet, I didn't know where Mom had gone, but she wasn't there. After our fight, she disappeared, and well, Dad was still at the office working. I was on my way to the library, it closed at nine, so I had a coffee before leaving.

As I closed the door, I was taken aback to see Michael outside with his car running. Our gazes met, but I immediately looked away and acted like I didn't see anyone, trying to ignore him. I was still hurt by him.

However, I saw him analyzing me, and before I could open my car door to get in, he walked towards me with hurried steps and picked me up roughly like a sack of potatoes.

"Let me go! What are you doing? Put me down! Let me go! Put me down, you idiot!" I started shouting, not caring if the whole neighborhood could hear me, struggling in his grip.

He didn't say anything, forcibly put me into his car, fastened my seatbelt, circled the car, took the wheel, and sped away from there at a high speed.

"What the hell is wrong with you, damn boxer? Let me go!" I yelled in the confined space, even hurting my ears.

"We need to talk," he barely replied.

"Where are you taking me? I don't want to talk to you!" I shouted back.

"I don't care if you don't want to talk to me. I'm your brother, and you're going to listen to me. First of all, I've been a damn bastard, I acted like an idiot. I felt jealous of my friend and said things I shouldn't have said. I felt excluded from your life and hurt because I had to accept that you're no longer a child and that even though you're still a kid to me, you're now Ever's kid. I was selfish because everything that was happening to me was bad, and you were going through a beautiful phase in your life. And I'm sorry, I offended you with a word that makes me realize that the punch Ever gave me was well deserved. I know I acted like a child, but it's because I love you, you're my little sister, and damn... I don't like being so sentimental, but I mean it. Come back into my life with your messages, your scolding, your tantrums. I miss you like never before, shorty, and it bothers me to know you're mad at me. Forgive me," his anguished and subdued voice, his sad face... his words. My eyes welled up when I heard him speak.

I had to put my hands to my eyes because this moment seemed truly heartfelt to me. I had so much pain stored in my heart that the best thing that could happen was for each of them to be released.

"Don't cry, just tell me something but don't cry," his voice made me melancholic again.

"I never thought you'd react like this," was the only thing I could say to him.

"I was an idiot, but I adore you. You're my blood, and I want to see you happy. You're very important to me, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. If you want, take your time to think about whether to forgive me or not, because I understand that you might not want to give an immediate answer. I behaved like an asshole, not only with you but also with Ever. You two were the only ones who supported me all the time, and I didn't give you the support you deserved, so today I went to apologize to him. I heard that you've fought, I haven't wanted to know the reason because I've committed not to get involved in your relationship anymore, but I want to help you forgive him for whatever you got upset about. Ever is a great guy, he's... he turns out to be handsome for the girls," when he said these words, he first thought about it and stuttered, I think his male pride prevented him from saying it completely sincerely. Understandable. "He's very intelligent, active, intellectual, interesting, a good person... he has many qualities that make him a good man, and I think whatever happened between you two was just a matter of the moments you've been going through after they tried to kidnap you, which doesn't have to affect you anymore. That's why he's waiting for you, Eleonor," after talking for a while as he drove, he stopped in a secluded place where Ever's car was parked. When Michael honked the horn of his car, Ever got out of his BMW and without letting me respond to my brother, he opened the passenger side door where I was sitting.

"Thank you very much, Michael," Ever said to my brother, taking the liberty to unfasten my seatbelt. I watched them in surprise at the coordination they had; in part, I was glad they were talking again. They make a good duo.

However, as we began to talk about Ever, my skin started to prickle when I felt him close to me, and when his breath brushed against my face. And perhaps you'll ask, "Do you still get those silly sensations when he's near, Eleonor?" And I'll answer them with a yes, he awakens all my senses in me. Besides, not seeing him these days was driving me crazy; not hearing his voice, not feeling his touch, not feeling the excitement from his seductions... that was pure torture.

"Take care of her. Eleonor, behave and listen to him," my brother, as always, telling me what to do.

"I don't want to go with him," I told Michael without looking at Ever.

"Sure?" my brother questioned me.

Damn, it...

"Look at me, Eleonor. Let me see your eyes; I want them to confirm it for me." I swear hearing him say those words sent shivers down my spine. It was impossible not to look at him.

I connected with his dark eyes, which softened as I returned his gaze. He blinked several times, delving into my inner thoughts with an intense stare.

"Let's not make things more difficult. We'll talk, and as soon as we're done, I'll take you home if you don't want to spend much time by my side. But at least listen to me; your eyes tell me you're curious to hear me," he spoke to me.

Ah! Damn it!

"I'll listen and then I'm leaving," I tried to sound determined.

He nodded and offered his hand to help me down.

"I can manage on my own."