Episode 5

ALEX

You could feel the tension in the air, as if we were at the bottom of the ocean and our oxygen supply was running out, my heart was beating faster than normal, more than once I saw what Manuel was like when he had a few too many drinks. Hector protected me with his figure. They look at each other intensely, their jaws are tense.

I noticed that Dante put his hand on Hector's shoulder, as a sign not to fight, but he didn't say anything, he just looked at Manuel who was outnumbered.

"You've mistaken me for someone else, she's my partner." Hector said in a firm voice, his tone made him shrug.

"Excuse me, I thought she was an acquaintance." Manuel replied, he was red with anger, he always thought he was the rooster in the henhouse, but he met one bigger than him.

Hector turned, wrapping his arm around me, and we left the place, he was serious, quiet, I felt him very hot.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, when he looked at me his expression relaxed.

"Yes, I hate men who mistreat women." He said, pointing to my wrist, which was red from Manuel's grip.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." I replied.

"HE'S A DAMN BASTARD WHO DOESN'T DESERVE OUR ATTENTION," Jime said and covered her mouth when she realized what she said.

"It's better to forget it, let's go eat" Dante suggested with a kind smile.

I saw how Dante and Hector looked at each other, as if they were talking telepathically, Hector sighed deeply, indicating that he would take us in his car.

"I HAVE MINE, WE'RE NOT ALL GOING TO FIT TOGETHER" Jime announced.

"You can go ahead of us and guide us to the place. Hector suggested."

I loved how considerate he was for everything, his suggestions made us feel comfortable and safe.

"ALEX CAN GO WITH HECTOR AND DANTE WITH SAM AND US" Jime proposed, she didn't want to lose the boys, she feared that they would be discouraged by the incident and wouldn't follow us.

"Whatever you're comfortable with, I have no problem with it." Dante said, looking at Hector.

"Let's do that. Hector accepted, looking at me as if seeking my opinion."

"Yes, that's fine." I said and he nodded.

When I got into his vehicle the cold air was at full blast, I shuddered, I got goosebumps.

"Sorry, I always have it like this, put on my coat. He advised, giving me one he had in the car."

"I noticed that you always have warm hands." I said.

"I saw that you didn't bring a coat, it's cold for you. He commented with the deep voice that melts me to hear."

I bite my lip with pity.

"Since we were coming in the car and Jime commented that it's not cold inside, plus she lost several of them, so she prefers not to have anything she has to take off. That's why we didn't bring any. I tell him."

"I understand." He replied, starting the vehicle when he saw Jime and the others in the car pass us.

When I put on his coat I felt comfortable, it was warm and I liked his scent.

"Do you have dogs?" I asked him, finding a particular hair on the coat.

"What a shame, yes I have one." He replied, clearing his throat.

"I would love to meet him... What breed is he? I ask animatedly."

"Wolf." He said seriously.

"You should know that they are territorial, they don't like to be far from their natural place, I knew many who have them in the city and they get sad, they don't live long, even in captivity, if they do. I murmur nervously, I remembered the one I took care of when I was little and that I found wounded."

"What are you saying? What are you thinking about? He asks me to tell him."

"I remembered a wolf that I found when I was still young, he was wounded, it seems that he was attacked by another animal." (I said through gritted teeth, looking at my hands)... It hurt me that he left, I had grown fond of him, I saw him as an angel sent by my mother to comfort me for her departure.

"What happened to your mother?" He asked me.

"She had a degenerative disease, it was wearing her down day by day, she was always tired, she hardly had any appetite, she just wanted to sleep, she didn't have the strength to get up, no doctor ever knew what she had, they only treated her so that she wouldn't suffer... And when I was eight years old she died... It was very hard for my father to move forward without her, but the presence of that wolf gave us warmth, my father was busy cooking and suggested that we eat with him to encourage him to do so, I think he felt a little responsible for not having been stricter with Mom and forcing her to go to the doctor in the beginning, when they went it was already too late. I told him and unwittingly a tear escaped me."

"Sorry, I didn't know that remembering would be very hard for you. He told me."

"No, it doesn't bother me, talking about it somehow consoles me, it's as if I needed it. I say."

We arrived at the coast, I see that Jime shakes her hand when getting out, waving towards us animatedly.

We went to the restaurant where we always meet with the girls and their hamburgers are huge and delicious.

"This is our favorite place, here the hamburgers are gigantic, the three of us share one. Debora tells us enthusiastically when we sit down."

"We'll order one for each of us." Dante said.

We looked at him surprised.

"Look how huge they are. Jime repeats."

"We can take it with us if we don't eat it all. He replies."

"Let's order two and if we're not full we'll order another. Hector suggested."

"Okay." Dante replied not very convinced.

To wait they brought us some salty sticks with garlic and tomato sauce.

There was a silence and Dante broke it.

"Hector is new to the city. He would like to get to know it." He said.

"Oh yeah?" Hector said in surprise.

"Alex could be his guide, I would do it but my job has me with tight schedules." He said, looking at me intensely.

"Don't worry, you must have your occupations. Hector hurried to say nervously about what his friend suggested."

"Of course, no problem. I have time now." I replied.

It was a good excuse not to return to my apartment, there I would just collapse from the pain.

"It's a good idea, the city is very beautiful at night. Debora comments."

"We hardly know it, we are always busy." Sam said.

"Big mistake, good thing we met... We know the city like the back of our hands." Jime said.

"I can gladly teach you." Debora said to Sam.

They brought the hamburgers which were the size of a medium pizza, accompanied by french fries.

Each one took a portion, when we looked to take another one the boys had eaten everything.

"We'll order more." Hector said with pity.

"I told you it should be one for each of you." Dante said.

"They sure have a big appetite." Jime said surprised.

The three of us laughed, they called the waiter ordering some more, now one for each of us, with the intention of compensating us, but when they brought them, it gave me tenderness to see how Hector looked anxiously at the hamburger, so I gave it to him.

"Are you sure?" He asked me.

"Yes, I'm full. I lied to him."

When we finished eating, we left in his car, my friends with the others in theirs, we took a tour of the city, showing them every place.

"It was true, it looks prettier at night." Hector said.

"And tell me, where are you from?" I asked him.

He sighed seriously, tensing his face.

"I live in a place far from the city... In the countryside. He replies."

"You have a ranch, plantations. I inquire and I see that he sighs as if hesitating to answer."

"Sorry for my curiosity... It's just that I grew up in the countryside... My parents liked what was natural, quiet. I comment."

"And why did you come to the city?" He asked me.

The truth is that if it were up to me I would have stayed, but because of my stepmother and that my father always put her demands first and did not listen to mine, I decided to move, study, and work so as not to depend on her money. She reflected angrily.

"Here I could study what I liked." I said without going into detail about what pushed me to it.

"In my case, even though I'm old, my father always wants to control my life and I'm trying to find my way without being influenced by him. He told me seriously."

We walked for an hour, maintaining such a comfortable conversation, my stomach sounded loud, like a lion roaring, breaking the magic, I turned red with embarrassment.

Hector turned to look at me, I didn't know where to hide my face.

He looked thoughtful, spotted a stand where they sold hot dogs and stopped, got out without saying anything, I felt nervous, I started checking my cell phone, after a while he taps on the window and opens the door.

"Keep the coat and come eat a hot dog," he said, handing me a huge one with all kinds of garnish on top.

"You didn't have to." I said apologetically.

"You gave me your hamburger, and it was my fault you were left hungry. Here, eat. He says, handing it to me in my hand."

"Thank you." I said blushing, we sat down on a bench and I heard him open a can of soda and pass it to me.

"I'll feel bad if I only eat myself, do you want half. I suggest when I saw how he looked at the hot dog, he had his eyes like a puppy asking for food."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes." I said sharing with him, in the blink of an eye he ate everything, I smiled to see that he had no problems eating, I pointed to the soda and he refused, showing me that he had a bottle of water.

"It's going to rain. I hear him mutter."

"It's clear, and I didn't get the rain warning. I say, looking at my cell phone."

"Let's go. He signals once I finish eating."

"Thank you very much for the hot dog." I said more animatedly.

"You shouldn't put others' needs before your own. He says."

"I can't help it, I always worry about how they feel and I want them to be well." I said sadly.

The truth is that I always let myself be used as a doormat to avoid conflicts and that they feel bad, especially my father, so I accepted that woman he chose after my mother, even though she was acidic with me, I didn't care if she was kind to my father.

"You are very good. I hear him say as he pulls me out of my thoughts."

"It's not really like that." I said sadly.

Just then my cell phone rings and I answer.

📱 Hello.

📱Miss Eskala, I am the manager of your building, Mr. Guzman, I am informing you that you must remove your things from the apartment, the owner sold it. He told me.

📱What? What do you mean? Where am I going to live? Why didn't you tell me? I ask nervously.

📱Your partner was informed a month ago, didn't he tell you anything? He asks.

📱No, nothing, what am I going to do? I ask anxiously.

I didn't want to go back to my father's house.

📱We never found you and the calls are never answered, we left the message to your partner, we regret that you find out this way, but the new owner will move in in two days.

He told me and hung up.

I squeeze my cell phone anxiously, I don't want to go back to my father's house with those two vipers there. Getting a place is difficult, damn Manuel who wasn't able to tell me something so important. I debate mentally.

"Can I ask you something without you getting offended?" Hector asked me seriously.

"Ask, I can't promise if I'll be offended or not, I don't know what you'll ask." I said.

"What do you think about living with a roommate?"

"At this moment I wouldn't mind, do you know of anyone who is looking for a roommate, will I have to pass an interview or something. I ask him."

"In the building where I am there is an apartment, the price is not that bad. He comments."

"Can you show it to me, if there is the interested party to ask him if he accepts me. I ask him, liking the idea and if the price is convenient I liked it more, it was difficult to get a place, you had to wait for the owner to move or die and at this moment I needed it urgently."

We arrived at the building, it had an old architecture, covered with climbing plants and trees around, when entering a soft aroma invaded my nostrils, the atmosphere was calm, with a soft light, everything was in wood tones.

"Good evening. Said a man in a suit."

"I'm going to the room." Hector said.

"On the second floor, going up the stairs. He pointed."

We walked towards where he pointed.

"There is no elevator here." Hector said sadly.

"I don't mind, there are not many steps." I replied.

When entering I was surprised at how spacious it was.

"It's surprising... And he lives here? I ask anxiously."

"I... You can stay in that room, you have a private bathroom, mine is at the end of the hall... We divide the rent... We will keep the space that we will share in common as a living room and kitchen clean... No one enters the other's room... You have a phone that if you dial the number one you communicate with me in case you need something... No parties are allowed." He said, I was surprised, looking at him with wide eyes.

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