Love At Sight

Artémis

Although I didn't have any real intention, as I only wished to discreetly admire all that masculine beauty, the truth is that I was staring at Joshua attentively, and soon my gaze was returned with the same intensity. Even though I tried not to look away like a shy teenager, I ended up doing exactly that after a few seconds.

The reason why Joshua came to the hospital with Ethan and Mariana was still unclear, as he hadn't gone into details about what happened, but he was visibly concerned about our friend and even offered to wait for news about her.

That gesture on your part led to the belief that he was quite close to Ethan, and I wondered how he would react upon learning about the story involving his sister and my cousin if it were told from Ethan's controversial perspective.

Still, I couldn't take my eyes off Joshua, and that had been the case since the moment he entered the hospital reception, even before I could realize that he was accompanying Mariana and Ethan Constantino. To be honest, I didn't even notice that the two of them were entering at that moment, so absorbed was I in watching him.

I only realized what was happening when Murilo drew my attention to Mari and the horrendous bruise on her face. That's when I forgot about the handsome man and focused solely on understanding the situation.

"Artemis?" Virginia called me, and immediately I realized it wasn't the first time.

I looked at my friend and noticed that both she and Murilo were staring at me with a suspicious expressions, and I ended up smiling nervously at being caught off guard.

"What?" I had to ask.

"I was talking to you, but apparently you weren't paying attention to what I was saying," Virginia explained, with a mischievous smile. "I also called you several times, but I guess you were lost in your own world."

The information from Virginia made me very embarrassed, especially when Joshua looked in our direction, probably having heard her words.

"You're blushing, cousin," Murilo pointed out, seeming curious about the situation and unaware of what was going on, as I believe Virginia had understood.

If I was already embarrassed before, my cousin had just taken my embarrassment to the maximum level.

"I... was distracted."

"That you were distracted, we managed to figure out," Murilo continued to worsen the situation, now using a mocking tone. "What we want to know is which planet you were on."

I simply smiled, trying to end the teasing, and meanwhile, Joshua continued to attentively observe the whole scene with a charming and captivating half-smile, only adding to my nervousness.

"I was here thinking about grandma at Aquiles' apartment," I lied shamelessly. "I'll have to go pick her up because it seems like she wants to live there now."

"It's understandable that she doesn't want to leave Lavínia alone at this time," Virginia seemed to believe my excuse or perhaps she was just helping me get out of that awkward situation. "After what happened, Lavínia seems very affected still."

"Virginia is right," Murilo supported his fiancée's argument. "Lavínia is still recovering psychologically from that push down the stairs and needs all the support she can get."

To my relief, my distraction was forgotten, and the conversation shifted to my brother's girlfriend, who had been cowardly pushed down the stairs by Murilo's ex-fiancée, who is now also Ethan's ex.

Mariana

Apparently, the impact had been stronger than I had imagined, as my head was throbbing with pain. After a thorough examination, the doctor had ordered several tests, but being in a private hospital, one of the most expensive in São Paulo, if not in Brazil, everything was done quickly and efficiently.

The computed tomography showed no signs of trauma, and the blood tests came back normal. So, after receiving medication, I was discharged to go home, with the promise to return in a few days for further tests, as it was possible that the damage wouldn't be evident in the initial examination.

Ethan stayed by my side the whole time, and when the doctor allowed me to leave, he held my hand once again. But this time, there was no audience to justify his gesture, and I must admit, I felt more at ease having him with me at that moment.

As we walked to the hospital reception, the same place we entered when we arrived, it was no surprise that my friends were still there, waiting for me and displaying a great deal of concern for my well-being. However, I had even forgotten their presence there.

"How are you, Mariana?" Virginia was the first to ask.

My friend was glaring at Ethan with noticeable irritation, and the look she gave our joined hands reminded me of that fact. I made a point to let go of his hand, to avoid questions I wasn't ready to answer.

Ethan's friend, Joshua Gunther, also approached, once again reminding me that he was, in fact, Beatriz's brother.

"The doctor examined me, and I underwent several tests, and apparently, everything is fine," I informed everyone.

" I can also say that apparently, you're much better now than when you arrived here," Murilo pointed out, seeming displeased. "But a doctor can't just say something like that. They need to have conviction in what they're saying."

"The doctor also requested that Mariana come back for a follow-up appointment and redo the tests," Ethan explained.

As usual, and as I was increasingly discovering that I disliked, Ethan took charge of the situation. But I preferred not to add fuel to the fire, considering that Murilo had already caused a small scene when we arrived, and I didn't want them to start arguing now when all I wanted was to go home.

"Now I'll take you home," Ethan continued to say, excusing himself to everyone.

"I can drive you home, Mari," Murilo offered.

I understood that Murilo's intention was to prevent Ethan from taking me away, but he put his arm around my shoulder and gestured towards the exit, putting me in a delicate situation.

I looked from my friends to Ethan and felt that it wasn't just me who was tense. The truth was that even though I disliked some of the man's actions who was now by my side, I wanted to go home with him, even if it was just to send him away as soon as we arrived.