19

I arrived home with heavy breathing. The day was cloudy but I felt hot because of the fast pedaling I did. What took me fifteen minutes every day, I took eleven that day. I was strangely eager to get into that house and find out more about Harry's family.

I really intended to be friends with him, I didn't know much about him but he seemed emotionally unstable, I could tell by some things he said without meaning to. Perhaps he lacked the attention of his parents or his family.

"Is anyone home?" I asked as soon as I walked in after putting my bike away.

"I'm here, honey." My grandmother screamed from the kitchen. I went there and came across a gentleman, apparently the same age as grandma.

"Hello." I greeted.

"Hello everything is fine?" he asked.

"All yes." I replied.

"Daughter, this is Arthur Mollina. Arthur, this is my granddaughter Eloise." She introduced us.

"Pleased to meet you, miss. I want you to know that your grandmother is very important to me, right now." He said smiling at my grandmother.

"The pleasure is my lord Mollina. All I want most is to see my dear grandmother happy. Are you dating?" I asked and my grandmother widened her eyes.

"Yes we are." He said and smiled at her.

I realized that I should leave them alone. My grandmother looked radiant, Mr. Mollina also looked like a good man, the look he gave my grandmother was charming, he seemed to admire every detail of her face.

"My love, go get ready for lunch." She said.

"Okay. Excuse me." I said and went up to my room. That day I had not taken my cell phone to school, I left it at home charging.

As soon as I entered the room I heard it vibrate on top of my little table next to the bed. I put the backpack in a corner and went to look who it was. It had a message.

"Your scent is on me, I can't get you out of my mind. I'm dying to see you, counting down the hours until night falls and the city goes to sleep, so I can keep you awake with me. A kiss wherever you want, my little girl. Julian."

My heart raced and my palms were sweating, it was like hearing his voice in my ears, I grinned from ear to ear and sighed. Now I had his number, I just didn't know how he got mine. But I didn't care.

"I can't take my eyes off the clock. I'm so looking forward to being in your arms again that I can hardly think of anything else."

I responded with crazy anxiety when the phone vibrated almost immediately.

"I'm thirsty for your kisses, to touch your warm skin... To hear you scream in my ears, calling my name, begging for me... Do you want this, Eloise?"

I was already excited again. With my wet and throbbing intimacy. Just reading it made me breathless wish he was there, with his hands on me and his lips on my skin.

"I want... Julian, I really want..." I replied biting my lip.

"So wait for me at dawn, you are only mine."

I decided not to answer anymore, I went to the bathroom and got under the shower with the water very cold. It seemed like an addiction, every time I went to take a shower, after meeting Julian, I could only keep my eyes closed and imagine naughty things with him.

After taking a shower, I put on a light dress and went down to lunch. I took the opportunity to let my supervisor know that I would do the work later.

Lunch was very pleasant with Mr. Mollina making us laugh all the time, he told several stories from when he was younger and also told how he fell in love with Dona Florence.

Then there was an amazing dessert, lemon pie, it was divine. Mister Mollina and Dona Florence were more than pleasant company, there wasn't even a second that was missing a subject, it was really a wonderful environment to spend time.

When I got scared the time had run out, I heard Harry's car horn outside.

"Grandma, I'll be on my way. Bye Mr. Mollina." I gave each one a big smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Take care my flower." She said giving me a hug.

"See you soon darling." Said Mister Mollina.

I walked out the door smiling with happiness, it was all the fault of those two inside. And I also had a great reason for my happiness, my Julian, the most beautiful man in the world to me, with the most beautiful eyes that could exist, with the voice, oh... I better change my thoughts, now my focus was go to Harry's house, do our work and try to find out something that would help my beautiful runaway maniac.

"Fine. Punctual." He said looking at me from head to toe. "Very beautiful indeed." Completed.

"Thanks." I just replied. A little embarrassed for him to compliment me like that, I never wanted him to mix things up.

I got in the car with him and we drove home. When we arrived at the huge rather macabre condominium, I already felt the tension in the air, I was very anxious, it was consuming me. I looked at all those huge houses and imagined what a halloween would be like, kids asking for candy in those houses that looked haunted. It was a fun idea.

Up ahead was the house where Julian's car was the other day. There was nothing up front this time, but it was amazing to know where he lived. So close and the possible enemy might not even suspect.

"I see these houses fill your eyes." said Harry as we got out of the car.

"They really are too much. I've always loved houses like that. Dark and elegant." I explained.

"It doesn't suit you. You look more like the preppy in a castle, pink room, cream house type." mocked.

"Don't be ridiculous. I will never go near a preppy girl, my appearance doesn't mean who I really am." I exclaimed looking at him angrily.

"I was just kidding!" He said defending himself. "You look really pretty when you're mad, I think I'm going to start making you mad all the time." He spoke and started laughing. "Come, welcome to my home." I just rolled my eyes and walked in.

He opened a large gate with a control, when we passed through it, I was finally inside that house, the Barriere house. The last name that said Julian so much harm. I felt a chill and hugged my own body. Adrenaline was running through my veins, but I needed to be strong and face whatever came my way.

We passed through a huge unkept garden, entered through the huge door and arrived at a huge room, it was incredibly beautiful, every detail was old and very well preserved.

"Your house is very beautiful." I admitted.

"I think she's normal." He shrugged and pulled me up the stairs.

"Wait, where are we going?" I asked confused.

"To my room, we'll do the work there." He spoke and pulled me back.

"Can you at least give me some water? I'm thirsty..." I said and made a poor face.

"Who's there Harry?" A high-pitched, feminine voice rang through the large room.

"Mother?!" Harry seemed to go pale. "I thought I had travelled." He said.

"Stupid Amelia gave up." Said the woman.

When I turned around I saw a tall, thin and beautiful woman. Black hair and brown eyes, very elegant.

"Who is this girl?" She asked looking at me with a frown.

"Mom, this is Eloíse Espinoza, my classmate. We're going to do a school project here." As he spoke, Harry looked nervous. Almost scared.

"Pleased to meet you Miss Espinoza. I'm Brenda Barriere." I almost choked. What?! Brenda was the name of Julian's ex-wife. What the fuck was going on?

I felt my head spin, my heart almost jumped out of my mouth, I swallowed several times trying to organize my thoughts.

"Pleased to meet you, Madame Barierre." I blinked several times trying to keep calm, inside I was freaking out. But no one could suspect.

"You seem like a good girl, I hope you get this boy back on track." She said.

"We're just friends mom, don't talk like we're getting married and she changes my life!" Harry exclaimed.

"Shut up, you bastard. Go do that job. I hope you come to my house again, darling." She looked so fake, so forced. I felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to run away.

"Yes, I will." I replied and forced a smile.

"I'll get you some water." Harry said and disappeared out of the room.

"Harry has a few issues, he fell when he was a kid. Don't worry." she whispered to me.

"Really? I think he's pretty normal." I whispered back. She looked at me in surprise and smiled.

"I like you. See you later, I need to resolve some things, make yourself at home." She said and went up the stairs stomping firmly and elegantly.

I was still a little dazed from all that, heavens... Could it be her? Brenda, Julian's wife? I still couldn't believe it, maybe it was a coincidence. But there wasn't a blind man worse than one who didn't want to see.

"Here, your water." He said lifting his body towards me. "Sorry about my mom, I thought she wouldn't be home."

"No problem, she's kind." I responded by swallowing the water in a hurry.

"She and my father were going to travel today. Along with my aunt. So he must be around too." Harry spoke distantly.

"Does it have a problem that he sees me here?" I asked.

"Of course." he exclaimed. "He doesn't care about me. Neither of us, for that matter." He finished looking at the floor. That explained him being that way, so bipolar and unstable.

"Your mother is beautiful, you look like her." I affirmed.

"Wait until you see my father, they say I'm his copy." Harry said with a twinkle in his eye. And to get into the subject that gnawed at me, I delved into the questions.

"How cool, and what's his name?" I asked with a strange anxiety coursing through me. Please, please don't be Antonio. I mentally begged.

"Antonio." He said and I shivered, the blood drained from my face but I couldn't let it show. I would have to get out of this situation if I wanted to find out more and help Julian.

I just nodded and gave him a smile. When inside me I wanted to freak out. Run to Julian and tell him everything right away.

I handed the glass to Harry who left it on a small table next to us. Then we went up to his room and started putting our model into practice.

It was a great distraction. Sometimes Harry smiled with his lame jokes, sometimes he made me smile because they were so lame.

After all, it wasn't so bad being here with him, being a colleague, maybe a friend someday. I knew he needed someone. I wished to heaven he wasn't a bad person.