Chapter 23

Maria Eduarda

My head throbs and I groan in pain. I slowly open my eyes and find Pedro looking at me as if he were a hawk watching his prey.

- My sleeping beauty, you finally woke up, I thought you were dead," he comments ironically, sitting down on a chair. I was tied to a bed.

- Peter, what have you done to me?

- Why, I brought you to your place.

- I'll never live here with you! - I debauch, laughing at his face, and he comes all the way over and punches me, making me groan in pain.

- How do you think you're going to get out of here?

- My boyfriend is coming for me!

- They'll never find us, my sleeping beauty.

- What do you mean? - I'm starting to get scared.

- I mean that we will live here forever!

- I'd rather die than be with you!

- No, you won't die.

- Oh, that's easy for me, I've already died once, and another time won't make any difference," I shrug. Deep down I was afraid of him, I just couldn't show it in front of him.

- So if I shoot you it won't be a problem? - he points the gun at my forehead.

- Not at all, it doesn't matter to me.

- Don't worry, I won't kill you.

- And you think I care? - I comment, still laughing. - If, as you said yourself, no one will find us, then you'd better kill me and then kill yourself," I tease him. But I knew I couldn't keep doing that.

- So you like to play with fire? - he sneers.

- If you think I'm joking... Since you said we'll be together forever, answer me one question: why did you kidnap me?

- You never noticed me, did you? - he suddenly becomes upset, it was as if he had been possessed.

- Notice you how?

- Yes, I have always loved you!

- I always saw you as a colleague. I'm sorry, Pedro.

- Why are you sorry?

- Because I will never love you.

- Yes, I know you'll love me, after all we'll be together forever!

- I love another man, I'll always love my boyfriend, and it's with him that I want to live until the end of my life," I declare, and he looks at me furiously.

- Ah, this little boyfriend of yours... Have you had sex yet?

I lose my temper, and soon my face heats up.

- Not as far as I can tell.

- Pedro, my personal life is none of your business! Now will you do me the favor and let me go? - I move my arms and try to loosen my ties.

- No, ma'am, your life is always important to me," he says with a wry smile on his lips.

- I am the boss in my life!

- Funny you should say that," he laughs a little too hard.

- Pedro, please reconsider," I ask, wanting to see if he would talk some sense into me and let me go.

- Reconsider? About what?

- Pedro, you kidnapped me in a shopping mall, you were violent with me in college... Do I have to go on?

- Yes, you have to understand!

- No, I don't understand!

- Since I saw you for the first time, I fell in love.

- Yes, I can understand that.

- And she was always surrounded by those two crazy girls who were her friends. Oh, what were their names again? - he takes a moment and then answers: - Ah, yes, Lorena and Adriana.

- What about them?

- So, they always stayed by your side, and I saw how you laughed, and that enchanted me.

- So what? I can't laugh with my colleagues?

- Continuing our love story...

- Pedro, are you crazy?

He comes toward me and shouts, nervously:

- Don't call me crazy, do you hear me? - He slaps me across the face.

- Yes, you are crazy for making up this story! - he slaps me again, and, even though it hurts a lot, I start to laugh.

- You think that's funny? Do you like to be beaten? - he says, nervously, and slaps me again.

- Do you like it? - I retort. Even though I felt the pain of a dog, I wouldn't show it.

- You know I like you like that, confident! - he laughs and puts his hand on my face.

- You are a complete idiot!

- And you're a slut! Who likes to rub up against anyone on the street.

- Yeah, now show me who you really are!

- You like it, don't you?

- Oh yeah, I like to see you think you're the complete and total smartass.

- Let's keep going, we'll see who's going to be the smart one. Does November 4th ring a bell?

I freeze.

- What about this date? - I question, feeling anxious.

- Oh, you don't remember? Then let me refresh your memory. Isn't it your birthday? - as I say nothing, he says, shouting: - Answer me!

- Yes, it's my birthday," I answer begrudgingly.

- Good girl, let's continue! That day you went to celebrate your birthday at the club, didn't you?

- Why do I have to answer if you know that?

- And also that night you lost your virginity, didn't you?

- How do you know that? - I ask, realizing that the urge to vomit has returned.

- Well, it's very simple, I'm the one who took your virginity!

- Peter, what are you saying? - I asked, thinking that I had heard wrong.

- That's what you just heard, you lost your virginity to me, and I'll tell you, it was delicious," I look at him in disgust, wanting to kill him.

- You mean you raped me, don't you?

- Raped me? No, my sleeping beauty, we made love! - he says with conviction.

- You raped me and you think we made love? - I debauch, laughing, and my laughter turns to tears.

- Oh, don't be like that, we can be together now! - I look at him, wanting to let go and kill him.

- Never! - I shout.

- And your boyfriend, what does he think about this story?

- What are you talking about?

- When he finds out that it was me who took your virginity...

- Just pray he doesn't find out!

- He won't do anything! Now, will he like to know that, besides making love to me, we are always talking on the phone?

- My God, Pedro, you're crazy.

- Crazy?

- Yes, you are crazy, do you really think I'll stay with you after you tell me this?

- And do you really think that old man will stay with you?

- Yes, he loves me!

- I'm not so sure about that. He won't have the pleasure of being your first man!

- I'm disgusted with you!

- Not at all, I want to see you disgust me when we make love again.

- I'd rather die than be touched by you!

- Dying... um... would be a good idea!

- You know what I don't understand? These personalities of yours that you present every five minutes in our conversations, that's really crazy.

- Oh, you want to die, don't you? - he threatens me.

- I told you, if you want to kill me, just shoot me!

I hear a loud noise, and the relief he gives me is enormous.

- I'm going down to see who's come in here, and you'll be sorry! - he threatens, and I pray that Leon doesn't get hurt.

Pedro comes out and takes a few minutes. I try to get loose to run away, but I can't. Before long, I hear footsteps walking by. Before long, I hear quick footsteps, and just when I think it's Pedro, I run into my Prince Charming. And seeing him there rescuing me, I start to cry.

- Hey, don't cry! - he asks, giving me a kiss. I've been missing his kisses so much. Soon our mouths part, he puts the knife through the rope and lets me go.

- Leon, thank God you found me! - I hug him and see that he is hurt. - Are you hurt?

- I'm fine, and calm down, you're safe! Let's get out of here!

- Yes, let's go! Where's Pedro?

- My queen," hearing him call me this made me smile happily, "I don't want you to worry about anything else.

- Leon, he can come after us!

- He will be out for a few hours.

We start walking fast. Leon signals for a cab, and as we get in I hear him tell us to go straight to the hospital.

- I don't want to go to the hospital! - I say, wanting to stay with him.

- I am sorry, my queen, but we have to go to see these injuries, and I will also call your sister and see if she is still there.

I couldn't wait to see her.

- You know what I missed the most? - I speak, and suddenly I am in her arms.

- Missing what?

- Being called your queen.

- But you are and always will be my queen! - he speaks, with devotion. - Did he hurt you anywhere else? - I'm afraid, did Pedro tell me I was raped by him?

- So he told you? - I ask, my craving returning.

- Yes, and you don't need to be ashamed, when we get to the hospital I want you to take a test.

- What examination? You think I was raped?

- Weren't you? - he asks, fearfully, and I notice his relief.

- Thank God, no! - I burst into laughter and say: "It would be very unlucky for me to have been raped twice, wouldn't it? - then I start to cry, and Leon cries along with me.

- I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!

- No - even though I want Pedro to die, I don't want my Leon to go to jail.

- He deserves to die for lying to me, saying that he raped you twice. I feel like going back there and killing him! Why don't you want me to kill him?

- He'll get what he deserves, and I know he's been beaten, a lot!

- And why do you think that?

- Because your hands are hurt, and I don't want you to go to jail for killing that worm.

As much as Pedro didn't have justice in the world of men, I know that in God's world he would pay dearly.

We arrive at the hospital and continue hugging. On the way, I ask why Vanessa was there.

When we enter, I see Leon calling, and before long I hear Vanessa's voice calling out my name, and soon we were in each other's arms. Vane lets go and walks over to Leon:

- You kept your promise!

- I always keep my promises," he jokes, and I am pulled into his arms again. - And now I need your kisses again, my beautiful queen.

- I need your kisses again too!

His mouth meets mine, and we kill our longing. I thank God that at last everything ended well. Now the next step is for Pedro to be behind bars. And that was my last thought before I surrendered myself completely to his kisses. I couldn't care less who was watching this scene.