FORTY-TWO

Kamilla Lopez

In front of the mirror in my room, I observe my body covered only with a red bikini, it was beautiful, then I face my belly, I support my hands and slide gently, a small smile draws my lips, in a few months my little one will show his presence.

— What are you doing?

I hear Dona Carolina's voice, I look at her who was in front of my bedroom door, her eyes see where my hands are, a smile inhabits her lips, and she returns to look at me tenderly, in short steps she approaches me.

— It's going to take a while to get out, but Grandma will look forward to it.

Her tender eyes disappear and her serious gaze appears:

— Already had breakfast?

— Yes.

— Remember, no nonsense and stay out of the sun, use sunscreen.

— Don't worry, to Miss Carolina.

— Okay, Bianca is already in the room waiting for you. — she communicates and leaves the room.

I put on my beach tunic and grab the bag I made to take, I walk through the bedroom door heading towards the living room. When she sees me, Bianca greets me, and we walk to the door, before leaving we hear Dona Carolina talking.

— If something happens, call me, anything, I'll take my baton.

— Don't worry, Mistress of the stick.

We smile and leave the house, go down the stairs and get into his car. The 8 am sun was already at its peak that morning, the strong wind hits our faces passing through the vehicle window. While Bianca drives I turn on the radio, I don't know which beach she's snowing me on, but I hope there are lounge chairs. Minutes later she parked, and we got out of the car, outside we smiled at each other.

— We're here!

— Finally....

We started walking towards an entrance where there was a big sign prohibiting the entry of packaged food, I also noticed that there weren't many people.

— What beach is this?

— This beach is reserved, not everyone goes there because of the trails.

— Hmm! Interesting....

We stopped in front of a counter, where a bath towel and a bottle of water were distributed, we thanked them and followed the specific trail that would take us to the beach.

— I think we should have asked Dona Carolina to come with us.

— I called, but she didn't want to come.

We went down an extensive staircase, walked for a few more minutes and arrived in front of the beach, everywhere there were trees and coconut trees, it seemed that we were in a Paradise Island. The noise of the sea invades my ears, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, I take the sandal off my feet and step on the soft sand. Bianca and I put our towels on the sand and sat on top, we took off our tunics, we were under a shadow made by the trees, but even so, we decided to apply sunscreen. As we passed a group of surfers appeared in the distance revealing that they would pass by us, as soon as they approached they opened a smile and a malicious look.

— Look, two mermaids face each other on the beach....

— What the heck, two hot babes.

Bianca looked at them and uttered offensive words:

— Gone, you're fucking precocious!

The group stopped smiling and left.

— You come? I'm going to go for a swim.

— I don't know anything, I'll stay right here.

Bianca got up and went towards the sea, I watched her enter and dive, I decided to lie down on the towel and take a nap. Some time later Bianca returned and lay down beside me, we talked and smiled early in the morning. At lunchtime, we went looking for some stalls, I bought a fruit salad and Bianca a mini bucket full of fried shrimp.

— You know that's a sea cockroach, right?—

— You are lying.

— Shrimp eat sea litter, land cockroach eats the....

— It doesn't end!

— Didn't you know that?

— I hate you, I'll never invite you to the beach again.

While she ate her potatoes and I ate my fruit salad, we walked back to where we were and sat looking out over the open sea.

— Aren't you going to come in?

— I told you, I don't know how to swim.

— You don't need to know how to swim to enter, the deep part is much further forward, you can stay at the beginning.

I turned my eyes to the sea, decided, I got up and walked towards the huge bathtub.

— That's right, mermaid, go for it!

— Eat your cockroaches in silence, so you don't choke.

I contemplate the blue immensity and get closer to the water, it hits my waist, I'm afraid to continue, I let my hands touch it, I hear Bianca's voice right behind.

— Go further!

— Do you want the sea to take me?

She knows how afraid I am of the sea, but I continued, the water was already starting to hit close to my chin and there I stopped, I sank a little so that my hair was wet, and then I came back to the surface, suddenly, I hear Bianca's voice shout out.

— Look at the shark!

She smiles openly, amused by my fear, Bianca knows my fear of fur. Like a gazelle, I hurriedly got out of the water, as I approached, I saw her squirm with laughter.

— Are you crazy?

— Look over there.— She points to a man in a shark costume handing out flyers. — It's a shark.

— A man in costume, you crazy woman.

The sun was already at the end of the afternoon, so we decided to go back home, and we picked up our things and went back to the trail we came from, while we were walking distracted, we didn't notice the same group of surfers earlier, behind us.

— Princesses, are you leaving yet?

— It's still early, stay a little longer.

Bianca and I ignored it and continued on our way, before we reach the end of the trail I feel my arm being pulled.

— I spoke to you, why don't you stay a little longer?

— Let her go, you bastard, or I'll rip your face off!— Bianca threatens.

The rest of the boys smiled, thinking it was funny, Bianca in an act of fury approaches us ready to attack whoever was holding me, but before I hit her with a blow, she was immobilized by the others.

— Calm down, kitten, we just want company.

— Let her go this very moment, or I won't answer for myself!

I face the disgusting being, he looks me deep in the eyes and praises me.

— You are beautiful.

— Let go of me, you beast, do you think you're holding your mother?

— I saw you in that mini bikini, what a body.

The man palms my ass, in an act of hate I hit him in the face, he hesitates and takes a step back, still holding me.

— Bloody bitch!

— Is your mother!

I land another blow, with hatred in his eyes the man hit my face so hard that I fell to the ground, Bianca screams scared and tries to come towards me.

— Don't hurt her you're disgusting, she's pregnant!

— Ah, so the little bitch has a baby in her belly, let's give him a brother, shall we?

The man started to pull me away from Bianca, their friends pulled him in the other direction. I try to let go, and it hits the bastard again, tears run down my face in an act of despair. I'm thrown between the bushes and the man throws himself on top of me, trying to kiss me by force.

— Don't play hard to get, pretty girl, it's just sex.

I try to scream and call for help, but the angry man hits my head hard, before returning to try to kiss me, his body is brutally pulled and thrown away from me. I see the face of my nightmare, Nick, he looks at the man with a scary expression, his jaw is locked, he was ready to end that man's life.

— Messing with other people's women, you worm, you're going to die!

I get up from the ground trembling, I repeat deeply controlling the tremor of my body, I see his security guards approach us and grab the man.

— Let me go man, it was a joke, it's not what you're thinking.

Some security guards take him away, the rest of the security guards were ordered by Nick to help Bianca. His body turned towards me, his expression softened, I automatically hugged him tightly, he returned the hug and welcomed me squeezing me. I broke the hug and stared at him, his expression became serious, he grabbed my arm angrily and asked between his teeth:

— Did he touch you?

— What?

— Answer, did he touch you?

— No!

— Excellent!

— Where is Bianca?

— My men are taking her home right now.

I sighed in relief, a half smile inhabits my lips, at that moment I decided that I would tell him about the pregnancy, but I won't say anything nice at that moment.

— Thanks.

— No need to thank me, doll.

He deposits a beautiful smile on his lips, I say goodbye to him in order to follow the route, but before he takes a step forward, I hear his voice.

— Just one more thing....

When I turned around Nick was closer to me, he covers my mouth with a small white that contained an extremely strong smell, I try to push him away, but with the other hand he fixes me on the smell and awkwardly inhaled. Gradually, I'm losing strength and senses, the last visions are of his distorted face compared to the devil's.