C20 Chapter 20

Eliza Campos

I wake up the next morning and realize that I am still in Peter's bed and then everything that happened the night before starts to go through my mind, it was real and not a dream. After seeing that Peter is still asleep, I try to get up carefully, since he has his arm wrapped around my waist.

As I get out of bed, I end up waking Peter.

- Eliza, is everything all right? - Peter asked, sitting up in bed, "Were you already leaving?

Afraid of what his reaction would be, I decided to try to lie.

- No, of course not," I answer, looking away.

Peter looks at me suspiciously, arching one of his eyebrows as if he doesn't believe me.

- Eliza, I know you're lying," Peter says, laughing in my face.

I saw that there was no point in continuing to lie to Peter, I have learned to lie with life because of all the things that have happened to me, but when faced with a situation like this, it was as if I forgot everything I had learned.

- Yes, I was lying, but, I've been here too long, I need to go home," I answer.

Peter takes a deep breath.

- Eliza, I told you yesterday that when we woke up we would talk seriously.

When Peter talks about this, guilt takes over my body.

- Peter, I know we need to talk, but, you are my sister's ex-fiancé," I say.

Peter was not believing what I was saying, nor was I believing myself.

- Eliza, please don't say that. We both want what happened, you can't just say it shouldn't have happened, because we made it happen together.

The closer he came to me, I couldn't stand it and started to feel the tears streaming down my face.

- Really, I'm not saying that" I say, "But it wasn't right, Peter. I don't want to be known as the sister who took someone else's fiancé, even more so because of my relationship with Heloise.

When Peter sees me crying he comes even closer and hugs me, I even try to resist, but it was something stronger than I could avoid.

- My dear, don't cry, we will face this together, but don't go away!

We stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes before I let go of Peter's embrace and said.

- What do you want to talk about? I thought we had cleared everything up yesterday.

Peter sits down on the bed and asks me to sit next to him as well.

- Eliza," he begins, "I just want you to know that I feel something for you, something I've never felt for anyone in my entire life, and it goes beyond physical attraction.

When Peter revealed that he believed he was in love with me, it was as if everything around him was in slow motion, because he believed that it was only a strong physical attraction and not love as he had mentioned.

- Peter, I also feel something for you, but I don't know if it's love," I say, "I met you a few days ago, I don't think I've had enough time for this to happen, it's still wrong for us to try to have some kind of relationship since you're Heloise's ex-fiancé.

Peter just shakes his head from side to side.

- I know how I feel about you, I just don't know if it's the same feeling you have for me," he continued with his speech about whether he was in love with me.

I saw the truth in Peter's question and I could also see the fear in his eyes, probably afraid, what could I answer him since I had never told him that I also felt something the same way he had told me?

I take a deep breath before I say anything for fear of hurting Peter.

- Peter, that's not how it works, you just ended your relationship with my half-sister," I said, "and I didn't want to start something with you like that, I don't have a good experience with relationships, I don't know if you understand me?

When I talk about it, I wasn't expecting him to answer me like that, with a secret that I thought I kept under lock and key.

- I know - he answers.

- You know, how so? - I ask.

I could feel that Peter seemed afraid to answer my question.

- I left to go to a restaurant and ended up listening to your conversation with Carla, you were talking about Pietro - He answers - I also found out about your drug addiction and the loss of your daughter

I could sense that Peter was not speaking the whole truth when he said that his intention was not to listen to my conversation, but I decided not to contradict him, it was time that everyone knew what had happened to me and how I had overcome all these things.

- It's okay, Peter, you don't have to apologize for anything, one day or another it could happen," I say, "I just hope you don't tell anyone about this, I confess that I'm afraid of people finding out, and if they are going to find out about it, I'd rather I told them myself.

The prejudice against drug users nowadays is very big and even though I have not used anything for a year, I still have a huge risk of relapse and that is what I am most afraid of, even more after everything that has happened in the last few days.

- You can relax, I won't say anything to anyone," he says holding my hands, "Eliza, I just want you to know that I only wish you well and nothing more than that.

Peter says all this while looking deep into my eyes and slowly approaches me, kissing me on the lips.

- You are a good person, even though you are impulsive," I say with a laugh.

But since Peter loves to embarrass me, let me now tell you what he said about me.

- Wow, you look so beautiful smiling, you should do that more often," Peter passes one of his hands over my face, "Pietro was foolish to lose you, but it was good because it allowed me to get to know you.

I just laugh out loud at what he said and say.

- Peter, stop being so cocky," I say, laughing harder and harder.

- Because I feel something so strong for you that I can't help it," he smiles gallantly in my direction.

- I'm not going to lie by saying that I don't feel anything for you, but, as I said, I can't give myself to anyone like this, not with the intensity that you desire," I say, my eyes watering.

Peter doesn't say anything else, he hugs me as hard as he can, and I can't stand to start crying, I couldn't stand the pressure that I've been under all this time.

Would I be able to give myself to Peter the way he wants me to?

Maybe only time will tell, but at that moment I surrender myself to that embrace as if it were an escape valve for me, I felt so much peace when I was in his arms, and it was something that I have never felt for anyone.