Chapter 7 #6
“I wish you were doing it because you understood me,” I said.
“It’s difficult when you can’t have something you want so badly.”
“Welcome to my world,” I said ironically.
Hermes looked at me in silence, but it was obvious that my comment bothered or... hurt? him.
“Fine, Delfina, for now let’s leave this topic, though it’s not finished. I’m just giving you some time before we revisit it.”
?Perhaps we’ll never revisit it,? was the first thing I thought.
He brought the cup to his lips and drank the coffee in one gulp, as if he wanted the beverage to help him swallow his anger or disappointment at my refusal. While we finished breakfast in silence, I heard someone knocking at the door.
“Were you expecting someone?” he asked.
“No,” I said, as I got up to answer it.
Hermes remained seated and continued eating his breakfast, seemingly trying to show disinterest, but I noticed that he followed my every step and remained attentive to the situation. When I opened the door, I found a smiling and wide-awake Baco.
“Good morning, gorgeous! I stopped by to say hello at this hour because it’s hard to find you these days. You’ve completely forgotten about this friend.”
“Don’t say that! Come in,” I said, stepping aside to let him in before closing the door.
As soon as he entered, Baco stretched out his arms for me to join him in a hug.
“No hug for this abandoned friend?”
I rushed toward him and we gave each other a tight hug until...
“Ahem, ahem,” a throat clearing behind us made us separate.
When I turned around, I found Hermes standing a few feet away from us, looking at us seriously.
“Little brother! What are you doing here so early?” Baco asked, surprised.
“Do I really need to answer that question? You know that Delfina is my girlfriend. Why do you think I’m having breakfast with her?” he asked ironically.
“Baco, have you had breakfast yet? Would you like to join us?” I asked, trying to downplay Hermes’ irony and seriousness.
“I’d love to,” he replied, and as the three of us headed toward the kitchen with Hermes walking ahead of us, he leaned close to my ear and whispered:
“This is going to be fun. Now you’ll meet jealous Hermes. Leave it to me.”
“No, Baco, please,” I whispered, and Hermes turned and stared at us, but Baco put on an innocent face.
“I was just thanking my friend for breakfast because I know it’s more complete than what I can prepare at home, and besides, what’s nicer than having breakfast with family?” he remarked with a broad smile.
Hermes looked at him suspiciously but sat down in the place he had been occupying before. Baco sat across from him, and I went to get everything necessary for him to have breakfast before sitting back down next to Hermes.
“Thank you, gorgeous,” Baco said when I handed him the cup.
Hermes looked at him seriously and poured himself a bit more coffee.
“What brings you here so early?” Hermes asked in his harsh tone of voice.
“Delfina, who else? I wanted to see her and talk with her,” after answering him, he looked at me to address me directly. “Delfi, you have magic hands, you always make me the best cortado. Can I come have breakfast with you all the time?”
“You know you can come whenever you want,” I replied. I won’t deny that I also enjoyed making him a little jealous.
“Actually, you can’t,” Hermes stated. “We’re here today, but Delfina will likely be spending more time at my place.”
“Then I’ll come whenever Delfina is here,” he said casually, while taking a bite of toast spread with jam.
“I repeat, you can come whenever you want,” I said, and noticed Hermes looking at me seriously.
“Delfi, what are you planning to do tomorrow? Because I have an invitation for you. Would you like to accompany me to an impressionist painting exhibition? I don’t want to go alone, and I know I’ll have a great time with you because you appreciate that art as much as I do.
Besides, it’s a privilege to be accompanied by such a beauty as yourself. ”
“Tell me something, Baco, don’t you have anyone else you could invite? In case you haven’t noticed, Delfina is ‘my’ girlfriend and it’s with me she should be making plans,” he stated, looking at him with a furrowed brow, which didn’t seem to disturb his brother.
“Why? Don’t tell me you’ve become possessive and jealous and won’t let Delfi go out with her friends? Let me clarify that this beauty is an incredible woman who has many friends who adore her, myself included, and we won’t allow you to keep her away from us.”
I noticed Hermes clenching his jaw and decided to intervene in this power struggle between brothers. I knew that Baco was doing this deliberately to get under his skin, but Hermes hadn’t realized it and was taking it very personally.
“Baco, I appreciate the compliments, but Hermes hasn’t forbidden me from going out…”
“Well, it seems like I’m going to have to do that. You’re not going out with Baco or anyone else,” he said, interrupting me.
“What?” Baco and I said in unison, while Hermes raised his eyebrows and challenged us with his gaze.
“You heard me,” he replied.
“You can’t forbid me from going out with Baco or any of my friends,” I stated firmly.
“No, you can’t,” said Baco, taking a long sip of his coffee.
“Stay out of this, Baco, this isn’t something you need to get involved in,” Hermes shouted.
“Well, I’m sorry to say that I have every right to get involved if you want to separate me from my friend,” he responded.
“Invite someone else, Delfina is not going with you and this discussion ends here,” he declared, in a louder tone than he had been using until that moment.
“That’s for me to decide,” I exclaimed.
“Delfina, don’t push me,” he said, looking at me seriously, but his ogre-like stares no longer intimidated me.
“Baco, I accept your invitation. Tell me what time I should be ready,” I stated, turning to look at Baco and completely ignoring his brother, though I could feel his gaze burning into me.
“Eight o’clock is fine,” replied the addressee, who seemed to be already starting to regret having invited me.
“Delfina, if you’re going to ignore everything I say, this isn’t going to work,” he complained, as he rose from his chair with anger written all over his face.
“As long as you keep imposing your criteria or way of thinking without asking for my opinion, which seems to be of no importance to you, it’s obvious that ‘this,’ as you call it, isn’t going to work,” I responded, holding his gaze.
“It’s clear that’s how it is! After all, you’re nothing but a spoiled little girl who always wants to get her way. Grow up! Have fun!” he exclaimed, and left with a loud slam of the door as he exited the apartment.
Baco looked at me and I noticed he was beginning to feel guilty about how everything had unfolded.
“Don’t worry, Delfi, I’ll talk to him and tell him we’re not going anywhere. He’s a proud and possessive bastard and I don’t think we’re going to change him, but this time I promise to make him see reason.”
“No; you’re the one who shouldn’t worry.
These arguments about his authoritarian personality and his way of saying things are becoming commonplace and it’s not right.
Your brother completely lacks empathy and is intolerant.
I’m going with you because I want to, not to make him angry.
You’re my friend and I want to accompany you.
I ask that you don’t say anything to him, let us resolve this between ourselves, maybe there is no solution. ”
“Don’t say that. I admit that I went too far trying to make him jealous, but I also understand that he can’t decide for you, much less forbid you from going out with your friends.
Hermes always tries to manage other people’s lives according to his way of seeing things, and he’s doing the same with you, but I have no doubt that he feels something for you and will do his part to do better.
I told you once that you would need to arm yourself with patience; my brother isn’t easy, but he’s a person who takes care of all those he cares about. ”
“I know. I understand that Hermes is a good man, but he has the temper of a thousand demons!” I exclaimed, both furious and disappointed.
“I won’t deny it, but I repeat, he’s a good person and he probably does it because he’s insanely jealous about you.”
“Don’t worry, if we come to understand each other, it will be resolved. Otherwise, it’s better for this relationship to end as soon as possible and avoid greater damage.”
“It won’t end, I assure you. My brother is crazy about you.”
“I don’t know. Anyway, let’s leave this topic and tell me where we’re going tomorrow.”
“Do you really want to go? I assure you I won’t be upset, I can go alone,” he stated.
“I’m going with you, it will do me good to go out for a while, distract myself and have a conversation without being given orders,” I declared.
◆◆◆
That day I had no news from Hermes; he didn’t contact me and I didn’t want to reach out either.
I was tired of these arguments and began to think that distance was the best way to safeguard my emotional integrity.
I had no doubt that I was in love with this man, but he was so complex that there were moments when I didn’t know what to expect or how to act.
As the hours passed, disappointment took hold of me and I became increasingly distressed.
I tried to focus on everything I had to finish to prevent my mind from returning to Hermes and questioning everything again, but I often failed and ended up staring at the computer, not knowing what I was reading.