Chapter 7
“If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”
—John Green
William
After talking with Aurora, who wouldn’t stop telling me everything she had done with Devon, I decided to organize my things and speak with my advisors so they could handle the upcoming meetings.
While I was in the suite, I received a call from Xavier Montepaz.
Xavier had been my friend since university and also worked at my consulting firm; he was a lawyer like me, and I had hired him for the legal department.
He hadn’t traveled with me because I’d asked him to stay in Montevideo taking care of some company matters.
“Xavier,” I said when I answered.
“You bastard, how’s everything going over there?”
“All good, but I’m heading back to Montevideo today,” I told him.
“What? Why are you coming back early? Did something happen with Aurora?”
“No, no; fortunately Aurora is fine and everything is organized here, but I want to be with my daughter,” I lied, not about missing my daughter because I truly did, but that wasn’t the real reason I had decided to return.
“Your daughter doesn’t need you, you bastard.
She has a sexy doctor visiting her who she gets along with better than you,” he said mockingly, which put me on alert.
“Actually, I was calling about her. Why didn’t you tell me about Devon Dulcet?
What a woman! Why were you hiding that little bombshell?
” he said, and I felt such irritation that I couldn’t control what came out of my mouth.
“Where did you meet Devon? Stay away from her.”
“Why? Are you dating her?”
“I’m not dating her, you know perfectly well that I don’t date anyone, but...”
“You like her,” he stated.
“I don’t know, but I don’t want you near her.”
“Give me a good reason because otherwise, I’m not going to do what you’re asking. I assure you I was impressed by that woman. It’s rarely happened to me like this.”
“Does my fist seem like a good reason?”
Xavier burst out laughing, and I realized that with that phrase I was saying much more than I wanted to.
“You really like her, you damn bastard. You got hit by Cupid’s arrow the size of Everest.”
“Look, Xavier, I don’t know what’s going to happen with her, but don’t go near her,” I stated, because imagining them together made my stomach clench tightly.
“Well, I asked for her number and was planning to invite her for a drink,” he said, still laughing.
My friend was single and unattached, with a long line of conquests because women considered him an attractive man. I knew that if he set his mind to it, Devon might agree to go out with him, and that infuriated me more than I could understand.
“Don’t do it,” I ordered.
“Are you planning to do it yourself?” he asked ironically.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but in the meantime, don’t interfere in this,” I ordered, running my hand through my hair in desperation.
“And why do you think you have more right than I do to date her?”
“Stop busting my balls and do what I tell you!” I said, having no more arguments.
Xavier burst out laughing again, which made me even more furious.
“Let’s do this: I’ll give you a few days to make up your mind.
If you don’t do it, then you leave me no choice but to do what I’ve had in mind since I saw her, which is nothing other than asking her out and winning her over.
Maybe, just maybe, the sexy doctor is the one who’ll make me settle down,” he stated, with that mocking tone that was testing my patience.
“Don’t threaten me or tell me what to do. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget about Devon,” I said, and hung up on him.
I was furious and more determined than ever to return as soon as possible.
The mere thought of Xavier going after Devon made me feel an uncontrollable discomfort.
I knew my friend was capable of doing it and that if he succeeded in his goal, Devon would become impossible for me.
On the other hand, I still wasn’t decided about making a move because there was the whole matter of her relationship with Aurora, but above all, there was the fact that she fascinated me more than I wanted to admit.
And yet, I arranged everything to return to Uruguay, still not fully understanding why I was doing it. I wanted to surprise her at my house. I hoped everything would go well and that I could be there for dinner.
I landed in Uruguay with quite a delay, which left me with little hope of finding Devon at my house, and that pissed me off.
I didn’t understand why I was doing all this for a woman I barely knew, but I couldn’t help it.
I wanted to see her again, and above all, I wanted to see her in my house interacting with my daughter.
I was crazy, I knew it, but I couldn’t control what that woman provoked in me.
It's for Aurora, I told myself, although deep down I knew that wasn't entirely true.
The driver wasn't waiting for me because I hadn't announced my return. I wanted to arrive as a surprise to prevent her from leaving my house if she found out I had come back. I was not only anxious but also nervous. I couldn't explain it, but I couldn't stop myself.
I got into a taxi and asked the driver to go as fast as possible, though I knew it was unlikely she would still be at my house at eleven-thirty at night. My only hope was that Alba, even without knowing my plans, might have kept her engaged with some conversation.
When I arrived, the taxi dropped me off outside the garden.
I greeted the security guard, who immediately opened the gate for me.
I looked toward the house and noticed everything was in darkness; surely Devon had already left.
I couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment.
I walked toward the door, and my heart accelerated when I saw a car that wasn’t mine parked in the garden.
That car must be hers; there was no other explanation.
I entered the house, and everything was dark and silent. If she wasn’t there, whose car was that? I left my luggage in the living room and quickly headed to my daughter’s bedroom, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake Aurora.
I froze, and this time my heart stopped, preventing me from breathing. The image before me was something I never thought I’d see, and it was the most tender and sweet sight I had ever witnessed. I wanted to immortalize that image.
Devon was sitting on Aurora’s bed with her back against the headboard.
She had fallen asleep with her head tilted slightly to the side.
In one arm she held a book, which now rested on the bed, and with her other hand she embraced Aurora.
Her face reflected peace, and she was...
absolutely beautiful. Aurora was hugging her legs and resting her little head on Devon’s stomach, clutching her as if afraid she might escape.
A large knot formed in my stomach, and I couldn’t take my eyes off that beautiful vision.
With extreme care, I began walking toward them, but I didn’t wake them.
I sat in the armchair beside the bed and devoted myself to watching them.
At that moment, the door opened, and Alba peeked her head in.
I immediately put a finger to my lips asking for silence and got up to speak with her outside the bedroom.
With a hand gesture, I signaled her to go to the living room because I didn’t want to wake them.
“Mr. Cavaller, I wasn’t expecting you,” she said as soon as we reached the living room, and I noticed she was nervous, probably fearing my reaction at finding Devon in Aurora’s bedroom.
“The meetings ended earlier than expected,” I lied, “and I preferred to come back to be with Aurora.”
“As I mentioned to you, Dr. Dulcet came to visit today, but Aurora wanted her to read the story she brought as a gift, and no one could convince her otherwise. The doctor was truly exhausted because her workday had been extremely long. I suppose that’s why she fell asleep.
I felt bad about waking her after the effort she made to come without having rested enough. I apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m grateful to the doctor for being so attentive to my daughter. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of waking her, and given the hour, I’ll suggest she stay in one of the guest bedrooms,” I stated.
Alba looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
Why couldn’t I be kind to someone who had been caring toward my daughter?
If I were honest, I had to admit that this behavior was strange for me.
I never had this type of attitude with people I didn’t know, much less allowed them to stay in my house.
I also imagined that was why Alba had become so nervous when she saw me in the bedroom.
“Go rest, Alba. See you tomorrow,” I said goodbye, because I wanted her to leave so I could return to the bedroom.
“Do you need anything?” she asked, still looking at me with surprise, but I didn’t care.
“No, thank you. See you tomorrow,” I repeated, so she would leave once and for all.
“See you tomorrow, sir. And... good luck with Miss Devon,” she said, and it seemed to me she said it with a double meaning.
Could it be that Alba was suggesting I had some kind of romantic interest in Devon?
“Good luck?”
“To convince her to stay,” she said with a mischievous smile, “I don’t think it will be easy.”
“I’m not going to force her; if she doesn’t want to stay, she can leave,” I stated seriously because I didn’t want Alba to get the wrong idea.
I had no romantic interest in Devon Dulcet. Romantic? Of course not!
“Rest well, sir.”
“Good night, Alba.”