Chapter 8

• She snorted in frustration.
• For some instant, she had imagined that her voice would return. But apparently it, itself, had other plans in mind.
• “Are you all right, Bri?”
• Diana brought her hand to Stephen's pale, haggard cheek. He stayed awake all night, protecting her.
• She had never felt anything like this for anyone, no one had ever cared so much for her.
• He saw her notebook resting on the bedside table, and took it so he could write something in it, in quotation marks he wrote: Thank you for all your trouble and a sad face.
• “It's no bother, Briana, I'd take care of you a thousand times," he answered simply.
• Her eyes instantly filled with water, she had never felt so much concern from someone.
• Without warning, she hugged him.
• Esteban had rarely been caught in a hug, and this time he looked surprised at Brianna who hugged him: without fear of anything.
• He felt so confident in her warm, muscular arms that he didn't want to let go.
• After a few minutes Esteban wanted to pull away, but Briana held him even tighter against her small body.
• Esteban slid his thick hand under Briana's waist. The moment she removed her head from the bowl of Esteban's neck, she was met with blue eyes, quite dilated for some reason, which she didn't understand.
• Esteban closed his eyes tightly and pulled away from her side.
• He knew it wasn't right what he was thinking in his mind, that's why he had moved away.
• Briana, once again, had felt a strange warmth run through her body. In spite of so many years, she had kept her promise to her grandmother to be a virgin until marriage.
• Her grandmother took them to church every Sunday, period, and she wanted to keep that promise. Briana was very innocent, despite making model commas and being in a very different world for someone like her, because the world had been dragged by her mother, who had always been more interested in making money than in the welfare of her own daughter.
• She had never been consulted if that was what she really wanted, but rather had been dragged along without her permission or consent.
• For that reason, when Esteban always consulted her before doing things, she was surprised.
• Even her grandmother, who was the kindest person in the world, had always demanded something from him.
• He had even offered her a vegetable garden, and if she didn't want to do it, he had no objection.
• "I sit at home next to him."
• The moment he parted, he looked sadly at Esteban, who felt a little confused: the warm embrace of a stranger.
• In the same way he did not omit to complain and walked away in complete silence, which made Briana a little strange and she had become accustomed to Esteban's voice.
• In the absence of his voice, the dialogue that she could give, he replaced it: Esteban had always completed the words that she could not emit.
• She missed him the moment he turned away from her.
• Have I done something wrong, she thought.
• Esteban found himself in the kitchen, wetting his face with cold water, trying to keep away those strange thoughts that came rushing to him.
• Was that desire he was feeling, he thought.
• He asked himself, that question to himself, over and over again.
• For many years, the only way to be self”satisfied was with himself. After what had happened with his ex”fiancée. He had never tried anything with anyone again, he was completely alienated from any show of affection that a woman could give him.
• Maybe he was wrong, he didn't know, but what he was sure of was that he didn't want to suffer again and stay for long hours crying, under his bed so that no one would see him.
• After that moment he never spoke to his brother again. Anyone could understand that, except his parents, who would not have criticized each other to the point of exhaustion.
• The good thing was that his mother was gone and his father was missing: somewhere.
• She always thought he was dead. Although to tell the truth she didn't know, her brother had not been seen again after that event.
• He was probably happy with his family, which he had stolen from him. And he believed that a part of him did not want to get used to anyone else.
• Because of that constant fear of repeating that chapter of his life.
• Bri looked a little confused towards the kitchen.
• She saw Esteban, quite lost in his own thoughts, looking out the window and staring into nothingness itself. She couldn't help but reach over and caress his back, before that act, Esteban reacted by holding her waist as she leaned against the wall.
• “I'm sorry I thought it was someone who had broken into the house," he commented simply and moved away from her point rather than give her fear that I had accelerated her heart. Esteban had that effect on her, every time he approached her side it was as if a part of her trembled at his touch.
• “Brianna, are you feeling better?”
• At the moment, she felt that point he moved away, hurriedly from her side. She looked in confusion at the direction in which Esteban was walking away. On that day a lot of snow was falling, for some reason autumn had come early in the winter. They had been the previous afternoon, arranging the vegetable gardens and covering them with some kind of insulation.
• Esteban was quite distant with her, which confused her a lot.
• Did I do something wrong, did I say something in my sleep, she thought, and that's all she could do, think.
• And she could only do that, think, because in spite of all her attempts, unlike her dreams and I, she could not speak. She could not even ask him, what was happening to him and it was a great shame to have to write down what was happening to you on a piece of paper.
• What she decided, was to be willing to stand up and look for him. She saw him in the garden, surrounded by snow, her nose turning red as I filled her with tenderness for some reason, which she did not understand. As her coat, feeling a little better how to make him outside point I walk, with some difficulty by the snowy tip until in a moment he reached the side of Esteban.
• He himself looked at her a little confused, a part of him. He did not understand very well what she was referring to.
• He didn't understand those strange feelings that were beginning to be created inside him.
• Despite his attempt to walk away, Briana was 10 steps closer to his side.
• He went to the vegetable garden to look at the plants, which were doing quite well. They had been given quite a few layers of insulation, if they had held up.
• Also in a kind of greenhouse. She had gone to a part, even if she ran away from it sooner or later she would find it and she was a kind of magnet.
• That was dangerous for her and that, she could not deny.
• Briana approached her side curious, looked underneath to see the same seedlings, which she had seen before.
• Esteban walked a few meters away, willing to observe some more of the plants he had in the greenhouse, Brianna entered the greenhouse, curiously observing her surroundings.
• She hadn't even noticed that there was a gigantic greenhouse in one corner of the house.
• At the entrances, many plant species invaded it. There was even a tender wooden bench on one side, she sat down obviously without being able to say any words.
• Esteban could not help but look at her from the corner of his eye and let out a loud sigh.
• She looked at him curiously, she didn't know what was happening to him. It was as if he wanted to get away from her, but still treated her with kindness.
• He started showing her different, beautiful flowers.
• Esteban handed him a very pretty blue”dotted flower and I look at it curiously as if turning around his own hand.
• “Some specimens of hybrid petunias have perfume: you have to bring your nose close to the flowers, but it is rich. It is most often found among those with violet corollas.
• "It has elongated, cylindrical, succulent leaves, and silky flowers, originally orange, red or purple violet.
• "It flowers between spring and summer.
• "It needs loose soil, with very good drainage and withstands lack of water and varied temperatures.
• "It tolerates strong heat. Where soils are very heavy, it can be grown in pots, in a special substrate.
• Briana How was left with her mouth wide open to an explanation, so perfectionist about all those strange plants, suddenly she was surrounded by many pots, brightly colored and beautiful.
• She felt like a princess.
• “Portulaca grandiflora. It is a species endemic to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
• Portulaca grandiflora. It is a species endemic to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
• "It is a creeping subshrub, with flowers of a fantastic blue that appear during warm weather, 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter. They are short”lived, but are constantly renewed and close around sunset.
• "It does not usually exceed 40 cm in height.”
• "It needs sun and humidity, although it should not be excessive, especially during the winter.”
• "When grown in containers, water frequently but check that the soil is dry before doing so.”
• "Verbena bonariensis”
• Sometimes azula in patches the pampas, it is very popular in countries such as England or France; for its hardiness and long flowering, it is used to give a relaxed touch to gardens.
• "It is a great center of attraction for butterflies, which thus add to its charm.”
• "The flowering sticks are tall and wave easily in the breeze or wind when grown en masse.
• “If you want, you can help me here too.
• Briana's face immediately transformed. An extensive smile, from ear to ear, invaded her face.
• And without warning, she gave Esteban a big hug.
• Esteban was left with his arms outstretched, one on each side of his body. He didn't quite know what to do, nor did he know if he should reciprocate the hug. It was still quite strange to him as those signs of affection that she had towards him, since no one had ever hugged him the way she did.
• Briana, feeling that he did not reciprocate the hug, with her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, pulled away.
• The moment she tried to pull away from Esteban, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him without warning.
• Esteban put his left hand behind Briana's waist. He couldn't help but feel the body heat she emanated. He closed his eyes, content with her closeness and her scent of flowers.
• Briana, this time it would be her who didn't know how to react very well to Esteban's action. From one moment to the next, she raised her hand and pressed him even more against her.
• If there was a little cold, or some loose breeze between them, Briana's last action eliminated any distance between the two bodies.
• Suddenly, she pulled away, not because she wanted rubber, but rather because she was afraid, that Esteban would reject her again.