Chapter 5 all I could respond

hoping he could hear me. "No wonder," he replied, still holding me in his arms to steady me. -Did the guy hurt you? - again the soft tone of voice. His look was also kind, and I could barely remember the last time a man had acted that way towards me. - No.

Thanks, by the way. The stranger hadn't released me yet, but, unlike Álvaro, he wasn't doing it to subdue me. He seemed afraid that I wouldn't be able to stand after I had staggered. - You're shaking. Can I take you for water? I swear it's without ulterior motives. Yes, he didn't seem to be malicious at all. Still, his attitude was strange. - Why are you doing all this? You hardly know me. He took a deep breath, finally letting me go, but staying close enough to help me again if necessary. - I was married. I wish someone would do this for my wife if she needed it. - Oh... - was all I could respond, moved by his attitude. There was a change of expression, and his eyes suddenly became sad, which made me believe that, for some reason, he felt melancholy about his wife. But he used the verb in the past, didn't he? - So, what do you think of the water idea? I follow you. I hesitated a little, but nodded positively. If I went back to my friends' table, nervous as I was, I would ruin their night. If she was left alone, she was afraid that Álvaro might come back, even more angry. This man was a stranger, but he seemed kind enough to be good company until he got me back together. - What is your name? he asked as he guided me, his hand carefully resting on the curve of my back. Somehow, his touch didn't feel abusive to me. He was respectful, and that would have to be taken into consideration. - Carolina. - Nice to meet you, Carolina. I'm Mauricio. - We arrived at the bar, and he helped me climb onto one of the stools, asking the bartender for a water. He sat next to me and seemed to look for someone for a few moments. - I'm interrupting something, aren't I? Being the boring one of the night - I said, trying to smile, even without really wanting to. - I was going to leave. My cousin, apparently, went out with someone - he explained, with a sexy smirk, and it was then that I realized: For God's sake, he was handsome. Ridiculously. He even left Jesus Luz from earlier in second place. Furthermore, there was an aura of power and confidence that could make any woman lose her breath. - If you want to go... - No, that's fine. I'm not going to leave you alone after that guy did what he did. Let's wait for it to calm down, then we'll see what we do, okay? Cute. Besides being handsome, the guy was adorable. I took a look towards my friends' table and saw Alessandra and Tamires kissing the little guys. But my roommate looked in my direction, without meaning to, seeing Maurício in my company. She checked the guy out completely and gaped, giving me a thumbs up, as if I had just hooked a big fish. Little did she know that it had nothing to do with what she was thinking. The guy was just being nice. Just it. CHAPTER FIVE If there was one thing that drove me out of my mind, it was bullies who took advantage of other people's weaknesses. I was no hero, of course, but I didn't tend to turn a blind eye to this kind of injustice. Especially when there were several people around and none of them would lift a finger to defend a defenseless woman who was visibly being molested by some idiot. From what I understand, the guy was her ex-boyfriend. A coward. I followed her to the bar and ordered a water. The girl was shaking, but I watched as she took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself as she raised the glass to her mouth. - You are alone? - I asked, a little worried. What I told you was true. The way my wife died made me regret not having been around to protect her. I wish someone had done this at the time, and I hated thinking about a girl alone, cornered by an aggressive guy, in the middle of a crowded bar. - I have two friends, but I don't think they will last here for long. - She placed the glass on the counter and pointed to a table, where two women were kissing two boys. When I turned to her again, I saw her shrug and smile for the first time. And also for the first time I noticed how beautiful she was. Young. Very young. About twenty-two, twenty-three years. Tall, very thin, straight and dark hair, a gently exotic appearance. But her eyes... were fascinating. They were almost golden, and they were made up in a way that made them stand out, making them even more expressive. I had been watching her for too long, so much so that the girl turned her attention to the glass. She didn't want to look like another one of the assholes who was supposed to lust after her, because that wasn't the case. As attractive as it was... I wasn't looking for that kind of thing. And she probably doesn't either. We were silent, and I took advantage of the barman's proximity to order something to drink too, but I opted for something non-alcoholic. A soda that time. Apparently Fernando had really gone out with the two women, and I wasn't in the mood to drink anymore. I didn't have a car, I would take a taxi, but there was a limit to how drunk I could allow myself. Not that he was weak to drinks, but he hated the feeling of the next day. I took the first sip and heard Carolina – that was her name, right? – sigh. - Look, I know you don't know me, but I'm not that kind of girl - she said out of nowhere. I turned my attention to her, frowning. -What kind of girl? - I asked, raising an eyebrow the moment she looked at me. - Who has that kind of face. One corner of my mouth curled into a smile. - You don't need to explain yourself - I replied, taking another sip of Coke. And it was true, she didn't need to say anything. I was just a stranger, a guy she'd bumped into and decided to help her. But I couldn't deny that it hadn't crossed my mind why a girl who seemed so shy and sweet would give an asshole like that a chance. - People hide who they truly are, don't they? It's very easy to fake it. - Yes, that's exactly it. But not everyone knows how to do this kind of thing. - She also smiled. - Sometimes I think I'm very silly or naive. I always believe in the best in people, and that just makes me break down. - This doesn't always have to do with naivety. It could be something about your personality. - It must be genetic. - Her smile widened, and she took on a dreamy look, as her finger played with the rim of the glass. It was a bit random, but I noticed that the nail polish she wore on her nails was very light. Furthermore, they were not very long, very natural. - My mother was soft-hearted too. - It was? Carolina raised her charming eyes to me again, almost embarrassed. - Sorry, it's not the kind of conversation to have in a bar, especially with your hero of the night. - Her wide smile was repeated. It was sweet, adorable, and, again, natural. Maybe it was a characteristic of hers. - By the way, thank you. If it weren't for you... - I was just in the right place at the right time. -Other people were there too. And they didn't do anything. Our eyes met for a few minutes, in silence, both very serious. But that was it, wasn't it? The world constantly turned a blind eye to this kind of thing. For the pain of others, for oppression. I didn't want to be that kind of person, although it wasn't always possible to do something