Chapter 5 My house

Ninety? Is it a new version of Benjamin Burton? - I smile. - I don't care how old you are. I want to marry you anyway. Victoria laughs. "You must be crazy," he hisses. - There are times when I think that, but I promise not.

to - I take another sip of the whiskey, then look at her. - A few visits together to my father's bedside, some

photos of us on your social media so your boyfriend can see that you're not alone and that's it, we let go of each other. Victoria keeps her mouth open, looking at me fxedly until she smiles again. - It seems like a great

idea to me - I emphasize. - I just moved. - Huh, it changes again - I shrug. - No mystery.

Victoria One day, I'll probably want to slap myself for what I accepted and agreed to. But not now, not after we get to Nathan's house. "The House". It's all shiny on the outside, lit up by Christmas lights; which I found very

curious and surprising, taking into account the characteristics I traced about him from what we talked about.

- This is the main room - he gestures and introduces the rooms while I follow him. - There's another room

at the back of the house, but I don't use it much. Down here is one of the rooms - he signals the corridor and follows in steps. - This is the kitchen, the bathroom over there, next door is the gym, which I use a lot - he

gives a sly smile and I can assume what must be hidden beneath the pieces of clothing. - There's a games

room too, but you don't have a guy who likes playing. - Not really - I agree. - Okay - he claps his hands.

then calls me. - Let's go up. It has more bedrooms and a reading room. Oh, my ofce is on the second foor

too. I'm just saying, in case you need to talk to me, know where to fnd me. Of course I'll give you my

WhatsApp too, but there's no point using social media at home if we have a mouth. I nod my head in

agreement, trying to follow his apparent excitement. Is he excited? Is what it seems. I hope you're not thinking

that you've found a mother or someone to replace your father's lack of affection, or anything like that. I'm not

that type and I don't really have that intention. I only came because Nathan convinced me it was safer and, as

I can't go to my parents' house, this was my best choice at the moment, as I wouldn't disturb my brothers

either. - You don't need to worry, I don't have parties at home - he turns to me when we reach the second

foor. - I haven't done this since I left the house I lived in with my friends, actually. The last party that

happened kind of didn't go well and left us all in some kind of party trauma. Not to mention I'm too busy and also too old for this. I laugh. - If you're old, I'm old - I murmur. Nathan raises his eyebrows, looking charming

only when he punctuates the action with a sideways smile. - A very attractive elderly woman, if I may say so. I

shake my hands, as if banishing the comment in a banal way. He's just being nice, obviously. - Well,

continuing - he starts walking again, opening a double-leaf glass door, letting the cold wind come in to

embrace us. - Here - Nathan gestures to our right - is my room and there is a free room at the front door. At

the beginning of the hallway, another room. You can choose one of these two. - I think I'll keep the one at the

beginning - I say. - Oh, really? Why? Just because it's far from mine? - He places a hand on his chest. -

What a mistake, Victoria. And I naively thought you would want to sleep in my room. I laugh, impulsively

shaking my head. I'm nervous and disconcerted. I have everything to be. I agreed to live for a while with an unknown, rich guy I met in a bar. I mean, what if he's like the Tinder scammer, and his story about his almost-

dead father is made up, and that friend of his is just a crony who helps him scam women? What if this house.

isn't even his? This environment feels so familiar to someone who doesn't have a family. There are many

possibilities! So when I look again at Nathan, who is opening his bedroom door, I have a suspicious look on

my face. He notices when he looks back at me. I know you can tell by the way you smile. - Relax - he says -

I'm not going to invite you to my room. Only if you want - amend quickly. - Can I know a little more about

you? - I question, ignoring what he said. - Wow, what a serious voice - he furrows his eyebrows. - Of course.

I am the heir to the Russell companies. You know, HighSound, Playound, R- Infnity... There are others, but they

are not the most popular. - R-Infnity? - I question. - My two cameras are from this brand. They cost my

liver. He smiled. - AND. As I said, my father knew how to make things work outside the home. - I understand

- I nod and gesture. - If you don't mind me asking, you mentioned that you don't have much attachment your father and that you didn't know your mother, you don't have any siblings, but your house outside is all

decorated for Christmas and I saw a tree also all decorated in the yard. walk underneath... May I ask why? I

mean, Christmas is a festive time to celebrate with family and you don't seem to have much familiarity

surrounding your days. Nathan laughs, much to my surprise. - I like the way you ask - your speech has irony.

- You are right. I don't have any family around my days, but I enjoy Christmas. When I was little, my nannies

always "celebrated" Christmas with me. You know, they read the stories of the time, "Scrooge McDuck's

Christmas Eve" was my favorite, I loved it. We made cookies, they let me decorate, decorate the tree, put the

star on top and all those things that kids like. So, I'm attached to the time. I don't know, it gives me a good vibe. Like that. He doesn't wait for me to say anything when he walks into his room, turning on the light and disappearing from my sight for a moment. I hear some noise and some time passes before Nathan returns,

now shirtless – may my inner Victoria control me from staring at his perfectly sculpted, mouth-watering belly

– and no shoes, which would draw enough attention not to mention. was his face with a changed expression.

Tremendously serious, Nathan walks past me, only stopping to call out to me after he reaches the room at the beginning of the hallway. So yes, he looks at me, his hand on the doorknob as he asks: - So, are you coming?

Nathan Victoria comes to me and I notice the indecision both in her hesitant steps and in her gaze.

But, seriously, my house is the best option for her right now. Here she will be able to feel safe, something she

wouldn't be able to do living alone and with an