Chapter 4 Who is he

Lizandra

After seeing Samuel and Juliana together in front of the entire town on New Year's Eve, it was impossible to stay strong and pretend that nothing was happening when I was bleeding inside.

I ended up accepting a glass of some drink Luciano offered me, drinking the entire contents in one gulp, which immediately made me dizzy and gave me a strange sense of euphoria in the midst of what I was experiencing as I saw the two traitors happily smiling after making a fool out of me.

Despite feeling dizzy and tempted to laugh at my misfortune, I tried to control myself at all costs and dodged Luciano the first chance I got. The drink hadn't completely taken over me, and I wandered along the beach, dipping my feet in the waves, desperately wishing those strange sensations would disappear, which wasn't happening.

Without even realizing what I was doing, I sat on the sand and admired the sea and the waves breaking ever closer to where I was as if enchanted by the sight. Gradually, reality dawned on me, and tears didn't take long to bubble up.

"I believe you haven't noticed, but the sea is advancing more and more..." A deep and very masculine voice spoke near me.

Upon hearing the warning words, I was startled because I wasn't aware of the people passing by me. All I could think about was Juliana and Samuel together and what people must be saying about it.

"I'm not afraid of water, sir," I replied with no interest in getting to know the owner of the beautiful voice.

"Maybe you're not afraid of water, but I believe you also don't intend to drown," he retorted in a tone heavy with irony.

"Maybe I do intend to drown," I said without really thinking about my words.

Quite inappropriately, the man approached even closer to where I was, and I felt that he was now right behind me, as his body's shadow covered me, from what I could perceive, he was a big man, which matched perfectly with his voice.

"I have the impression that you're too old to be a rebellious teenager and too young to carry such a heavy burden on your shoulders."

Once again, the man's words bothered me, as did his unwanted presence. At the same time, and in a rather crazy way, he didn't evoke any kind of fear, even though it was just the two of us on an almost deserted beach in the early hours of the first day of the new year.

"Go away!" I spoke loudly and impulsively.

Even I surprised myself with my behavior and once again realized that I was out of control.

"Something tells me I shouldn't leave you alone here," the man said calmly, but his tone contained a fair amount of irony.

I stood up from the ground and decided to look at this utterly inconvenient man. I intended to tell him to go away, but now, looking directly into his eyes, a certain disarray in my heart made me question if I had done the right thing.

He's tall, I believe over six feet, and his appearance blends rebellion with seriousness in a rather complex way. His expression indicates a man who rarely smiles, and even the social cut of his hair suggests a more closed personality.

His eyes and hair are as black as night, and there's no sign of a beard on his face, revealing a dimple on his chin that might make some women sigh. His athletic body is well-defined, as he's wearing a button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, showing no signs of a protruding belly.

Completely out of place, there's something about him that made me question that pretentious personality. The man wears an earring in his left ear, and that truly stands out. A smirk on his well-made masculine face made me realize I had been staring at him for longer than socially acceptable, bringing me back to reality.

"I just want to be alone," I spoke again, rudely. "If you don't leave, I'll move myself."

"I don't know what happened to you, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude to me."

What an idiot!

"You're being intrusive, and I'm rude!? Oh, please!"

The man stared at me attentively for a few more seconds before calmly, yet still condescendingly, saying, "I'm looking for my girlfriend and thought I was helping her, but it seems I was mistaken."

He turned his back and began walking back to the busier part of the beach, and before I could control my bitterness and acidity, I ended up speaking loudly enough for him to hear:

"Maybe she's out there with one of your cousins..."

My words made him stop and look in my direction, leading me to conclude with cynicism.

"Do you not have any cousins? Then it must be your best friend, or whatever! Probably cheating on you with someone on New Year's Eve."

Yes, I was bitter and cruel to a stranger on the first day of the year. Well, I truly don't care.

"I'm just trying to help, but it seems you're a venomous girl," the stranger pointed out disdainfully. "That's probably why you're here alone, waiting for the water to cover you once and for all."

The harsh words – understandable in response to what I had said – left me perplexed and speechless, and the man walked back in the same direction as before without saying anything else. It wasn't necessary; he had been as cruel as I was, and I couldn't accuse him of exaggerating. I was the only one to blame for the scene that unfolded at home, and I was the one who overreacted the most that night.

I remained still on the sand, stunned by the exchange of abrupt and poisonous words. I didn't use to be like this, not so bitter and unpleasant. I could have replied, I could have tried to explain, but the words seemed stuck in my throat. Instead, I watched the stranger walk away.