Chapter 38

GABRIELA

It had been a quarter of an hour since we had finished dinner and it was still eleven o'clock. My parents would be leaving soon and we would leave when they left, but at this moment I was going to take the opportunity to talk to Carlota about Diego. 

"Carlota, do you want to go out for a moment?" I asked and she turned in my direction, confused and not understanding "For what?" she asked and I rolled my eyes "Come on, think a little." I said "Oh, sure, I had forgotten." 

She got up and we left the orchard where we were having dinner, because it wasn't too cold yet, that didn't mean I wasn't cold, because I am. We went to the other side of the house, sat down, and waited for her to speak. 

"I don't know what exactly you want to know Gabriela, to be honest." She said after a while "You can start by telling me how you feel about that boy. Is it attraction or something else? I asked curiously "Attraction, but I couldn't be sure" she answered and I nodded "And then you want me to know how I feel about Alex?" 

"Let's see, how do I tell you this. We had sex once, in one of those drunken binges." she blurted out, and to say I didn't expect that, honestly "Wait, you slept with that boy and you don't tell us anything?" I asked surprised, because she usually said it even though Marcos and I didn't care too much who she slept with. 

"I already told you; it was on one of those drunken binges, I didn't remember until he told me." She assured "Tell me what you wanted and he didn't force you." I asked and she shook her head, which made me take a breath. "But isn't it that you didn't remember?" 

"Yes, but I do remember that." Carlota answered sincerely and I couldn't help but frown, because I wasn't understanding anything at the moment "And what happened then? Was it so bad you decided better to forget about it?" 

"I don't know, Gabriela." She sighed. "Okay, so what's up with that guy?" I asked, because if there was anything I wanted to do, it was to help my best friend "I feel attracted, and I think I could get to feel something for him, but I'm not sure about that last one" 

"What do you feel when you are with him? I don't know, you are the expert on this subject, not me." I asked, because maybe helped her "He's handsome, you saw him yourself, but I don't know if it's something else or not. And it may be that I'm good at it, but it's not easy, you know." 

"I know, but I think you don't like that guy much, and so you can see I'm not going to do the same as you, I won't make you angry so you tell me what I want to know." I answered laughing, because it was too likely it wouldn't work with her "You're really good." 

"It's not that bad." I answered, because it was true for me "It's because you say so, but the rest see him the same way I see him, this is not going to be discussed." she assured and I laughed. "Now tell me about you and Alex." 

"First you are going to answer a question for me." I inquired and she rolled her eyes. "This wasn't supposed to have traps, Gabriela." Carlota protested and I agreed, because I had said so, but I wasn't lying either "And I'm not, really, but I have to make sure of one thing before I tell you what happens or not." 

"Well, ask." She pointed out "Are you really going to forgive Alex?" I asked and she nodded after a few seconds of hesitating "I'm going to give him a chance, I didn't say anything about forgiving him." 

"Why?" I asked curiously, because until a few hours ago, she hated him "Because I don't want to lose you, and it can be said I noticed something about his possible change, I'm not sure about everything yet, but there's something." she replied and a small smile began to form on my face "So should I trust what you tell me?" I asked and she nodded. 

"Yes, you should." My best friend assured "I will, but we are going to do something else." I replied "I knew it, there was a trap somewhere." I laughed and denied, because I don't have the slightest idea why she thought there was a trap somewhere "There really isn't a trap, it's just it doesn't seem fair to me that Marcos has to find out later." 

"If you want, I'll call him." she replied, getting up quickly and I shook my head, because I didn't need him right now "No, we're going to wait for my parents to leave and then we'll go anywhere and talk about it calmly." 

"Sounds good to me, but then let's go together with the rest, I have nothing more to tell you." she assured, "I have a question for you." I say before she gets up "Which one?" Carlota asked, "Why don't you two want to know about the other affairs?" 

She lowered her gaze and looked away. As far as I know I didn't ask her any very intimate questions, I had only asked her why Marcos couldn't know about her affairs. 

"Something happens?" I inquired. "It happened." she replied "What?" I questioned trying to understand when they had fought and I had not heard about it "I'm going to tell you because at some point you will find out." she assured and I frowned. "What do I have to find out?" 

"First of all, don't be mad because it happened a long time ago." she assured "Can you stop beating around the bush and explain it to me?" I asked, because it was starting to get on my nerves not knowing what was going on between the two of them "Marcos and I were together." she replied without taking a breath "WHAT!!!!!" I said quickly, not believing it and confused for a moment. 

I couldn't believe it. MARCOS AND CARLOTA TOGETHER, AS A COUPLE!!!! I would never have imagined it and I don't understand how they didn't tell me they were together, I didn't even suspect they were together at some point, which makes me seriously think about when they were together and how they broke up, because I don't understand, well, in general that phrase, but I would find out right now. 

"Don't yell Gabriela, I don't want the whole world to find out." Carlota said, looking around. "Are you going to tell me how come you were together and you didn't tell me anything?" I asked a little annoyed "Because at that moment, Gabriela, you weren't well, and you needed both of us. We weren't going to tell you we were together." 

When she said that, I frowned, because I wasn't understanding what exactly she meant "What are you talking about? When was that?" I asked "When Alex left you, before finishing school." 

Now everything fit me better, that's why I didn't find out anything about what had happened between them, at that moment I was half a zombie, or at least inside me, and they knew more or less how I really felt. 

"Wouldn't you break up because of me, right?" I asked, worried I was the reason they broke up. "No, it wasn't your fault. Is that all you're worried about? That was your fault?" she asked and I nodded, because I did "Well, to be honest, I don't want to feel guilty for breaking up your relationship." 

"Well, you're not, Gabriela. Our relationship didn't work and we decided to break up." she assured me, but something told me she wasn't telling me the whole truth and it would be something I would have to discover as soon as possible. "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were together." 

"Yeah well, now do you understand why we don't want to find out about each other's certain matters?" she asked and I nodded, because now at least it made sense they didn't want to know anything even though I didn't understand why, after all, they were still friends and got along "Well, I don't understand why." 

"It's somewhat awkward, that's why he doesn't tell me about his hookups and I don't tell him about mine. But hey, don't die on me, it's not that bad." she said laughing "You just don't understand. Now I understand your relationship after that and everything fits together." 

"What exactly?" she asked with a frown. "You treat each other the same as before that happened to me with Alex, but as an ex's relationship. Everything fits together and I can better understand your relationship." 

"Then I'm glad I helped you in something." she said laughing "I thought it was my fault really." I assured and quickly, Carlota denied "Well it wasn't, don't worry about it anymore and worry about your future boyfriend." 

"Who says he will be my boyfriend?" I asked with a frown, because even though it was most likely, I hadn't said anything about him being my boyfriend to anyone other than in my mind "Because of the way you look at him, that's why. I'm not stupid and I know you love him more than before, although I can't explain that because it doesn't make sense after everything, he did to you." 

"I think I read somewhere love and hate are one step away." I replied with a shrug. "I can see it with my own eyes." At that moment my sister appears, staring at us for a couple of seconds until she decides to speak, I just hoped she didn't hear the last part of the conversation, but from her face I could tell she didn't hear anything, she was one of those people who they gave themselves away when they heard something they shouldn't. 

"We're leaving now Gabriela." She said bored out of her mind "I'm going to say goodbye now." She left without saying anything else and it didn't take us long to go after her. I said goodbye to them and we decided it was better not to go out, I was cold enough not to leave the house and stay in bed, but we were going to talk anyway. 

Carlota and I would sleep in the same bed and Marcos would sleep on a mattress we would put on the floor since we didn't take the three of us in bed, and especially if we take into account Carlota is one of those who don't sit still while she sleeps.