LAYLA STUDIO Cloe thought it might be an afterthought for her parents, switching schools, it should just be an empty threat, or those thoughts of desperation and that soon cool down, but she was wrong. They took it all the way. " Don't hate us, daughter, we are thinking about your future and we will do whatever it takes to keep you from straying from your ways, from your future " her father was the one chosen to speak to her. She thought her mother was a coward not to come and speak to her herself. Her father was the quieter of the couple, he would put on a warm cloth when her mother was angry, and when he came into her room to give her the news that they had transferred her to another school, her world came crashing down. Peter and his mother had left, she now knew that it was a strategy of her parents and she could even imagine her mother giving her the idea, telling her father that since he was calmer, the quieter of the two, it would be better if she left with the younger one w
GOODBYEShe didn't want, as her brother had told her the night before, to have self"pity, but it was hard not to be in her commiseration. Could it be that only she had felt all that? Had it been a fantasy in her head and only she had felt it? Had Julius felt nothing for her? Were her parents right about him, was he an asshole who only wanted to use her?At the same time she thought : " But if he only wanted to use me, he had the chance to fuck me on top of the Hill, why didn't he?"She didn't really understand about gangs, was he a leader who respected virgins, did he have a code against fucking virgins?She didn't know what to think and just confabulated and speculated.She should have asked Milla to tell him that at this school, she would be a boarder, not like at the other school, where she went every day. Since it was a more distant school, her parents had opted for her to stay at the school and go home on weekends. It had not yet been decided whether she would even stay the whole
TWO CRAZY PEOPLE ON THE AVENUEShe needed to hold him, she wanted to kiss him and cling to him and feel his skin against hers. How could no one understand this? How could her parents want to take her away from him? Couldn't they see that she loved him?" He's a crazy man, you know? " Peter asked, smiling at her, but his eyes on the insane young man who followed their car closely, darting down the busy avenue. " Yes, he is my crazy one! " she replied, also smiling and following him with her eyes. Tulio sewed the streets. He left the lane beside them when cars appeared in front of them, buses and other motorcycles, the visor of his helmet still open, he zigzagged and returned to the side of their car, the noise of the loud acceleration of the motorcycle and, as incredible as it seemed, Peter and Cloe's parents were oblivious to the young biker following closely behind their car.Cloe giggled softly, and with each acceleration of the motorcycle, with each move of his towards the side o
INFINITY SYMBOLThey looked at each other, so much love contained in their gaze. There was so much to say to each other. Paco turned off the bike, got off, put on the stand, took off his helmet and went to her, Cloe's legs were shaky from the race, her breath was short, but she couldn't take her eyes off him.Tulio, with the smile that warmed her heart so much, slowly approached her, his front teeth overlapping each other. How was it possible to love someone so much, to the point of loving even a silly defect like his crooked teeth?Before he kissed her, and she knew this is what he would do when he came closer, he held her by the chin with his large hand, gently lifted her chin and said:" I love you, my pianist.”The earth went out of its axis for Cloe.The kiss was even better than the first time, if that was possible, and she lost herself in it. Paco's mouth on hers showed the longing he had felt for her too. His declaration of love still hummed inside her, it was surreal. He had
SWEET FIRST TIME " What do we do now? " he asked with a smile, after they had kissed for several more minutes. " I have to go to the new school. My parents must be worried about my outburst and disappearance," he replied bitterly at the thought of having to deal with this. " Wait a minute.” Still entranced by him, she took her cell phone from her pocket and called her mother, who answered on the first ring. " Cloe, my child, where are you?" She felt guilty hearing her mother's desperate voice, but looking at the love of her life, she faced it. " Mom, you told me earlier that you trust me. I just can't live with your Tulio anymore, and I can't even say that I'm sorry, Mom, I would give up everything in this world to live with him, even if it doesn't work out. I want to live this love and I sincerely hope that you and Dad will understand. I want to say, Mom, that I would drop everything, but he, just like you, is concerned about my future, he loves that I love the piano, he underst
LAYLACloe was loving making love to him. Tulio was finishing himself off with her.The first night they spent together, he was being so careful with her, that she had to ask him to stop." Tulio, we had sex, I did not have open brain surgery. I'm fine! " she said when he tried to help her sit up. " I seem to be made of glass, what will happen if I say I'm already horny again? " She then opened the towel she was wearing wrapped around her body and exposed to him her naked body with water droplets, the mischievous smile on her lips." Jesus beloved! " he was mesmerized by her naked body. " I will say that I am the happiest man on this planet!”She laughed out loud and hugged him. She thought she would never get sick of making love to him, of feeling him inside her.Tulio got up early that morning, before Cloe woke up, and went to his grandmother's house. He didn't like to worry his grandmother and he didn't warn her that he would sleep in her corner " that was what he called the house
CHOOSE" Cloe, my love, I don't think that's a good idea " Tulio left the neighborhood where her college was and stopped at a street, he took off his helmet and removed hers too, he looked into her eyes with affection. " I think the same as your parents do about your studies, my dear. I'd really like you to finish college.”" Tulio, you don't understand?They will never accept you.”She stuttered, and there was so much pain in her gaze. Tulio hugged her tight. He understood her. He himself had wanted to stay out of her life, he knew that her parents were not wrong to want to keep her away from him, but he didn't have the strength to stay away." It's going to be okay," he said, and kissed her, feeling the salty taste of her tears." I love you, don't leave me.”" Never! " he pulled her away, holding both her shoulders. " You are my life, understand? I will never leave you, and I want you to know that if you ever want to leave me, if it's too much for you…”" Don't say that, Tulio, plea
LOVE AND PIANOTulio lifted her up and held her when her parents left with the teacher and the principal. He picked her up on his lap and carried her to the bed. He didn't say anything, just let her slowly empty herself of the pain and shock of the surprising event. Cloe sobbed in his arms, her body jerked, and when she calmed down and became still and he thought the crisis had passed, new waves of shaking and sobbing returned, and so an hour passed.He had heard every word her father had spoken, his teeth clenched, the urge to go to the door and settle it his way was contained at cost. He knew that it was a matter that she, his beloved, had to resolve, it was not his place to help her, to intervene, it was her family, her decision.While hugging her trembling body, he thought that she was already changing him.He remembered events, one in particular that had happened less than a year ago, where a father came to him as if he were the Godfather, with his head down, the red leather of h
FINAL ENLACE "Layla, do you think I should wear white?" She asked the lady who was walking through the dress store with her mother, pulling the hem of one dress after another. "I think your mother is right in saying that you can choose whatever color you want, Cloe. It's your wedding, and I believe it's the only one you'll have." "Yes, the only one. Unless one day we marry again, Túlio and I, and renew our vows." "I think vow renewals are so beautiful," Liz said. "Listen to your heart, my dear. How did you imagine marrying Túlio, in white, ivory, or off-white?" "When I met him and fell in love, I imagined marrying him in white, actually." "Well, then get married in white, my dear. Just like you imagined marrying him." "Oh, but I don't know. I'm no longer a young girl, and I have a grown son. Don't you think it's strange? Please tell me the truth!" "Oh, sorry, but I have to interfere!" One of the lovely saleswomen in the store, Sônia, joined the conversation. "Your mother and gr
EVOLUTIONNow there he was. Years later, with Jânio dead, Paco dead. It took him years to eliminate one by one the powerful men he wanted to avenge Paco's death.Eliminating Paco was easier than he had supposed, simpler than eliminating Jânio, but what made it more difficult and complicated was that with the fall of the mob boss, he had to hide and keep constant watch over Cloe and her son and grandmother. And it was a great torture to stay away from his son and Cloe and still have to keep them safe, and it was almost impossible for him to trust their lives and safety to others. But there was nothing he could do about it, since if he appeared, many could die.And it was worth it. Seeing Cloe after so many years, seeing her fall to her knees relieved, crying and saying she loved him, made everything worthwhile. Now he was the leader. He was in Paco's place. And at this very moment his son slept in between him and Cloe and he felt suffocated looking at the two of them there. Túlio Filho
THE FALL OF ONE MORE PAWNBefore he died, the last thing he heard was the voice of his beloved. The voice of the only man she had ever loved."For God's sake, Shayenne, don't do this!" - and that was the only time he called her that, and she let out a choked laugh and replied only in her mind, "I finally touched you, huh?" - that's what she wanted to say to him, but she didn't say it, her mouth didn't open to speak. She was done here. This was where their friendship and complicity ended, and then the explosion almost made his ears bleed, his eardrums hurt with the noise of the blast.And Shay was gone. She sacrificed herself for him. Paco wouldn't know he was alive. He had not been alerted by Jânio thanks to Shay.From where he was, Túlio couldn't see anything, but the crackling of the fire was very audible in his headphones, and he fell to his knees more than a hundred kilometers away from where Shay had lost her life."Oh, God," he exclaimed with a choked voice.So much death, so mu
SHAYHer joy was short-lived. She felt relieved when she saw the car go up in flames and Tulio spoke on her earpiece:"Shay, the first bomb is done. Do you think we should detonate the second one?"Mysteriously, a van was coming down the dirt road where they were and it made her stomach churn. She did not expect Jânio to have left more men on alert, and apparently, they were coming from the farmhouse, alerted by the explosion. The second detonator was in her hands. "Wait!" she said to Tulio.To her complete amazement, she heard Jânio's cough and the guys who got out of the van next to the upside-down smoking car. One of them shouted:"The boss is alive! Help me get him out of the wreckage!"Tulio could also hear through Shay's earphones and became desperate. The driver of the car where Shay was also got out of the car with a fire extinguisher in hand, and screams could be heard from inside the burning car. Shay looked at everything without believing that her and Tulio's well-planned p
SHAYShe no longer tried to seduce Tulio. That phase was already over. She joined him for revenge. Yes, both wanted revenge, pure and simple.When she visited him at the cabin, and now that the critical moment of his health had passed, now that he was out of danger, stronger and even exercising to recover the muscles atrophied by months without using them, the old man, Camilo was his name, had already become friends with the two. Camilo was no longer afraid of the strange girl. Shay no longer scared him and she laughed when he told them that he imagined that as soon as Tulio recovered, she would kill him:"Well, you should be afraid of him," she laughed and pointed at Tulio, "He's a thousand times more dangerous than me. Why do you think I asked you to take care of him?"Mr. Camilo widened his eyes at Tulio, who waved his hand, indicating that she was lying."It's true, sir Camilo. He is none other than the famous Incendiary Boy - and seeing that the man did not know who he was talkin
SHAY Shay thought Gringo and Sopapo were going to kill her when they found out she had been involved with Jânio in order to get Túlio. She was waiting only for Cloe's order. She saw in the eyes of the three men, Túlio's closest, best, and most loyal men, the desire they had to kill her. Nothing would stop them from killing her with refined cruelty, and she knew they would take turns inflicting as much pain on her as they could. But that was the first time she felt tenderness for Cloe. All the harm she had wished upon the girl fell apart at that moment. The pain she saw on the girl's face hit her deeply in the heart and soul. The emptiness, the discouragement, and the genuine pain she saw written all over the girl's face whom she tried to imitate tore her apart. And she could apologize, but she didn't deserve forgiveness. How could she have never seen this? Or had she seen it and not cared? Why had she done this to someone who had done nothing to retaliate? What was a broken finger w
REMINDSTulio could not forget, there was no way to forget every step he took away from Cloe. He was completely happy to have her by his side and would soon see their son. He thanked the heavens for her having their son during the years they were apart. For many years, he hid and had only insane thoughts of hatred, death, and revenge. His heart was bitter. The nonconformity of what had happened, there were many bad thoughts that he had and what kept him above the quagmire was thinking of his Cloe, their son, and his grandmother. Many years were unjustly taken from him of being by the side of the people he loved. He remembered when he saw her years later, when he could finally leave his hiding place and see her, even from afar, it soothed his heart and validated the love he felt for her. There was also guilt, of course he had, had and still had.Tulio blamed himself for putting Cloe in his life, a life she did not deserve, and had caused her a lot of pain. He took her away from her hap
THIS LINK WILL NEVER BE BROKENThere was her good friend, and Cloe started crying again as she hugged the woman. Layla was much older now, and as Cloe hugged and kissed her all over her face, she noticed the extra years on the old lady. Her fingers, once so agile, were now twisted with arthritis and she seemed more hunched over than before. Signs of senility peppered her skin and Cloe loved feeling the smell of rue that seemed to be forever ingrained in the old woman.She had so much to tell her, but before anything else, before telling her so many things that had happened to her in those ten years, she opened her phone and showed her pictures of her grandson. Layla cried like a child, her hands trembling as she held the phone and watched video after video of her grandson."He looks so much like his father," she said, repeating it over and over again as she eagerly looked at the photos and videos. "Even his voice reminds me of Túlio at that age.""He's also named Túlio, Layla!" she to
I LOVE YOU SO MUCHShe cried and smiled at the same time. She thought she was going crazy, that she must be going crazy! Sitting on the ground with both hands on her head, her voice lost, and Túlio, her Túlio, the love of her life, was coming towards her. He walked up to her with that walk she knew so well. A movie played in her head as he walked towards her. That same smile that made her fall madly in love with him. He was older, his hair was cut differently, but it was him. She would recognize him anywhere, even in the midst of a crowd she would recognize him.Nothing else existed, only him coming to her, and through the curtain, the veil of tears, she looked at him and all she wanted to scream was that she loved him!Túlio knelt down beside her, took her face in both hands, kissed her lips and pulled away, but she wanted more. She wanted him to never stop kissing her. But he needed to tell her something first:"Love, it's very important that I tell you something. What I'm going to