“Panic Calls”
The ghost of Mateus’s touch still burned on my wrist, a mark from last night that no amount of wine could erase. I was sitting in my mother’s living room. The sound of the sea outside seemed like a mockery. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—his firm hand, veins bulging, his voice whispering, “Call me.”
“You’re quiet today, Eliana,” my brother said.
Andile watched me, attentive to my every gesture, sitting with his wife, Lucia. His hand rested on her belly—the perfect image of the love I lacked.
I shrugged. “I’m just tired.”
My mother, Maria , lifted her eyes from her lap. Her smile was tight, forced. Since my father left, she’d traded expensive dresses for old sweaters and laughter for silence. I wanted her to break down. We could handle it.
“Tomas,” he said, tilting his head toward her.
He cleared his throat. “Mom, how are you really doing?”
“I’m fine, Tomas,” she said, but her eyes soon sought mine out, curious and sharp. “And you, Eliana? Is there someone special you want to tell?”
I froze. “No,” I said too quickly. “I’m not interested in dating. Or marriage.”
“What’s wrong with getting married?” Tomas asked seriously.
“I like my freedom.”
“You can have freedom with the right person,” he said, squeezing Lucia’s shoulder.
Lucia chuckled softly. “You say that, Tomas, but you called me three times while I was only going to buy ice cream.”
The air felt suffocating. I wanted to escape, but my brother only made things worse.
“Did Mateus pick you up right last night?” Tomas asked, calmly but with a sharp look.
A warmth rose through my body. What a body! His voice echoed in my memory, along with the guards’ smiles. “He was… fine,” he said, crossing his arms. “I would have preferred you.”
Tomas snorted. “You know I couldn’t. He agreed immediately.”
I remained silent. But Maria’s eyes were wide, a slow, menacing smile on her face.
Thomas stiffened. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, his heart racing.
“She’s thinking about Mateus Cossa,” said Maria, lightly but firmly.
“No. Absolutely not, Eliana. He’s not good for you,” said Tomas, standing up.
“I’m not with him! She’s just imagining things!” I said.
“If he’s no good, then why has he been your friend all these years?” Lucia asked softly.
Tomas rubbed his face, frustrated. “He’s a good friend. Loyal. But he’s not the kind of man you want for a husband. He’s… dangerous.”
His jaw clenched. “He ruined a man’s life once. He didn’t flinch. I watched him walk away as if nothing had happened.”
I got goosebumps. Tomas isn’t exaggerating. If he’s scared, he’s serious.
Then a deep voice broke the tension.
“That’s a question I’d also like to hear.”
We turned around. Matthew leaned against the door, calm, confident, as if he owned the place. His eyes fixed on me. He heard everything.
“Matthew. What are you doing here?” Thomas asked stiffly.
Mateus ignored him. His smile dominated the room. “Maria invited me,” he said softly, just to me. “She said her daughter might need a ride. I can’t say no to your mother… or miss the opportunity to see you.”
The room seemed smaller. Every beat of my heart sounded louder with him nearby.
“Mateus, the ride I asked you to give Eliana… was cancelled. But why don’t you stay for dinner?” said Maria, calm but firm.
He raised an eyebrow. “Dinner, ma’am?”
“Yes,” she smiled, gesturing to the table. The maids had set out bread, aromatic dishes, and desserts. “It would be impolite not to stay.”
I sat, watching Matthew’s eyes gleam at me—curious, provocative, alive.
Dinner was filled with laughter, jokes, and playful teasing from Andile and Lucia. Mateus’s charm was natural. Every glance we exchanged ignited something I had to resist.
I felt a shiver. What could happen tonight? My chest was burning. One look, one word, and everything could change.
One week later
I was in the courtyard of Lucia and Andile’s house. The wind was blowing my hair over my shoulders. The sun was reflecting off the glass table.
Lucia sat down in front of me, her skin glowing with the glow of pregnancy. I envied that.
I drank the tea, basically just there to see her. Company. Boredom.
“So, how’s the baby?” I asked.
“Six months today,” she smiled, hand on her belly.
I laughed. “It seems like only yesterday I begged Andile to bring you back.”
She laughed. “Okay. We haven’t chosen a name yet.”
“They will choose,” he said.
“And you? How are things going? We haven’t had a girl talk in ages.”
“Nothing special. I’m just trying to start my own fashion business. I’ve only made one dress so far.”
Her eyes were studying me. I felt strange.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“There’s someone else on your mind, isn’t there?” he teased.
“No? Why?”
“You’ve been different since Mateus came to pick you up. Did you two kiss or what?”
I made a thumbs-down gesture. “No. He’s disgusting—”
I continued. “Horrible, small penis, horrible—”
Her eyes widened. “Eliana!”
I slapped my hands on my legs. “Jesus! Can I finish now?”
A tap on the shoulder. Matthew. Arms crossed, a smile on his face. Shit.
Black wavy hair, piercing brown eyes, muscles visible through his open shirt.
“So, you were talking about my small penis?”
Lucia covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“It’s none of your business. I had a meeting with your brother,” he said.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I forgot,” she said, raising her hands.
“He didn’t come to see me. He came to annoy me,” I said.
Our eyes locked. His were full of power, mine filled with rage. I looked at his lips and a shiver ran down my spine.
“What if I had come to see you? And then, princess?”
I approached. “Don’t lie. We all know you’re a liar.”
He laughed. “Right. And you? You lied about my size.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“What if you’re wrong? Maybe it’s huge.”
I denied it. “Why do we always talk about your penis?”
“You were the one who brought up the subject,” he said, smiling.
Damn. He was right.
I took a step forward. “And what do you want to prove?”
“You’re mistaken about me,” she said, biting her lip.
Lucia raised her hands. “That’s enough! Matthew, come back upstairs.”
He growled at me, then left. But at the door, he turned around and his eyes met mine again.
Something unspoken passed between us. My heart raced, my breath caught in my throat. I felt the pull I’d ignored for days.
Lucia drank the tea. “What was that?”
“Just a normal conversation with my brother’s annoying friend,” I said.
She shook her head. “Yes… about his penis?!”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re just kidding.”
“Of course… as if you didn’t feel the tension.”
Mateus appeared at the door again. Provocative. Hot. Dangerous.
“Still thinking about me, princess?”
I whispered, my heart racing, “Maybe so.”
The air was electric, full of tension, desire, and promises that none of us could stop. Everything hung in the air, unresolved, inevitable.
Three months had already passed. I was finally trying to leave the family chaos behind and focus on my fashion designs for a client.
Then my cell phone vibrated.
I sighed. Tomas’s name appeared on the screen. “I hope it’s good,” I murmured, answering. “It’s not a good time, Tomas.”
His voice was tense, trembling with panic. “Eliana… I need you to—”
The line hissed violently, cutting the words into fragments.
“Eliana… is… is—”
A burst of static swallowed his voice, then returned, raw, desperate, as if he could barely stand it.
“-no… wait—”
And the call dropped.
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding, my hands trembling as I tried to call again. Nothing. Silence.
Something was very, very wrong.