JOÃO FELIPE

After Vivi left, my brother tried to lecture me about education and how we should treat people well, a whole speech that he always insisted on giving, every time he didn't like the way I treated his little friend.

We ended up arguing, and I left, not really caring what he said. After all, I was starting to wonder if they didn't have some sort of romantic relationship anyway.

The party at Alicia's house was already happening when I got there and I was going to take the opportunity to try to find a woman to go out with. In other words, some woman made me forget the Vivi I found when I returned to Brazil. An already female Viviane, full of curves and with a sharp tongue.

Every time I've visited my parents these last three years, I've managed not to run into Viviane, always avoiding her with all my might. He could say that he had last seen her when she was still sixteen and still looking like a girl.

Now she was even more beautiful, and she was still totally inexperienced with regard to sex because even far away, I managed to get everything about Viviane out of my brother because they lived together, and he always told me everything about her, I believe that without even realizing it.

Seeing her so beautiful and changed was affecting me more than I was prepared for, and control over my actions was slipping through my fingers.

Like what happened today, when I saw them arrive hand in hand, it bothered me in a tremendously irritating way. It was getting more and more difficult to control my feeling of ownership over that girl, and an example of that was that I was at a party full of friends and beautiful women, and instead of enjoying it, I was thinking about Viviane.

" Hi, Felipe. You didn't even come to greet me when you arrived. I've been waiting all this time for you to come to me,” Alicia said, moving closer to me and threading an arm through mine. 

She was dressed in a red micro dress and sky-high heels and I could tell that even though she was beautiful and was dressed to draw the attention of any man who looked at her, I didn't feel any interest in her.

I thought of an excuse to justify my rude attitude, but to my relief, Ricardo arrived taking the scene.

" You're a knockout, huh, girl? " He said, hugging her and kissing her cheek a long way.

He had always been crazy about Alicia and had never hidden it from anyone. They had already dated in high school, just as Nicolas and I dated her, too. When I moved abroad, she wanted to keep our relationship at a distance, suggesting she come to visit me, but I made it clear that wasn't something I wanted, and she made a scene the last time we saw each other.

"I always am, I don't know why the surprise," Alicia said wearily, her gaze fixed on me. " And then, Felipe?”

"It was in my plans to go find you before I left," I lied.

" I was crazy to see you since you arrived, but it seems that you were running away from me.”

I spent five years away, but it seems like nothing has changed in the end.

I continued talking to Ricardo and trying to free myself from Alicia's clutches for the rest of the night, while she dodged his advances.

That's how it went all night, I couldn't really enjoy the party and, despite the fact that several women, besides Alicia, practically threw themselves at me, I went home alone.

This was already becoming routine, ever since I arrived in Brazil and I met Viviane at the club, accompanied by my brother and no longer with a teenage face and a girl's body, as when I went to the United States, but with a woman's face and body.

She had become a beautiful woman and even though she was dressed simply, I had never seen her in elegant or expensive designer clothes, I could say categorically that she was always beautiful. No other woman can be more beautiful than Viviane.

I sighed as I drove my car towards the mansion. I was doing that a lot lately, sighing.

I left the car in the garage and went upstairs to my room. I was getting more and more frustrated. I think it was time to assume my commitments at the company. I needed to occupy my time, and the courses I wanted to take had already been completed. I had no reason to travel outside Brazil again, as I was already twenty-four years old and the time had come to assume my responsibilities as the eldest son of the Mendes de Albuquerque family.

I was tired of running. That was the truth, and occupying my head would make me forget things that were impossible for me. But even in my dreams, she was.

******** 💙*******

After a sleepless night, tossing and turning in bed, I woke up stressed and impatient. Two things that were already part of my personality were only raised to maximum power. I decided to stay in my room. It was better than taking out my frustration on some unsuspecting person.

I was unable to carry out my plans, as my parents knocked on my bedroom door half an hour after my wise decision.

“You can come in!” I spoke loudly to make myself heard since they kept knocking on the door and calling my name.

“Sorry, my son, but your mother believed you were still sleeping. And as we know that your sleep is heavy, then…" My father explained, embarrassed.

“My love, we accepted the invitation of the Alcântaras to spend the weekend at their summer house in Guarujá” My mother, all excited. " You should come with us. I'm sure you'd like to see your old school friends again.

The Alcântaras were my father's partners in some investments, and the families had had a great bond for years. I was very good friends with the brothers Nicolas and Henrique, including.

" Mom, I'm tired and stressed. I don't think I'll be a good company " I declined the invitation, being quite sincere, actually.

" Did something happen? Have I been stressing out in traffic again? " Mrs. Marta soon asked, worried.

" No, Mom! " I realized that my father was about to ask about this story, and I explained right away, raising my hands in the air. " No need to worry, Daddy! It wasn't at all what you were thinking. I just arrived stressed the other day, but I didn't argue in traffic, as Mom implies.”

“ Let's go with us, dear! Beatrice and Alicia will be there too” Mom said again, trying to convince me. " You could review them and who knows, right? Perhaps you can understand each other now.

" I was with the two yesterday, Mother. I went to a party at Alicia's house. Nothing happened if you want to know" I cut off her expectations right away.

I didn't feel the least bit attracted to the frivolous socialites who were at the party, and I also didn't explain that I only saw Beatrice from a distance, because I didn't even get to say hello to her.

“Oh, too bad. They would be perfect wives,” my mother lamented.

“Perfect wives for other men, not for my children. I hope you don't follow your mother's ideas and find a woman of principles and not someone as vain as those girls your mother admires so much,” my father said, looking steadily at my mother, cutting off any protest on her part. “Let's go, dear. You know I like to take advantage of my day off, and I have a lot of things to catch up with Gustavo,” Gustavo Alcântara was the father of my friends and my father's partner.

“See you later, son. If you change your mind, come by. Don't be inhibited. I'm sure everyone will enjoy your presence,” My mother still tried, almost getting pulled by my father.

“My son, don't get carried away by your mother. Do what you want and make the most of these days, because I want you to assume your position on the company's board from Monday. Until later.”

I kept looking at the door through which they left, and uneasiness came over me when I heard my father's words.

When they were already in the corridor, João Pedro entered my room, after saying goodbye to them happily.

“Looks like it's going to be a busy morning,” I complained when I saw him enter.

“Stop being boring! I just came to let you know that I'm traveling today and won't be back until Monday.”

“ And your inseparable friend, is she going with you too?” I asked casually. I didn't want him to see how much the answer interested me.

" Vivi is totally dedicated to studying for the last exams of the semester. You don't want anything disturbing your concentration” she said throwing herself on my bed, not caring about almost lying on my feet. "So, I'm going to meet some friends for a very busy weekend," she said and smiled cheekily.

" Yeah, looks like someone's going to have fun today, " I said, relieved to know that Viviane wouldn't be enjoying the weekend with my brother and his friends.

" You do not imagine how much! " my brother replied and I even managed to smile along with him.