VIVIANE
“The DNA result came out today.”
I looked at João Pedro, waiting for the continuation of his information.
We were in his room, as he had called me to meet him there. He was showing our favorite series and when I arrived at his bedroom door, he just indicated the bed, so I lay down next to him.
So I just sat there, looking at the TV, but not seeing what was on.
I was thoughtful. I had decided that the time had come to tell, at least João Pedro, about my situation.
I had been very sick in the morning during a college class and I even had to leave the classroom and run to the bathroom to get all my breakfast out.
Soon, João Pedro would realize that I wasn't doing well and I didn't want to keep lying and making up stories. I was just waiting for Jack's son's DNA issue to be resolved and it seems that now that would be less of an obstacle to my disclosure.
When he didn't say anything else, looking lost in thought, I questioned him.
" And then?”
" It's Jack's son.”
" And he already decided what he's going to do now?”
" They will return to New York and continue to be the couple they were. At least from appearances.”
João Pedro looked devastated and that made me very sad.
I hugged him and we lay down together. I noticed that something was wet on my shoulder and I concluded that it was torn.
" You know I love you very much and would do anything to make you feel better, don't you? But my dear friend... brother... be strong and wise and you will get through this very delicate moment.”
" I love you too, Vivi. I regret so much for keeping the real me from you. I know I would never change your way of being for something that doesn't change anything about me.”
I pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes, so he could see the sincerity of my words there.
" Nothing's changed, JP. You are still the same person to me. And don't beat yourself up about things we can't change. The important thing is that from now on you don't hide anything from me anymore. We are friends and friends understand each other.”
" But you told me you're hiding something from me. And that he was going to tell me as soon as this situation with Jack was resolved.”
He pointed, remembering the day we were at the clinic and I promised that I would only say what had been bothering me when his situation had an outcome.
" Has the situation with Jack been resolved yet?”
I questioned him, arching an eyebrow.
" All good. One thing at a time.”
He spoke and hugged me even tighter.
" João Pedro, you know how to say…”
We separated and looked at the door that Felipe had just entered without knocking.
" I seem to have interrupted a very intimate moment.”
The surprise at João Felipe's sudden entrance made us separate from the hug we were in when he entered. The subject we were discussing when he walked in made me fearful that he might have heard something.
" He interrupted " JP confirmed that unreasonable assumption of his brother " But tell me, what do you want here in my room?”
I looked at João Pedro, finding the way he was treating his brother strange. It wasn't like him to respond that way to Felipe.
" I wanted to contact your friend Jack. He indicated some locations so that we can set up our branch there in New York. I'm even thinking about bringing him to our team.”
João Pedro and I looked at each other, suspicious of that information, since the more contact Felipe had with Jack, the greater the chances of him finding out about his brother's sexuality. Which was something JP didn't want at all. At least not for now.
I could understand it. It was difficult to change an entire conception of life overnight. It required a whole preparation and strength of mind that I didn't see in João Pedro.
He was his brother's equal in that regard, with no desire to fight the tide. He preferred to go with the flow.
" I understand. But I didn't have to come here to my room just for that. You could have asked me by message, and I would have sent you.”
" I sent some messages and since you didn't answer, I was quite busy, so I decided to come here in person. I thought you'd be home by now.”
" Even if you are already at home, what will I say, that I don't have all your dedication and commitment, right?”
João Pedro was doing an internship at the family company and would soon assume an effective position in the company's management. We would conclude our course at the end of the year, and he would be heading one of the boards.
" What's the problem, João Pedro? I'm sorry you seem upset with me. Is there something going on that I don't know about and would need to know about?”
He looked at us questioningly.
" I see no reason to be upset with you, my brother. Always so correct. It does nothing to discredit your conduct.”
" You're being ironic and we know it. But I'm not going to get into that discussion with you right now. I'm off to a business dinner.”
" So go. You shouldn't be late for something so important.”
João Pedro spoke with little regard.
I was extremely curious about the reasons that led João Pedro to treat his brother that way. However, I remained silent about the scene I had witnessed in that room.
I didn't want to raise questions I wasn't prepared to answer at that time.
João Felipe
I left the room feeling like my blood was on fire. I was angry with how I found my brother and Vivi. It felt like an extremely intimate moment as if they were a couple in a passionate moment.
Not that it looked like they'd just done anything sexual.
But the hug they were in when I entered João Pedro's room was a hug full of meanings. There seemed to be a lot of love involved at that moment between the two.
I came to think that what I was feeling at that moment sounded a lot like jealousy.
That urge I felt to rip Vivi out of my brother's arms was such a strong need that I couldn't control myself.
I took the car from the garage and headed to my business appointment, my blood still boiling, but I needed to take advantage of the drive to the restaurant to calm down. I couldn't let myself be affected by someone who decided to break off their relationship with me.
I arrived at the hotel calmer and managed to close an advantageous deal with a couple of my father's partners. I was looking for partnerships for the implementation of our branch in New York. I was satisfied with the outcome of the dinner and had already said goodbye to Mr. Gusmão and his wife, and was leaving the restaurant when someone called my name.
" Wow, how nice to meet you here, João Felipe! " The girl practically threw herself into my arms, as if she was really happy with my presence.
" Hi, Luana! Are you all right? " I replied in a restrained way, not understanding the girl's attitude.
Luana Amorim was a very pretty and friendly brunette, who I studied with during my course at New York University and we even went out together a few times during that period, but as always happened with the women I was involved with, I couldn't continue with the relationship, it was as if something was missing in the person and then, after a few dates, we parted ways and after the end of the course, we didn't talk anymore. I didn't even know she was in São Paulo.
She pulled away from me and looked at me intently. I noticed that she was trying to tell me something with her eyes until a man approached us.
" Luana, who is this guy? " the man spoke with a very closed expression.
I looked at her puzzled and she kept looking at me steadily.
" This is my dear friend, Felipe, " she said pointing to me. " And this is Otávio. Now I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I found you so we can catch up on things. You're going to drop me off at home, aren't you, Felipe?”
The man didn't even extend his hand to shake hands with me and I followed suit. His rude attitude made me question what Luana was doing with him in that restaurant and why she approached me like that as if asking for help.
Her looks led me to believe that she wanted me to confirm her "almost" lie since we weren't really that friendly.