That week I dedicated myself to finding out as much as I could about Adrián's whereabouts. Every day after the gym I asked him if he had plans, and we spent the time watching movies or playing games, until Saturday arrived. That day I realized he wasn't there, and neither was his car, so he was definitely not nearby. We had been together before and after eight in the morning all week, so today must be the day he was with her. I decided to call him, pretending to ask if we would have lunch together. "No, I'll be eating out," he said. "I'll be camping with a group of friends this weekend."
It's not hard for me to believe that some of what he's saying is true, because Amelia and I are supposed to see each other tomorrow. "Okay, we'll talk later," I say. The sound in the background of the line makes me think he's swimming at some public pool or water park. I look on the map for nearby water parks or pools. Most of the water parks are outside the city, and there are a couple of public pools in the city, but I decide to go to the farthest one because Adrián has already left in his car. All the way there, I don't know whether to pray that I'll arrive on time or that I won't find them at all, so when I get to the place, I head straight to the pool area with my heart in my mouth.
I see them talking in the pool from a distance. Amelia is sitting on the edge, swinging her feet, until Adrián grabs her legs and pulls her into the water. She surfaces and splashes him as if she's annoyed, but it's clearly an act because she's laughing. That's when my mind goes blank as I see Adrián kiss Amelia. She pulls away from him and pushes him out of the pool. She manages to spot me for a few seconds, and that's when I decide to leave.
I never thought I'd discover his affair this way. It was all right in front of me: the number, the license plate. If only I'd taken the time to memorize these basic details about Adrián.
When I get to the house, I see Adrián's car parked in the driveway. I head to his room and barge in without knocking, punching him in the face. — What's wrong with you?! — Adrián exclaims, as if the bastard doesn't know what he did. He covers his nose with one hand, but I don't see any blood.
— Why are you doing this to me? What kind of friend are you?
— What are you talking about? — Adrián asks, sitting up.
— All this time you were encouraging me and telling me she couldn't be with anyone but me, while you… — I say, tapping my index finger against his chest— you were hitting on her behind my back — I accuse. Adrián just lowers his gaze — Is she in on this too? — I ask. After what I saw, it's not hard to imagine them together — How long have you been making fun of me?
— No, this is all just a misunderstanding — Adrián says.
— just a misunderstanding? — I ask, pushing him — Come on, explain!
— I was the one who pursued her this whole time, but she never paid any attention to me — Adrián says.
— You should have told me you liked Amelia from the start, and I wouldn't have fallen for her! — I say, to which Adrián winces — You really like her? — I say, noticing his expression. This only makes me feel even more enraged — How could you be so pathetic? — I ask furiously.
At that moment, Adrián moves closer to me, but I stand my ground, thinking he might be planning to punch me back. I'm surprised to feel the warmth of his hands on each side of my face and the brush of his lips against mine. At this point, I no longer know what's happening.
We looked into each other's eyes for several seconds. Would he kiss me again, or would he say something? Then he leaned in again and kissed me. We kissed and caressed each other as if we were about to make love, but this was too much. I thought I could clear my mind and let myself go, but the circumstances were too confusing for me, for my heart. I pulled away from Adrian and left the room as quickly as I could because I was afraid to turn around and look at his face.
I go back to my room and decide to take a shower to try and calm down. My heart is racing, but the cool water on my face helps me relax only until the questions flood my mind. Why did he kiss me, and why did I kiss him back?Is he doing this to confuse me about his true intentions? He kissed Amelia; I saw it. But where did he get so much passion to kiss me like that?
I had to put my phone on silent because it wouldn't stop ringing on the subway. I have at least ten missed calls from Amelia and five messages—"See you tomorrow," I type in the chat without bothering to read the previous messages. When I go out to the basement living room, I see that Adrián's bedroom door is open. "Looks like he's gone," I say, feeling lonely, as I go up to the kitchen and don't find him there. After eating and disconnecting from reality for hours while watching random movies, I'm tired enough to go to sleep.
I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I remember every moment he touched my body. When we were at the gym looking at ourselves in the mirror, when we looked at each other after showering, or when he ran his fingers through my hair before every date I had with Amelia. "You have to look good," he'd say. Did that touch mean something more to him? Does it mean something more to me?