Page 68 of Stronger Than Fate

“Nacho, it's better if we don't interfere. Let them work it out,” Niky requested, then looked at her brother. “Here, these are Dalina's things. Take care of her.”

I didn't hear anything else because the next second Henry was carrying me in his arms through the club to leave.

“I-told-you-to-put-me-dowwwn,” I said, separating the words and struggling with uncoordinated movements.

“Dalina, it would be better if you stop talking and stay still.”

“You're such a bossssy person!”

“Yes, I am.”

“I can't stand you.”

“Shhhh, silence,” he said, looking at me seriously.

We reached his car, he placed me in the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt.

“You'd better not throw up because if you do, I'll get much angrier, and I assure you I'm already furious,” he stated.

“I haaate you.”

“I said stop talking.”

He walked around the car, got in and started it. My eyes were closing, so I let myself be carried away by sleep and lost consciousness.

Chapter 10

“I bid you farewell, and perhaps, with this goodbye,

my most beautiful dream dies within me...

But I bid you farewell, for all my life,

even though all my life I’ll keep thinking of you”

—José Ángel Buesa

Iopened my eyes and the first thing I felt was an enormous, throbbing headache, especially in the frontal area. I brought my hands to my temples and pressed, hoping to ease the annoying pain. The second thing I noticed was that I was lying in a bed that wasn’t mine but one I knew very well—it was Henry’s bed, though he wasn’t there. I sat up immediately, but I don’t know if it was because of the sudden movement, but everything spun around me and I had to rest my head back on the pillow. My experience with alcohol had turned out disastrous. I felt a general discomfort, both physically and emotionally, because I also felt sad, though I wasn’t clear about the reasons.

I made an effort to remember how I had ended up there, but the last thing my brain registered was the image of Henry embracing a woman.

If he was with someone else, what am I doing in his bed?I questioned myself.

Once again, fury and sadness took hold of me. I had to get up and leave there as soon as possible. I sat up in bed again, this time more slowly, and managed to keep everything in place—nothing spun. At that moment, I noticed I was in my underwearand felt ashamed of myself for not remembering anything. Had I allowed that man to seduce me again?You’re an idiot!I told myself.

On the nightstand was a glass and a pitcher of water. I poured some and took small sips, though at first I would have drunk the entire pitcher because I was very thirsty and my throat was dry.

Very slowly, I placed my feet on the floor and, when I was sure my legs could support me, I gradually stood up, though my headache intensified. I slowly walked to the bathroom and locked the door. When I turned on the light, I had to close my eyes because I thought I would go blind. Fearfully, I opened them little by little, and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was horrified—my eyes were red, I had dark circles, and my makeup was completely smeared. I was a walking disaster!

I turned on the shower and waited for the water to get warm, then stepped under the stream and stayed there for several minutes, not wanting to think about anything. I wanted the earth to open up, swallow me, and spit me out on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

When I got out of the shower, I looked better, but the dark circles were still there, not to mention the physical discomfort. I was never going to drink again in my life.

I put my underwear back on and wrapped myself in a towel. I opened the door a bit fearfully, and my fears came true because Henry was sitting on the bed, looking at me with overwhelming seriousness. I stood in the middle of the room, looking at him with the same seriousness that he was showing, or at least I tried, because competing with that serious face wasn’t for just anyone.

“I see you’re feeling better,” he stated, looking me up and down.

“Can you explain what I’m doing in your house?”