Page 96 of Stronger Than Fate

“Please tell me you didn't fight,” I begged, and Lolo shook his head. “I'm so sorry for putting you through this. You don't deserve this worry I've caused you. You warned me, you told me what men like him were like, and I didn't listen. Please forgive me,” I pleaded, crying.

“I didn't fight, don't worry. Though I still want to,” said Lolo. “By the time I arrived, hotel security had already removed him. He's banned from entering. If he puts a finger in the hotel, I'll get my chance,” Lolo said, approaching me and tenderly wiping away my tears.

Bastián stroked my head and let me go.

“Let's sit down and talk,” said Bastián. “We want you to explain everything that happened because there are things that don't add up for us.”

They had the right to know all the details of what happened; after all, they had become involved in this unpleasant situation because of me. We sat in the living room, and they gave me a few minutes to begin telling them what had happened.

I told them everything, from the call he received inviting him to a soccer game from this Waylon person, to when I saw him enter his house with the woman. I showed them the photographs from the bar, but I omitted the one where they were naked.

“The first thing I’m going to ask is that you never again go alone to a place mentioned by a stranger. Do you understand that it could have been a trap to harm you or even kidnap you?” Bastián explained, with concern.

“I understand that clearly and I thought about it, but I had to confirm what I was seeing in those images.”

“I imagine that if you saw it with your own eyes, there’s not much more to say. If it had been just photographs, I would tell you to be suspicious because they can be doctored, but if you saw it yourself, there’s not much to clarify.”

“What are the things that don’t add up for you?” I asked.

“Do you have any idea who might have sent you those messages?” Lolo asked, without answering my question.

“I have no idea. I assumed it was one of his lovers who got my phone number and, upset because he was dedicating too much of his time to me, decided to expose him.”

“And how did they get your phone number? Our numbers are protected,” Lolo said.

“She probably got it from his phone. If they have a very close relationship, she might have had access to his phone,” I guessed, because I had already asked myself all these questions and these were the conclusions I had reached. After all, even I had looked at the messages from that Anabel woman.

“Could be...” Bastián said, “but there’s still something strange about all this and we’re going to figure it out.”

“What do you find strange?”

“Could it have been Sol?” Bastián questioned.

“Sol? I don’t understand what she has to do with all this,” I said, surprised by the question.

“You told us that you thought she was in love with Woollardy, and her behavior these past few weeks has suggested that something isn’t working quite right in her head, so to speak,” Lolo said.

“But do you really think she’s capable of doing something like this?”

“I do,” Lolo said, very convinced.

“I do too, little one,” Bastián said.

At that moment, I remembered that on Sunday I thought I had seen her twice, and both times she had looked at me with hatred. I also had the feeling that someone had followed me when I returned from the gym. But all of these were just my assumptions, and I couldn’t worry them more, so I decided not to share that information.

“It’s hard for me to believe it,” I confessed. “Although if it was her, all she did was show me what I was refusing to see.”

“I’m going to be honest with you,” Bastián said. “I’m not going to sit back and do nothing. I’m going to investigate that phone number and try to reach a conclusion.”

“I agree, Bastián and I have already discussed it and we’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Lolo said.

“And I won’t stop you, but promise me you’ll keep me informed.”

“Speaking of that, you need to turn on your phone because we want to stay in touch with you. We called you several times todayand couldn’t reach you. If you’re going to be far away, we need to be able to communicate,” Bastián scolded.

“Yes, I know. I’ll turn it on now. Also, I’ll give you Sean’s phone number.”

“I already have it, I always write to him for his birthday,” Lolo commented.