SERENITY

CHAPTER 21

**Simon.

It must have been around 2 a. m. when someone started banging on the door of my house furiously. I got up from my sleep and headed almost blindly, towards the part of the house where I thought the door was. A little further, I met my mother, who had been woken up by the noise and was terrified.

-Someone knocks on the door, she tells me frightened.

Don't tell me, I think, but I don't comment on anything.

-I'll open up, I tell her casually, successfully hiding my own concern.

-Wait, she says, and gestures to me.

What happened again? She swims quickly and enters the kitchen. From where I am I can't see what she's doing. A little later, she returns again, holding a frying pan in her hands. Oh well, I think. I head to the door, and open it abruptly. It's almost completely dark outside, but I think I see Carlo in front of me. I feel my mind working hard to process the image my eyes see. What is he doing here at this time?

-What the. . . , I start to say but he cuts me off.

-Can I come in?, he asks.

His voice is barely audible. I turn and look at my mother, who is still standing behind me, with the frying pan in her hands.

-It's okay mom, it is Carlos, you can go to bed.

I see her figure relax at the sound of my words.

- Okay, kid. Hello Carlo, she tells him from afar.

-Hello, Mrs. Anna, he says politely.

She turns around and goes to her room, without saying anything else. I wait to hear the sound of the door closing and then turn to Carlo again.

-Well, what do you want here at this time?, I say, while I am still closing the door opening with my body, preventing him from entering.

-Can I come in?, he repeats and raises his gaze to look at me.

Despite the darkness, I can see very clearly his two eyes, which are red. His gaze is blank, but at the same time so expressive. The storm of emotions inside him is reflected in his black eyes and makes them look like a sea in the middle of the fiercest storm.

I get lost for a moment in his gaze. It's the first time we've been in touch for so long and he doesn't turn away or ruin it with a bad comment. He keeps looking at me waiting for an answer. Suddenly, my mind starts to think. The realization, along with the memory of Cornilla's announcement, hits me in the face and I realize that I have a broken Carlo in front of me.

-Come in, I tell him a little sloppy, and step aside so he can pass.

He walks in and as soon as he passes me he stops and waits for me. I close the door trying not to make noise and worry my mom more. I turn towards him and start approaching him. I see him following me with his gaze. I reach next to him and stop too. The smell of alcohol is strong when I am so close to him.

-Simon, sorry about that, he says with his head bowed. I shouldn't have come here at this time, I'd better leave.

At first I look at him in surprise, but then the part of the surprise leaves and anger takes over.

-You come to my house at this tiime, bang on my door and then with a sorry and an ass apology you think you're going to get away with it, I tell him and with every word I feel the anger flaring up more and more inside me.

He doesn't speak. All he does is keep looking at the floor. He tries to leave, but I stop him.

- You have nowhere to go.