When In Love

Carlos walked as if this entire world belonged to him. He couldn't be happier because next to him was the most beautiful girl in the world. She chose to be here on this trip with him. For the first time, he was not the backup plan or was in the friend zone. Maybe his luck was finally turning around. Maybe good guys don't always finish last. Persistence is the key.  

Carlos met Hannah two years ago and fell in love with her at first sight. She understood him so well, which was very important because no one ever did. She laughed at his silly jokes, listened, consoled him when he was sad, cheered, and supported him. Hannah was like an oasis in the Sahara desert of his entire life. But on top of that, Hannah was astoundingly beautiful, seductive, and had a sexual energy that completely matched his. He couldn't believe she was dating him. It almost felt like a dream because everything was so effortless with her. But I can tell you are smart and have already figured out that dreams are short and, more importantly, unreal. 

That's where David comes into the picture after two months of Carlos and Hannah dating. David is tall, kind, attractive, young, and rich. At first, the changes were subtle, but then Hannah began distancing herself. The times they met decreased, and the excuses increased. She was busy at work, out with friends, or went to bed early. It did not help that Carlos was an overthinker. He analyzed every word, every message, every response, every pause, every look, and every sigh. He noticed how she kissed him differently, the new necklace, perfume and even her face lotion. His intuition told him what his heart couldn't accept. 

The breakup was brutal for Carlos. She met him at the Thai restaurant they both liked. The food was delicious and quick, so maybe that's why she picked it. She was already there when he arrived and even ordered for them to make it even quicker. Dressed in white, she sat outside in her sunglasses, looking away, indifferent and with a cold demeanor that would have sunk the Titanic if the iceberg wasn't there. Carlos walked up to the table and tried to hug her, but she didn't get up, so it felt awkward. Hannah did not wait long to tell him that the relationship was over. He appreciated that she did not wholly rebuke him and chose her words wisely. She wanted to be friends. She saw the devastation on his face, and her demeanor broke for a split second, but she regained it quickly with a silly joke to ease the shock. They hugged entirely too long before she sped off in her car while he broke down in the middle of the parking lot.  

While she continued to detach from him, he began to get attached or reattached to drinking again. It started with a few drinks, half a bottle to a bottle, and ended with him in the hospital after his blood alcohol concentration reached a staggering 0.36%. He was a drink away from death.  

When she told him about David, he was disappointed. He knew what they had was authentic and more profound than how she described her new relationship, but he also understood. So, he accepted his new assigned role: the bestie.  

He did not know why he accepted his new role. His friends told him it was pathetic, that she was taking advantage, but he did not care what anyone said. He was unhappy and depressed, but without her, he was as good as dead. So, he was her friend for months, which turned into years, and his feelings for her never changed; neither did her relationship with David. 

His therapist told him he needed to move on and that a change would be good for him. He knew where he would go, but before leaving, he asked to meet Hannah. They hadn't spoken in a while, which added to his nervousness.  

He arrived first at the Thai restaurant and ordered for her this time. She showed up in her workout outfit and an oversized hoodie, like a celebrity hiding from the paparazzi. It was probably David's hoodie, he thought. 

He did not wait long and told her how he felt and that he was leaving for Peru. He invited her to come with him. She smiled and told him she would go under one condition: they had to leave tonight. Carlos was shocked. At first, he couldn't believe her and was dismayed that she would take his offer jokingly. But then she insisted that she was serious. 

What do you do when you are a fool in love? You do crazy things without asking. So, our valiant hero went home, packed a duffel bag, and met Hannah at the airport to take the 8:30 PM flight to Orlando, from which they would go directly to Lima, Peru. 

With the exception of the two-hour stop in Orlando and a few minutes here and there, Hannah slept the whole way. She looked exhausted. She hasn't been sleeping so well, she told him. 

They reached Lima the following day and took an Uber to the hotel he had booked for them. It was too early to check in, so they just lay by the pool with drinks and snacks now and then. Carlos couldn't help noticing that Hannah was quieter than usual. Maybe she was still tired from all the traveling. 

The following day, they discovered more of Lima, which Carlos found nice but not as appealing as he imagined. Hannah bought some toiletries as she forgot to pack some, and Carlos purchased a charger for his phone since his cord somehow got ripped while traveling.  

As they walked back to the hotel, . . . Oh, wait. This is the beginning of the story. If you have forgotten, Carlos walked as if this entire world belonged to him. However, something was wrong, and he couldn't figure out what it was. He knew he should be happy and just enjoy the moment. But his stupid brain would not let him. For the past 48 hours, Hannah was more erratic. The spontaneous trip, the long periods of awkward silence, which is so unlike her, the fact that she seemed upset about him buying a phone charger, and the very passionate sex this morning. But he pushed his doubts aside when she smiled at him. 

At the hotel, she took off her clothes as soon as they walked into the room, which made him follow her like a puppy. After another passionate session of sexual discovery, she left him to go shower while he just lay in bed with the biggest grin on his face. She must have genuinely missed him. Just to confirm, she called him from the shower to come "help," and he did. 

After showering, they both fell asleep quickly. However, Carlos woke up feeling warm a few hours later because the air conditioning had turned off. He turned it back on and charged his phone with his new charger. It had been off for a couple of days, so Carlos expected to see a couple of missed calls or texts. However, he was not expecting to see 64 text messages and 30 missed calls with ten voicemails.  

After he scrolled through the "Hello?!", the "WTF!", the "Are you ok?" and the "Where the fuck are you?" messages, things became more interesting. 

"OMG! Did you hear?!" 

"Turn on the News now!!!" 

So, he listened to his voicemails and finally listened to one that made him stop and listen again and again. 

"Dude, where the hell are you? Did you see the News? That dude Hannah is dating . . . uh was dating, was found dead. Isn't that crazy?! Anyway, call me back. Let's go grab a drink or something." 

Carlos looked at the time. It was 2:30 AM. He did not know what to do.  

Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a silvery glow on her warm, peaceful body, adding to her delicate quality as she slept beside him. He shook his head as a sense of anxiety gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. With a sinking heart, he realized the chilling truth that lingered like a specter in the stillness of the night: the woman he loved might be involved with the murder of her boyfriend. 

Questions swirled in his mind like a storm, demanding answers that he feared to uncover. Was she involved with the murder? Did she lie to him? Is that why she has been erratic? Is that why they left so quickly? Is he now an accomplice? Should he confront her? Should he keep silent? What if she was involved? How far was he willing to go? Would he break the law for her? Carlos watched her sleeping with haunted eyes, seeking signs of guilt or innocence in the delicate curve of her body. There were no signs. He didn't know what to do, but he knew that he loved her and was terrified of losing her. All he wanted to do right now was hold her and fall asleep. So, he did just that. 

Hannah waited for Carlos to fall asleep. She knew it was a matter of time before he found out. She did not know why she involved him in this. He did not deserve that. But when he called her and told her about the trip, she felt like he was her guardian angel. She should have told him the truth. Would he have believed her? It was a stupid fucking accident. She didn't want to kill David. But the idiot didn't know how to stop when he was drunk. She was trying to make him stop. But that idiot couldn't stop himself because he was too drunk. She hated it when he went out with his peabrain friends. But it was too late now. She tiptoed around the room, picking up her stuff and looking for her shoes. She opened the door before she heard Carlos's voice. 

"So that's it?" 

She did not respond.

"Hannah, whatever happened, I am here for you."

"No, Carlos, you don't deserve this."

"Come back inside, please. Let's talk."  

Hannan hesitated. She did not have a plan, a place to go, or anything, but she did not want to ruin Carlos's life. Hannah thought the truth was out now, so a few more hours wouldn't hurt. She closed the door and went back inside. 

"Carlos, I don't want you to lose everything because of me. So, I will just leave in the morning."

"Don't be like that. I am already involved, and I won't lose everything. Can you just tell me what happened?"

With trembling hands and tear-filled eyes, Hannah mustered the courage to speak the words that had haunted her since that night.

"It's stupid. David went drinking with his friends and came home drunk. I was in bed sleeping and woke up to him on top of me. It was horrible. He stunk of alcohol and smoke. He slurred, so I did not understand what he was saying. It was fucking terrifying. I tried to push him, but he was so heavy. I was able to grab the lamp next to me, and I hit him on the head like three times. Finally, that made him move a bit off me, so I pushed him. I think I put all my energy into that push because he fell backward and hit his head. I killed him, Carlos. I fucking killed him. I didn't mean to, I swear." 

Tears streamed down Hanna's cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. 

Carlos's gaze softened with empathy and compassion, his heart heavy with Hannah's anguish. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly.  

" I am so sorry, Hannah. That sounds horrible. You must have been terrified. But I think we need to go back and go to the police. This was an accident and an act of self-defense. "

" It is too late. I ran away like an idiot. "

"Better late than never." 

"Ok, but I ran Carlos. Isn't that proof of guilt?" 

"Come here, " he said as he took her in his arms and lay in bed with her. 

"I won't let anything bad happen to you. I love you. Let's get some sleep for now, and we can figure everything out tomorrow when we get up. I will call Andy tomorrow; he is a criminal lawyer and can help us." 

So, with that, the couple went to sleep with a new sacred bond that left behind the pain of the past. 

After speaking with Andy the next day, they booked a flight home and promised to return as soon as she was free of any legal problems. But who knows if they did.