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Chapter 2

My head was lightly bumping Ravi's chest, despite his large hands holding me tightly against his body.

I knew I shouldn't have drunk so much, but I needed the courage to launch myself straight into death and now I could barely stay on my feet.

When my consciousness comes back again, I'm no longer in Ravi's arms, I have my head resting on his chest and it felt like we were in a moving car, as my body moved slightly and sometimes abruptly.

It doesn't take long for the rocking of the car to start having an effect on my body.

"... I want to throw up "I say breathing through parted lips, trying to control that urge "I'm going to throw up "I say in agony, this time with a more urgent voice.

"To the car, Rubens! "I hear Ravi's deep voice against my ears, gradually the car starts to stop and before it was completely stopped, Ravi opened the door allowing me to lean over his lap, vomiting all the alcohol I had ingested, as well as the remnants of the pills he had taken.

I feel Ravi's hands glide over my head, as if to make a ponytail. He does the hairstyle , however, holds the hair preventing it from getting dirty with vomit.

I feel good with the simple gesture, safe enough to continue throwing up leaning over a stranger's lap. By the time I'm done, I'm worse off than before, necessitating that he arrange me next to his body, laying my head on his shoulder.

"You have a strange way of meeting people "I hear him say. I close my eyes, trying to concentrate on my breathing and even Ravi's voice, to try to dribble the urge to vomit that I felt settling in me again.

"This is not my method," I groan.

"So you have a method? "He ponders the idea "This is interesting "He spreads the back of a warm hand on my forehead.”

"What are you doing?”

"You're freezing.”

"I... I'm fine "I wasn't sure, to be exact. I didn't feel well at all, it felt like my insides were twisting and that urge.

"He is sure?”

I shake my head from side to side.

"...I'm not well "I admit.

He sighs.

"That's what I thought. Remember hitting your head? Maybe he has a concussion.”

It was difficult for me to know if it was really this or all the drugs I had taken having the effect I wanted.

"I took some medicine," I mumble.

Silence weighs in the car, in the first few seconds I could only hear the car sliding down the road and the rhythmic beats of Ravi's heart against my ears.

"How many did you take? "His voice was serious "How many, Mariana? "He insists, when I don't answer right away.

"Three... "I say swallowing hard "cards.

I feel when he catches his breath and when his voice comes out again, it's irritated.

"To the car, Rubens.”

"What? Again? "Rubens asks, since there weren't even five minutes since we had stopped on the side of the road.

"To the fucking car, Rubens! "Ravi shouts enraged.

The car brakes sharply, Ravi holds me tightly so I don't end up on top of the dashboard at the front of the car, opening the door again at the same time, only then taking my chin with one hand and sticking two fingers inside mine. mouth.

"What are you doing?! "I question with his fingers inside my mouth.

"Making you puke "His fingers go deeper, getting close to my throat. I frown, Ravi tries a second time and this time I vomit what was still in my stomach, this time I still managed to see two pills in the middle of that stomach water "Put it all out "He instructed "Go "Holding my hair in my arms again a ponytail with one hand, massages my back with the other, giving me a certain “motivation”.

"Holy shit, Ravi "I hear Rubens complain "Now what do we become?”

"You are what I want. Or are you forgetting this little detail? "Silence prevails for a few seconds.

"She'll get us in trouble.”

Ravi sighs, continuing to massage my back.

"I'll take care of her.”

I lift my torso a little to try to say that she could take care of myself, despite being in that chaotic situation. But before I do, I feel Ravi's arms around me, pulling me back to his side, but with only one difference this time: my head was lying in his lap. In his lap!

The car starts moving again as soon as the door closes, the silence inside the car now prevails and the discomfort in my stomach is not so strong, despite feeling one of the worst headaches of my life.

Ravi's hand strokes my arm, rising and falling. For some reason, with that simple gesture I felt safe. Something I haven't felt in a long time.

"Where are we going? "I tilt my head back a little, enough to look into his eyes.

"You have to recover.”

"Hospital? "I deduce without being very sure, I hear him smile.

"My house.”

Those two words had me on edge for a few seconds. I was going to the home of a stranger, who up until that point had been a real gentleman and who possibly saved my life.

I didn't know how things could go wrong after that.

I didn't notice when I fell asleep, only when Ravi started to take me out of the car, shortly after walking with me again in his arms.

"Are you sure what you're doing? "I hear Rubens ask again, before we go somewhere "We can leave her at a hospital.

"Dude "says Ravi impatiently "Shut up "Having said that, we entered what looked like a house. The ceiling was high, the walls pale, lit by a chandelier. Through my heavy lids, I couldn't make out much, but the least I could see clearly said I wasn't anywhere.

"I have to call insurance," I mutter as Ravi starts up the steps.

"Do it when you wake up.

I groan in disagreement.

"My bag...

"It's here," he says partially na cheerful tone "You have nothing to worry about.

Would Ravi be impressed if he knew I had a lot to worry about? In fact, I thought I'd always had something to worry about.

He doesn't turn on the light when we enter a room, instead he walks over to a bed, where he gently places me, before pulling the blanket over me.

I take a deep breath, not able to fight against a comfortable bed, sheet and blanket and, my eyelids that were getting heavier.

I stare at Ravi's body in front of me, a little hidden because of the darkness in the room, giving him a half smile.

"Thanks," I whisper.

He crouches down, holding my hand that was close to my face.

"Promise me something?

"I don't make promises to strangers "He smiles at the comment, lowering his head as he does so.

"I'm serious, Mariana.

Brief silence.

"OK. All good. You saved my life, didn't you? "Rebound.

Ravi shakes his head from side to side.

"You could very well have survived "He sighs "I want you to promise you won't do that again "I remain silent, waiting for him to continue "I don't want you to take those pills anymore.

I was surprised to hear those words, I expected him to want one of my organs.

"Right.

"Promise me, Mariana. No more pills "Insist.

"I promise, Ravi, I won't take any more pills "I say with all the words, hoping that this way, it will be calm.

No stranger cared about me like he did. Nobody had paid enough attention to me, not even when I was a kid. And to see a stranger worrying about me and wanting to make sure he didn't make the same mistake. I felt welcomed, even loved, which was strange for two people who had just met in a completely unexpected and almost tragic way.

I didn't know if I would be alive at that moment without Ravi's help. When simply my wish was to die from the beginning.

He squeezes my hand, letting the air out of my lungs and slowly I surrender back to sleep.

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