20

The sentence came out as if it had to, or probably because Crystal needed to get it out to soften her friend's words, to divert him from his thoughts that were as right as they were disturbing. Leandro was shaken as the young woman had expected, and that was a fine understatement. Who wouldn't be. Nicky, their Nicky who meant so much to them, had committed what is to society, the most unacceptable of sins. Whatever the reason, he'd done it, and that was probably the most important thing.

"I beg your pardon."

"You heard perfectly what I said."

So she told him everything. Now as Nicky had told him he'd know soon, he knew, and as he should have expected too, he didn't understand.

That evening, when Crystal returned to her home, their home, Nathan was waiting for her there, a drink in his hand, he was already half-drunk. He was handsome in his drunken way, his skin just the right amount of tan highlighted by his black polo shirt. His jeans revealed the bulge that formed at the very moment he saw his fiancée enter, still as wonderful and still his.

They stared at each other for a long time, oblivious to the passage of time, their breathing seeming to stop for a moment in anticipation of what was about to happen, inexorably.

Then Nathan let out a sensual growl and ran to Crystal to throw himself squarely on top of her. There were no preliminaries. They were nothing more than kissing again and again, their tongues finding each other, intertwining greedily, drops of saliva running from Crystal's mouth, she found herself on the floor in the middle of the living room, Nathan had spread her leg and torn her panties, the ends of which he threw away. Crystal tried to undo the belt on his jeans, but her hands were shaking too much, so her lover had to take her place. When he released his sex, stretched out like a stick of dynamite, Crystal looked at him for a moment, running her tongue over her lips. She wanted to take him in her mouth, but it was too late. Her fiancé couldn't hold out any longer, so he immediately thrust into her, deep inside, into that moist, warm wetness, emitting a rattle of pleasure as Crystal threw her head back, screaming like an animal. The pace was fast, wild. Crystal clawed and bit at her love's shoulders and neck as he quickened his pace, putting the most force into his thrusts. They both reached the peak of pleasure together. Nathan poured himself into her to the last drop. They were so sweaty that they thought they could create a small pool in the middle of their living room.

And then, as the couple tried to catch their breath, Nathan's head resting on his fiancée's bare chest, Crystal had the thought that she and this person had already experienced the same thing when they were together, even several times, and that with him, it was different. 

Different in every way.

If she had to choose which was better...then suddenly aware of the nature of her thoughts, Crystal closed her eyes and let herself go in a new embrace, which this time was very gentle, as gentle as the soothing, timeless stirrings of an ending.

***

Three days later, Crystal, who had slightly hurt her foot, decided to take a cab to work. It passed through a residential quarter, apparently an alleyway endowed only with luxurious villas and mansions. It was from one of these that the young woman saw him emerge. He was dressed soberly in an apple-green T-shirt and light pants, his black hair tousled, which made him look so normal and attractive. But he wasn't alone. He was accompanying a woman in her forties who was as elegant and confident as a woman who had achieved everything in life. The strong, independent type. They chatted animatedly all the way to the cab parked outside the hotel, which had undoubtedly been ordered for this exceptional woman. Nicky gallantly opened the door for her, but before stepping inside, the young woman threw her arms around the slender but powerful neck of her undisputed lover and offered him her ruddy mouth. Nicky complied pleasantly with his mistress's informal request, and there they exchanged a long kiss as fiery as it was passionate.

What Crystal felt when she saw this scene, she'll never recognize, never speak of. The only visible sign that revealed the nature of her emotions engendered by this brief but torrid scene was her hand clenched like wood and brought to her chest. 

"Are you all right, Miss?" inquired the driver, alarmed by the expression on her angelic face.

The young woman took a deep breath and smiled at the worried driver.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a little tired. The week didn't get off to a good start."

"Ah, I prefer that. But you know, life's like that. However, you're young and so beautiful so..."

Crystal left the driver to spout his nonsense, returning to the only thing on her mind. The young woman finally disentangled herself from Nicky, then finally got into the cab, which started up and took the line right in front of Crystal's. No doubt that was why he saw her. No," she corrected, "but if it hadn't happened that way, he'd still have seen her. She wouldn't have allowed it otherwise. 

Anyway, he saw her and, as in that tragic event a few days ago, looked into her eyes. But this time, his was totally different, and the young woman knew it was because of her, because of what she'd told him, because of the way she'd told him. He'd saved their lives, no matter what, he'd done it, and she'd condemned him anyway.