Chapter 6

As she closed the door behind her, Jussara leaned against it, finally letting the tears flow freely. She cursed herself for giving in so easily, for surrendering to that complete idiot. But despite everything, she couldn’t deny it had been good. Maybe the best she had ever had. Even so, she decided it would be the first and last time with him.

With slow steps, she went to the bathroom, where she washed away the traces of the time they had spent together, as if she wanted to erase the memories of that night. Her eyes were red, burning from the sadness and anger boiling inside her.

At the end of the day, Jussara took the medication to Gabriel’s office. He seemed relaxed, but his expression was still serious. As she handed him the medicine, he looked at her and said in a provocative tone:

"Meet me later in my bedroom."

She smiled, but her answer was firm.

"Only in your dreams."

Turning to leave, Jussara barely noticed the surprise on his face when he asked:

"You didn’t like it?"

She chose to lie, trying to hide the confusion she felt.

"No."

Her answer hit him like a punch. Gabriel felt offended, especially because he couldn’t show all his agility and experience due to the accident. Still, a doubt began to form in his mind.

"Even so, you managed to reach climax…"

Jussara hesitated, but she wasn’t going to let him see her vulnerability.

"I faked it."

Gabriel froze for a moment, disbelief written all over his face.

"What?" he asked nervously as she walked out, leaving him furious and confused by what he had just heard.

Gabriel remained motionless for a moment, those words echoing in his mind, fueling his anger. “I faked it…” He couldn’t believe she had lied about what they had shared. The feeling of frustration quickly turned into explosive rage.

"Damn it!" he shouted, fury taking over.

He knocked several papers off the desk with a sharp movement. His heart raced even faster, making him feel slightly short of breath.

After a few minutes, while the office was in disarray, Gabriel stopped to catch his breath.

He didn’t know how to deal with what he felt for Jussara. He tried to fight the desire and the anger, but no matter how much he tried to ignore it, the truth haunted him: Jussara was not just a prostitute; she had awakened something in him that he himself couldn’t understand.

The days dragged on in a tense and uncomfortable routine for Gabriel and Jussara. The tension in the air was palpable. Every time they saw each other, it felt like entering a battlefield. Jussara carefully left the medicines beside his wheelchair, exchanging no more than the necessary words. It was as if an abyss had formed between them, and each tried to ignore the depth of the void separating them.

Gabriel couldn’t understand why Jussara was acting that way. If she had been hired to distract him, why didn’t she come closer? What had changed between them? His mind spun around these questions, and frustration grew inside him. As much as he tried to focus on his recovery, he couldn’t ignore the attraction he felt for her.

"Damn it!" he muttered, striking the cane against the floor. It was an involuntary movement, but it revealed his restlessness. With each passing day, the excitement increased and self-control diminished. He wanted to get closer to her, but the confusion he felt held him back. He thought about Jussara and how she made him feel alive again, even amid pain and difficulty.

One morning, while reflecting on his frustrations, Gabriel laughed at himself. He remembered he could use his cellphone to remind him of medication times, something so simple that he had forgotten amid the whirlwind of feelings and events.

"I’m an idiot," he said to himself, shaking his head as he picked up the phone. It was a relief to discover a solution to a problem that had tormented him for days.

After physical therapy, Gabriel felt stronger than ever. He had made progress, and even though the cane made him seem dependent, he knew he would soon be walking without help. When he left the clinic, a new sense of determination took hold of him.

Walking slowly down the hallway, Gabriel reached the living room and saw Jussara sitting on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the floor. As soon as she noticed his presence, she looked up, but quickly looked away. That attitude bothered him, but he was no longer willing to keep this going.

"Jussara," he called her, his voice firm. She hesitated but didn’t answer. "Look at me," he insisted, moving closer. "We need to talk."

Finally, she looked at him. Gabriel walked slowly to an armchair and sat down, sighing heavily.

"I… I don’t need your services anymore," he began, his tone serious. Jussara froze, her eyes fixed on his expression. "I’m feeling much better, and I intend to move forward on my own from now on."

His words fell like a bomb between them. Jussara felt her heart tighten. She hadn’t even completed a month of work and already saw her plans collapsing. She had imagined she would stay at least three months; the money would be enough to pay her overdue bills and cover rent for a few months.

She lowered her head, fighting the wave of emotions flooding her. What could she say? He was decided. Silence settled in, heavy and uncomfortable.

Gabriel watched Jussara, noticing how her shoulders were slumped and how deep sadness marked her expression. What he had said should have freed him, but instead it only brought a sense of emptiness.

"I really appreciated everything you did for me," he continued, breaking the silence. "You did your job well… but I need to find myself again, without depending on anyone."

The sentence sounded like a goodbye to Jussara. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if she were losing something she had never truly had. She raised her gaze, her emotions right at the surface.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to hold back the tears that blurred her vision.

"Look, I’ll pay you for the time you were here. You don’t need to worry about that," he offered, trying to ease the situation a little.

But his words sounded empty. Jussara simply nodded, a lifeless gesture. She stood up slowly, as if every movement were a burden.

"If that’s what you want…" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

She moved toward the door and stopped, her heart racing. A growing sense of desperation wrapped around her; finding a job wasn’t that easy. She wanted to do anything to help him and keep working. She needed, at any cost, to pay the rent, water, and electricity before the bills piled up and turned into a snowball.

Before she could turn and leave, a presence made her freeze. She felt Gabriel behind her, and her breathing grew heavy. What would he do now?