Vítor stepped back like he was electrocuted by the sound of the voice that came from the hallway. A guy that looked to be in his late twenties was staring at us, his face a mix of anger and confusion.
"Mateus."
Vítor started walking in the guy's direction, but he put his hands up to stop him.
The guy, Mateus, looked from me to Vítor, like he didn't know what to do.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Mateus, this is Tiago, he's my roommate in Lisbon. I had to come back for some paperwork and invited him to come along." Vítor's voice was unsure as he attempted to introduce me without giving too much away.
"Tiago, this is my son, Mateus." I stared back at Vítor. He had a son. A son who not only looked to be a couple of years younger than me but was also a split hair away from jumping to the right conclusion.
"What are you doing here?" Vítor finally asked when Mateus didn't react.
"I came back to pick up some of my stuff."
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Vítor asked. "It's nearly ready and there's enough."
I heard the plea in Vítor's voice and wondered what had happened between them.
"Are you serious? I guess lying runs in the family, then, if you think I'm stupid enough to think there's nothing going on between you and him."
"I think I should go and leave you alone to talk," I said as I left toward the bedroom. When I got there, I picked up my overnight bag and started packing the few things I'd brought with me. I could take a taxi to the station and get on the next train to Lisbon.
The raised voices I'd heard when I was packing had calmed down by the time I turned into the corridor leading to the living room. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop myself from listening.
"I saw how you looked at him, Dad."
"What do you mean?"
"You had the same look."
There was a silent moment, and I wondered if they knew I was listening to their conversation.
"When you looked at Papa, it was like the world around you kept moving while you remained at your own pace. No one could touch you or come between you."
"No, Mateus, it's not like that."
Suddenly I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"Dad, don't be the second liar in the family. It'll only hurt those that love you. Lying to yourself is still lying."
"You know he was doing what he thought was best, right?"
"I know, but it hurts that I didn't have a chance to talk to him about it when he was alive. He made a selfish decision, and we're the ones paying for it."
I heard movement but wasn't fast enough to move. When Vítor's eyes connected with mine, he looked hurt and confused.
I looked down and tried to walk past them toward the door, but Mateus stopped me.
"If you break his heart it'll be the last heart you break."
He turned to Vítor and hugged him. I saw Vítor was surprised by the gesture, but he recovered quickly and hugged his son back.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too, son. Don't ever forget that."
Vítor waited until Mateus had left before he turned and walked to me, his expression completely unreadable.
A shiver went through my spine as he stood as close as he could without touching me. His eyes pinned me in place with their strength, kindness, and determination, a bewitching combination I was powerless to resist.
