see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 6

𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆.

𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐘, 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄, 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐈, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐈. I don't even know what exactly to think about it. All I know is that it's amazing, that is for sure.

I think both me and Charli, though, acted completely idiotically. It's really too bad we were so drunk in that moment... Things could have gone differently.

I know nothing will come of it, but all I can think is that I slipped Gavi my number. Pablo Gavira actually does have my number. He probably threw it out as soon as he saw it, but still. What if he didn't...?

I'm so stupid. I remind myself my firm thing against boys and dating. I need to stay on track with my life, no matter what comes my way.

Me and Charli talk about the night before, and I show her the picture I got with them. She was slightly jealous about being left behind and missing the picture, but I think she was mostly just excited about it all.

Weeks pass, and we have a great time. Then my college classes start, and everything goes excellently. My life is practically perfect, in fact. It's hard to find anything wrong with it.

One of the best things is that there are no guys bothering me. Another amazing thing is the amount of Barcelona matches I can see live, which is a blast. Another fabulous thing is being with my friends.

Everything is wonderful.

One night, it's darker outside, and I'm just going for a walk. I'm sober and everything. I just wanted to clear my mind, have a break, and walk on some of the quieter streets of Barcelona. Sometimes even the happiest people need to go out in the cool summer air of the night by themselves and just have a nice stroll.

And it really is just a nice stroll. It's a beautiful night, with the moon and a few stars shining, and not a lot of streetlamps are on. There is basically no one else around, which I love. It is absolutely perfect. 

I take out my phone to see the time, and get caught up in reading some emails.

Apparently, someone else had the same idea, to be out on a walk, by themself, and be looking down at their phone, because I bump right into someone. I'm hit with a whiff of men's fresh smelling cologne, and I back away quickly, looking up at the individual.

The man looks away, behind him, muttering very softly, "Sorry." 

He starts to keep walking on, but I catch a small glimpse of his face, and my heart start pounding... It's probably just a trick of the dim lighting... But what if it's not? So I say, "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The man stops, his back facing me. He says shortly, "Yeah, it is."

"Is that why you're out tonight? Because it's why I'm out tonight."

"Yeah, it is." He still refuses to turn around, which makes me even more curious.

So, despite it being quite a strange action to do, and probably seems a bit strange, disrespectful, and out of the ordinary, I suddenly run around him, as fast as I can, so I'm right in front of his face. Not expecting it, he doesn't have enough time to look away, and our eyes meet.

We just stare at each other.

In the calm night with the sound of crickets and distant cars around us, I stand, eyes locked with Pablo Gavira. Neither of us say much, until I finally get out, "Do you recognize me?"

"Are you the one that slipped her number in my pocket? The drunk one, with the weird friend that wouldn't let go of Pedri?"

I sigh. "Yeah, I guess that's how you should remember me, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well, I guess it is."

There's more silence, and this whole situation doesn't seem exactly real to me.

"Do you sometimes just have to get away from all the football and teammates and press and fans and cameras?" I finally ask him, meeting his eyes again.

"Yes. That's why I'm here. To be alone."

I nod slowly. "This is a nice place to be. I just found it tonight. I just moved to Barcelona a little while ago."

"Did you? That's probably why I came across you tonight, then. Because the reason I come here is because no one else is ever here, at least when I come here for walks at nighttime sometimes."

I nod slowly, taking all this information in. "You get tired of Pedri?"

"Not really tired of him. I like Pedri. He's my friend. I just get a little tired, is all, of everything. A walk at night is nice."

I nod. "I agree..."

We stand there for a few more silent moment, before he says, "Mind if I continue on?"

"A bit," I smile. "Because you're kind of, like, my idol. Do you mind if I walk with you? I won't act like an annoying fan... I'll just act like any other person that's just going on a nice walk with a friendly stranger."

"I guess I mind it a little, but it's okay," he sighs very softly. "You can walk with me. Maybe you're a little interesting."

I nod, and we start walking. He walks a little slower than I was, but that's okay. I'm surprised by this- I'd think he'd actually walk faster.

After a little bit, he says, "What is your name?"

I smile broadly, because I can't help it. "My first name is Ember."

He nods slowly. "Ember," he repeats it.

I nod. It sounds so amazing to hear him say my name. I don't think it's real, actually. Either way, it is wonderful.

We keep walking quietly.

"You always lived in Barcelona, no?"

"No, I haven't," I respond. "I was born in Bilbao. Then moved to France. Now I'm here. I've always been a Barcelona fan, though."

He nods, with a slight smile. I can see it, even in the darkness outside. It's cold out, and both of the hoods of our hoodies are up. "That's good. Barcelona is the club you should be a fan of."

I grin. "That's what I've been telling my friends for years."

Before we leave, Gavi makes me promise not to tell anyone about this- not my friends, not my family, not my closest neighbor. I agree to it wholeheartedly.

Then he explains that he threw out the slip of paper with my phone number on it. He asks to give it to him again.