see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 90

~ Author's Note ~

Bro looks so disgusted there.

10 more chapters until the big old three digits

𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆.

𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐈 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐍, 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐃.

I gently tug on my boyfriend's arm, giving him a reassuring smile. "Go sit with Pedri and the others in the hot tube, babe. I'll be right back."

"I don't want you going with Ferra-"

"What do you think he's going to do to me?" I ask, kind of exasperated by this comment. "Remember, he never touched me. I was the one who hit him. You were the one who punched him. Don't act like Ferran is some dangerous beast, love. Remember, he's your teammate. He's not some evil faker or player. We all... make mistakes. It took a hot second, but I've forgiven him now, and I want you to, too." These words surprise me. I didn't think I'd forgive Ferran so quickly. I'm usually awful when it comes to the concept of forgiveness. But I think, for some reason, seeing someone else's anger and lack of forgiveness towards him reminds me not to be like that. It reminds me to forgive Ferran. Before I've even left to talk to him.

Gavi studies me a few seconds, and then some strange look enters his eyes, and he lets go of my shoulder. I get out of the pool, going to my bag to grab a warm towel and a rubber band to tie my hair up in a bun before following Ferran to wherever he's going to lead me. I glance back one more time to see Gavi sitting alone next to Pedri, talking about something softly. Pedri looks like he's listening very seriously.

I shake my head and look back to Ferran. He leads me to a corner, where we can still be seen, but we can't be heard, and leans against the wall. I lean against it, too, facing him. "Figure your man would like it better if he can see us, since he doesn't trust me with you alone. It's not right for me to be alone with a girl, either. I have a girlfriend."

I still haven't met his eyes. "That's a strange thing to say, Ferran. I'm alone with guys all the time."

"It's different when you're a guy. How'd you like it if you heard Gavi was bringing another girl to a secluded place to have a 'private talk' with her, where no one could be seen?"

"I guess that's a good point. But Sira isn't here."

"Whether she's here to see me or not, I always want to make sure I'm being the guy she loves. Whether she knows if I am or not."

"That's a good way to think..." I say. "Do you think she'd be pleased with how you spoke about me and Gavi behind our backs?"

"No," he says, and I can feel his eyes on me, although I can't look back just yet, "so that's what I'm here to talk to you about."

I finally look up to his face, and I'm astonished, and honestly, pretty angry with my boyfriend. There's a black, yellow, purple, and blue bruise on one side of his jaw, a greenish one near one of his eyes, and a dark mark that looks a little too outward to be a bruise on one side of his nose. If it were dark, I could mistake it for a shadow. I almost do, since we're standing in a shadowy corner. My first reaction is to gasp in horror at how beaten up he looks. "Ferran," I breath.

"What?"

"Your face... He... He did that to you... I'm... Ferran, I'm so sorry..." I say, kind of in shock. "How'd you take care of the nose?"

"I give all the credit to Busquets. I was horrified by how much I was bleeding. Busi just made sure to do me up with some napkins in my nose until it stopped bleeding. That's all we could do, and, apparently, it was enough."

"Oh, Ferran," I shutter at the thought of seeing his blood again. "I'm so sorry... I hate... blood."

"Hey." He is about to smile, but stops, not wanting the muscles into his mouth to spread and hurt his injuries on his face. "Just don't think about it, then."

"I'm so sorry... I..."

"You didn't do it. You slapped me, and knocked me back to myself, and I'm fine, okay? It'll heal. Everything does. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure...? If there is anything I can do for you-"

"Ember, I'm a six foot tall football player with my life, well, pretty much in order," he sounds doubtful about that last part, but I decide to leave it, "and I don't necessarily need your pity, so drop it."

"It makes me sick to see someone I care about injured, even if you're so freaking wrong and annoying sometimes."

"There's Ember," he smiles. "Now, just let me say what I want to say. Gavi looks anxious to have you back over there."

"Okay..." I say, looking into his brown eyes again like I did just this morning. It feels like such a longer time ago. "I'm listening, Ferran."

"I'm sorry for saying what I did, alright? I shouldn't've said it. You and Eric are right- it is immature, and I should know better than that. I know if anyone was making fun of me and Sira, I'd wanna do this to them, too," Ferran says, pointing to the marks on his face. "It was wrong of Gavi, but... I guess what I'm saying is, who am I to judge? I didn't deal with any of it correctly, Ember. So I'm sorry."

I study his face once more, before asking, "Why aren't you also telling Gavi this?"

He smiles, shaking his head. "Do you really think he's in a place to listen to me say this? He's mad, and with his brain, he can't stay focused on something for longer than a half a minute."

"Yes he can!" I defend him.

"Oh really? What?"

"Me," I grin.

"Oh, alright, good point. You and football."

"That's what he always tells me."

"What?"

"'You and football.' It's kind of his catch phrase now."

"Hm... interesting."

"So do you take back what you said?"

He sighs, looking kind of uncomfortable. "I take back the fact that I said it. Honestly, we all have our own opinions, Ember. I know it's not right for me to have an opinion regarding something that doesn't concern me, but don't we all do that? It was wrong of me to think the rude things, and then say them. So that's what I'm sorry for."

"Ugh," I groan in annoyance. "Ferran Torres, you are so annoying. Good to see you're still you, I guess. I hope you know how much  I hate your opinion," I add, suddenly throwing my arms around him. "But I still forgive you, because of your sincere apology." I reach up and gently stroke one of the bruises, before gently kissing it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ember," he says, backing up. "We're both taken! Someone needs you to teach you the difference of how you treat a boy space friend and a boyfriend, huh?"

And I'm sure he's probably completely right.

For once.