Damaged (Rúben Dias)

Chapter 15

Rúben's POV

I can't even begin to comprehend what's happened in the last few hours. I planned everything to tell Dani how I felt and I did it. She showed me she felt the same. I know Dani now and get she won't tell me these things. But she showed it to me, which is even better. It was perfect. All of it. I wouldn't change a thing because it's her. And then...ruined. All of it ruined.

I keep staring at the phone. At the stupid article. How has this even happened? I've always been careful to not be caught with any women. And honestly, the only times I didn't care was when I was with Dani. Let the world see us together. I'm fine with that. But Libby...I just bumped into her, chatted with her for a couple of minutes and that turned into this.

They got the photos to mean whatever they wanted them to mean. When she's smiling at me and touching my arm, she's just thanking me for looking after Dani. But to anyone else, it looks more like an interaction between two lovers. And the kiss? It was a kiss on the cheek. I would never kiss Libby again. But the angle makes it look like I'm doing that. Our bodies weren't even that close, so it's just a shot of our heads and shoulders. Fuck this.

Dani's phone is off. I tried to call and I got a message telling me to leave a message. I don't want to leave a fucking message. I just want her back.

I'm not even going to try to sleep because I just know it won't happen. And the word sleep reminds me of something. Dani mentioning a band she was listening to with the name sleep on it. Sleep what?

A quick Google search tells it's Sleep Token and the first song of theirs it shows is called "Take me back to Eden". She said I would like the lyrics...so I press play. And it's beautiful. The beauty of the music added to everything that happened today makes me cry. I don't cry often but I think it's more than justified today. They got more songs but I'm stuck listening to this one and I soon notice a part of the song that speaks to me more than a song has in a long while.

I guess it goes to show, does it not?

That we've no idea what we've got until we lose it

And no amount of love will keep it around

If we don't choose it

I chose Dani. I probably chose Dani before I even realised I had. And I'll choose fighting for her. To get her back now I've lost her. Because those lyrics are right. My love for her won't matter if I don't choose to fight for her.

But the first step is to find who did this to us. Because I refuse to believe it was a photographer who just walked past that street right when I happened to be chatting with a woman. Too fucking convenient.

**

But even finding out who got the article done proves complicated. Tabloids are so trashy that, apparently, a lot of their journalists work under an alias, so it doesn't show on any records that they did this for a living whenever they try to find a decent job. Can't say I blame them.

"Rúben", says Matt, one of the City guys who works on PR. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. I need your help".

"Got in trouble?", he laughs. "I saw the article but I doubt it's about that. The lady from the photos was really pretty and seems to just be normal".

"How do you know how she is?"

"Oh, we do background checks on anyone that's linked to our players. Just to make sure we avoid any trouble. If it can be avoided".

"Right. It actually is about the article".

"Oh...go on".

I sigh. How much can I tell without them doing a background check on Dani? Jesus, it's like working for the FBI.

"I was sort of seeing someone. Not the girl from the article. We're just friends. But...the other girl saw the article and left me".

"Sorry to hear that".

"Thank you. I need to know who wrote that article, Matt. And to find out if someone tricked us into being there at that exact moment to sell the photos. I'm not Haaland. I'm not Grealish...I don't get followed by photographers. How can this happen?"

"I see your point, Rúben. But those people walk around the city trying to find someone they can catch doing whatever. It wouldn't be so odd that they saw you with a pretty woman and thought they could sell the photos for a couple hundred pounds".

That's how much my relationship with Dani was destroyed for. A couple hundred pounds. God, I need to go to the gym and get all this anger out of my body in a somewhat healthy way.

"But I can look into it, ok?"

"You would be doing me a huge favour. You don't even know how big".

"Happy to help".

The days after my conversation with Matt feel like an even bigger nightmare. Dani still won't answer my calls or my texts, which she doesn't even read. And Matt hasn't said a word about who did this. He was my only hope.

"How heavy are those weights?", asks Rodri, looking at what I'm lifting.

"Not heavy enough".

"I don't know what's going on with you but don't overdo it, ok? Look after yourself. I'm sure it can be fixed".

He doesn't get it. At all. "Thanks, mate".

"Rúben!"

I put the weights down and see it's Matt who's calling me. When he spots me, he starts to walk towards me, a piece of paper in his hand.

"This wasn't easy so you owe me one. But here it is. The person who got the money for the article. And I'm guessing the person who was behind it in the first place".

"Thank you".

I took the piece of paper and read it all fast until I get to the name he has highlighted with a red pen. "Do you know who that is?"

I don't think I do. Who has that name? No one I know...or maybe someone I know trying to be smart but failing.

"Yeah, I think I do know who it is".

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Author's note: who do you think did it? 👀