Home is Where the Heart is - Pablo Gavi

Chapter 37: Validation

My chest loosens.

He notices and continues, "Isla you're my best friend. I never want to have to pretend I'm not in love with you again, out on the pitch or in the privacy of our home. We can be us and together and ignore what everyone else has to say because it doesn't matter. I love you more than the moon loves the sun as it waits months for an eclipse just for them to get to see each other for a few measly hours."

I grin, looking down at him. "I love your solar system love speeches."

He reaches up and kisses me on the forehead. "Thank Aurora. Now I'm going back to sleep." I chuckle as he lays back down and wraps both his arms around my torso. At first the contact is comforting, but then the insecurity resurfaces and I can't help but wonder if what all those comments were saying is true.

Several hours later when Gavi is no longer sleepy, he drives me back to Pedri's to grab my car.

"What if he asks why your hair is wet?" Gavi questions as we're pulling up behind my car, parked on the side of the street in front of Pedri's house. We had a shower at the hotel before coming here and both our heads of hair remain damp.

"Then I'll tell him I took a shower at Pedri's," I respond, reaching for the door handle to get out of his car.

He stops me. "What if he asks why you showered at Pedri's?"

"Pablo," I say seriously. "Relax, he's not going to quiz me and if he does I'll send you a voice memo of it so you can study it incase he gives you a similar pop quiz later," I add sarcastically. Gavi is way overthinking this, our story is covered.

His shoulders drop. "I don't want you to be in trouble. If you do get in trouble blame it all on me, the worst he can do to me is put me on the bench."

"Isn't that the worst he could do to me?" I ask, genuinely thinking if there's something worse he has the power to do.

"He could send you back to Canada," Gavi suggests.

"Good point. I'll lie good." I jump out of his car, waving goodbye as I walk the short distance to mine.

Gavi waits until I drive away before he follows me, turning right at the next set of lights while I have to turn left.

Back at Xavi's house, I hop out of my car and go inside. I hope he's not home so that I don't have to produce the elaborate lie I have concocted and serve it to him. Of course I am out of luck for the week.

I open the door and straight away see Xavi in the kitchen. "Buenos días sobrina," he says, not looking up from his iPad. I hear the commentary from a match coming from it. He's probably analyzing our game from yesterday. He closes the iPad and the sound abruptly stops. "Come sit," he tells me, still avoiding me gaze.

I go over to him and sit across the island.

"Congratulations," he starts, "on the match yesterday, I don't think I got the chance to tell you that."

"You too," I say skeptically, "I mean we won."

He slides his iPad off to the side. "And on your announcement."

"Thanks," I say awkwardly. I hadn't warned him about it prior and now I'm second guessing if I should have.

"The public taking it well?" he asks politely.

I slouch over the counter, resting my head in my arms. "Nope."

He nods a few times. "Told your parents?"

"Nope."

"They probably watched the match."

I shrug, lifting my head and body back up. "Probably."