‹ Prequel: A Summer Romance

Forgive and Forget

Five

The chill of the November air still prickling in her bones, Elina couldn’t help but feel like she was walking towards the lion’s den as she followed her brother through the halls of Anfield after a slamming 8-0 victory over Besiktas. She’d been a fan of the club for years and she had been to a handful of games at that very arena in the past couple of years, but she’d never been inside of it, not like this.

And certainly not in the company of the players...

Forcing a stiff smile to her lips as one of Simon’s teammates held open the door for her; she stepped into the semi-busy players lounge in the arena, mentally berating herself for allowing herself to be talked into this.

There was a reason she stayed clear of everything and anything that was even remotely connected with the club and its players as she moved about town, and right in that moment, she was going against her very instinct of staying away. The club’s new number nine may not have played in the game they’d just seen, but he’d been on the bench, he was there, and the academy players had been given assurances that the whole team, only excluding injured players, would be there for them to meet and talk to.

Her chances of not meeting, seeing, running into Fernando during their time in there was worse than a snowball’s chance in hell.

A notion that was confirmed just a moment later when a door on the opposite side of the room opened and a number of players stepped inside, amongst others Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres.

Quickly averting her eyes, she dug her hands deeper into the pockets of her grey and white, short chequered pea coat and attempted to follow along in the conversation Simon was having with one of his teammates; Landon and his older brother Joshua.

Her skin was prickling and she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, but she knew that she couldn’t turn around to find out if a bottle blonde Spaniard was the culprit without giving away the fact that she felt uncomfortable, and knew very well that he was there too.

She’d never been a fan of seeing her exes after they’d broken things off, it was always awkward and sometimes it even hurt more than the actual break-up had.

Licking her lips as she tried to ignore the way Joshua was not so discreetly checking her out and continue to follow along with the conversation, she glanced around the room and froze slightly as her blue eyes accidentally met a pair of all too familiar brown eyes.

Seeing him excuse himself from the group he was chatting with, she didn't bother doing the same and simply turned around, quickly hurrying across the room whilst silently hoping that she was going to be able to get away.

Feeling a hand on her arm just as she made it out through the door they’d arrived through, she froze mid step and her eyes fluttered close as she tried to ignore the feeling of being backed into a corner washed over her.

Shaking off the hand, she slowly spun around on her sneaker-clad toe and looked up at him.

Neither of them saying anything, she shook her head after a moment and was about to step around him, when he intercepted her and caused her to back up against the wall.

“What?” she questioned darkly as she with a scoff realised that he was successfully blocking her in.

“Why are you so cold?” he frowned confused, and she reluctantly noticed that his face wasn't built for frowns, it was built for smiles. “Why you refuse to talk to me?” he stuttered slightly.

“What is it to you?” she retorted in English, knowing that so far she had the upper hand in the language department.

“Answering a question with a question,” he mumbled under his breath, in Spanish, as he took her in, realising that her eyes were exactly the same as when they had first met. “Because I want to talk to you,” he said softly, honesty shining in his brown eyes.

“Then we are at an impasse,” she told him, “because I don't want to talk to you,” she added as she glanced from left to right, up and down the hallway only to realise that they were currently completely alone.

“You're not wearing the ring,” he observed as he took her hands in his and brushed his thumbs over her knuckles, before she pulled them out of his grasp, a look of discomfort flashing across her face.

“I know,” she glowered at him. “I haven’t been for a long time,” she added as she dropped her arms to her sides, suppressing the urge to cross her arms over her chest in what would clearly be a defensive manner.

“Why not?” he asked, his voice clearly reflecting the hurt he felt at hearing those words.

“I don't like being lied to,” she stated evenly, watching as the penny dropped, the realization of what she was referring to showing clearly across his face.

“I didn't...” he began, feeling the need to try to explain the decisions he’d made years ago.

“Don’t,” she interrupted him with a cold look. “Just don't,” she added softly with a sad half-smile and a slight shake of her head before slipping around him and heading down the corridor to where she knew the exits were located.

She hated being lied to, she didn't want to remember, but like she’d told him on that beautiful beach those years ago, she didn't need a ring to remember...


-x-

Watching her walk away from him, looking just as good as the only other time he’d seen her in person since they both left the Balearic Island he couldn’t help but think that he’d made a huge mistake when he didn't tell her about his true profession as a football player.

Ever since those words passed his lips that afternoon by the pool of the house he’d shared with his brother and now sister-in-law, when he omitted the truth, when he lied and said that he was a university student who only just played football for fun, he’d known that they would come back and bite him one day. He just hadn't realised how hard.

He didn't like being lied to either, but he’d done what he’d thought was best.

Only now he was realizing that by lying to her, he’d ruined what could very well have been one of the best things in his life.

Sure, years had passed since that summer, but looking at her...he couldn’t help but think that...

Watching her walking away from him, he couldn’t help but think that if he’d been truthful she would have been running towards him, not walking away.
♠ ♠ ♠
Elina