Somewhere Only We Know

83: No Girl Wants To Be Friends With ‘The Ex’

Settling down in her seat, Ariana smiled a little, her blue eyes glancing across the pitch that sat ahead of her. It had been a long day, one filled with anxiousness, but she was confident about Spain’s chances. They hadn’t played overly well throughout the tournament and were due a good showing, something which was likely to ensure that they took the trophy home with them. She knew it meant a lot to Iker, the messages they had shared that morning had been all about how much he wanted to win it and she wanted to see him do it. She knew how proud he was of playing for his national team and knew how much it would mean to him should it be the last international tournament that he took Spain to.

“Excited?” Pilar mused as she sat down beside the other woman, offering her a small smile.

“Nervous” Ariana replied.

Pilar laughed a little. “You look worse than Iker does” she quipped a little nod down towards the pitch where the teams were lining up ahead of the national anthems. Ariana nodded and spared her husband a little look, making a mental note of how good he looked in his kit. “He looks really calm” she mused gently.

“Sergio says he’s always like that. He is the calmest of them all because if he isn’t, then the rest of them freak out. Sergio says he gives these little speeches before the match to each player, telling them to keep their heads and play the best they can” Pilar mused with a little smile.

Ariana nodded before she flicked her attention towards the door briefly, her blue eyes noting Sara who stood outside, a rather tentative expression on her face. She looked conflicted, as if unsure about whether she should be in the room, and Ariana didn’t know what to make of it. The brunette was press and would have been easily granted a seat closer to the action, something which made her appearance outside the family enclosure a little suspect. Sparing her another look, she sighed a little. “Do you mind watching Lettie for a second?” she mused as she spared a look down towards the sleeping little girl.

Pilar frowned. “Where are you going?” she mused “The game is about to start” she added.

“I will only be gone a moment. Please, Pilar” she mused.

The other woman offered her a little look before she nodded, scooting Violeta’s seat a little closer to her, affording Ariana the chance to make her way out into the hallway outside. “Sara?” she posed softly as she looked at the other woman. She was beautiful, more so than Ariana remembered, and she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous around her. She was her husband’s first love and there was nothing Ariana could do to change that.

Sara jumped and turned. “You’re Ariana” she breathed.

Ariana nodded her head slightly. “I am” she mused softly.

“You’re even prettier in person. Half of the pictures don’t do you any justice whatsoever” the reporter rambled.

Ariana offered her a tight smile. She didn’t know what it was, perhaps it was just the history that she and Iker shared, but Ariana wasn’t comfortable around the other woman. It all felt forced and a little awkward. “Sara, what are you doing up here?” Ariana murmured.

“What?” Sara squeaked.

Ariana wrinkled her nose a little. She didn’t want to be rude, not to a woman that clearly still had an effect on her husband, but there didn’t appear to be a polite way of asking her to leave. She wasn’t Iker’s girlfriend anymore and probably wouldn’t be welcomed by some of the others who still bore a grudge against her for the way she had treated the keeper. “You know this is the area for the families right?” she squeaked uncomfortably.

Sara nodded. “I know, Iker asked me to sit up here with you” Sara replied.

Ariana tilted her head. “He did?” she squeaked.

Sara smiled. “He said something last night when he texted me. He wants you and me to get along” she mused.

Ariana frowned. “He asked you that?” she mused.

Sara nodded her head. “He says that you and I will get along like a house on fire, so he invited me to spend the day you with and your daughter. He didn’t mention it?” she posed, noting the confused look that was etched onto Ariana’s face. She had warned Iker, Ariana would probably never be comfortable with her being around, but the keeper had been insistent. Sara was his friend and Ariana was his wife and he just wanted them to get along.

Ariana swallowed slightly before she forced a polite smile, inviting Sara into the room alongside her. She didn’t know what had gone through Iker’s mind when he had invited Sara along, but she was going to make it clear that he didn’t do it again. She didn’t want to be friends with her husband’s last girlfriend, not for a second, and she was going to make that clear to Iker.

~#~
Grinning, Iker scanned the pitch for any sight of his wife and daughter, desperate to celebrate the win with them. It had been a good game, Spain had dominated from the outset and that was reflect in the comfortable 3-1 score line that saw them lift the trophy for the third time, something which pleased Iker immensely. He doubted he had felt more contented than he did in that moment. Looking around the pitch once more, he spotted Sergio and padded towards him, quickly asking where Ariana had gotten to.

“She’s over there” Sergio replied with a small motion towards the touchline where Ariana stood, her blue eyes fixed on her feet as Sara twittered on alongside her. Iker swallowed. He knew the expression on his wife’s face well and knew it didn’t end well for him, even if he had been doing what he thought was right. Ariana was pissed and he was bound to bear the brunt of it when he got her back to the hotel and alone. “You really didn’t think that one through did you?” Sergio teased as he too stared at the two brunettes.

“I thought she would feel better about me being friends with Sara if she was friends with her too” Iker protested.

“Iker, can I offer you one iota of advice?” the defender quipped.

“What?” Iker grumbled.

“No woman ever wants to spend time with their partner’s ex. They don’t want to make the comparisons and I think that that is what Ari is doing right now. She is wondering how you could choose her over Sara” the defender mused.

Iker rolled his eyes before he stepped towards his wife, greeting her with a slightly tentative smile.

Ariana admired it and threw her arms around him, musing her congratulations into his ear before she pulled him into a rather strong kiss. Iker flinched slightly, but kissed her back nevertheless, not sure that he would be able to kiss her again that night. “You were amazing Iker” she whispered as she held him tightly.

“Gracias” he chuckled out shyly.

Ariana nodded softly and leant a little closer to his ear, pretending to kiss the side of his face before she whispered in his ear. “Never set me up with her again” she murmured as she laced their fingers together, showing off a little for the cameras, and a little for Sara who was almost certainly watching. Iker nodded. “You have my word” he smiled.

Ariana nodded before she moved to face him once more, offering him a smile. “You really did do well out there, even if you did conceded” she teased.

“Only you would fixate on that” the keeper protested childishly.

Ariana giggled gently before she moved to collect Violeta, affording Sara the chance to speak to Iker. “Congratulations San Iker” she mused as she smiled up at him.

Iker smiled at her politely, but didn’t look at her directly, his brown eyes fixed dreamily on Ariana who was trying desperately to calm down Violeta who seemed disturbed by the stadium full of people looking at her.

Sara noticed the look and shook her head, wordlessly ruing herself for allowing herself to get closer to the keeper once more. She loved him, she always had, but she knew she stood little chance. The look on Iker’s face was meant only for Ariana and she doubted it would be changed easily.
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Thanks to FootieJo and Jayme112234 for the comments :)