I'll Make You See It Was All Real

Cris’s Pov

I hear her gasp at my words. She wasn’t supposed to find out I think. She’ll be so angry.

“Excuse me” I hear her say. “What did you mean? How could you be there to see me? That day was the first time we met” she says and my mind remembers that day. If I tell her……

“Cristiano will you say something” she yells and I turn to face her. “What do you want me to say?” I ask. “Explain what you meant” she says. “Is there any point?” I ask. She already doesn’t want anything to do with me. She’s going to be so annoyed with me if I tell her. What the hell was Nuno thinking?

“I think after these last few months I deserve to know what you meant” she says and I sigh. I’ve lied enough to her, I guess she does deserve to know the whole truth. “Ok I’ll tell you” I say. I have nothing else to loose. “Cris” she says and I can tell she’s both annoyed and confused.

“Just let me talk ok. Don’t speak or I won’t be able to finish” I say and she nods. Here goes nothing I think. Might as well mess up her life even more. “It’s a long story though. Nuno spends most of his time here in Manchester with me and you know how annoying he gets about cooking” I say. “What has that-

“Sorry” she mumbles when I look at her and I can’t help but smile at her sheepish look. “Like I was saying Nuno’s around a lot. Last May I met him after training in the village and we couldn’t choose somewhere to have lunch and we started to bicker” I stutter. Jezz this harder than I thought it would be.

“Anyway he picked Angelo’s and we were having lunch there” I say and look up to see Lucy looking at me with all her attention. “I heard this laugh from the table behind me and I actually stopped eating. It was so infectious” I smile remembering how I felt that day.

“Anyway I couldn’t turn around to see who it was and Nuno enjoyed winding me up because he knew I wanted to know who the laugh was. I couldn’t hear anything from the table so I assumed they had left and went back to eating my lunch. Five minutes later Nuno kicks me under the table and mutters “to your left” and when I looked to my left I saw this gorgeous girl pass me and she was laughing at something her friend said. And I knew it was the laugh” I say smiling.

“Who was the girl?” Lucy asks and I look at her. “I’m going to interrupt so don’t give any crap. Now answer my question” she says. “Do I really have to say it?” I ask. “Yes. Who was the girl Cris?” she asks. “You were” I say eventually my eyes on the cushion. When I look up at her face she’s staring straight at me.

“Finish your story” she says. “You were laughing and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You had this red halter top on and a pair of tight jeans. You looked stunning. The girl you were with came back a few minutes later and I was disappointed you weren’t with her. The next thing you came through the restaurant with who I now know was the owner’s grandson. He was obliviously trying to hit on you and you didn’t seem to notice or want to notice and you sat back down with your friends. Nuno spent the whole time smirking at me because he knew I had noticed you. I was meeting some of the lads so I couldn't stay until you were finished. I paid the bill and left" I say. "Wait you were the person who paid our bill?" she asks.

"Ya" I say rubbing my forehead. "Why did you do that? You didn't even talk to us?" she asks.
"I overhead someone from your table say that's what you get from a City ass. Red is so much better. I had to do something for that" I laugh.

"That was me. And I didn't mean your red" she half smiles. "Ya well it's better than City" I say. "I was with Tina that day. We had the day off and she was complaining about Mich" she says sadly. "Ya I now know she was one of the group" I say.

"Wait why didn't you come up to us? You don't come across as shy around girls Cris" she says.
"I knew if I did I wouldn't want to leave. And I was still with Merche back then" I say and she looks away from me.

“Between the season run in and the World Cup I never went back until after the summer" I say.

"There's more isn't there" she says and I sigh and rest my head against the couch and stare up at the ceiling. "I went back to Angelo's with Zé and Nuno some Monday. By then Merche and I were over. It was quiet. Lunch was almost over and who was sitting in the corner but you. You had this cute navy dress on and you couldn't stopped tapping the pen in your hand" I say.

"Why didn't you come over?" she asks. "I was nervous I guess. I overheard someone saying they'd see you the following Monday and I went back every Monday since that day" I say. "I need something to drink" she says moving to stand. "I'll get it" I say and she nods.

“So that day with Tina you were there to see me?” she asks moments later as I hand her a glass of water. “Ya. Nuno loved slagging me cos he knew why we were really there. I only thought I’d see you. “You were the one I bumped into. I didn’t realise until now” she says in surprise and I nod. “I didn’t on purpose in case you think I did” I smile.

“I don’t know what to say” she says. “You can imagine my surprise when I come out of the restaurant and find my car been smashed up and then have you yelling at me” I say. “I was yelling at you because you were yelling at Tina and me. And we’ve had this discussion already” she says and takes another sip of her water.

“Well that’s everything” I say. “I don’t understand” she says standing. “Lucy” I say. “You were there to see me. Why did you go along with Nuno’s plan?” she asks. “Because I never thought it would work. And I wanted to spend time with you” I say. “But” she says.

“I knew you disliked me after I was an ass to Tina-

And after you ask me to sleep with you to drop the charges against her” she says bitterly. “I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me. So I figured my family would be happy and I’d at least get to see what it would be like to be some sort of someone to you” I say.

“But you dropped the charges” she says. “I hated what I had been willing to let you do to help your friend” I say. “Then why did you lie? Why not tell me you dropped the charges? Why let me believe I had no other choice but to pretend to be your girlfriend?” she asks.

“For the same reason I went to Angelo’s every Monday in the hope of seeing you even for just a second. Because I wanted you the first time I heard your laugh. The first time I saw you. Because even when you were barging into my bedroom and throwing pillows at me, I couldn’t stop wanting you. As cheesy as it sounds Lucy, I’ve loved you since the moment my heart soared at the sound of your laugh” I say.