You Loved Me Once

Settling her bags down beside the door, Alba padded into the bedroom that Eva and Oscar had set up for her, a frown etched onto her features. She had known that it was a possibility, Lionel and Oscar had been friends for years and she knew that there was a chance that Oscar could turn to the footballer when it came to selecting a best man, but still it irked her. If she had known that there was a chance of seeing Lionel again she doubted that she would have gotten on the plane.

“Alba” Eva noted as she pushed the door open.

“How could you do that?” Alba shot.

“Alba…”

“You didn’t think to mention that that…man was going to be here?” Alba interjected, shaking her head.

“Would you have come if I had?” Eva countered “Alba, you’re my best friend, the only person I considered as my maid of honour, and if I had told you that Leo was going to be here, you’d not have gotten on the plane and we both know it. I want you here, Alba, and I had to get you here, even if it did mean hiding something from you” she insisted gently.

She knew that it hadn’t been fair, Alba had been blindsided by Lionel’s presence, but it had been necessary. Eva wanted Alba, she was the only person that she had thought of as her maid of honour, and she had needed to get her there, something which wouldn’t have happened if she had told her about the footballer.

Alba mulled her friend’s words over for a moment before she shook her head. “I’m sorry” she murmured “I shouldn’t have snapped, but I am pissed, Eva. How could you think that I would want to be near him?” she posed softly. She knew that it was petty, over 5 years had passed since the night that Lionel had walked out on her, but still seeing him hurt.

She had wasted years on him, almost 23 of her 28 years had been spent as his friend or his girlfriend, and the thought of being near him irked her. He’d tossed aside their relationship without so much as a second thought and it angered Alba who’d given it everything she had.

“We thought you’d want to be here for us” Eva noted, sitting beside Alba who’d moved to sit on the side of the bed “This month’s not about Leo, it’s about me and Oscar, and we figured that, maybe, you could be adult about it and suck it up. I know you’re still not his biggest fan…”

“That’s an understatement” Alba noted, shaking her head.

“I know” Eva noted “But I want you here, Alba, and Oscar was insistent about Leo too. I tried to talk him out of it, but they’ve been friends for years” she explained softly.

Alba nodded. “I know” she noted “I just…I don’t want to see him, Eva. I know it’s been years, but still the merest look at his face gets at me. When I look at him, all I see is the man who tried to duck out on me without so much as word” she explained gently.

“I know” Eva agreed “And I can’t ask you to stop hurting, but I need to ask you to be the bigger person, Alba. This month is about my wedding to the man I love and whilst I know it’s not going to be the easiest thing for you to watch, I need you to promise me that you can just handle it. I want this month to be as smooth as it can be” she insisted gently. She was asking a lot, Alba had never hidden her distaste for her ex, but she knew that she had to at least ask. She didn’t want Lionel and Alba’s past becoming a distraction from the reason they were both in town once more.

“Do I have to spend time with him?” Alba posed softly.

“More than likely” Eva noted “But I will try to keep it at a minimum. I am not going to force you to play nice with him, Allie” she insisted gently.

Alba nodded her head softly. “I can try, Eva” she noted gently “But I can’t make any promises. This is the first time I have seen him face to face since he left” she explained.

“I know” Eva noted “But I appreciate that you’re going to try. You can call it your wedding gift to me and Oscar” she grinned.

Alba smiled gently.

“I know he messed up, Alba” Eva mused as she pushed herself to her feet “But he was your friend first. I am not asking you to forgive him, I know that I still haven’t and I could never expect that you would, but try and be civil at least for my sake. I don’t want to remember my wedding day as the day you killed Lionel Messi” she mused, her tone half-joking and half-concerned.

“I will be civil, Eva” Alba confirmed “But you owe me for springing this surprise on me” she mused, a grin on her face.

“I was thinking we could head to dinner tonight. A proper girly catch up for which I will pay” Eva bargained.

Alba tapped her chin, feigning thought.

“I will buy your drinks too” Eva offered.

“My ex fiancé is in your living room” Alba pointed out.

“Shopping, tomorrow, I will buy whatever you want within reason” Eva mused.

Alba grinned. “I think you have a deal, Miss Lopez” she enthused.

Eva rolled her eyes. “I’ve not missed you” she pouted.

Alba scoffed. “You miss me when I’m gone for 11 minutes, let alone 11 months” she pointed out.

Eva shook her head and moved to wrap her arms around Alba, hugging her tightly. “I’m glad you’re here, you know” she mused gently.

“I’m glad I’m here too” Alba conceded “I wouldn’t have missed your wedding for the world, Eva” she insisted.

“Even with Leo?” Eva poked.

“Even with Leo” Alba confirmed “He’s an ass, I can’t change that, but I would hate myself for not being here, Eva. You’re only going to get married the once and I have to be on hand to see it” she insisted.

Eva smiled. “Gracias, Alba” she mused.

Alba offered her another small smile before she hugged her once more, a small muted sigh falling out of her mouth. She knew that she had to be civil, as Eva had pointed out, the next month was about her and her fiancé, but still the notion of being in the same place as her ex unsettled her. Whether she detested what he had done or not, he was still the only man she’d ever fallen for and the notion of being close to the man who’d thrown that in her face hurt. She had wasted years on him, years that she would never get back, and she didn’t quite know how she would react to being close to him.