If You Love Me

Messing with the phone which sat in his hand, Gerard let out a small sigh, trying to work up the nerve to dial Nora’s familiar number. He knew that it was a little silly, with Spain’s match having finished hours previous, he was sure that Nora would have been expecting the phone call that he tended to make after he played in an away match, but he couldn’t seem to work up the nerve to call her, even if he was just being stupid. He couldn’t seem to work up the nerve to listen to her talk about the afternoon that she had spent with Dani. He knew that it was stupid, when Nora had revealed that Emilia had tried to set her up with someone, she had been quick to dismiss the idea that she was going on a date, but still it got at him, even if he knew that it shouldn’t. He was still slightly irked by the idea.

Flipping the phone over in his hand, he briefly contemplated dialing Nora’s number before he let out another soft sigh, settling the phone down on the table which sat ahead of him.

“Are you sure that you’re alright?”

Gerard, who’d been staring at his phone quietly, startled a little at the sound of Sergio’s voice before he lifted his head, offering him the best smile that he could push onto his face. “I’m fine” he noted.

Sergio, who’d moved to sit in the seat opposite him, offered him a small glance before he rolled his eyes. “You know, you’re the worst liar” he quipped.

Gerard shook his head. “Sergio…”

“Come on, Gerard” Sergio interjected “You’ve been miserable all day and I am not the first or only person to have noticed it. Andres, Jordi, hasn’t Gerard been in a bad mood all day?” he posed, glancing towards the two other men who sat around them.

Andres, who’d been checking his phone, scoffed. “He’s been quiet” he noted “And he’s never quiet” he added.

Gerard rolled his eyes slightly before he shook his head. “I’m fine” he noted simply.

Sergio offered him another dubious look before the sound of the defender’s phone vibrating against the table reached his ears, causing him to look down, not missing Nora’s on the screen. Gerard, who’d startled a little at the sound of his phone, followed the line of the midfielder’s stare before he quietly shook his head, moving to lift the phone into his hand. Offering it a brief look, he contemplated answering it before he moved to stuff it into his pocket, something which made Sergio tilt his head. “It’s Nora” he noted gently “You’re not going to answer it?” he posed added, a slightly curious look on his face.

Gerard shook his head. “I’ll call her later” he mumbled quietly.

Andres, who’d been quietly flicking through his own texts, noted the slightly odd tone of Gerard’s voice before he lifted his head. “Nora” he breathed softly “Something happen with her, didn’t it? That’s why you’re in such a bad mood” he added.

Gerard scoffed, but didn’t say anything, something which made Andres shake his head. “What happened?” he pressed.

“Andres…”

“We both know that it is about her, Gerard” Andres interrupted softly “So, why don’t we skip the part where you insist that it isn’t and get to the part where you just talk about it” he added, offering him a slightly firm look.

Gerard offered the older man a small glance before he shook his head. “I’m being stupid” he muttered.

Andres quirked a small smirk, like he had thought of an amusing retort, but he didn’t say anything, wordlessly encouraging Gerard to keep talking.

Gerard spared him another soft look before he shook his head, pushing a hand back through his hair. “Her sister” he noted softly “She set Nora up on a date with some guy, and I guess it surprised me. I mean, we’ve been friends for a while and I can’t quite recall the last time that she went out on a date” he babbled softly. It wasn’t a whole lie, for the duration of their friendship, Gerard couldn’t recall another time when Nora had gone out on a date, but he knew that it wasn’t just the surprise that had irked him.

Andres was quiet for a moment, mulling over his words, before he shook his head, a soft sigh falling out of his mouth. “You know, if you don’t tell her how you feel, then the chances were that this was going to happen” he noted softly.

“Andres…”

“Come on, Gerard” the midfielder interrupted softly “Nora’s a great woman and you can’t expect her to wait around on you forever. She deserves to find someone to make her happy and if you don’t have any intention of doing it, then you merely have to learn to accept that eventually, someone is going to come along and do it” he explained tentatively.

He knew why Gerard was upset, the look on the defender’s face as soon as the word ‘date’ had fallen out of his mouth had confided the jealousy he felt at the idea of Nora’s date, but Andres didn’t know what else to say to him. It was only a matter of time, with Gerard appearing more than slightly reluctant to admit that he had feelings for the blonde woman, it was only a matter of time before someone else came into her life, and Andres wanted Gerard to know it. He wanted him to know that there was a chance that he could let Nora slip past him.

Gerard offered him a soft look, allowing his words to hang around them, before he shook his head, something which made Jordi, who sat beside him, nudge his side. “You should tell her” he encouraged gently “I mean, what is the worst that could happen?” he added, flashing him a warm smile.

Gerard lifted an eyebrow, something which made Jordi shake his head. “Come on, hombre” he noted “You must know that she feels the same way as you. It’s obvious” he insisted gently.

Gerard offered him a small look before he let out a small sigh, something which made Andres lean forwards, patting the defender’s shoulder lightly. “You need to do something” he noted softly “It not fair on either you or Nora if you don’t. It is a risk, telling her the truth, but you’re going to have to do it eventually. You can’t honestly expect her to wait around forever” he added, his voice soft and encouraging before he pushed himself up to his feet, musing about heading down to dinner. Jordi and Sergio nodded their heads in agreement and followed after the older man, leaving Gerard alone.

Listening to the door close, he allowed the quiet to hang around him for a few seconds before he let out a soft sigh, knowing that his friends had a point. It was inevitable, Nora was a wonderful woman and it was only a matter of time before someone else noticed it, but still the idea of admitting that he had feelings for her unsettled him, even if he knew that it was likely to be the best thing for them. He was slightly worried about admitting something that he couldn’t take back.