see you later // Pablo Gavi

Chapter 19

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐈'𝐌 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐘𝐌 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐈 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐈. That, for some reason, is the new thing he likes to do.

I pick up the phone, shutting off the treadmill, and sit down on the bench lining the white painted brick wall. No one else is here, so I figure it is fine to talk regularly here with him.

I grin at his handsome face, my stomach growing tight. I wish I wouldn't get reactions like this at simply seeing his beautiful face.

Not his beautiful face. Just his face, Ember. Just his face.

"So, Gavi," I grin. "Why are you all the sudden always video calling me?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. He looks like he's sitting on an outdoor bench somewhere, and there are two guys sitting next to him, their shoulders just in the corner of the screen. He's holding a Gatorade water bottle. "Because I like seeing your face. Don't you like seeing mine?"

"Well, yeah, I guess..." I say, trying to sound thoughtful, although obviously I do. I know Gavi says some things that sound so much like flirting, but then two seconds later, he'll friend zone me again, so I think that's just how he talks. He's very simple and honest about his opinion about me, at least.

I hear a voice say, "Oh, hey, Gavi, is this your girlfriend? Let me see her." Someone's face leans into the camera's view, and I grin widely when I realize it's Balde.

"She's not my girlfriend, my God," Gavi rolls his eyes, pushing his teammate away from himself and the screen of his phone.

"You're so naughty," Balde says, shaking his head. "Talking to your girlfriend during training."

"One, she's not my girlfriend. Two, training is practically over. You think Xavi cares?"

"No, because you're Xavi's favorite," says the other guy, nudging Gavi from his other side.

"You guys are so annoying," Gavi says, rolling his eyes.

"Who is the other guy? I see Balde," I say.

"Sergio, say hi," Gavi says. 

Sergio Busquets leans in, and smiles. "Hello. Gavi here talks about you a lot," he says simply. I can't tell if it's just the camera being weird and the lighting changing, but I think I see some redness of embarrassment appear on Gavi's cheeks.

"I don't talk 'bout ya that much," Gavi says, appearing to be standing up, walking away.

Someone else's snickering voice says from behind him, "Yo, Gavi, does your woman know you don't know how to tie your boots?" A hear a bunch of men's laughs burst out, and Gavi rolls his eyes, but I see that crooked smile sneaking up on him, whether he likes it or not.

"Who was that that said that?" I grin.

"Ugh. That was Ferran. I'm leaving now, though, so I can talk to you in peace."

"You act so annoyed with them, but I can see that you really do love them."

"Agh, whatever," he says, rolling his eyes. Of course, he doesn't agree or deny it.  "Anyway, have you been working out or something?"

"Yeah, I'm at the gym right now. Why?"

"I could tell you were sweaty. And you have your hair tied back. And you're wearing a Nike sweatshirt. You never wear Nike. Unless it is my Nike jumper, I guess," I grins at this last comment from himself.

"I guess we were both working out at the same time, huh?"

"Yeah, I didn't know you worked out. I guess it makes sense, though, for you to keep your physique in the good condition it's in."

I blush at this, looking away. Why does he always have to talk in those ways that make me flustered? It almost feels as though he's trying, he does it so much, although I'm sure he can't be.

"Maybe we should work out together sometime," he says thoughtfully. I immediately, much to my pleasure and dismay at the same exact time, imagine Gavi, sweaty and shirtless, running on the treadmill next to mine. I don't think I could work out with him. He'd take my breath away.

But I say, "Yeah, that might be nice, you know?"

"Yeah, totally," he says. It looks like he's getting into a car now. He leans back against the car, looking at me on his phone. "So, I wanted to talk to you about that thing I mentioned with Madrid."

"Oh yeah?" I say, intrigued.

"Yeah. So, me, Pedri, and Dembele talked to Xavi about it. You know, about having you along. Just to crash the bus ride and all. He was very unsure, but Dembele, being excellent, ended up being our ticket. He convinced Xavi, Ember!" Gavi is grinning. He's so cute.

I grin back. "Awesome, so I can come, and meet all of the Barca players, for free?"

"Basically. You have friend rights," he grins. "Or as they like to say girlfriend rights."

"Right," I nervously giggle.

"So, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Be ready at 6:00 A.M. I'll pick you up in my car and drive you to where the bus is. Pack for three days. We get to stay in Madrid for two days after the match. So we could hang out in Madrid. It'll be great, Ember."

I love his excitement over this. I really do. I love him so much. It literally hurts me to hang up when I have to. I just want to keep talking to him. He's so... ugh...!

The next morning, I explain that I'm going on a trip with my boyfriend when Charli and Aggie question me again. They roll their eyes, calling me love struck. I don't deny it.

Gavi's car pulls up, and I slip into quickly, so we can pull away also quickly, so Charli and Aggie don't see the expensive car with Pablo Gavi driving.

I smile at him. Just the sight of him, I guess. That is what makes me smile. He is wearing a white Nike sweatshirt and black sweatpants. He has his hood up, and he looks adorable. "Where can I put my bag?" I ask him as he starts driving.

"Uh, just throw it in the back."

"M'kay," I say, throwing it back there with a few other bags that I assume are his.

He glances to me, then quickly looks back to the road when our eyes meet. "What?" I ask him.

"Nothin'," he smiles softly. "I was just thinking about how nice you look today. Not that you don't look nice every day, though."