Home is Where the Heart is - Pablo Gavi

Chapter 14: Shadow

"Are you insane?" I spit out before I think about what I'm saying and who I'm saying it to. "There is no fucking way I'm playing in that game."

"Isla, hear me out--" Xavi tries to calm me down.

"No way!" I get up from the couch. "First of all, that can't be legal. Second of all, the world would call you crazy if you went through with this. And lastly, I wouldn't stand a chance on that field!"

He stands up from the couch as well. "Isla--"

I start talking with my hands. "I've been practicing with your team for less than a week, I give you one not half bad idea and you think you should throw me in a match?" I huff out a breath. "I'm starting to think you are actually insane! What did the other coaches think about this grand scheme?"

He hesitates. "They trust me--"

"But they think you've lost it too," I fill in, knowing he'd never admit it himself.

"It's only crazy if it works," he says with a glowing smile. He believes it; he believes I can be the difference between a win and a loss against Real Madrid.

"Yeah," I say, my voice finally calming down, "and if it doesn't work, it's incredibly stupid." I head for the stairs, needing to be alone to process everything my uncle has sprung on me.

"Think about what you said Isla," he calls to me, "we need a surprising factor, what's more surprising than a player they've never seen play and cannot analyze?"

Then call up another one of your B team players, I want to yell back, but I don't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing a response from me.

I shut my bedroom door. Hard. I make my way over to my bed and flop down onto it. Is he joking? Is he serious? I don't know what to think.

I decide to get unready and go to sleep, even though it's still early I feel like I need to catch up on some missing hours. Maybe when I wake up I'll be informed it's the Spanish version of April first, or something along those lines.

Pablo's POV:

I wake up to a message lighting up my phone. I lift my head and drag my phone off of my night stand. I look at the message, it's Isla:

Are you awake?

Last night, when I crashed super early, trying to catch up on some much needed sleep and feeling happy I finally told Pedri about my feelings for Isla I added her number to list of numbers allowed to disturb me when my do not disturb is active. I text her back:

I am now.

The thinking bubbles, and then...

Sorry.

Don't be sorry, tell me what's up.

I'm outside your house.

I sit up in bed, thinking I read that wrong. I scan my eyes over it a few more times before accepting it means what I think it means.

Be out in a minute.

I roll out of bed and smash my hip into the table beside my bed, making a very loud noise. Trying not to wake the rest if the house up, I tip toe around my room, pulling on sweats and a hoodie over my boxers.

Leaving the house I lock the door incase she wants to go somewhere.

I wander up to her car and get in. From my first glance at her, I can tell she's very upset.