Best friends... forever?

Chapter 19

"How does that feel?"

"Cold" Rúben hisses. "But good. Thank you, Mila" he says while holding the cold patch on his eye.

"I can't believe you actually hit each other. What are you, twelve?"

"He started it."

"He... Oh, c'mon" she says, rolling her eyes. "You hit him first!"

"But who started being an annoying piece of shit during the game, uh? Your friend Fran."

"Rúben, he is a striker and you a defender. It was part of the game."

"Celebrating that fucking goal on my fucking face was also part of the game?"

"Whatever. This is a pointless argument" Mila says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It is, yes. Because you will keep defending him. You should be at Betis' changing room checking on his jaw, not here with me."

"Maybe I should, yes. Unlike others, he probably isn't behaving like a kid."

"Me?"

"Yes, Rúben. You."

His only answer is a laugh, one that seems to hurt like hell judging by the way his face twists.

"I can't do this anymore, Mila" he says after a few seconds of silence.

"Being a child? Yes, I agree" she replies.

"That's not what I mean" he says, rolling his eyes. "I mean this, us. Being like this. I'm tired of you constantly changing your mind and not being able to decide what the hell you want."

"What are you talking about?"

"You kept saying that you had no feelings for me or were curious about how would it feel if you kissed me, yet the moment it happened, you went all in. Then it looked like things were somehow working out even if we were just friends with benefits, but the moment our friends found out, you ran away. Then you told me you needed space to think about what you felt, but ended up hooking up with a guy you just met. You come back, decide that you need to spend some time away from me, but the first time we meet again, you are in my bed. Then you ask me if we can see each other again as friends, to go slow, and when your summer hook up shows up in Manchester, you accept his invitation to watch him play while you've been avoiding coming to all my other games. Don't you see it, Mila? You give me something, but then completely change your mind and do something that leaves me with nothing. And I'm tired. I'm just... Tired."

"I'm sorry, I just... I'm..." she mumbles.

"Mila..." Rúben says, taking a deep breath. "I've fallen in love with you, Mila. There. I said it. Do you feel the same?" Rúben asks her.

"I have feelings for you."

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do, Rúben."

"But do you love me the way I do? Not as best friends. As something else."

"As something else?"

"The fact that you are answering me with another question instead of actually giving me an answer, tells me everything I need to know" he says, getting up from the stretcher where he was sitting.

"Rúben, I..."

"I gotta go shower" he says, leaving the room without looking at her.

"Fuck!" Mila screams, kicking the stretcher and making it fall.

"Hey, what happened?" Ella says, walking in. "Mila, are you ok? What happened?"

"What I knew would happen. That we've ruined our friendship. That I have ruined our friendship" she says between sobs.