Ria.
The name echoed within her mind. The name had a constant presence in the weeks that had just passed.
It remained an unanswered question, a torment that Alexia couldn't escape, and now, as if summoned by fate, that name resurfaced, causing her jaw to clench in response.
The sound of that name hurt.
The sound of that name was like a blade slicing through her heart.
"Oh...", the words stumbled out as she hesitated, nervously extending her hand to meet the stranger's in an uncertain handshake, all the while muttering, "Pleased to make your acquaintance"
Forced upon her tender lips was a small smile, a facade to mask the storm of emotions.
She shook the slender brunette's hand, realizing how cold it was - similar to Erin's - her tired, exhausted visage wearing a mask of scrutiny.
"So, Alexia. What are you doing here this late? Team training concluded a while ago", Ria's voice flowed calmly, her hands resting behind her back just as Alexia's did.
Her gaze scrutinized the two-time Ballon d'Or winner, assessing her from up and down.
She didn't have to be a psychologist to perceive the fatigue, the exhaustion etched across Alexia's features. The midfielder appeared tired. Unrelaxed, and stressed out.
Exhaution painted her face in shades of crimson and pale white, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, trickling from her nose. Her tank top clung to her body, soaked with perspiration, and her adrenaline-charged veins were visible, tracing her strong arms like a roadmap.
Alexia's retort came as a composed murmur, her voice unwavering as hazel eyes gaze into forest green ones, wondering, "Why does that concern you?"
"Um, well... honestly, I'm here to-"
"Ah, Ria, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you", another voice suddenly resounds, a voice the midfielder knew all too well, a voice that triggered a chaos of emotions inside of her.
A head of blonde hair peeked into the room through the narrow gap of the door, eyes locked with with the brunette's slender figure, dressed in the elegant pantsuit, wondering, "Can we get going?"
At the sight of her - Erin - Alexia's breath hitches.
Her heart wavered between elation and trepidation.
Her palms grew damp and trembled, her gaze fixed on Erin, the stunningly beautiful blonde framed by the doorway. A cold shiver rushed down her spine at the sight in front of her, an icy cascade of emotions overtaking her entire body.
In an instant, as Ria and Erin exchanged glances, Alexia felt a tidal wave of feelings—a mixture of joy and sorrow, hatred and unspoken sentiments—surging within her.
An onslaught of emotions she struggled to control.
She was completely overwhelmed.
Her usually strong, steady legs faltered, knees trembling as hazel eyes were fixed on Erin. The hitch in her breath returned, her heart resuming its rapid rhythm as Erin's gaze met hers, a potent connection igniting between them.
The power those eyes held.
The tension was palpable, a shared understanding that even Ria was able to perceive, a connection that she had discovered the last time she'd met Erin in the café when she noticed the rose colored blush on the blonde's cheeks.
Ria just knew Erin better than anyone else.
She saw a connection that, after Spain's elimination, everyone had been able to see on the television screens all over the world when they embraced each other after the match.
YOU ARE READING
control - Alexia Putellas
Fanfictioncontrol. there are many ways to describe that word. being in control over your emotions and your body is discipline. being in control over others is authority. control is the maintenance of a façade that no one would break so easily. that depends. �...
