𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒, pedri gonzález

21 ; parts of me

Germany was so much more beautiful than I remembered.

After the twenty-hour drive, Pedri and I were delighted to have finally arrived at our destination.

Well, twenty-one if you count the breaks I had to take.

My condition had still not improved, or even worsened —

But the breathtaking view of the idyllic lake seemed to take away any nausea. When I looked through the huge windows, the colorful ducks were the first thing that caught my eye and brightened up my day.

It was strange to be back in Germany, and yet it filled me up in a way I couldn't quite understand.

"Do you like it?" Pedri breathed against my neck, wrapping his arms around my body so suddenly that I almost flinched.

Almost.

Because Pedri's touch felt completely different.

"It's beautiful," I sighed, letting myself fall back against his chest. "But I didn't expect anything else. We've been here before." I smiled to myself as memories of my mother in the moldy lake flashed through my mind.

"You're the only beautiful thing here, Enyá."

In a typical romance movie, I probably would have gagged at this point, but in reality, a pleasant shiver ran down my spine as Pedri's teeth gently ran along my neck.

He caught my soft-spot, which immediately sent goosebumps all over my body and elicited a moan from me that twitched right between his legs —

Because even though he tried hard to hide it, his erection was throbbing against my ass.

Pedri groaned desperately before letting go of me and sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"I'll be right back," the Spaniard cleared his throat, turning around as he left. "I need to take care of my little problem for a moment. Will you clear out the suitcases?" I nodded with a laugh, but he didn't see it because he had already disappeared into the bathroom.

The fact that Pedri didn't bother me when he had a hard-on meant so much to me in so many different ways.

Because it meant that he respected me as a woman and that he could understand my situation. I had never told him anything, but my body language was enough for him to know whether I was ready or not.

I searched the rooms purposefully, but only found one bedroom with a double bed.

I didn't mind sleeping next to Pedri at all, but having to lie next to him for a whole week seemed a bit too intimate.

I had to jump over my shadow.

I exhaled loudly before I set about unpacking our suitcases. I sorted our clothes neatly into the closet, making sure that we would be able to find them again if we had to.

As soon as I had finished, I was torn from my thoughts by a loud wrestling noise. It could only be the stepmonster who had announced her visit ten hours ago.

They had actually announced the visit of the whole family, but I sincerely hoped that Pedri wouldn't have to deal with them.

"Enyá!" the monster-in-law exclaimed with such feigned joy that I almost believed it myself when I swung the front door open a little too euphorically. "How are you? I haven't seen you for so long!" Tanja pulled me into an affectionate hug that was in every way just a cover.

"Two days..." I mumbled under my breath, closing the door behind the blonde woman after she had invited herself in.

"So," she clapped her hands a little too enthusiastically, looking around like she was looking for someone. "Where's the man you wanted to bring?" She put her hands on her hips, probably trying to look as motherly as possible —

But she only made a fool of herself because Pedri couldn't speak German.

"He's getting ready. We've been driving for twenty hours, Tanja," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, exhausted.

All I really wanted to do was fall asleep in Pedri's arms, have any worries lifted from my shoulders or just have him next to me while I had to talk to the blonde dragon.

"Right." The older woman looked at me appraisingly, letting her gaze linger on my bloated belly for a few seconds longer.

I uncomfortably covered my food baby.

As if Tanja didn't have a single fat cell in her body, she looked at me uncomprehendingly, probably thinking I was already expecting a baby from Pedri.

Which I would much rather do than face the truth.

"Have you gotten fat?" She pinched my sides, but she couldn't grab any fat because she had starved me so much in the last few months that there was nothing left to grab. "Or are you pregnant already?" she exclaimed, totally offended, as if I had told her she looked ugly in the green cargo pants.

Which she did, but I would never tell her that openly.

"No, I'm not," I hissed, tearing myself away from her clutches as if they had burned me. "I'm not a slut, Tanja." My brows furrowed in confusion as the dragon tried to start spitting again.

"Oh no? What was the name of the man you let yourself be seduced by? Manuel? Does the man know that you had an affair?"

Suddenly, the air was squeezed out of my lungs.

Gas.

There was only gas in the air.

Only gas could still be inhaled.

Poisoned my body.

Slowly and agonizingly.

"What?" My voice came only as a single croak from my lips as tears choked my throat so violently it almost hurt.

I staggered back a step, unable to keep my balance —

Because my hold was torn from me.

Again.

I had lost my grip on reality again.

None of this was real.

I was just imagining it.

The front door slammed shut and made me flinch so violently that I flew into the wall next to me.

"Who's Manuel?"

I flinched again, pulling my legs to my torso as I scrutinized Pedri.

Tanja had to destroy everything —

Take everything that was dear to me.

"Pedri..." I wanted to get up and take his warm hands in mine, but he tore himself away from me. Suddenly the footballer looked so hurt, as if I had trampled on his heart and left it bleeding.

"No." He screwed up his face and took a step back. "I was patient with you. Understood you when no one did..." Pedri paused for a moment, a tear streaming down his cheek. "And you don't want to have sex with me because you're cheating on me?"

He stabbed my heart again, with the same dagger as Tanja a few minutes ago.

"What?" I cried, trying to tuck my trembling hands into my sweater. "It wasn't like that! Pedri, please... Let me explain..." I begged the brunette, trying to take his hand but he pulled it away again.

He was so cold.

I was so cold.

My heart became so cold.

"I don't want to hear it, Enyá." he pressed out, tore his gaze away from mine and walked towards the door from which Tanja had disappeared.

"Don't you understand? That's what she wants!" I exclaimed, the tears making it almost impossible for me to choke out a sensible sentence. My chest was shaking and my body was trembling.

How could he understand what Tanja had said?

He had only heard one name drop...

I couldn't react fast enough and he was gone.

And with him, a part of me that had hoped that everything would be okay with Pedri had disappeared.