never fall for brown eyes // Pedri

chapter 74

The breakfast hall is packed with players and staff members, all rushing around to get some food quickly in their systems before starting their day. I'm quite happy that I don't see Mason or other players from England's team. I'm not ready to explain all that has happened to Jude or Jack. Mason promised he wouldn't tell anyone anything, and I trust him with that. Which might turn out to be a mistake, but at least that would save me from having to explain everything from the beginning once again.

I had to convince Mason that I was fine and not going to have a mental breakdown last night before he finally agreed on leaving me alone. I told him that I needed time and not someone fussing over me like a mother hen. He seemed to understand that and we agreed that I'd give him a call if I needed him. Of course I'm not going to call my big brother to take care of me during a heartbreak. I've managed to survive on my own so far, so I can continue doing so in the future. I appreciate him, but I don't think he'd understand me. Evelynn on the other hand will have no choice but to listen to me as I pour my heart out to her. She deserves to finally know what's been going on. But that's something I'll think about when I finally find her. That's if she's not laying dead somewhere in the back of this hotel.

Of course I'm not lucky enough to avoid the Spanish players. Pedri's bloodshot eyes meet mine the first thing as I step into the room. Pedri's sitting alone in one of the corner tables and he looks like a beaten dog. I spot some of his teammates including Ferran and Eric sitting a few tables away from him. I can't say that I'm not even a bit relieved that he seems to be affected by what happened yesterday, but I'm also not enjoying seeing him like this. I still have no idea where Evelynn is, but I'm hoping wherever she disappeared to is where Gavi also is, because he as well is nowhere to be seen. And that's a major thing, considering that he and Pedri are always together.

I pour myself a cup of coffee and take a croissant before finding the perfect lonely spot on the other end of the room. It's as far away from Pedri as I can get in this room, so I'll take it. I don't think I look any better than he does. My eyes must be red and glossy and they're probably framed by black under eyes from lack of sleep. I must look like a mess, but that's what I am. A breathing, barely living, mess.

I avoid looking at Pedri's direction for the rest of the breakfast, but as I'm starting to get up my eyes meet his. We hold eye contact for a moment until he gets up and starts walking to my way. Panic washes over me and threatens to drown me as he approaches me. I get up and get ready to run to the other direction but I stop as I see Evelynn get in between us.

"No, Pedri stop right there!" She crosses her arms and gives Pedri a stern look. I love my protective bestie, even though I have no idea how she knows what's going on or where she even appeared from. Pedri doesn't even look at her, his red eyes are glued on mine. He looks like he hasn't slept any more than I have, which is weird. His actions shouldn't be hurting him. He wasn't the one whose heart got broken into pieces right before his own eyes.

Gavi also appears from out of nowhere as well and starts pulling Pedri away from Evelynn. They exchange a few words which I can't hear because I'm zoning out, but Gavi and Pedri end up leaving the breakfast hall.

What I do hear is Evelynn telling Gavi that she loves him. Fucking finally! It took them way too long to realise their feelings towards each other. I don't like to brag but I definitely saw this coming. I also don't miss the single tear that falls from Pedri's eye as the happy couple exchange 'I love yous'.

Evelynn basically starts dragging me to our room, because my feet refuse to move. I'm completely frozen, my mind is numb, my body wants to curl up into a ball and my eyes want to cry themselves out.

"We're going to our room and you will tell me what on earth is going on in here," she says and hugs me. And that's when I break into pieces, again.

–

"I'm so sorry, I should've told you before," I apologise after telling Evelynn the whole story starting from Barcelona. I told her everything, me and Pedri meeting in the corridor, our fake relationship in the beginning that turned into something more. When I'm finally done she just looks at me with pain in her gaze and pulls me in for a hug.

"No, I'm the one who should apologise. I'm your bestie and you shouldn't have to think about my feelings when you're going through something like that," she starts crying with me and we're just two messes laying on the bed.

"When I saw Pedri outside of Gavi's room, looking like a beaten dog, I thought something really bad had happened to you. But I never expected this," she admits and I look into her eyes.

"Wait, Pedri was outside of his room? And where were you?" I look at her confused.

Evelynn gives me a dreamy smile and explains how she sneaked into the same game where I was, which explains why I found my hoodie there. Apparently she and Gavi finally confessed their feelings to each other and they ended up locking Pedri out of their room and spending the night together.

"So now it's your time to explain what exactly happened between you and Pedri yesterday?" Evelynn asks me and I give her a sad smile.

"Well there was a press conference after the game where I sneaked into. And one of the reporters brought up the rumours about Gavi's new girlfriend. Somehow there's also been rumours about Pedri and the reporter was wondering if he was seeing someone and how it affected his playing," I explain until she interrupts me.

"Why on earth do they ask that kind of thing in a press conference, shouldn't they focus on the actual game?" Evelynn crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

"No, but that isn't even the worst part. Pedri didn't even try to dart the question, he just said that the girl these rumours were talking about must be a fan or something and that he has no intention of dating anyone now or in the future. If that wasn't bad enough he also said that football is too important for him to mess it up for something temporary like love," I raise my eyes from my hands to look at Evelynn. I thought she might be feeling sorry for me, but the look on her face is nothing like I imagined. She looks like she might kill someone. And that someone is probably Pedri. She's starting to resemble Gavi, her red hot angry bird.