Sure Thing • Gavi

Chapter 70: Ferran

🎶 Holding a Heart — Toby Lightman 🎶

More than a week had passed since my infamous encounter with Pablo's mum and my talk with Pedri. In these days I had continued going to therapy and Dr Reyes and I were currently working through my days I actually reported from Israel and Gaza. The awful things I had seen and felt there also needed to be processed before we could approach the monster that was my captivity, and for me in many ways even worse, what I found upon my return back at home.

I didn't have much else to do as I didn't work and if I went out in the city, there were always paparazzi somewhere and I didn't like being pictured with a sad, teary face all the time, so I mostly stayed at home, which was driving me kind of crazy. It was Thursday afternoon and I was zapping through the TV channels, trying to find something that wasn't a talkshow discussing mine and Gavi's love life.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I stood up to see who it was. A delivery guy was standing there with a huge box.
"Victoria Hernandez?" he asked and I nodded. "Please sign here" he said and I quickly put my signature on his device before dragging the parcel into my living room. I got a knife from the kitchen and ripped the tape open.

All of my stuff I had left back in my apartment in Israel was there. Clothes, my laptop and all the personal items I had brought, which included pictures of my family, friends and... Pablo.
I fell on my knees and started crying holding the framed picture of him and me holding up his 100-games-shirt in front of La Masía. It represented the beginning of our love story to me and now... everything had gone down the drain.

After two hours of crying in front of that picture, I had the strength to put it away in a small box. Then, I continued with the rest of the parcel that had arrived, I stowed away everything where it belonged, and items relating to Pablo were put in the small box that was standing on my small coffee table now. When I had finished, I sat down on the couch and eyed that box for probably two or three hours while tears flowed down my cheeks.

It had gotten dark outside and I looked out of my living room window before taking the box, putting on a coat and walking down towards the beach to a very specific place. When I arrived, I was very surprised to see a familiar face there. I walked over and sat down next to him in front of the big campfire that was lit every evening here.

"Didn't think this was your scene" I chuckled.
"There's alcohol and no questions are asked." Ferran answered and took a sip from his beer can.
"I used to come here sometimes during high school. It's the 'rich kids with problems'-place" I said nodding in the direction of maybe a 16-year-old sniffing on something that was probably cocaine.
"Oh and what were your problems?" he chuckled.
"I was lucky enough to not really have any. I used to come here with Ana when she didn't stand being at home anymore because her parents argued all the time. She used to come when she felt sad - in some way I had hoped to find her here tonight, but I guess she's pretty happy now" I sighed.
Ferran scoffed. "She's a bitch. It's good that Pablo is injured now, I don't think we'd have a great vibe in training and on the pitch."
"Don't say that. He's your best player." I replied.

"What's that?" he asked, changing the subject and nodded towards the box I was holding in my hands.
"I need something strong before I answer that" I replied and stood up to get a bottle of tequila from the guys that always brought the booze. I sat back down next to Ferran, opened the bottle and took two very long sips. It burnt but it felt good. Then, I opened the box and took out a letter.

"My dear Vicky,
I am so in love with you, the humble person that you are, your intelligence, all the efforts you put into things you want to achieve, all the efforts you put into overcoming things that are crossing our way, you not giving up easily, believing in an 'us'.

Bla bla bla. Now it gets funny, listen:

I'm in love with our dreams, you having planned a life together for us, the sweet looks you give me, the great team that you and I have formed.

Lies, lies, lies. He even finished off with

This is how much I am in love with you, because you are my everything."

I paused for a minute. "If this really was true he wouldn't have given me up in less than a week. He lied, he played me, he cheated. I'm so done with him and everything." I said before I took the letter and threw it into the fire. I did so with every photo and memory I had of Pablo that was in the box, some I showed to Ferran and some went straight into the fire. The last item was that jersey from the victory in Norway. I heard Ferran take in a sharp breath.
"I'll give it back to him. He scored in that." I said quietly and sat back down, stuffing it into my bag before taking some more sips of the tequila.

"Anyways - why are you here?" I asked curiously.
"Ugh, just everything. The team not performing how it should, I'm not a regular starter, I do feel that I'm worth more than just a substitution at the 70th minute. My position at Barca is not 100% sure, I don't know where I'll play in a year. I miss Sira so much. I gave her all my love, my everything. I can't think about any other girl, there's something blocking me from moving on and I don't know what" he blurted out.
"Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate. You and Pablo should have switched minds a few weeks ago. He was quick to move on" I joked, fuelled by the alcohol in my system.
"I need to get over her, but whenever I want to take the next step with a girl, my mind goes blank" he sighed.
And then my fear also kicked in. How would I act when it would be time to take the next step if I ever liked a guy again - after everything that had happened to me?

Alcohol-me found a great solution to this problem: "Maybe we should just sleep with each other and that will unblock us and make us able to move on."
"What? I thought you were against sex with no feelings! At least that's what Pedri told me - you scolded Chiara pretty badly for that." Ferran chuckled.
"That's different. We very much do not feel any attraction for each other and it will be a one-time thing. What they're doing is just denying or ridiculing an attraction they apparently have. I need to unload and you do too." I said sternly.
"You're right. And you are a bit too old for me." Ferran chuckled and nodded.
"Charming. Let's go. Your place." I said and he stood up with me. We both were tipsy, on the verge of drunk, but still sober enough to take our decision consciously. Or so we thought.

We took a taxi to his place and made it quick. We both undressed ourselves, chose a position where we wouldn't face each other and didn't kiss. When he entered me, I felt a sting to my heart, but chose to ignore it. I tried to distract myself and looked around the room. My eyes fell on some football medals, including the League and Supercopa ones from last year - I recognised them as Pablo had the same ones. I quickly shifted my gaze and concentrated on Ferran's movements - I was surprised that I felt a knot in my stomach building up, I hadn't expected me to have an orgasm. After a few more thrusts, which I half-heartedly met, we both came and slumped down on the bed.

"I miss Pablo." I said after a few moments of silence.
"I miss Sira." he replied.
"Great." I said.
"Great." he said.
"Good night." I said and turned away from him.
"Good night." he said and turned away from me.

**********************************
Please don't hate me for this chapter 😭

Btw, I started a Xavi fic, if you want to check it out. Age gap again, but on the other side of the scale!