My neighbour Rúben

Chapter 16

"Oh... My... God!"

"Jesus Christ, Lucy. You scared the hell out of me."

"Please tell me this is real. That you are indeed leaving Rúben's place, and wearing yesterday's clothes."

"I'm not wearing yesterday's clothes" I said with a nervous laugh.

"Yes, you are. We left the house together, remember? You are even carrying your bag!"

"I... I... You also are wearing yesterday's clothes."

"I know. Because I had a date with the guy I'm seeing and I spent the night with him. What I did was kind of expected. What you did..."

"I did nothing."

"Oh, you did. Your face is so red right now!" she said with a teasing smile. "C'mon, let's go inside. We have so much catching up to do!"

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"I just can't believe it finally happened! I am so happy for you and Rúben!" Lucy said, hugging me for the millionth time since we sat down to talk. "It was bound to happen, tho. He is your one."

"My what?"

"Your one. The one you are destined to be with. When you meet that person, it feels different to all the other people you've met before. It's like something clicks. I call it the one feeling."

"Well, I don't have much to compare it to."

"I know. But who did you call when you were trapped on the lift and Roger wasn't answering? Rúben. You didn't call the police or anything like that. Your mind thought of him because you knew you would be safe with him. Because he makes you feel safe. And what did he do? Run here to rescue you, opening the lift with his bare hands! He is like Captain Portugal" Lucy chuckled. "Wait, is that why we watched all those Chris Evans' movies? Because he reminds you of Rúben?"

"Maybe" I shrugged. "But now that you know everything that happened between us, it's time for you to tell me about this secret guy you are seeing. Who is he? Is he the one?"

"I think he might be..."

"Lucy!" I said, hitting her with a pillow. "You've met someone special and you haven't told me?"

"I know, I know. But it's because... Because he is one of Rúben's teammates and I didn't want to make it awkward until you two fixed things."

"Please tell me he is one of the nice ones. If you tell me that Grealish is your one..."

"Eww, no" Lucy said with a disgusted look, trying not to laugh. "It's Rodri."

"Rodri? That name sounds very familiar..."

"He also is from Spain. We met on the lift when he was going to one of the parties."

"Who wants a dating app when you have that lift, uh? But details, give me details" I said, trying to sound like her.

"He was coming in and I ran behind him while talking on the phone with my mum. He heard us, asked if I was from Spain, and that started a conversation. We stayed talking for a bit up here, neither of us going where we were supposed to, and then he asked me if I wanted to get a drink, that he wasn't in the mood for partying. I said yes, then we exchanged numbers, and..."

"And when was this?"

"When the parties started. February."

"So you've been seeing him for three months and haven't said a single word?" I said, hitting her again.

"I was doing it for you!" she replied, hitting me back with another pillow. "And you knew that I was seeing someone."

"Ok, fine. That's true. And I'm sure you've been dying to tell me about it since day one."

"I have, yes" she said with a big smile. "I like him a lot, you know? He is so different from all the other guys I've met... At first he looks a bit boring, but once you start talking with him, you can see that he is funny, intelligent, sweet... He didn't make a weird face when I told him about Julia, which already is huge. And he is hot, like a Spanish version of Rúben. Less muscle, but kind of the same vibes."

"You should see your face right now."

"I'm smiling like an idiot, am I not?" Lucy said, hiding her face behind her hands.

"You are, yes. It's cute."

"Well, now you know how you look when you talk about Rúben or when he is around" she laughed. "They seem to be very close friends. Maybe now we can start going on double dates!"

"Step by step, Lucy."

"Oh, c'mon. You just had sex for the first time with Rúben and I know how important that was for you. This is serious!"

"I just... All this is too new for me. And a bit scary, to be honest. I don't want to rush it."

"Have you told him that?"

"I have, yes."

"Good. Communication is key. But having dinner the four of us one day could be nice. As friends who happen to be intimate between them" she said with a cheeky smile.

"I'll think about it."

"Great!" Lucy said, giving me another hug.

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"Wouldn't it be too much? It is silk. Like, real silk."

"It is your mother's 50th birthday and you haven't seen her in ages. It isn't too much."

"I guess..." I said, resting my head on Rúben's shoulder. Or bicep if we are being accurate.

"Thank you for helping me pick it, tho. I'm the worst with gifts and all that."

"You're welcome" he said, walking out of the lift. "But does this mean that I must get ready to receive the shittiest gifts ever?"

"It's very likely, yes" I replied with a big smile.

"Then I'll make you a list with everything I like and want so it is easier" he said, stopping in front of his apartment door and hugging me by the waist.

"So nice of you... Thank you very much" I said, putting my arms around his neck.

"You know me. I am a very nice guy" Rúben said, pulling me closer to him.

"Very, very nice..."

"Mami! They are kissing!" Julia screamed.

"Fucking hell" I said to Rúben's chest.

"Mami, they were kissing!" Julia repeated, this time a bit lower. "Are they boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"I don't know. You ask them" Lucy said from our apartment's door.

"Are you boyfriend and girlfriend? Like Anna and Kristoff?"

"We..." I muttered.

"We are. Just like Anna and Kristoff" Rúben said.

"Yay!" Julia screamed, coming to hug us both.

"Are we?" I whispered so she wouldn't hear us.

"I want you to be my girlfriend. I expected to ask you on a more romantic way but..."

"Yes."

"Yes to being my girlfriend?" Rúben asked with a big smile, Julia still hugging our legs.

"Yes to being your girlfriend" I replied with a matching smile