First love (Pedri & Eric García)

Chapter 11

"You finished uni and are now working then? Not surprising. You were always so smart".

Laia blushed and nodded. "Yeah, it's been great. You know dad was friends with the guy who owns the clinic I work at, so he gave me a chance I probably didn't deserve back then. But I've proven to everyone how good I am at my job. I couldn't be happier, honestly".

"That's good. I'm happy now in Girona too".

"Are you going to stay here? I know things in Barcelona didn't go as well as you would have wanted them too".

"I don't know", sighed Eric. "It doesn't just depend on me. But I wouldn't mind it if I stayed so we'll see...".

Laia nodded again. Things had changed so much for Eric. First he went to Manchester, then it was back to Barcelona and now he had to leave again. Girona wasn't as far away as Manchester but still. The life of a football player was very different to hers. She had always known but Manchester proved to her she didn't fully understand what it really meant. She did now.

"And when there was that flooding, my parents' basement was full of water and most of my books were ruined. I substituted them with new ones but you know how I like to annotate them and now it's all gone".

"Not all", said Eric, confusing Laia.

"What do you mean?"

"I got a copy of one of your books at my place", he confessed.

"Why? How do you have that?"

"You brought it with you to Manchester and forgot it there. I couldn't get rid of it...".

"Oh...thank you. That's...that's nice".

As if Laia's feelings weren't already a big mess, Eric's little confession only made her more confused.

"I got that book home. As in here in Girona with me", said Eric. "We could pick it up quickly before you go back to Barcelona. I don't live far".

"Sure. I'm curious to know which one it is now".

"It's Good Omens".

"That's my favourite book. It was the first one I bought again, thinking it had been ruined by the water. But it wasn't even there".

"I know it's your favourite. I almost told my sister to give it back to you but...I don't know. I just kept it".

Once their lunch ended, Laia followed Eric's car back to his house and they walked to the front door. But when Eric opened it, he noticed shoes on the floor that shouldn't be there. Someone was home.

"Alicia? What are you doing here?", asked Eric when he saw his sister. She usually told him about when she was visiting. Was everyone into surprise visits that day?

But Alicia wasn't looking at her brother, she was looking at who was standing next to him.

"Oh my God! Laia?", she ran to hug his brother's ex. "I've missed you".

"Me too. It's good to see you again, Ali".

"Are you two...".

"No", said Laia quickly. "But we're talking again. We can be friends, right?"

"Sure, you were before you dated".

But that made Laia think. Both she and Eric were part of different friend groups that sometimes hung out together. But were they ever friends? Not really. 

"I'll go get your book while you two talk so you can leave soon".

"You aren't staying?", asked Alicia, hoping Laia said she was or that she could change her mind.

"No, sorry. I have to head back to Barcelona. I need to wake up early for work tomorrow".

"Right. Well...if you are talking to Eric, can we hang out again?"

Laia nodded, feeling so guilty. "I'm sorry I had to stay away from you but...it was too painful for me to be reminded about Eric all the time, you know?"

"I get it. But I'm so glad you're both back in each other's lives. How did that even happen?"

"Long story. I'll tell you soon", promised Laia. She needed to process everything first.

"Ok...".

They both noticed Eric approaching with a book in his hands.

"Here it is".

Laia took it and started to look at the pages. All her annotations were there and it almost made her want to cry.

"Thank you for keeping it".

"No problem", he said casually. But his heart was running a marathon seeing how much the book meant to Laia. Making her happy had always been his favourite activity.

"I gotta go. It was great seeing you...both of you. We'll stay in touch, ok?"

The siblings nodded and Laia left to go back home. It was so much later than she had planned but it wasn't a long drive.

"Now you explain to me what this was all about", said Alicia when Laia was gone.

"I'll need to understand it first, sis".

"You still love each other. I could see the way you looked at each other".

"It's too complicated. You don't get it".

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Explain it to me, then".

And Eric did. Alicia didn't expect that kind of explanation but focused on what really mattered. To her, at least.

"Well, Pedri is out of the picture now so do whatever it takes to get Laia back".

"Ali...".

"You two are meant to be together, Eric. Everyone knows it. Don't waste this opportunity".