In the spotlight

66

I was dashing forward between the crowds of people in the very crowded airport terminal. I pulled my baseball hat onto my head and adjusted the sunglasses in front of my eyes as the people started looking up at me, probably cursing me out in their heads too.

By the time I reached the department gate of the plane arriving from New York, people were already exiting through the huge tunnel. I stretched my neck out a little as I was trying to see over everybody else, scanning the people trying to notice the familiar blonde waves amongst them.

She was among the very last people who exited the plane, and by the time she noticed me, most people had already left this specific corridor.

"My god, Sofi, are you okay?" I ran up to my girlfriend as she approached me hastily too, holding her arms open right before I wrapped mine around her.

My heart was beating almost erratically as I felt her between my arms again. Truth be told, I was terrified.

Ever since Xavier called me up randomly days ago on that morning about some random man trying to assault my girlfriend, I have been filled with nothing but dread. I was already on my way to the airport, booking a ticket to the very next plane departing to New York, when she took over the phone and basically begged me to stay in Madrid.

She wanted me to focus on my training as normally, she will take extra care and will not leave anywhere without company, flying back straight to Madrid as soon as the fashion week is over. But how could I focus on anything else while she was still in the same city as her attacker?

"Mhm, all good." She hummed as she enjoyed the hug, while I showered her with small kisses on her head. "I'm just really tired." She sighed.

As we slowly separated and exchanged a quick kiss, I noticed the white gauze wrapped around her hand. I took it between mine and raised it carefully to examine it.

"Bruised it a little. But not broken." She smiled at me, making me wonder how she could stay so calm about this whole situation. She was almost assaulted after all; who knows what that sick fucker would've tried to do with her? His only luck was that I wasn't around, or else I wouldn't have stopped chasing him around New York if I had to.

"Oh my god, you should've seen that hit." She gasped. "I hit the most immaculate, most perfect left hook ever. I can't wait to tell about it to my trainer." She told me as we took off towards the baggage area to pick her suitcase up.

"And that kick too—Xavier said I might've broken a few ribs. I really hope I did, though. Should've aimed for his liver." She muttered angrily, which put an amused smile on my face.

"It's amusing how calm you can stay about all of this." I shook my head as I let go of her good hand and lifted her suitcase from the rack. I threw her backpack on my back and took her hand in mine again as I pulled the suitcase behind me.

"Honestly, I'm pretty proud of myself." A wide smile appeared on her face. "Instead of, like, crying about it or whatever, I kicked his fucking ass." She demonstrated a few hitting moves in the air; years of practicing were really showing in her movements.

"His jaw could've been a little softer though." She lifted up her bandaged hand while examining it, which made me chuckle.

"You should be. I'm proud of you too." I said as we walked outside to the parking lot. I helped her into the car as I closed the door and walked back to the trunk. I placed everything into it carefully, sighing heavily as I closed it and started walking towards the driver's seat.

I knew exactly that she was not going to like what I was about to tell her, but I really had to do better as a boyfriend. I needed to protect her at all times; I can't let anything like this happen again.

I jumped into the car next to her, preparing myself for my little speech I planned. I lined up the pros and cons supporting my theory and was ready to list them out loudly as I turned towards her.

As soon as I did, I met her gaze as she leaned in closer, supporting herself on her elbow against the armrest in the middle. Her beautiful eyes and intoxicating perfume made me go weak in the knees even though I was sitting down, and my words got caught up in my throat.

She caressed my jaw with her thumb, making me stop thinking completely and just lean closer to her right before our lips met. And with that, I forgot about everything I was about to say.

I sighed into the kiss as she and her lips felt like heaven on earth. We moved slowly, tenderly, filling the kiss up with love and care. I could feel her smile into the kiss, and I really wanted to confront her about doing this on purpose, but not in a million years would I actually break up this kiss.

As we ran short on fresh air around us, she pulled away slowly, giving me a few seconds to come to my senses fully. She couldn't hold it together anymore and started to chuckle right next to me.

"Oh, you did this on purpose." I narrowed my eyes as I tried to look disappointed with her, but she knew exactly how strong the hold she had on me actually was with her closeness.

"You started it though." She pointed at me with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I wanted to say that..." I started as I took a deep breath, holding the eye contact firmly. As I was about to continue, Sofia broke the eye contact, glancing down at my lips, licking hers quickly in the process.

I was so mesmerized by watching her do that that I forgot to continue and just stopped talking altogether. I only realized this after she broke the trance she pushed me into with laughing out and leaning back in her own seat.

"Oh my god, Sof, would you stop?" Even I couldn't hold it together anymore and started laughing.

"You should've seen your face." She was still laughing, wiping her tears away carefully with her fingers under her glasses without touching her mascara.

"So what I wanted to say," I sighed as I held the driving wheel firmly and looked outside the windshield, straight in front of me so she couldn't interrupt me with her damned prettiness. It was just really hard talking like that with a straight face.

"I know what you want to say." She said casually before I snapped my head towards her.

"You want to keep a closer eye on me after the attack. Accompany me when I leave the house." She glanced outside the windshield in front of her. I furrowed my eyebrows while I was trying to pinpoint her exact feelings while she was saying these things.

"I thought you were not going to like it." I was groping around in the dark. She always hated any idea that involved me missing trainings or putting something else in front of my career.

"Well, I don't really, but if it calms you down, I'm not going to oppose the idea." She smiled faintly. "I'm not planning on leaving the house for a while, especially not during your practices either way." She sighed.

"But we cannot be together all the time, always." She turned towards me, running through her hair. "For the first few days this is going to work out, but we have to give up eventually. And malicious people will exist afterwards too who might hurt me or you. This is partly why I've been learning kickboxing as well." I was listening to her in utter silence.

"I'll do anything in my power to avoid these situations and get out of them with the least scratches possible, if you swear the same." She held up her good hand with her pinky finger in the air and with a smile on her face.

This action forced one to form on my face as well, as I mimicked her movement, and I held my pinky finger against hers in the air. I leaned closer and planted a kiss on her hand.

"Plus he stayed in New York anyway." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she leaned backwards against the seat and watched as I turned the car on.

"What's he going to do? Fly to Madrid?" She scoffed as we took off towards our apartment.