Never Let Go (Of Me) • Ferran Torres

Chapter 27: Team Presentation

🎶 Stereo Hearts — Gym Class Heroes, Adam Levine 🎶

"Are you excited? First game as a WAG!" Sara teased me as we sat down on our seats at the Olympic Stadium. Barca was playing Tottenham in a game called the Cuff Trophy or something like that, and holding its team presentation before the game.
"Be quiet! I am not a WAG" I scolded her, afraid that anyone could hear. Or even worse, Ferran's family and friends could hear. They were seated a few rows ahead of us and Ferran had originally wanted to give me one of his tickets so that I could sit with them, but I had declined, for multiple reasons.

Firstly, I didn't want to give any more reasons to Joan to think the worst of me and secondly, Dan had gotten two tickets to give away too, and I didn't want Sara to sit alone.
"You haven't talked about what you guys are yet?" my best friend asked me and I shook my head.
"No... It just... hasn't come up yet. I'm so happy, Sara, it's so easy. I've always thought guys and relationships were complicated but with him... I'm afraid it's even too easy sometimes" I sighed.

"Bullshit, be happy if it's easy! But..." she replied, but trailed off.
"What?" I asked and chuckled as she had a serious expression on her face.
"Are you sure you're not just a rebound? I'd hate for you to see you get hurt and footballers are not exactly known to be the most... sincere people" she mumbled and the fears that I had successfully kept in the back of my mind until now, kicked in.
"I hope not" I sighed and fumbled with the Barca scarf she had slung around my neck at the stadium entrance.
"You should invite him over for dinner so me and Dan can check him out. And he can do the Dad talk with him since yours is an asshole. Maybe tomorrow before the party." she said and I gave her a glare.
"I'll ask if you insist" I simply replied.

A band started playing and the presentation started with stadium speaker announcing the staff first, and Sara and I stood up to cheer and whistle for Dan. Arantxa turned around and caught my eye, sending me a smile and a small wave, which I reciprocated. Joan, who was sitting next to her, turned around too to see whom she had seen, and he looked over at me with a very unimpressed face before turning around again. Then followed the coaching staff and the academy players, before the first team started to walk out. The cheers going through the stadium when Gavi walked out were wild.

The ones for Ferran were not as loud, but me and Sara tried our best at shouting at the top of our lungs.
"He looks so serious!" I shouted at my friend over the noise.
"He's probably just concentrated with finding you!" Sara swooned and I hit her head to make her shut up. After all the players had walked out, the captains and Xavi held short speeches, before returning inside and preparing for the game ahead, which started shortly after. Ferran wasn't starting and by half-time, we were 1-2 down.

Shortly after the start of the second half, I saw Ferran starting to warm up and I drooled over his fitness.
"He is so fine" I mumbled and while he ran up and down, he checked out our stand, until our eyes met and he grinned, shooting me a small wave. Thankfully, his family was sitting here too, so no one would think it could be for someone else than them. I was very paranoid about fangirls finding out about my existence.

He eventually got subbed in alongside some other players and in the 80th minute, he was the one to level the score and I sprang up from my seat, dragging Sara's arm up with me, punching the air with my hands above my head and screaming. He did his new celebration before turning to our stand and pointing at it, blowing a kiss with his hand. My eyes widened and I quickly turned to Sara who was snickering to herself.
"It was probably just for his sister. They're close" I told her and she just nodded, still laughing.

Ten minutes later, Ferran gave Ansu Fati the assist needed to score the 3-2. Abde scored a fourth one shortly after, and Barca won the game after a strong display from the boys. The players stayed on the field to receive the trophy and after that, they clapped for the fans, who started going. While Dan had disappeared quickly after the final whistle to prepare the dressing room, he got back out again when the first guys started going inside and Sara hurried down to the railing to kiss her fiancé hello, with me following. Ferran's family and friends were standing a few feet away from us, apparently waiting for him and I quickly walked over to say hi to his mum and sister, it would have been rude to not do so.

"There he is!" his friend Pablo shouted as their star was walking up to them.
"I'll..." I told Arantxa after chit-chatting a bit and pointed at my friends before walking back to them, but they had apparently already walked closer to us so there wasn't space for me to escape.
"Hola, bonita" Ferran greeted me and my cheeks turned dark red while I turned around to check that there weren't any weird fans with their phones out, filming everything.
"Hi" I piped back shyly.

"You played well" his mum complimented him.
"Yeah, congrats on the goal mate" Dan said and patted him on his shoulder.
"Thanks!" Ferran replied brightly with a smile on his face. "Oh guys, this is Dan, one of our kit guys, he works with the midfielders and... he's a friend of Cata" he introduced him to his people who all greeted Dan friendly, even Joan. So it was just me whom he hated then, great.

"So, spill it. Who was the kiss for?" Arantxa chuckled and shook her brother's arm, who blushed a bit.
"Not for you, I would have shown my middle finger if that was the case" he replied annoyedly.
"Fine, we'll start going then and will see you at the restaurant. You can talk to the person you blow kisses to now in peace" she replied and stuck out her tongue and taking her mother's arm as their group was leaving.

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Ferran asked me for the hundredth time again now.
"No, you should spend time with your folks, you don't see them often... And I don't necessarily want to spend time with Joan, although he'll surely find something to talk bad about me now that I'm not going" I sighed and he put his hand over mine on the railing. I looked around nervously but most fans seemed to have gone by now.

"But Dan wanted to ask you if you wanted to come for dinner tomorrow!" Sara intruded herself into the conversation and her fiancé looked at her confusedly.
"I wanted to...?" he half-asked Sara who shot him a glare. "I wanted to invite you. Our place. Tomorrow." he said, encouraged by the looks Sara was sending him. Gosh, they were so embarrassing.
"You can come at 8" Sara clarified and he nodded.
"I'll be there, can you send me the address?" he replied and asked me.
"I will" I said and smiled at him.

As we were too far away with the railing between us, he kissed his fingertips and I hoped he wouldn't go for my mouth, but instead he touched the star pendant on the necklace he had given me and grinned before walking back into the tunnel, leaving me standing there breathless.
"That dude is head over heels" Dan commented and Sara giggled, which earned both of them gentle slaps on their cheeks from me.