OFFSIDE

36

❝ You still make me nervous when you walk in the room. ❞
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Pablo's POV
At the end of training, I am standing with some of the guys, chatting and cooling down. Fermín, Ferran, Lamine, Pedri, and Guiu are all there, talking about their plans for the evening.

"Hey Pablo, you coming out with us tonight?" Ferran asks, slinging his arm around my shoulders.

I shake my head, smiling. "I'm not sure yet. I'm supposed to have dinner with Elena tonight, so I'll have to see."

"Man, you and Elena are always so busy," Lamine teases.

I laugh, shrugging. "Yeah, but I'm really happy she has that painting course now. It gives me more time to focus on football. Now I don't have to entertain her all the time."

The guys nod in agreement and laugh, they understand how important it is to balance personal and professional life. And how important my career is for me. Pedri, however, has a curious look on his face.

"Can I ask you something, Gavi?" Pedri says, a serious tone in his voice.

"Sure, man. What's up?" I reply, wondering what he has on his mind.

"Are you still in love with her?" Pedri asks bluntly, his eyes piercing through mine.

I blink, taken aback by the directness of the question. "We've been together for eight years," I answer, trying to dodge the intensity of the moment.

Pedri doesn't let it go. "That's not the answer to my question," he insists.

I pause, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. The truth is, the length of time we've been together doesn't necessarily equate to the feelings we once had. I look at Pedri, realizing he's waiting for a real answer, not just a statistic.

"Yes, Pedri. I still love her," I finally admit, though the words feel heavy. The guys exchange glances, and Pedri gives me a small nod, seemingly not that satisfied with my response.

After the initial conversation, the guys and I continue to talk as we head towards the locker room. The topic naturally drifts towards relationships and girls.

"So, Fermín, how's your dating life going?" I ask, looking over at him.

Fermín lets out a sigh, shaking his head. "Man, I was seeing this girl for a while, but it turned out to be nothing. We just didn't click. She was nice and all, but there wasn't any real connection."

"That's tough," Ferran says sympathetically. "It's hard to find someone you truly connect with."

"Tell me about it," Fermín replies, rolling his eyes. "It's like, you go out with someone, and everything seems fine at first. But then, as you get to know each other, you realize you're not on the same wavelength. It sucks. But at least the sex was good."

"Well, at least you gave it a shot," Lamine chimes in, trying to be supportive. I think the eighteen-year-old boy hasn't had his first kiss yet. I don't know why, but I have that feeling.

"Yeah, I guess," Fermín says, a bit dejectedly.

"What about you, Ferran? You mentioned you were seeing someone seriously," Lamine asks, trying to steer the conversation to a more hopeful note.

Ferran nods, though he looks conflicted. "Yeah, I've been seeing this girl for a few months now. Things are getting serious, but I don't know... Sometimes I wonder if she's with me for the right reasons."

"Why do you say that?" Pedri asks, genuinely curious.

Ferran hesitates before speaking. "It's just little things, you know? Sometimes I feel like she's more interested in my lifestyle than in me as a person. I don't want to sound paranoid, but it's hard to tell if her feelings are genuine."