𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 - Book 1

~Chapter 17~

                                                                                          Leonor

     I finished my drink slowly, savoring every sip. Gavi had just asked me to go on a walk with him, in private. Away from all of his friends, away from Chloe.

     This was a second chance for us to make things right after our first date.

     When I finished the last sip of my drink, I slid the glass back to the bartender and left a tip on the counter.

     "I'm all ready," I said quietly. Gavi just nodded and stood to his feet.

     I shot Chloe a look over my shoulder before we left the restaurant. She nodded her head slightly.

     The air was crisp and cool when we emerged onto the sidewalk.

     "Where do you want to go?" He questioned me. I just shrugged. I pulled my phone out quickly and texted Chloe.

Leonor: brb going on a walk

Chloe: yesssss girl😻

Chloe: kiss already

Leonor: No

    I shoved my phone back into my pocket and caught up to him. He turned to face me when I fell in step with him. He seemed to be examining me deeply. It made me a little nervous inside.

     We walked past shops and restaurants. Past couples sitting on benches, couples holding hands. Couples kissing. A part of me ached.

     "Do you like watching soccer now?" He laughed, nudging me with his shoulder. The sudden gesture made me jump a little.

     "I guess," I smiled. I still didn't understand the rules that well, even if I had seen a few matches here and there.

     "You should come to another one, you know. I love seeing you there, Leonor," he replied. Something about the way he said my name made me feel butterflies inside.

     "I can make that happen," I smiled to myself, looking down at my feet as we walked.

     We came upon a window shop with beautiful purses. I stopped to admire them, pressing my palms against the glass. They were gorgeous; purses were my specialty.

     "Those are really pretty," Gavi stated behind me. He was admiring them too. Not with as much enthusiasm as I was, but still.

     We kept walking down the sidewalk, barely speaking. It wasn't as awkward as it had been, but I was racking my brain for a conversation we could have.

     "Tell me about your sister," I blurted. He looked at me in surprise but cleared his throat.

     "She's amazing, really. She's older than me, so we weren't exactly best friends growing up. She loved watching soccer with me, and that's how we started to bond. Then, she moved away to college and got her own life. I was still living with our parents. When I got the offer to play for Barcelona, I took it. My sister and I are still very close. She came to visit me about a month ago. Her name is Aurora," he said. I looked at him before speaking again.

     "I understand. I'm very close with Sofia, if you can't tell. She's my best friend. I do everything with her. We're always together. I don't think I could ever be separated from her. I don't want to even imagine that day," I whispered carefully. Gavi was lookin at me, nodding.

     "Isn't it funny how we relate to something like that? I mean, you're the future queen of Spain and I'm just a soccer player. Who would have thought we'd have anything in common?" He laughed. 

     I looked at him with big eyes.

     "You're not just a soccer player, Pablo. You're a person too. We probably have more in common than you could imagine," I stated. He nodded, and we fell silent after that.

     We continued moving down the sidewalk carefully.

     "Can I ask you a question, Leonor?" He asked me. This time, he paused in the middle of the sidewalk to look at me.

     I smiled and nodded. "Of course you can," I replied.

     He sighed before continuing.

     "What's going on between us?" He asked finally.

     "What do you mean?" I snapped quickly.

     "I don't know, it's just a different interaction every time we see each other. On the first date, I was convinced you hated me. But now, I feel like that's changed," he muttered.

     "I never hated you, I just had trust issues. I still do. But I've learned to trust you a little more," I answered blankly. He cleared his throat after I said that.

     He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to look at me. He pulled me to the side so we were out of the way. Nobody else was near us; it was just us.

     "Look Leonor, I.....I really like you. You're a great person. I think you're beautiful, and I think you're an amazing person. You're spunky and have a great personality," Gavi started, grabbing my arm as he did so. I just stared at him, trying to process what he was saying.

     "I know this would never work, you're the future queen and I'm just a soccer player. But I want you to know how I truly feel," he added. His eyes were searching mine for something, anything.

     He didn't know that I felt the same way. That if I could tell him that right now, I would in a heartbeat.

     But I couldn't. Not yet.

     I shook my head, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

     "I'm sorry...I have.....to....go," I stuttered, sliding out of his grip and running away. To where, I wasn't sure yet.

     "Leonor!" He called out after me.

     I didn't turn around until I reached the bar. I barged in and stumbled over to Chloe. The first few tears began to fall down my cheeks.

     "What's wrong?" She questioned immediately when I sat down.

     "We need to leave. Now," I pleaded.

     She didn't question me; just stood up and helped me to my feet. Then, we left the restaurant in a hurry.

Sorry guys I'm so mean

I feel like I'm rushing this romance so I want a lil bit of drama first before they confess hahaha