Siempre te voy a querer

Chapter 108

Alexis was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "¡Santiago! ¿Qué onda, wey?" he said as he patted Santiago's back and shook Anastasia's hand, only to wipe it off on his pants seconds later. Isa caught the subtle move and couldn't help but chuckle softly, earning a smile from Alexis as he glanced her way.

One by one, the rest of the guys stepped forward to greet the couple. Uriel gave Santiago a bro-hug, Jorge clapped him on the back, and Diego, ever the joker, said, "¿Otra vez tú, cabrón?" as he gave Santiago a light smack on the shoulder. Edson nodded in acknowledgment, offering a quick handshake, while Kevin just muttered a neutral, "Qué pedo," before stepping back. Chucky, Luis, and Julian gave their usual playful greetings, while Arteaga and Piojo kept things brief, though Piojo couldn't resist flashing a sarcastic grin when his turn came around.

Finally, Santiago and Anastasia approached Isa. As she stood up to greet them, she accidentally locked eyes with Santiago for what felt like an eternity. Her heart raced as memories flashed through her mind. It was only a second, but it felt like time had slowed. Santiago's heart skipped a beat. *She looks so nice...so pretty...so...* He quickly shook the thoughts out of his head, trying to push away how breathtaking she looked—*even more beautiful than before.* Still, the tension in the air, particularly between Isa and Anastasia, was palpable.

Isa extended her hand and offered a small, polite smile. "Hola, ¿cómo están?" she said, shaking Santiago's hand before turning to Anastasia. Anastasia gripped Isa's hand a little tighter than necessary, her eyes sharp as she smiled forcefully at her.

"Hola, Isa," Anastasia said in a tone that was far too sweet to be genuine, her eyes boring into Isa's.

Isa maintained her composure, offering only a small nod before sitting down. Just as everyone settled back, Anastasia blurted out, as if it weren't obvious, "¿Están comiendo elotes?"

Without missing a beat, Piojo responded sarcastically, "Nah, estamos comiendo carne asada."

Santiago shot him a look that said 'respétala', but Piojo only shrugged, completely unbothered.

Santiago tried to start a conversation with the group, making small talk about fútbol and the latest games. Isa sat silently, feeling uncomfortable as Anastasia pulled up a chair right beside her. The conversation was flowing naturally among the guys, but Anastasia kept interrupting, trying to make herself the center of attention.

"Yo también sé jugar fútbol," Anastasia chimed in. "En la prepa, yo era la mejor de mi equipo."

The guys exchanged awkward glances, but no one said anything as she kept going.

"Podría pasar la defensa del Machín sin ningún problema," she added, clearly referring to Edson.

Edson made a face, not liking how she used the nickname— especially since Isa had coined it back when they were younger. The other guys tried to stifle their laughter.

"¿Neta crees que puedes pasar la defensa del Machín?" Uriel asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Chucky chuckled under his breath, "Puro sueño traes, ¿no?"

Diego, as blunt as ever, muttered, "No recuerdo haberte preguntado," earning a playful smack from Alexis, who laughed at Diego's shameless comment.

"¡Diego, no seas mamón!" Alexis joked, though he was clearly amused.

As the guys talked more about fútbol, Anastasia kept trying to butt in, mentioning random facts about herself. "¿Sabían que iba a jugar profesionalmente? Pero mejor me dediqué a ser mujer de casa," she said, clearly fishing for attention.