Veiled Hearts | Pablo Gavi

016 resolvement

As I walk towards Gavi, my stomach knots tighter with each step. I can see him waiting there, his posture stiff, hands tucked awkwardly into his pockets. My heart is racing, a mix of anticipation and anxiety weighing down on me. I've replayed this moment in my head so many times, but now that it's here, I have no idea what to say.

When I finally reach him, we're both quiet for a few seconds—too long, honestly. The awkwardness hangs between us, neither of us sure how to break it. Gavi shuffles his feet, glancing around nervously, and I try to hold his gaze, but it feels like too much all at once.

He clears his throat, offering a small, hesitant smile. "How've you been?" he asks, his voice softer than usual, almost tentative.

I blink, caught off guard by the simplicity of the question. "Good," I say quickly, though it feels like a standard response. "I've been good. Busy, actually. I've had a lot to do with university preparations, and Olivia and I are planning the apartment in Munich, so... yeah, it's been a lot."

He nods, his hands still tucked in his pockets, but his shoulders relax slightly. "That sounds like a lot," he agrees. "I've been busy too. Training a lot, especially now that I'm getting closer to the end of my recovery. Your dad's been including me more in team training sessions." He lets out a small chuckle, but it sounds a little forced, like he's trying to ease the tension but doesn't know how.
There's a beat of silence again, and I can tell there's more he wants to say. His gaze flickers to the ground, and then back to me, something uncertain behind his eyes.

"I've been thinking about that night... at the club," he finally admits, his voice low. "I haven't really been able to stop thinking about it. And I wasn't sure how to talk to you about it, or if I even should. I just... I'm sorry I didn't reach out sooner. I didn't know how to approach the whole thing."
His words hang between us, and I can see the sincerity in his face—the way he's struggling to find the right words, to explain without making things worse. He's nervous, and it makes me realize that I am too, more than I'd like to admit.

"It's okay," I say, even though I know it's not entirely true. "I get it. Honestly, I've been trying to figure it out myself." I swallow, the apology that's been sitting in my throat for days finally coming out. "I'm really sorry about how everything turned out. I didn't expect Ben to act like that, and I feel like it put you in a really bad position."
Gavi shakes his head quickly, brushing off my words. "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I know, but still. It shouldn't have happened."

There's a pause, and for a moment, it feels like we're both carrying the weight of that night—the confusion, the frustration, the unspoken tension between us.
"Do you think we can move past it?" he asks, his voice a little quieter now. "I mean... are we okay?"

I nod, and the knot in my stomach loosens slightly. "Yeah. We're okay. I talked to Ben afterward, and we sorted things out. We agreed to give each other space while I'm still here in Barcelona, and he's back in Munich. It's better that way, I think."

Gavi looks at me carefully, like he's trying to read between the lines of what I'm saying. "I'm glad you talked to him," he says. "I was worried it was more... complicated."

"It is complicated," I admit. "Not because of feelings for him, or anything like that. He's just a close friend, and it's hard to keep distance when someone's been such a big part of your life. But I know it's for the best. He needs to figure his own stuff out, and I need to give him the space to do that."
Gavi nods, though I can sense the hesitation in his expression, as if he's not entirely sure how to respond. "I get that. But it's hard for me not to wonder if... I don't know, if you're still thinking about him."

I blink, caught off guard by the vulnerability in his voice. It's not something I expected him to say. "No, it's not like that," I say, shaking my head quickly. "I've just been overwhelmed by everything—between the move, school, Ben... and us." I bite my lip, my words trailing off as I realize how much I've been overthinking everything. "I guess I'm just trying to figure out how to balance all of it."

He looks at me, his gaze softening. "I get that. And I don't want to add to your stress or make things harder for you. I just... I like you, Sophia. And I don't want to mess this up."

I feel a warmth spread through me at his words, but there's still a lingering uncertainty in the back of my mind. "I like you too," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But everything's been happening so fast, and I feel like we haven't even had the chance to really know each other yet. Not on a deeper level, you know?"
He nods, his eyes focused on mine, and for the first time, it feels like we're really on the same page. "I get that," he says softly. "And we don't have to rush. We can take things slow. Get to know each other, really know each other."

I smile, feeling a bit of the tension leave my body. "Yeah, slow sounds good. No pressure."
Gavi smiles back, and there's a sense of relief between us now, like we've finally cleared the air. It's not perfect, but it's a start.

"Thanks for being honest with me," he says quietly. "I wasn't sure where we stood, but I'm glad we talked."
"Me too," I reply, and for the first time in what feels like days, I mean it.

We both fall into a comfortable silence after that, standing side by side in the tunnel as the noise of the crowd hums in the background. There's no need for any more words right now—we've said what needed to be said. For the first time in days, I feel like I can finally breathe again.