Veiled Hearts | Pablo Gavi

019 deep talks

I let out a small grunt as I dropped the last pile of bags onto my bed. It was after sunset, and I had just finished dinner with Mom, Maria, and Theo. After Gavi and Pedri left, Maria bombarded me with questions about my so-called "novio" and how "guapo" he was, so I made a quick escape to my mom's room.

We watched an episode of The Morning Show together, but then she decided to declutter her closet. Now, I had about ten new pairs of heels, four handbags, and a ton of clothes for every imaginable occasion piled up. I grabbed my iPad and decided to give Olivia a call, propping it up on my bed as I started folding the clothes, waiting for her to pick up.

After two rings, her face appeared. "I swear we are soulmates. I was just about to call you!"

I laughed. "That's no surprise, babe."

"True." She switched on her nightstand lamp, so I could see her better. "I finished decorating my room today."

I gasped. "Oh my god, show me!"

She flipped the camera to show her room. Her cream-colored bed stood next to a window with dark wood nightstands on either side. A big white closet now adorned the once-empty wall, and a light pink Persian-style rug was spread across the light wooden floor. Near the second window, her dark wood desk paired with a cream chair, perfectly mirroring the bed and nightstands. In a large floor-standing frame was the iconic Kate Moss poster, sitting beside a cozy accent chair.

"That looks amazing!" I exclaimed, genuinely impressed. She turned the camera back, her face beaming with pride.

"Yup. Your room's almost ready, too. It's got the same bed in grey, the same rug but in blue, a closet Alex built today, and a couch chair."

"Love Alex for that," I laughed. "You guys are the best."

"Of course! You've got time to spend with your family before moving in and leaving Spain. Speaking of—how's Gavi?" A mischievous smirk crept onto her face.

"I saw him today and I'll see him again tomorrow. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about it," I admitted.

"Go on, I'm listening."

"I'm not sure how to move forward, if I'm honest. After that situation at the club, I've realized something."

"Ben that fucker. I will twist his head of his shoulders.", she cut me off.

"No, it's not his fault. I was repressing these thoughts before, so I would've noticed eventually. The media dug up so much about me just after being seen with him once. It's scary. I'm not sure I'm cut out for that kind of attention. Since the gossip articles came out, I've gotten thousands of follow requests on all my socials, and I saw a TikTok with those pictures—people were dragging me in the comments. It hurt, and this is only the beginning if we decide to pursue it." I paused for a second.

"I've never been in the spotlight despite of who my dad is. My parents always kept me out of it, even when he started coaching Bayern. No one cared about me. But Gavi and Barcelona? They have such a massive following. I was even recognized on the street a few times. After just one public sighting with him, Olivia! On top of that, I'm leaving for at least three months. How is this supposed to work? And then there's my dad. He's been getting some press about pushing Gavi more than other players, and if people find out I'm involved with him, they could spin it in a way that tarnishes my dad's reputation. I don't want that."

I finally finished my rant, letting out a deep breath.

"That's shitty as hell," she said.

"Yeah," I murmured in agreement.

"Do you like him?"

"Huh?"

"Soph, do you like him? You've given me every reason why you think it's wrong. But what do you feel? How do you feel when you're with him? When you talk, laugh, or even fight?" Her expression was serious now as she put emphasis on the words "think" and "feel".

"I..." I stopped to think. "I like him. We're still getting to know each other, but he's caring, funny, charming, understanding, and yeah, a little jealous. I do like him."

"Then try," she said simply. "Even Marc and I still talk, but you and Gavi have a real chance. You'll be visiting during your semester, and the holidays are three months long twice a year. That's half a year in Spain! You're just at the start. It might not work out, sure, but if you like him, isn't it worth giving it a shot?"

I nodded slowly, processing her words. "You're right."

"And besides, Munich men are toxic idiots anyway."

I burst out laughing. "Okay, point taken."

"I'm always right," she said smugly, closing her eyes in mock arrogance.

"By the way, guess who's moving near us?"

"Don't tell me Lotta! I ran into that slimy cow today. She's staying in Munich, studying at some private college. No surprise she didn't get into LMU or TUM."

I giggled at the mention of Lotta. Olivia had despised her since high school, thanks to a year-long attempt to steal Olivia's then-boyfriend.

"Thankfully, no. You guessed wrong. Bambi's moving a few streets over."

Her face lit up at the mention of Jamal's infamous nickname. "Well, I'd much rather run into him than her all day."

I smiled. "He's excited. He moved in already, so you might bump into him."

We chatted for a bit longer before Olivia called it a night. Some builders were coming early to replace our sink and showerheads.
After sorting everything into my closet, I collapsed onto my bed, picking up my phone to find a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey! It's Blanca. Are you up for breakfast or brunch tomorrow? I've got no plans so far and thought I'd reach out.

I smiled, remembering the girl from earlier, and quickly typed a reply.

Sophia: Hey! Sure. I have something at noon, so how about 10?

Sophia has changed the contact name to Blanca.

Blanca: Sounds good! I can pick a spot if you like :)

Sophia: Perfect! Just send me the Google Maps link :)

Satisfied, I turned off my phone and crashed for the night.