The Line Between Us - Alejandro Balde Love Story

Chapter 13: Behind the Masks

The city outside the studio was asleep, a peaceful contrast to the storm of emotions swirling between Alejandro and me. The tension from the almost-kiss still hung in the air like a tangible force, but neither of us acknowledged it. Instead, we kept working, pretending that everything was normal.

But it wasn't.

We both knew something had shifted between us, and with each passing hour, the silence grew more unbearable. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me from across the table, his intensity wrapping around me like a warm, uncomfortable blanket. I refused to meet his eyes. I couldn't. Not after what almost happened.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Alejandro broke the silence.

"Do you ever wonder if you're doing the right thing?" he asked, his voice unexpectedly soft, almost vulnerable.

I blinked, surprised by the question. It wasn't like Alejandro to ask anything so... raw. He was always the confident one, the one who seemed to have everything under control. I glanced up, finding him staring at his hands, his fingers intertwined as if seeking comfort in their grip.

"With your career, I mean," he added, looking up at me with a small, self-deprecating smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if football is really all I'm meant for."

I frowned, not expecting such an honest admission from him. "What do you mean? You're one of the best. People look up to you."

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair, the weight of the world visible in his posture. "I know. And I love it. But sometimes... I wonder if there's more to life than just being good at something. Like, what happens when it's over? When the crowds stop cheering, and you're no longer that guy on the pitch?"

His words struck a chord in me, reverberating through the quiet space. For the first time, I saw past the bravado, past the playful teasing. Beneath the surface, he had doubts, fears, just like anyone else.

"I get that," I admitted quietly, surprising myself with how easily the words flowed. "With modeling, it feels like everything is based on how you look. And it's great when you're on top, but it's exhausting trying to keep up with it all. I don't know... sometimes I wonder if it's worth it."

Alejandro's gaze softened as he listened, his expression understanding and sincere. "I never thought you'd feel that way. You always seem so... sure of yourself."

I laughed, though there was no humor in it. "Trust me, I'm anything but sure. I constantly feel like I'm trying to prove something—to the industry, to myself. Like if I don't keep pushing, it'll all disappear."

He nodded, and for a moment, we were just two people trying to navigate our lives, not the model and the footballer everyone else saw us as. The weight of our careers, the expectations, faded into the background, leaving just the raw, honest parts of ourselves exposed.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Alejandro said quietly. "Feeling like you're always on the clock, always being watched."

"Yeah," I murmured. "It feels like I'm wearing a mask half the time. Like no one sees the real me."

Alejandro's eyes flickered with something I couldn't quite place—understanding, maybe, or recognition. "I think I know what you mean."

We sat in silence for a moment, the vulnerability of the conversation lingering between us like a fragile thread. It was strange how easy it felt to open up to him, even after all the teasing and the tension. There was something about this moment, this quiet, late-night honesty, that made me see him in a new light.

"I never thought we'd be having this conversation," I said softly, my gaze dropping to my hands, where my fingers fidgeted with the edge of my sleeve.

Alejandro chuckled, a low, warm sound that made my heart flutter. "Neither did I. But I'm glad we are."

I looked up, meeting his eyes, and for a second, it felt like the world stopped spinning. There was something in his gaze—something raw, something real. I could feel the distance between us shrinking again, the same magnetic pull from earlier drawing us closer.

"I think..." Alejandro started, his voice hesitant, almost nervous. "I think maybe I—"

Before he could finish, the sound of a door opening shattered the moment. We both jerked away from each other, our heads snapping toward the entrance as a studio staff member walked in, completely oblivious to the charged atmosphere in the room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," they said casually, holding up a clipboard. "Just need you to sign off on these."

My heart raced in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins, the heat of our moment still lingering in the air. I glanced at Alejandro, but he was already back to his usual composed self, though I could see a flicker of frustration in his expression that he quickly masked.

"Of course," he said smoothly, taking the clipboard and signing it without hesitation, his pen moving quickly as if to distract himself.

As the staff member left, the silence between us returned, but it was different now. The vulnerability from before had been replaced by a tension so thick, it was suffocating.

"You were saying?" I asked, trying to pick up the thread of our conversation that had been so rudely interrupted.

Alejandro hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. He shifted in his seat, glancing down at his hands as if searching for the right words, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Nah, it's nothing," he said, offering a small, almost forced smile. "I lost my train of thought."

I frowned slightly, sensing there was more to it, but I didn't push. Instead, I replied with a small "Right," nodding, though disappointment tugged at my chest. "We should probably just get back to work then."

As we both returned to our screens, the weight of unsaid words lingered heavily in the air. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between us. We'd been on the verge of something—something real, something important. And though the moment had been interrupted, the words left unspoken still hung between us like a thick fog.

I glanced at Alejandro one more time, catching him staring at me before he quickly looked away, a flash of something in his eyes that sent my heart racing. Deep down, I knew that whatever was happening between us wasn't going to be easily ignored.

The masks we wore were starting to slip, and I wasn't sure either of us could keep pretending much longer.