It's always you. - Hector Fort

3. "Just a Game?"

2 weeks later.

We were sitting at Pedri's place—me, Hector, and Val. It was supposed to be a casual evening, nothing special. Just the four of us. Yet, the tension in the air was thick, as if we were all standing on the edge of something we couldn't quite see.

"So, how's our favorite couple doing?" Pedri teased with his usual grin, throwing a playful glance between me and Hector.

I rolled my eyes, forcing a smile. "Please. It's only because Hector is trying to make someone else jealous."

"And who's that someone? You?" Val shot back with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" I almost laughed. Me? Jealous? Over Hector? The thought was absurd, and yet... why did it sting? "I'm not jealous. Definitely not over Hector."

Val raised an eyebrow and leaned back into the couch. "Well, I'm starting to think it's not just Martina feeling jealous around here."

"Jealous of her? And Hector? Seriously?" I scoffed, pulling out my phone as if the conversation was too ridiculous to entertain.

There was a moment of quiet, just long enough for my thoughts to start spiraling. But before I could figure out what was really going on in my head, Hector's voice cut through the silence.

"She wants to go out with me!" he blurted out, excitement radiating from every word.

I blinked, confused. "Marti? It worked?" I forced a smile, even though it felt hollow.

"Yeah, Marti! We might actually make this happen," he beamed, eyes glued to his phone, like he was already living in some fantasy where everything was perfect between them.

My chest tightened. "So, that means... this thing between us is over soon?" I asked, my voice more quiet than I intended.

"If everything goes according to plan, yeah. I've honestly had enough of it," he shrugged, his eyes still on his phone. "I'm just ready for it to be over."

Had enough? My stomach dropped. Was I really that bad to be around? Had this whole thing meant nothing to him? The thoughts I had been trying so hard to ignore suddenly came rushing to the surface, crashing over me like a wave.

"Well, I'm exhausted. I think I'll head home," I said quickly, standing up before anyone could see the look on my face.

Val's voice came through the haze. "Are you sure? It's pretty late."

"I'll be fine," I waved her off and walked to the door, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me but refusing to look back.

As the door clicked shut behind me, the cool night air hit my face, but it wasn't enough to calm the storm building inside. My steps were fast, hurried, as if I could outrun whatever it was I was feeling. But I couldn't. I didn't even know what I was running from.

Inside, Pedri looked over at Hector, disbelief clear on his face. "Dude... really?"

Hector finally looked up from his phone. "What? What did I say?"

"You just told the girl who helped you through all of this that you're done with her. That you've had enough. It sounded like you were tired of *her*," Pedri explained, his voice sharper than usual.

Hector's face paled. "What? No, that's not what I meant. I just... I meant I'm ready for things to move forward with Marti. It wasn't about her."

Pedri shook his head. "Well, that's not how it sounded."

---

The night was quiet except for the crunch of gravel under my feet. My mind replayed Hector's words over and over, like a broken record. *Had enough. Ready for it to be over.* I had always known that Hector's heart was set on Marti, that I was just part of his plan. But hearing him say it so plainly, so casually, like I was just a stepping stone—it hurt more than I thought it would.

I wasn't supposed to have feelings for him. This whole thing was never real. But somewhere along the way, it had started to feel real—at least for me.

My phone buzzed in my hand. I ignored it. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Not Hector, not Pedri, not Val. I just needed to clear my head.

But the more I walked, the heavier everything felt. My 18th birthday was coming up in just a week, and for the first time, I wasn't excited. It used to be just me, Pedri, and Val—my two closest friends who always made my birthdays special, no matter what. But this year was different. Hector was in my life now, and I had let him get closer than I should have. Now it felt like everything was slipping through my fingers.

Without thinking, I found myself walking toward the park near Pedri's place. It was almost empty at this time of night, save for a couple of streetlights casting long shadows over the grass. I sat down on a bench and stared at the ground, my thoughts swirling.

"Hey."

I jumped, startled by the sudden voice. Looking up, I saw Hector standing a few feet away, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

He shrugged. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I laughed bitterly. "Now you care?"

His face fell. "Come on, don't say that. You know I didn't mean it like that."

I stood up, my chest tight with frustration. "You said you had enough. Of *what*, Hector? Of pretending to be with me? Of me? Was I really that hard to be around?"

His eyes widened. "No, no! That's not what I meant at all. I just meant... I'm ready for things to be real with Marti. I wasn't talking about you."

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my voice steady. "But that's the thing, isn't it? You never saw *me* in any of this. I was just part of your plan. Just a way to get what you wanted with her."

He took a step closer, his voice soft. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" I shot back, feeling the tears I had been holding back begin to blur my vision. "I didn't think I could feel this way about you. I wasn't supposed to. But I did. And now... now I feel like an idiot."

Hector opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. We stood there in silence, the weight of everything hanging between us.

Finally, I wiped my eyes and turned away. "I think I need some time. Alone."

Without waiting for his response, I walked away, leaving Hector standing alone under the streetlight.