Veiled Hearts | Pablo Gavi

025 return

"Sophia! Irina!" A familiar voice called out, and as we turned, we saw Anna Lewandowska waving and making her way toward us.

"Anna, darling! How wonderful to see you," my mother greeted her warmly, her face lighting up.

"Come here, my beautiful girl!" Anna spread her arms wide after exchanging pleasantries with my mother. I stepped forward, hugging her briefly before we continued toward the stands in the family and friends section. Theo had already dashed off to sit with Carlos, his new best friend in Spain, and the son of one of Barça's board members. The game was set to begin in about twenty minutes.

As my mother settled into a seat beside Anna, I glanced back toward the entrance and spotted Laura walking in, looking visibly nervous. I recalled my promise to Dani and quickly made my way over to her. She was stunning, her hair down and her outfit similar to mine, though her jersey bore "Olmo" on the back.

"Hey, Laura," I smiled, hoping to ease her nerves.

"Oh, hey—you're Sophia, right?" she smiled back, looking slightly more relaxed now.

"That's me. Dani mentioned you'd be here. Want to come sit with us?" I gestured toward the seats. Laura hesitated for a moment before following me, still showing hints of nervousness.

"Guys, this is Laura. She's Dani Olmo's girlfriend," I introduced her to my mom and Anna.

"So nice to meet you, dear. I'm Irina," my mom said, rising to give her a hug. "Hansi is thrilled about your boyfriend's debut."

"So am I," Laura replied honestly. "I know he'll do great, but I'm still nervous because he's nervous."

"Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about," Anna chimed in, offering reassurance. "Robert hasn't stopped raving about Dani for weeks. He's going to crush it. I'm Anna, by the way."

"I know," Laura giggled, and Anna laughed. We all took our seats.

"So, Dani mentioned you're from Munich?" Laura asked, breaking the ice.

I nodded. "Yes. And you're living in Berlin, right?"

"Yeah, after my divorce, I moved to Berlin for a few years. Now I'm moving here to live with Dani."

"That's great to hear. Your story was heartbreaking at the time, but I'm glad to see how well you've healed."

Laura looked surprised. "You know about that?"

"I've followed you for two years now. Honestly, I knew who you were before I even knew Dani's name. When he told me you'd be here, I was fangirling so hard."

Laura burst out laughing. "You're so cool! I already love you."

We continued chatting until the players began taking the field for their final warm-ups. Laura noticed the matching Gavi jerseys Theo and I were wearing.

"That's adorable. Your brother must be thrilled about Gavi being your boyfriend."

"Oh—we're not together," I quickly clarified, feeling a slight blush rise.

"You're not?" she asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, I just assumed, given what Dani mentioned and the jerseys."

"It's okay," I smiled, appreciating her understanding. I could trust her, right? After all, she knew what it was like to be thrust into the world of football fame and handle all the hate.

"It's complicated," I admitted carefully.

"Oh, I get it," she nodded. "You like each other, but it's hard to figure out what comes next?"

"Yeah, exactly. For one thing, I'm going back to Munich for university. And the sudden attention is overwhelming. My dad's kept me out of the spotlight my whole life, but after just one photo with Gavi, everything changed. The gossip pages have dug up so much personal information, it's terrifying. My Instagram is flooded with requests. Some of the messages are horrible—wishing terrible things on me. All of that just because I like someone. I don't want to be reduced to being 'the daughter' or 'the girlfriend.'"