Let Me Love You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 7 - The First of a Thousand More

Gabi's POV

My dad rolled his eyes and got up, walking back into the study and leaving me alone on the couch to watch the last fifteen minutes of the match. It was the UEFA cup, and we'd just fallen 2-1 behind. I didn't stop him, because I knew he wouldn't bear to miss any minute of a Bayern match. Even though he wouldn't admit it, I knew he'd turn on the TV in the study to watch it quietly.

I continued watching as Toni entered in the last ten minutes, and my dad popped his head out of the study to look at me. Then, as if he'd realised that I wasn't supposed to know he was watching secretly, he popped his head back in without a word.

I smiled, not taking my eyes off Toni no matter which part of the TV screen he was at. How could I ever take my eyes off him? I hoped that he'd do it again, that he'd do something explosive again, this time on the European stage, for everybody to see.

I didn't have to wait long. I watched as he stood there alone, waiting to take a free kick, looking so focused. Just a split second later, he'd delivered another pinpoint cross for Klose to tap into the net.

"Toni," I whispered, even though there was no one around to hear me. "Oh, Toni, I love you."

The score was tied now, and there were less than five minutes left. Even though it was a European match, at that moment I wasn't in the mood to care about whether we'd get the win. I just continued watching in a daze, my eyes still never leaving Toni.

I'd almost resigned to our fate in the 90th minute, when suddenly a free kick was awarded. I grabbed the cushion and held on to it in anticipation, prepared for another great thing to happen.

And it did. Except it wasn't just an assist. It was a goal. By Toni.

I watched him smile and hug his teammates. I watched all the replays from all the angles. I flopped down face first, burying my face in the cushion and just lying there, too shocked and amazed to move a single muscle. I felt tears falling from my eyes and moistening the fabric, but I was too happy to care. Toni, my love.

The final whistle blew, but still I lay there. Amelie came downstairs to ask me if I was alright, but I didn't answer; she slapped my butt and walked away, but still I lay there. I lay there until my dad came and turned off the TV, and until my family turned off all the lights, closed their doors and went to bed. I lay there until my phone buzzed past midnight.

"Still awake?"

I dialled his number and waited for him to pick up. "For you," he said immediately after picking up.

"Toni," I whispered. "I've never been so proud of anyone or anything in my entire life."

"I love you, Gabriele."

"I love you, too," I said. "And I have to hang up now, or my phone bill will explode."

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night," I said, trying not to let him hear the tremble in my voice. "Good night, Toni."

——

School passed in a blur, because all I wanted was to go home, put down my stuff, cross the road, and spend the entire evening with Toni, now that he was back from Serbia after playing that amazing game.

Even though practically my whole family were rooting for me and Toni to be together, I hadn't told them about us, even though a month had passed. They still thought we were just friends, and we were pulling that off, meeting outside and acting normally in front of them.

It wasn't that I was ashamed about our relationship – in fact it was the opposite. I was so happy that I could finally put a title on my feelings towards him, that I finally figured it out and that he felt the same way as I did. I just didn't want to advertise it, to let them make it a big deal out of it when all Toni and I wanted was to be with each other, not to have everyone inspect our every move.