It's always you. - Hector Fort

Chapter 7

Hii! How are you guys?

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"Wow, this one is gorgeous!" I exclaimed, eyeing the bracelets laid out on the stand in front of us. My fingers traced over the delicate beads of a turquoise bracelet, its colors popping against the warm Spanish sun.

"It would suit you," Valentina smiled, watching me with a knowing look. She was always quick to spot something that matched my style.

"I think I'm going to get it." I held it up to my wrist, imagining how it would look with the outfits. It was a perfect little souvenir from our escape.

We'd decided to leave Barcelona for a few days and headed to Lloret de Mar for some much-needed relaxation. Barcelona had always been our home, but sometimes, you just need a change of scenery, even if only for a weekend.

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Valentina and I strolled down the beach promenade, the warm breeze playing with our hair. It was one of those perfect afternoons where the sunlight bounced off the ocean, and the distant sound of music drifted from beachside bars.

"Why are you grinning at your phone like that?" I nudged her playfully, catching the smirk on her face as she typed away.

"Oh, nothing," she quickly shoved the phone into her bag, a little too fast.

I raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "Nothing, huh? That didn't look like 'nothing.' Spill."

She sighed, clearly caught. "Okay, fine. I'm texting Pedri, and he just said something funny, that's all."

"Pedri?" I laughed. "He's always at my place, you know, since we're cousins. And yes, he's always glued to that phone with that same goofy smile on his face."

"That sounds like him," Valentina chuckled, but I could see the slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. Interesting.

I pulled out my phone, "Alright, enough about Pedri. Let's take a picture!" We struck a few silly poses, laughing as the camera snapped away. Lloret was all about capturing these carefree moments before reality pulled us back home.

Back at the hotel, we collapsed onto the beds. It was our last night in Lloret de Mar. Tomorrow, we'd be heading back to Barcelona, back to our routines and the people waiting for us.

"We're meeting up with Pedri, Lamine, and Héctor tomorrow, right?" Val asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, the squad's grown by one more, but it's all good. Everyone gets along pretty well," I replied. Lamine, my best friend. Pedri was Pedri—full of energy and charm. And then there was Héctor. Things had shifted between us. We weren't enemies anymore, but we weren't exactly friends either. There was something in between, something complicated, unspoken.

Valentina turned over on her side, watching me as I combed through my wet hair. "It's going to be weird going back, isn't it? We've been so relaxed here."

I shrugged, "Honestly? I'm excited. It's time to go home. Plus, there's a party coming up, remember? It's been forever since we've had one."

Val groaned, rolling onto her stomach. "Oh yeah, that's right! Something about Barça and a party at Héctor's place. That's all I remember." We laughed, chatting until the moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the beach outside our window.

But as I laid down, I couldn't help but wonder about tomorrow. About seeing Héctor again, about what was happening between Val and Pedri, and how everything might change when we got back. Maybe our time away wasn't just about taking a break. Maybe it was the calm before something bigger, something none of us could predict.

Tomorrow, everything would start again.