It's always you. - Hector Fort

Chapter 11

So here I am, living in the UK with my aunt. My life changed the moment I had that argument with my best friends. Well, they were my best friends, but not anymore. They were the best once, but now... everything feels different. I guess that's why I decided to make a change last year. I needed something new because I felt lost.

At least I'm still in touch with Pedri and Lamine's girlfriend, who, by the way, is the sweetest person ever. But even with these small connections, it's not the same.

It's November 3rd, and I'm sitting at the table, eating dinner. The rain's been pouring all day, and I haven't done much besides staying in bed, scrolling through my phone.

"Sweetie, I'm leaving for work now. I'll be back later," my aunt said, grabbing her keys. "Oh, your mom called earlier. You should call her back. Bye!" And just like that, she was out the door.

I sighed and picked up my phone, dialing my mom.

"Hey, Mom," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Hey, Sophs! How are you doing over there?" she asked with that familiar warmth in her voice.

"Pretty well, I guess... but I'm bored. It's been raining all day, and I don't know what to do with myself." I laughed lightly, though it wasn't exactly funny. Just... typical.

"If only you were here..." she started, but I quickly interrupted her.

"Mom, we've talked about this. I'm not—"

Before I could finish my sentence, I heard a familiar voice shouting in the background.

"OH MY FAVORITE COUSIN IS THERE!" Pedri yelled into the phone, so loud I had to pull it away from my ear.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh my god, is he there? Does he need something from me?"

"Well, hello to you too!" Pedri's teasing voice came through the line. "So, tell me, what month is it?"

"Umm... November?" I answered, already feeling like I was walking into some kind of trap.

"And what happens in November?" His voice was way too smug.

I paused, but then it hit me. "Your birthday! Ha! I knew it!"

"Exactly! And guess what?" Pedri's voice was brimming with excitement. "I'm officially inviting you to my birthday party. Oh, and by the way, you're moving back to Spain."

"What?!" I almost dropped the phone. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard me right. Everything's booked, Soph. You're leaving tomorrow. You can't say no."

There was no way. No way I was going back to Spain, back to everything I tried to leave behind. But from the tone of his voice, I could tell he wasn't joking.

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            Next day

Here I am, standing at the airport, nervously waiting for Pedri. I hadn't seen him in a while, and I wasn't sure how this was going to feel. Before I could think about it any longer, I spotted him coming towards me, smiling.

"Heyyy Sophie!" he shouted, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Yeah, hey," I replied, trying to match his enthusiasm as I smiled back.

"It's so good to see you again," he said, grabbing my luggage effortlessly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

As we walked to the car, I tried to shake off the weird feeling in my stomach. I'd been gone for a while, and Barcelona didn't quite feel like home anymore.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously as we got into his car.

"My place," Pedri replied, flashing me a grin. "I've got a little surprise for you."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded, wondering what this "surprise" could be. We drove in comfortable silence, the city passing by in a blur. I stared out the window, my thoughts racing back to all the memories I had here—good ones, and the not-so-good ones too.

When we finally pulled up to Pedri's house, I got out of the car, still lost in thought. I didn't expect what I saw when I stepped inside. Right in front of me, standing in the doorway, was someone I hadn't seen in ages.

"Oh my God, Alex!" I shouted, rushing over to hug her. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Alex laughed, hugging me tightly. "I've missed you so much, Sophie. It's been way too long since we've seen each other in person."

"Right?" I said, pulling back with a smile. "There's so much we need to catch up on... but," I glanced over at Pedri who was standing by, watching us with an amused smile, "I guess we'll have to save some of that for later."

We moved to the living room, and I sank into the couch, still feeling a little overwhelmed. Pedri and Alex sat across from me, and we started talking—catching up on everything that had happened since I left. A lot had changed, but somehow, it all felt familiar too.

Hours passed like minutes, and soon enough, it was just me and Pedri. Alex had gone home, leaving us to relax. The sun had already set, and I decided to stay the night at Pedri's, just like old times.

Good night, I thought to myself as I curled up on the bed. The day had been overwhelming, but being back felt strangely comforting.

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Sophie's POV

The sunlight streamed through the curtains, pulling me out of my sleep. I stretched lazily before heading to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face to wake myself up. The cool sensation was refreshing, and it brought me back to reality—Barcelona. Pedri. Alex. Everything that had once been my life.

After quickly tying my hair up and doing a simple makeup routine, I grabbed my phone and decided to post a little something. It had been ages since I shared anything from Barcelona, and I figured everyone would be curious. The view from Pedri's place was beautiful, so I snapped a quick picture and uploaded it to my Instagram story.

Back where it all began.

I stared at the caption for a moment before hitting post. There was something oddly satisfying about being back, yet a tinge of nervousness settled in my chest. I hadn't seen everyone yet. There were still some unresolved things... mainly with Hector and Lamine.

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Hector's POV

I stared at Sophie's Instagram story for what felt like hours. She was back. In Barcelona. It felt surreal seeing her name pop up after months of nothing. I ran a hand through my hair and immediately called Pedri, my frustration building.

"Jesus, Hector, it's morning!" Pedri groaned when he picked up, his voice still thick with sleep.

"I know it's morning," I snapped. "But I just saw that Sophie is back in Barcelona. Why didn't you tell us?"

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Pedri replied, sounding tired. "Because I didn't think it mattered for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Pedri. Is she going to your birthday party?"

"Of course she is," Pedri answered, his voice quieter now, as if he didn't want Sophie to overhear. "She's my family."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Okay, but you do realize this could get messy, right? Lamine and I haven't spoken to her since she left. And let's not forget Valentina. You might want to let Sophie know that your girlfriend will be there too."

Pedri groaned on the other end of the phone, clearly uncomfortable. "I know, I know. I'm going to talk to her about it today."

"Good," I muttered. "Because if you don't, things could get a whole lot more complicated."