The Line Between Us - Alejandro Balde Love Story

Chapter 27: Collision of Worlds

I hadn't meant for them to meet like this.

In fact, I had done everything in my power to avoid it. But somehow, fate—or more likely my brother's overprotective tendencies—had other plans. Iñaki had shown up in Barcelona earlier than expected, his surprise visit catching me completely off guard. And now, I found myself sitting at a café table with the two people I'd been hoping to keep apart—Alejandro and Iñaki—watching the tension build between them like storm clouds ready to explode.

I sat between them, feeling like a bomb about to go off.

Alejandro, normally so calm and composed, was sitting stiffly across from Iñaki, his expression unreadable but his eyes giving everything away. There was frustration there, a flicker of challenge, and a whole lot of things that hadn't been said yet. Iñaki, on the other hand, was sizing Alejandro up the way he did with opponents on the field—calculated and cautious, but with that underlying edge of protectiveness that made me nervous.

"So," Iñaki said, his voice steady but carrying an edge I knew all too well, "this is the famous Alejandro Balde."

Alejandro smiled politely, but I could tell he wasn't in the mood for games. "That's me."

The air between them was thick, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, praying that this wouldn't escalate into something worse. Iñaki hadn't come out and said it yet, but I knew my brother well enough to know what was going through his head.

I shifted in my seat, trying to break the tension. "Iñaki, I didn't know you'd be in town this weekend."

"I wanted to surprise you," he said, his eyes still locked on Alejandro, barely acknowledging me. "But it looks like you've had other company."

The accusation in his tone wasn't lost on either of us.

Alejandro, to his credit, didn't take the bait right away. He kept his voice calm, but I could see the flicker of irritation behind his eyes. "We've been working together for a while now."

"I see," Iñaki replied, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. "Is that all it is? Work?"

My stomach twisted. I knew this was coming. I could see the protective older brother mode switching on, and I desperately wanted to stop it before things got worse.

"Iñaki—"

Alejandro cut me off, his voice cool but firm. "I care about Isa."

The words hung in the air, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Alejandro hadn't said those words to me yet—not directly. But now, in front of Iñaki, there was no hiding how he felt. The quiet intensity in his voice made it clear that this wasn't just some casual thing for him. He cared. And hearing him say it like that, out loud, made my chest tighten with emotions I wasn't ready to confront.

Iñaki's eyes narrowed, and I could see the challenge flash across his face. "You care about her?"

"Yes," Alejandro said without hesitation, his gaze steady and unwavering. "I care about her a lot."

The café suddenly felt too small, too claustrophobic. I could feel my pulse quickening, knowing that this wasn't going to end well.

Iñaki's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn't say anything. But when he finally spoke, his voice was colder than I'd ever heard it. "I know guys like you, Balde. I've been around them my whole career. You get what you want and then you move on to the next. I'm not going to let that happen to my sister."

Alejandro's face hardened, his calm exterior starting to crack. "I'm not like that."

I could see the storm brewing in his eyes now. Alejandro wasn't the kind of person to get riled up easily, but Iñaki had just hit a nerve. And I could see it—both of them were on the verge of losing their tempers.

I took a deep breath, trying to diffuse the situation. "Iñaki, that's not fair—"

"I'm just looking out for you, Isa," Iñaki interrupted, his gaze shifting to me for the first time. "This guy is trouble, and you know it. You don't need to get involved in his world."

His words stung. The way he dismissed Alejandro so easily like he was just another playboy footballer, hurt more than I expected. I knew my brother cared about me, but this wasn't about Alejandro being a football star. This was about me—what I wanted, who I cared about. And I couldn't let Iñaki make that decision for me.

"Iñaki," I said softly, my voice steady but firm. "I know you're trying to protect me, but I can make my own decisions."

Iñaki's expression faltered for a moment, but before he could respond, Alejandro spoke up, his voice sharp with frustration. "Look, I get it. You don't trust me, and that's fine. But you don't get to decide how Isa feels. That's her choice."

Iñaki's eyes flashed, and I could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Her choice? You think you can just waltz in here and—"

"This isn't about you, Iñaki," Alejandro snapped, his frustration boiling over. "This is about me and Isa."

I could feel the tension rising, like a dam about to burst. They were both standing now, their voices growing louder, and the other patrons in the café were starting to take notice.

"Iñaki, please—"

Alejandro's next words cut through the noise, his voice low and intense. "I'm not going to hurt her. I care about her more than you think."

The sincerity in his voice was undeniable. Even Iñaki couldn't ignore it. For a moment, my brother just stared at him, as if trying to figure out if Alejandro was being serious. I held my breath, waiting for his response, hoping that maybe—just maybe—he would back down.

But instead, Iñaki shook his head, his voice bitter. "You don't know anything about her."

Alejandro's expression softened, his voice quiet but firm. "I know more than you think."

The silence that followed was deafening. The words that hadn't been spoken between me and Alejandro were hanging in the air, waiting to be addressed. Iñaki's gaze flicked to me, his expression filled with frustration and something else—betrayal, maybe.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of both of their expectations pressing down on me.

"I can't do this right now," I muttered, pushing my chair back and standing up. I needed to get out of there, away from the suffocating tension and the overwhelming emotions I wasn't ready to confront.

Before either of them could say anything, I turned and walked out of the café, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew this wasn't over, not by a long shot. But I needed space to figure out how I really felt—about Alejandro, about my brother, and about the storm that had just been unleashed.