Fortified -Pau Cubarsí-

18 - the new addition

Cesca's POV

The sun is high in the sky as I pedal through the streets of Barcelona, buzzing with excitement about today. A girls' day — shopping, food, and gossip. Nothing could be better after the whirlwind of everything lately. I push open the doors of the café where we agreed to meet, and immediately, I spot them: Celeste, Anna, and Daniela, all already seated with coffee in hand.

But my eyes lock on the girl sitting beside them, the new addition to the group. Mackenzie. Gavi's girlfriend.

I wave to the girls, my smile faltering as I take in Mackenzie's presence. She looks exactly how I imagined — tall, blonde, with a confident (bordering on cocky) air about her. She's dressed in designer everything, and there's a subtle smugness in her smile as she glances up at me.

"Cesca!" Celeste greets me with a warm hug. I return it, but my eyes flick back to Mackenzie, who's now eyeing me with a sort of calculated look.

"Hi, Cesca," she says, her voice dripping with sweetness that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "So nice to finally meet you."

I force a smile. "Likewise," I reply, not missing the way her gaze moves up and down, as if she's assessing me, deciding whether or not I'm worth her time.

Celeste's POV

I watch as Cesca walks in, and my heart lightens. There's something about her energy that always makes everything feel better. She looks at Mackenzie, and I can tell — Cesca doesn't trust her. I don't either.

Mackenzie's already holding court. Her expensive sunglasses are perched on her head, her laugh a little too loud. I can tell she's trying too hard to fit in, and I can't decide if it's sad or just annoying. The way she talks about her "weekend getaway" to the south of France or how "lucky" she is that Gavi's treating her to all these amazing things... I bite back a scoff.

"Cesca, you're looking great today," Mackenzie says, her tone a little too chirpy for my liking.

"Thanks," Cesca says, her voice flat. I know she's not as warm to Mackenzie as she is to the rest of us. I can't say I blame her.

I sip my coffee and exchange a glance with Anna. The look says it all: We don't trust her.

Anna's POV

From the moment Mackenzie opened her mouth, I knew she wasn't what we expected. Her accent — so American — is thick, her words overly precise, as if she's carefully constructed every sentence. I can't help but notice the way she shifts in her seat, like she knows all eyes are on her.

She talks about Gavi like he's some sort of object she's collecting, and I'm not sure if I want to roll my eyes or slap her. At one point, she mentions how "lucky" she is to have found someone like Gavi. She makes a point of listing off all the ways she's "helping him grow" as a person. I almost choke on my coffee.

"Yeah, I think I've really helped him with his mindset on, you know, investing," she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "It's about being smart with money, don't you think?" Her smile is too wide, too fake.

I lean in to speak to Daniela, my voice low. "I don't like her. She's... not what Gavi needs."

Daniela nods, her eyes still fixed on Mackenzie. "Yeah, she's definitely... trying too hard."